Brad Hauskins in “The Outsider" at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse -- September 13 through November 4.
Wednesday, September 14, through Saturday, November 4
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, 1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL
Lauded by Broadway World as "an insightful, witty satire about modern American politics" and by Let's Go to the Theater as "one of the funniest shows you will see this year," author Paul Slade Smith's The Outsider makes its Quad Cities debut at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse from September 13 through October 29, the San Diego Union-Tribune adding that the play is "not only genuinely and consistently funny, but has something eloquent to say about the meaning of leadership."
In The Outsider, candidate Ned Newley doesn’t even want to be governor. He’s terrified of public speaking; his poll numbers are impressively bad; and to his ever-supportive Chief of Staff, Ned seems destined to fail. But political consultant Arthur Vance sees things differently, realizing that while Ned might be the worst candidate to ever run for office, the public just might be looking for the worst candidate to ever run for office. A hilarious and heartwarming story of loyalty and common sense in the nonsensical world of campaign politics, The Outsider's style has been compared to that of the Frank Capra classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and playwright Smith – whose stage hit Unnecessary Farce was the winner of 15 regional theatre awards – has had more than 325 productions of his shows produced throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Iceland, Singapore, and Japan.
Directing The Outsider for Circa '21 is Dennis Hitchcock, who has been the producer for the Rock Island dinner theatre for nearly 50 years, and whose directorial achievements for the venue have included On Golden Pond, Route 66, and the area premiere of Whodunit … the Musical. Starring as gubernatorial candidate Ned Newley is longtime Circa '21 favorite Brad Hauskins, a 36-year veteran of the theatre's performing wait staff of Bootleggers recently seen in productions of Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, Disaster!, and this summer's Escape to Margaritaville. And joining Hauskins among Hitchcock's cast are Bobby Becher, Elsa Besler, Kim Bogus, Corey Boughton, and Taylor Fryza, with the role of A.C. Shared by James Burns (through September 24) and Jason Platt (beginning September 27).
In addition to its 7:30 p.m. public previews on September 13 and 14, The Outsider runs in Rock Island from September 15 through October 29, with performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 5:30 p.m.; and Wednesday afternoons at 1:15 p.m. All shows will be preceded by meals and pre-show entertainment by the theatre's performing wait staff of Circa '21 Bootleggers, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 and visiting Circa21.com.
