13 Apr 2026

How Does Her Garden Grow?: “The Secret Garden,” at the Spotlight Theatre through April 19

By Mischa Hooker and Kitty Israel

Mischa: I certainly love to see a story revolving around a garden.

Kitty: This story created my expectations for what a garden should be: an enchanted place unlocked by a hidden key with a kind local who does most of the work for me and charms bushels of roses into magically growing while I hold a small spade and talk to birds.

13 Apr 2026

The Triumph of the Wilkommen: Quad City Music Guild's “Cabaret,” at the Prospect Park Auditorium though April 19

By Pamela Briggs

Director Luke Vermeire and assistant director Adrienne Evans, both accomplished actors as well as auteurs, have assembled a wide array of exceptional talent to create this sleek production. But don’t come expecting to leave your troubles outside, as Cabaret’s Emcee urges.

16 Mar 2026

Every Time a Belle Sings, an Angel Gets Its Wings: “Honky Tonk Angels,” at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through April 25

By Mischa and Kitty Hooker

Mischa: Together, these performers were unstoppable. Well … individually they were pretty unstoppable, too!

Kitty: I feel about this show kind of like I felt about Glee. I wasn’t in it for the plot, but I was hooked by the music.

13 Apr 2026

River Cities' Reader Theatre Reviews: July 2000 to the Present

By Administrator

Reviews by Rochelle Arnold, Jeff Ashcraft, Patricia Baugh-Riechers, Audra Beals, Pamela Briggs, Dee Canfield, Madeline Dudziak, Kim Eastland, Emily Heninger, Heather Herkelman, Kitty (née Israel) Hooker, Mischa Hooker, Paula Jolly, Victoria Navarro, Roger Pavey Jr., Alexander Richardson, Mark Ruebling, Mike Schulz, Joy Thompson, Oz Torres, Brent Tubbs, Jill Pearson Walsh, and Thom White.

30 Mar 2026

Scanning the QC Code: “The Adventures of Sam Steele: A Radio Play,” at the Black Box Theatre through April 4

By Madeline Dudziak

Jeff Adamson, clearly delighted by the room’s laughter on its opening-night performance, leaned into the humor with visible enthusiasm, which only seemed to widen the gap between the show’s tone and my own reaction to it.

30 Mar 2026

Some Play!: “Charlotte's Web,” at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through April 11

By Mischa and Kitty Hooker

Kitty: There’s something magical about experiencing theatre from a child’s perspective. Saturday’s audience was full of very eager young theatregoers who were clearly delighted by the show.

Mischa: It was especially interesting to see which moments they particularly reacted to.

14 Mar 2026

Bachelor's Decree: “Company,” at Augustana College through March 15

By Pamela Briggs

Augustana College's production of Company is expansive, lively, and musically superb.

02 Mar 2026

Playground Zero: “God of Carnage,” at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre through March 8

By Pamela Briggs

Need a laugh? Need 40? Playcrafters has them for you.

23 Feb 2026

love language: Barely There Theatre’s “word play,” at the Black Box Theatre through February 28

By Madeline Dudziak

What do you get when four young adults’ lives are entangled with one another, yet the full picture doesn’t come into focus until the final moments? You get word play, written by fellow Reader reviewer Alexander Richardson: a tightly woven one-act that asks its audience to lean in, listen closely, and trust the unraveling.

09 Feb 2026

Caution: Women at Work: “9 to 5: The Musical,” at the Spotlight Theatre through February 15

By Mischa and Kitty Hooker

Kitty: In keeping with the feminist theme, the women were the ones driving this show.

Mischa: The three main actresses are all blessed with tremendous singing voices, and each one alternately becomes the center of attention in a series of impressive numbers.

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