“The Play that Goes Wrong” is the toughest show since the venue opened in 1977, management said.
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Circa ’21 dinner playhouse now presents its final play of the 44th season, “The game gone wrong.”
“I think people want to hang out. I think they want to come back and be entertained,” said Cira ’21 audience development director Brett Hitchcock. “They don’t want to watch it on their computer screen or their TV screen.”
The performance hall has struggled to put on a show for the past two years due to COVID-19. But they’re finally back in person with what management calls the toughest show since the showroom opened in 1977.
“I think being able to bring people back into the building creates such an energy, not just for the actors, but also for our staff and our guests,” Hitchcock said. “It’s really a way to forget reality for a few hours and sit back, enjoy and be entertained.”
“The Play the Goes Wrong” is a comic take on a 1920s murder mystery. It features a complicated setting and moving parts that require different skills from the actors. To keep the show going, the show venue had to hire a fight choreographer from Western Illinois University and a new manager from Chicago.
“It’s a very, very funny show. It’s London’s longest-running comedy. It’s won a lot of awards there and in New York. It really is a great show,” Hitchcock said.
Circa-21 is a dinner show venue, so you get a meal while watching. Dinner is now served at the table instead of being served as a buffet.
No changes have been made to the play’s script to accommodate COVID-19, but actors and guests must wear masks when outside of the theater to visit the bathroom or lobby of the theater.
“We monitor the actors making sure they wear masks and trying to stay away from the general public. They do a testing routine several times a week,” Hitchcock said.
Online reservations are not available at this time but can be made over the phone. Call 309-786-7733 ext. 2.
“The Play that Goes Wrong” will continue in theaters until March 12. For more information on tickets, visit the Circa ’21 website.
