Tom Walljasper News Today

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, Rock Island again serves up a satisfying helping of nostalgia, tradition and warm-hearted, wonderful entertainment in its latest production. Resurrecting its biggest-selling show of all time, “Church Basement Ladies” is back at the table here after 17 years – not only with the beloved Circa veteran Tom Walljasper reprising his role […]

The for the first time in 18 years, the Italian filmmakers Pupi and Antonio Avati will return this month to the Quad Cities, to shoot part of their ninth film project set in the QC, for a portion of their new thriller, “The Backyard.” The multiple award-winning Avati brothers (Pupi, 85, is director and Antonio, […]

This has been a very emotional past couple weeks for Rock Island’s Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse. On Jan. 8, Carolyn Hitchcock – the wife of Circa owner/producer Denny Hitchcock – passed away at 82 at her Sherrard home, surrounded by her loving family, including son Brett, who’s the theater director of audience development. Just four […]

The performers at Sunday's performance of director Curt Wollan's production shined, as they most always do at this theatre, and the jokes – most of them innuendos and phallic allusions – were actually pretty funny, and delivered well.