“Love/Hurts Cabaret" at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre -- February 14.
Wednesday, February 14, 7:30 p.m.
Playcrafters Barn Theatre, 4950 35th Avenue, Moline IL
A special Valentine's Day fundraising event devoted to the joys and agonies of romance, the Playcrafters Barn Theatre's February 14 Love/Hurts Cabaret will be presented on February 14, with all the proceeds raised at this showcase for local talent going to support the Moline theatre's 2024 season and help offset the high utility bills encountered during this particularly harsh winter month.
In the Love/Hurts Cabaret, audiences are invited into Moline's Barn Theatre for a night of songs and stories of love and heartbreak featuring a variety of incredibly gifted local artists. Scheduled to perform are area talents Storm Marie Baca, Betsy Bergthold, Skip Greer, Robert and Jennifer Gregory, Emmalee and Andy Hilburn, Dolores Sierra, and Reader theatre reviewer Roger Pavey Jr., with Eric Teeter serving as the evening's host. Among the Valentine's Day-themed song selections include "Somewhere Out There," from An American Tail, "Send in the Clowns" from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, and "Almost Paradise" from Footloose, with the assembled performers are sharing personal stories surrounding the highs and lows of romance.
Beyond assisting with utility bills, funds raised from the Love/Hurts Cabaret will go toward production costs for Playcrafters 2024 season. Included on the mainstage schedule are: Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning invisible-rabbit comedy Harvey (February 9 - 18); John Guare's Tony-winning tragicomedy The House of Blue Leaves (May 17 - 26); Maxwell Anderson's creepy chiller The Bad Seed (June 14 - 23); E.B. white's storybook classic Charlotte's Web (July 19 - 28); Tennessee Williams' passionate masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire (September 13 - 22); and Stephen Karam's Tony-winning dysfunctional-family dramedy The Humans (October 18 - 27). In addition, proceeds will go toward the two titles in the theatre's annual Barn Owl Series: Carey Crim's female-friendship tale Paint Night (March 15 - 24) and Aaron Posner's satiric Uncle Vanya update Life Sucks (November 15 - 24).
Playcrafters has been producing community theatre in the Quad Cities since 1929, and stands as one of the oldest surviving theatre companies in the area. The venue's mission statement reads: "As a not-for-profit community theatre, Playcrafters strives to provide professional quality live productions at accessible prices for the diverse Quad-City community of Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa. We endeavor to incorporate as many volunteers as possible to encourage involvement and to cultivate public understanding and appreciation for theater arts."
The Love/Hurts Cabaret will begin at 7:30 p.m. on February 14 and tickets for the 90-minute show are $5, with added donations extremely welcome. For more information, call (309)762-0330 and visit the event's Facebook page.
