Local 4 This Morning spoke with Gary Rowe, Director of Administration and Stewardship, Genesius Theatre Foundation.
It supports Genesius Guild, which performs free theater Saturdays and Sundays in the summer, in the center of Rock Island’s Lincoln Park. Every year, they perform classic Shakespeare dramas and comedies, as well as ancient Greek tragedies performed under mask.
“We are one of the only theatre groups performing classical Shakespeare and ancient Greek works in an authentic and outdoor setting,” Rowe said, noting over 250,000 people have seen Genesius Guild shows, and over 2,000 people have participated in productions over the group’s 66-year history.
“We are also a resource for young actors, actresses, and technical crew members from the area to gain invaluable theatre experience,” he said. “It is important to continue sharing these classic works with the public through the Guild.”
Genesius is always looking for volunteers to help off-stage, such as set construction, prop handling, concessions, maintenance, and more. Anyone interested can fill out a form at genesius.org.
The performances don’t use vocal amplification in order to keep them as authentic as possible to the source material, Rowe said. “Obviously, they didn’t have microphones in ancient Greece or Shakespeare’s time! Because of this, all of our actors learn to project their voices from the back of their throat and enunciate clearly so the whole audience can hear them.”
“The classic Greek dramas, which are 2,500 years old, are the foundation of Western theater,” he said. “The works of Shakespeare have timeless messages about the great themes of what makes us human, and how we live. To share that with hundreds of people every year, for free, makes the Genesius Guild a unique cultural treasure in our Quad Cities region. To see someone respond to these timeless works is what our mission is all about.”