Playcrafters Barn Theater
Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays.
In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters.
Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free.
For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home.
Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held.
Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land.
What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment.
Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest.
Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960.
The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home!
Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College.
Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding.
The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements.
In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems.
In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons.
Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre.
A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards."
Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest.
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"Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Playcrafters Barn Theater</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>4950 - 35th Avenue</div> <div> <span>Moline</span>, <span>IL</span> <span>61265</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="playcrafters.com/" target="_blank">Playcrafters Barn Theater</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 309-762-0330</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Playcrafters+Barn+Theater%2C+4950+-+35th+Avenue%2C+Moline%2C+IL+61265" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Playcrafters Barn Theater - Moline, IL</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Playcrafters Barn Theater - Moline, IL"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the" name="description"/> <meta content="Playcrafters, Barn, Theater, Moline, IL" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Playcrafters Barn Theater"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Playcrafters Barn Theater"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.475601"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-90.467697"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Playcrafters Barn Theater</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>4950 - 35th Avenue</div> <div> <span>Moline</span>, <span>IL</span> <span>61265</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="playcrafters.com/" target="_blank">Playcrafters Barn Theater</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 309-762-0330</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Playcrafters+Barn+Theater%2C+4950+-+35th+Avenue%2C+Moline%2C+IL+61265" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?><?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Playcrafters Barn Theater</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>4950 - 35th Avenue</div> <div> <span>Moline</span>, <span>IL</span> <span>61265</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="playcrafters.com/" target="_blank">Playcrafters Barn Theater</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 309-762-0330</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Playcrafters+Barn+Theater%2C+4950+-+35th+Avenue%2C+Moline%2C+IL+61265" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Playcrafters Barn Theater</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>4950 - 35th Avenue</div> <div> <span>Moline</span>, <span>IL</span> <span>61265</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="playcrafters.com/" target="_blank">Playcrafters Barn Theater</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 309-762-0330</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Playcrafters+Barn+Theater%2C+4950+-+35th+Avenue%2C+Moline%2C+IL+61265" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Playcrafters Barn Theater - Moline, IL</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Playcrafters Barn Theater - Moline, IL"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the" name="description"/> <meta content="Playcrafters, Barn, Theater, Moline, IL" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Playcrafters Barn Theater"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Playcrafters Barn Theater"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.475601"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-90.467697"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Playcrafters Barn Theater</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>4950 - 35th Avenue</div> <div> <span>Moline</span>, <span>IL</span> <span>61265</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="playcrafters.com/" target="_blank">Playcrafters Barn Theater</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 309-762-0330</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Playcrafters+Barn+Theater%2C+4950+-+35th+Avenue%2C+Moline%2C+IL+61265" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBDinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Playcrafters Barn Theater</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>4950 - 35th Avenue</div> <div> <span>Moline</span>, <span>IL</span> <span>61265</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="playcrafters.com/" target="_blank">Playcrafters Barn Theater</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 309-762-0330</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Playcrafters+Barn+Theater%2C+4950+-+35th+Avenue%2C+Moline%2C+IL+61265" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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"Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Playcrafters Barn Theater</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>4950 - 35th Avenue</div> <div> <span>Moline</span>, <span>IL</span> <span>61265</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="playcrafters.com/" target="_blank">Playcrafters Barn Theater</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 309-762-0330</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Playcrafters+Barn+Theater%2C+4950+-+35th+Avenue%2C+Moline%2C+IL+61265" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Playcrafters Barn Theater - Moline, IL</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Playcrafters Barn Theater - Moline, IL"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the" name="description"/> <meta content="Playcrafters, Barn, Theater, Moline, IL" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Playcrafters Barn Theater"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Playcrafters Barn Theater"/> <meta property="og:description" content="Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="41.475601"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-90.467697"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Playcrafters Barn Theater</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>4950 - 35th Avenue</div> <div> <span>Moline</span>, <span>IL</span> <span>61265</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="playcrafters.com/" target="_blank">Playcrafters Barn Theater</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 309-762-0330</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Playcrafters+Barn+Theater%2C+4950+-+35th+Avenue%2C+Moline%2C+IL+61265" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Playcrafters Barn Theater</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>4950 - 35th Avenue</div> <div> <span>Moline</span>, <span>IL</span> <span>61265</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="playcrafters.com/" target="_blank">Playcrafters Barn Theater</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 309-762-0330</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Playcrafters+Barn+Theater%2C+4950+-+35th+Avenue%2C+Moline%2C+IL+61265" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> Playcrafters history traces it's roots back to the office of Mel Hodges, Director of the Rock Island Illinois Playground and Recreation Commission in the 1920's, and a group known as Marshall Dramatics. Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Several theatre enthusiasts in the Quad Cities area of Western Illinois (Rock Island, Moline) and Eastern Iowa (Davenport, Bettendorf) had formed groups to quench their thirst for theatre by meeting to read plays. In 1929 these enthusiasts banded together to stage their own shows under the name conceived by Hodges - Playcrafters. Despite the onset of the depression, Playcrafters pioneers performed three shows a year in whatever facility they could get their hands on, often paying for locales and scripts with money out of their own pockets. Tickets were only 25 and 35 cents, and if people didn't have the money for tickets, Playcrafters let them in free. For it's first 30 years Playcrafters we're reminiscent of a wandering band of minstrels, as venues varied from show to show. Performances were held on outdoor stages, in Audubon School, in the old Fort Theater (now Circa 21), at the old Pronger's Restaurant in Davenport, Iowa, in the Terrace Room of the old Plantation, and at the old Tower Restaurant in Moline, Illinois before the little theater of Rock Island High School became a semi-permanent home. Sets or flats were constructed in Henry Carlson's Rock Island garage and in members basements, then carted along with lights, and props to wherever that nights production would be held. Three decades of wandering ended in 1958 when Dr. William Otis gave Playcrafters the dairy barn from the Deere Experimental Farm that was built in 1914, and had sat unused for 25 years on his property on the south side of Moline. He charged $1 a year for the land. What was at first was considered a blessing soon turned to a feeling of bewilderment. Playcrafters had indeed inherited a "barn" in every sense of the word! Three feet of compacted manure lined the floor, and above in the loft where the theater is now located were several inches of pigeon droppings. Harvey the goat, Frank the police dog, and Herman the horse, along with 350 cattle grazing the pastures surrounding the barn (now a flourishing residential neighborhood) bore witness to the determination of Playcrafters to turn this barn into one of the finest community theaters in the Midwest. Undaunted, the thespians, led by long time General Manager Bob Sonneville, spent three months shovelling out manure to find the floor. By 1959 the barn was enclosed, and with the help of a $15,000 fund-raising drive Playcrafters new Barn Theatre was ready for it's first production - Born Yesterday - on October 5, 1960. The seats were the armless, wooden folding chairs from the old Augustana College gym/auditorium. The sound system was a tape recorder and two rented speakers. The lights hung from a big wooden wheel and were strung along the hayloft track, wired up with 500 feet of lamp cords and controlled by 25 plywood mounted toggle switches. But Playcrafters had a home! Significant improvements were made over the following decades including the addition of heating and air conditioning, dressing rooms, set building, costume and props storage areas. In 1965 when the Coronet Theater in Davenport was being remodelled, its upholstered theater seats replaced the original wooden chairs from Augustana College. Playcrafters underwent its next major transformation in the early 1990's. As the City of Moline expanded around Playcrafters, the Barn Theater fell victim to modern building codes of the day. A major renovation project was undertaken to bring the Barn "up to code," which included an addition to the bulding. The renovation added new restrooms, heating & air conditioning and sprinkler systems, a new box office, and a silo containing an elevator. Various fund-raising initiatives generously supported by patrons and the community at large enabled Playcrafters to finance the cost of these improvements. In the 21st century additional improvements continue to bemade to keep our near 100 year-old Barn Theater in youthful shape. These have included new asphalt and landscaping; general repiars to the building exterior A remodelled Lobby, Dressing Rooms and Green Room; a new lightboard and new security systems. In 2007 all 250 seats we received from the old Coronet Theater in Davenport in the 1960's will be replaced with new, contemporary seats funded by generous donations from our patrons. Playcrafters remains a vibrant, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit community organization that continues to entertain area patrons with top notch theatre. A new generation of thespians calls the Barn Theatre home, but we haven't forgotten our roots, nor the dedication of our founders, and Bob Sonneville - General Manager from 1950 till his passing in 1989 - whose love and hard work have given us a home in which to "trod the boards." Today's Playcrafters hope we can continue to rely on the generous support of our patrons as we strive to sustain Playcrafters 72 year reputation for producing the finest theatre in the Midwest. </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/moline-il/report/place/playcrafters-barn-theater-moline-il.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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href="/moline-il/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Moline, IL</a>' $no_header = false $header_title = '<a href="/moline-il/things-to-do/">Places</a>' $header_subtitle = '' $isPR = false $navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse"> <div class="containerx"> <div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div> <ul class="secondary-menu containerx" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true"> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/moline-il/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li> <li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/moline-il/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li> <li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/moline-il/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" 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href="/moline-il/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li> <li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/moline-il/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li> --> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </nav>' $header_custom = '' $breadcrumbs = array( (int) 0 => array( 'title' => 'Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) ) $row = array( 'title' => 'Back to Things to Do', 'slug' => 'things-to-do' ) $i = (int) 0include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118