It took time for some of the performers in director John Donald O'Shea's production at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre to fully inhabit their roles; consequently, I was slow to warm up to the show. But I did. The compelling mystery aspects enter the script late, too, but are ultimately engrossing.

Taking flight once again, the Mockingbird on Main has returned with Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird, now playing at Moline’s Black Box Theatre. Directed by Mockingbird co-owners Tristan Tapscott and Savannah Bay Strandin, their newest production offers a searing look at a nearly century-old America that still feels all too relevant now.

Murder in the Studio, the Black Box Theatre’s latest production, helmed by co-owner Lora Adams, is a charming trip into yesteryear. Three radio plays, written by renowned novelist Agatha Christie, are staged as if they were being performed in a live broadcast, with strong actors backing up 90 minutes of gripping theatre.

Director Aaron Baker-Loo created a memorable musical production – though, admittedly, I found the whole saga more depressing than I remembered. Luckily for the Spotlight, their presentation is also an enchanting spectacle that is more than enough to keep even the youngest viewer interested.