Penguin Project of the Quad Cities

10/16/2026

Hello, Penguins and Penguin Families!

There will be NO rehearsals tomorrow, Saturday, October 17, for either Penguin group! An email has been sent with a full explanation.

We appreciate your patience, your flexibility, and your enthusiasm. We know everyone is eager to get moving, and believe us, so are we!

Enjoy your unexpected Saturday morning off! Sleep in, have an extra pancake, or sing a little SpongeBob around the house. Just don't come to rehearsal, because we won't be there!

Thank you for hanging in there with us. We'll keep you posted!
Please SHARE this information with your friends in case they don't check their socials.

09/30/2026

Rehearsal is cancelled for Wednesday, September 30th due to illness. See you Saturday

09/01/2026

Alright, Penguins!

We’re getting closer to our informational meetings next week! I’m really glad we did the pre-sign-up this year because it’s given us a pretty good idea of who’s interested.

BUT HERE’S THE BIG ONE: WE NEED MORE MENTORS! Right now, we have about twice as many Artists as Mentors. Not good. So if you’ve ever thought about mentoring, now would be a really good time to jump in! We need you!

A quick note about numbers: We can comfortably take about 30 Artists and 30 Mentors in each group. We’ve stretched that to 35 the last few years, but we really need to stay below that. We are following the guidance from Penguin HQ on this. It makes the experience better for all our families.

That means we may not be able to accommodate everyone. If we have more interest than spots, we’ll consider things like age and previous participation, while remembering that everyone participates in their own way and at their own ability level.

And seriously… MENTORS. WE NEED YOU.

You can sign up for the information meetings here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfbDbjHPVlpQMYu1yFYlZQ0gP-abQuJoeMR8DvBEzL49Fa__w/viewform?usp=dialog

Catch you on the flip side!

08/18/2026

In case you haven't heard already, the Cultural Trust is preparing to launch their Culture Bright Summer Series line up tomorrow with a special showing of the Fresh Films documentary I AM disABLEd at the Putnam Museum IMAX theatre. The film which has been enjoying a long run on PBS stations nationwide, will be followed by a Keynote address delivered by Marlee Matlin, Academy Award winning actress and champion activist for deaf individuals in Hollywood and other industries. If you are unable to attend this premiere event, you might want to see the documentary during its run at the Putnam. More information is available and tickets for the premiere event can be purchased at: https://27223.blackbaudhosting.com/27223/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=6a08103f-06f7-4ba2-86d1-8ea4970d541a Tickets for subsequent showings are available at: https://www.putnam.org/events/i-am-disabled/

08/12/2026

Testing, testing. IS THING ON?!!

ARE YOU READY, PENGUINS?!

We are VERY excited to finally announce our 2027 Penguin shows:

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: YOUTH EDITION!

Both The Penguin Project of the Quad Cities and Penguin Players are heading to Bikini Bottom this winter, and we would love for you to join us.

INFORMATION MEETINGS
We will hold two identical information meetings for both Project and Players together:

Wednesday, September 9 at 6:00 PM
Saturday, September 12 at 10:00 AM

Pick whichever day works best for you. You are absolutely welcome to just show up, but we would really appreciate it if you registered ahead of time so we know how many Krusty Krab... er... chairs to set up.

*NEW Penguin Project MENTORS should most definitely bring a parent with them to the information meeting.*

Sign up for YOUR meeting here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfbDbjHPVlpQMYu1yFYlZQ0gP-abQuJoeMR8DvBEzL49Fa__w/viewform?usp=header

Information Meeting Location:
Brunner Theatre Center
Augustana College
639 38th St.
Rock Island, IL 61201

MENTOR BOOT CAMP
Before we dive into rehearsals, all mentors will attend our initial Mentor Boot Camp:
Saturday, September 19
9:00–11:00 AM
Brunner Theatre Center, Augustana College

We'll talk about what it means to be a mentor, how the Penguin process works, what to expect during rehearsals, and how we all work together to make the magic happen.

THE PENGUIN PROJECT (ages 12-23)
Rehearsals:
Wednesdays • 5:00–6:30 PM
Saturdays • 9:00–10:30 AM
Center for Living Arts
220 19th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201

Performances:
January 22–24, 2027
Brunner Theatre Center, Augustana College

THE PENGUIN PLAYERS (ages 24-106)
Rehearsals:
Wednesdays • 6:30–8:00 PM
Saturdays • 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Center for Living Arts
220 19th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201

Performances:
January 29–31, 2027
Brunner Theatre Center, Augustana College

If you've been part of Penguins before, you already know what this program can do.

If you're new to us, come to an information meeting and find out what all the fuss is about.

The Penguin programs are about theatre, yes. But they're also about confidence, independence, friendship, teamwork, belonging, and giving every performer the chance to stand on a stage and know, without question, this is where I belong.

And this year we get to do all of that while visiting a pineapple under the sea! So let all of your friends know!

Bikini Bottom awaits.

02/01/2026

Full Cast Picture: Penguin Players, Frozen Jr., 2026

01/24/2026

Full cast picture of Frozen Jr!!

01/23/2026

The Penguin Project is still ON for all performances this weekend. Personal discretion advised.

01/06/2026

Penguin PROJECT tickets go on sale TODAY at 10 am
Penguin PLAYERS tickets go on sale Thursday, Jan 8th at 10 am

Located in Rock Island, Illinois. To contact the ticket office, call 309-794-7306 or email [email protected].

01/04/2026

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The public ticket sale for the QC Penguin Project and Penguin Players performances of DISNEY'S FROZEN, JR. will be open beginning at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, January 6. During the Public Sale purchases will be limited to 6 tickets per transaction. You can obtain your tickets at https://www.augustana.edu/arts/ticket-office. Have questions, or prefer to purchase tickets over the phone or in person?
Contact the Ticket Office at 309-794-7306 or at [email protected]
Ticket Office hours are 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Monday – Friday and
Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. when school is in session.
Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts, 3701 7th Ave., Rock Island.

Located in Rock Island, Illinois. To contact the ticket office, call 309-794-7306 or email [email protected].