MOUNT CARROLL, IL --  Timber Lake Playhouse opens its second production of the summer, An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley, on Thursday, June 19. Acclaimed Chicago director Chuck Smith directs the play, which runs through Saturday, June 28. The Mount Carroll Rotary Club will sponsor a Jhoole Shop at the playhouse during the run in a partnership celebrating volunteer and non-profit organizations in the region whose missions "live the story" of each theatre production at the playhouse.

Considered a classic of 20th Century theatre, An Inspector Calls takes place on single night in 1912 in England--the exact week the hit BBC drama Downton Abbey begins its storyline. The Birling family is visited by Inspector Goole--interrupting a party celebrating their daughter's engagement. The Inspector implicates each person in the apparent suicide of a young working-class woman. But is this inspector really who he claims to be? And is this a whodunnit? or a who didn't stop it? It's a thrilling mystery about a prominent family's secrets and a stranger who knows too much.

The play became an instant hit in 1945 when it was written, and a 1994 Broadway production won numerous Tony Awards and broke the record for long running national tour for a play. The TLP production stars John Chase, Grant Brown, Cody Jolly, Gabriel Brown, Caroline Murrah and Bethany Fay. Chicago actress and three time Jeff Award winner, Danielle Brothers, makes her TLP debut as Sybil in this mystery with social themes.

TLP's Do Something Spectacular campaign continues with An Inspector Calls through the help of the Mount Carroll Rotary Club. For over 25 years the Mount Carroll Rotary Club has lived the motto of Rotary International, "Service Above Self," by supporting many local groups:  Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, Great River Outreach, Friends of the Library, Campbell Center for Historic Preservation, Carroll County Senior Center and Timber Lake Playhouse.  The relatively small club of 28 is also involved with international projects including Carroll County Haiti Mission Project, Polio Plus and Jhoole, an organization living the themes of An Inspector Calls.

Founded by Rockford native Hannah Warren after a photography project took her to India, Jhoole, pronounced "ju-lay," is a non-profit, pioneering "Humanitarian Enterprise." Selling handmade scarves and clothing, it is both a mission-motivated lifestyle brand and a manufacturing company, wedding high-tech machines with traditional Indian handicrafts to benefit artisans and their communities. All profits are reinvested in community improvement, education, and training, with a goal of ending the cycle of poverty for working women who cannot afford to own the clothes they make. More information can be found at jhoole.org.

The Mount Carroll Rotary Club meets each Tuesday at 12:05 at Land of Oz.  For information about the club call 800-244-5994.

For tickets to An Inspector Calls, call the TLP box office at 815-244-2035 or visit them at 8215 Black Oak Rd. in Mount Carroll. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm, with matinees at 2:00 pm on Sundays and Wednesday. A 3:00 pm matinee is offered on the first Saturday after the production opens. Tickets are $23.00, $21.00 for seniors, and students are $17.00. This program is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council through federal funds from the National Endowment For The Arts.

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The eccentric and self-absorbed Bliss family will inspire non-stop, sidesplitting laughter to audiences during the Classics at Brucemore production of Hay Fever, July 10 - 12 and 17 - 19 at 8:00 p.m. The 19th annual Classics at Brucemore performance, directed by Jim Kern, will uphold its reputation as one of Brucemore's signature events. The estate's natural amphitheater will provide a captivating backdrop as the Bliss family breaks social conventions on and off the stage, interacting with the audience and the surrounding area.  Audiences are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, and beverages to the show; the gates will open at 7:00 p.m.  Advance tickets are $15 for Brucemore Members and students and $18 for adults.  All tickets at the gate are $20.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.brucemore.org, by calling (319) 362-7375, or by visiting the Brucemore Store located in the Visitor Center.

Hay Fever, written in 1924 by Noël Coward, takes place on a single weekend in June at the summer home of the wealthy and bohemian Bliss family.  Each family member, without consulting the others, has invited a special guest for the weekend.  However, the family is so egotistical that the needs of their guests (and their overwhelmed household employee Clara) go completely unnoticed.  While the Blisses may be awful people to visit, they are hilarious to watch as they turn what should have been a weekend of intimate leisure into riotous mayhem.

Audiences attend the Classics once and realize that what is in their picnic basket is nearly as important as what is onstage. From carryout pizza or deli-sandwiches to elaborate spreads of antipasto plates and roasted chicken, dining is taken to a new level with Brucemore's version of dinner and a show. Packing for a Classics picnic just became easier. Brucemore is partnering with The Early Bird to offer patrons the opportunity to have their picnic waiting for them at the show. Select one of three dining options, call Brucemore (319) 362-7375 to place an order, pick it up in the Visitor Center the night of the event, and enjoy the Classics experience. Picnics must be purchased at least 36 hours before the show date by calling (319) 362-7375. A "Classics Package" is also available, including a wine tote, two picnics, and a bottle of wine. A complete list of the picnic options can be found at www.brucemore.org.

Sponsored by Rockwell Collins and media sponsored by The Gazette, KCRG-TV9, and Hoopla, Hay Fever features a cast of the area's finest actors. Seven return to the Classics stage, including Angela Billman, Matthew James, Jim Kropa, David Morton, Marty Norton, Cherryl Moon Thomason, and Kristen Wilcox. Making their Classics debut are Aaron Murphy and Lindsay Prince. For additional information, please visit the Brucemore website, www.brucemore.org.

The Classics at Brucemore began as collaboration between Torchlight Theatrics and Brucemore in 1996, thus launching outdoor theater in Eastern Iowa. The Classics celebrates a rich history of quality live theater, from Greek tragedy to Shakespearean comedy and twentieth century American drama. Much more than a play performed outdoors, the Classics fully utilizes the natural amphitheater, incorporating the estate itself into the action; actors emerge from the woods, get dunked in the pond, and help themselves to the audience's picnics.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

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Iowa's longest-running film festival finds alternate home while Hardacre Theater undergoes renovation

TIPTON, Iowa?A Hardacre Film Festival ... without the Hardacre.

Iowa's longest-running film festival will celebrate its 17th year at the newly renovated Tipton High School auditorium. This single-day event will feature short and feature-length films from all over the world during a single-day event Saturday, Aug. 2.

The Hardacre Theater, the longtime home and namesake to the Hardacre Film Festival, is currently undergoing renovation. The theater was purchased by the nonprofit Hardacre Theater Preservation Association in February 2014 and is raising funds to renovate and reopen the theater in time for its 100th anniversary in April 2016.

"We wanted to find a way to continue the festival even while the theater is out of commission, and we're really lucky to have the brand-new Tipton High School auditorium just a few blocks from the Hardacre Theater," said Will Valet, director of the Hardacre Film Festival. "It's a comfortable alternative to our old-fashioned movie palace."

The Hardacre Film Festival shows the latest films touring the film festival circuit. Many films premiere at Hardacre, while others have had their premieres at the world's most prestigious film festivals, including South By Southwest, Sundance and Tribeca. Most films shown at Hardacre have never been seen in Iowa, and filmmakers from around the world attend the festival and interact with the audience.

The list of films selected for the 2014 festival will be released in July.

"The selections at the Hardacre Film Festival were a great cross-section of what is happening in independent film today," said Nicole Cosgove, producer of "GUN," Best Short Film winner at Hardacre 2013. "It's an honest representation of drama, comedy and warm, authentic storytelling. I was impressed with the caliber of films and the filmmaker turnout. It's a true hidden gem on the festival map?a creative Midwestern town in which artists can creatively connect with the community and filmmakers from across the country."

The Tipton Chamber of Commerce is the festival's primary sponsor. The festival takes place during Tipton's Ridiculous Day sidewalk sale event.

Tickets for the one-day festival event are $20, including continuous showings from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., followed by a catered dinner for all attendees.

For more information about the Hardacre Film Festival, go to hardacrefilmfestival.com. For more information about efforts to save the Hardacre Theater, go to thehardacre.org.

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Infographic

What: 17th annual Hardacre Film Festival

When: Saturday, Aug. 2, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Tipton High School auditorium, Tipton, Iowa

How much: $20 per attendee

(Rock Island, IL)  According to the director, Diana Allen, "Bridges:  The Polly Musical" is an adaptation of the made-for-TV Disney movie, Polly.  That movie was a remake of a movie that came out in the 1950's with Hayley Mills called Pollyanna, but it used African Americans.  Allen says it is a story about love and hope in a black community.  It portrays both sides of a community?the black and white cultures?and how to build bridges between them.  The show is this Friday and Saturday, June 6th and 7th at 7:00 pm at the Rock Island High School Auditorium.

Allen says the intent of the program is to encourage people of all ages and color to attend the show and learn how to change a bad situation into a god one.  Allen says there will be 6:45 Pre-Show that will showcase aspiring artists.  Tickets are $10.00 per person....under five is free.

Allen and cast members will be available for interviews and photographs tonight and tomorrow night at 5:15 pm in the auditorium.