ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Circa '21 dinner playhouse is now showcasing its last play of the 44th season, "The Play that Goes Wrong."
"I think that people want to get back out. I think they want to come back and want to be entertained," Cira '21 Director of Audience Development Brett Hitchcock said. "They don't want to watch it on their computer screen or their TV screen."
The playhouse has struggled to put on a show the last two years because of COVID-19. But they are finally back in person with what management calls the most challenging show since the playhouse's 1977 opening.
"I think that being able to have people back in the building creates such an energy, not only for the actors but for our staff and guests as well," Hitchcock said. "It's really a way to forget about reality for a few hours and just sit back and enjoy and be entertained."
"The Play the Goes Wrong" is a comedic twist on a 1920s murder mystery. It includes a complicated set and moving parts that require different skills from the actors. For the show to go on, the playhouse had to hire a fight choreographer from the University of Western Illinois and a new director from Chicago.
"It's a very, very funny show. It's the longest-running comedy in London. It's won numerous awards over there and in New York. It's really a great show," Hitchcock said.
Circa-21 is a dinner playhouse, so you get a meal while watching. The dinner is now served tableside instead of buffet style.
No changes were made to the play's script to accommodate COVID-19, but both actors and guests must wear masks when outside the actual theater to visit the bathroom or playhouse lobby.
"We're watching the actors making sure they're wearing masks and trying to stay clear of the general public. They're on a testing routine several times a week," Hitchcock said.
Online reservations are not available right now but can be made over the phone. Call 309-786-7733, ext. 2.
"The Play that Goes Wrong" will continue at the playhouse until March 12. For ticket information, visit the Circa '21 website.
