One of William Shakespeare's most delightful and infrequently staged romantic comedies opens Genesius Guild's 2026 summer season at Rock Island's Lincoln Park, with Love's Labour's Lost, from June 6 through 14, treating audiences to what the New York Times' Ben Brantley called a work that "may well be the first and best example of a genre that would flourish in less sophisticated forms five centuries later: the college comedy."

One of the greatest and most beloved musicals in the history of American theatre opens the 2026 summer season at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, with Guys & Dolls running from June 11 through 21, and treating audiences to a nine-time Tony Award winner that the New York Times called “the show that defines Broadway dazzle.”

I enjoy experiencing new-to-me talent, but it’s cozy and comforting to see familiar faces at the theatre.

Hailed by the New York Daily Mirror as “a hit you must see” and by the Los Angeles Times as “a handsomely staged case for miracles,” playwright N. Richard Nash's 1953 classic The Rainmaker enjoys a June 4 through 14 run at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, this optimistic charmer famed for its beloved 1956 movie adaptation starring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn.

One of the most beloved stage musicals in American history, as well as a Tony Award nominee for Best Original Score, composer Stephen Schwartz's timeless Godspell opens the mainstage season at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, the show's May 29 through June 7 run treating audiences to what NewCity Stage called "a terrific show – fresh, inventive, timeless, and rich."

Fiddler on the Roof is often considered one of the final entries in the Golden Age of Broadway era, a period defined by sweeping scores, big ensembles, and stories rooted deeply in character and community. Director Georgette Kleier’s production checks nearly every one of those boxes handily.

Local Theatre Auditions/Calls for Entry

Updated: Monday, May 25

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.

Pairing up with Opera Quad Cities proves to be a recipe for greatness at the Black Box Theatre, because make no mistake: There's something truly special about Master Class.

A joyous family musical and off-Broadway smash that, as Kennedy Center Vice-President of Education Derek Gordon raved, "will delight both the young and the young at heart," The Tales of Custard the Dragon will enchant audiences in Rock Island from May 19 through June 20, this Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse debut adapted from the whimsical children's stories of Ogden Nash.

Pages