The Whistleblower’s Dilemma: Hilariously Clever QC Theatre

It’s not very often I tell people they need to do something. You need to go see The Whistleblower’s Dilemma at Playcrafter’s Barn Theatre in Moline, IL. It combines all the best of exceptional theatre: a cleverly written plot, delightful humor, interesting staging, well placed sound, and dynamic acting.

The plot revolves around a company committing fraud, an employee who discovers it and then, in order to right things, commits bigger fraud. There’s also a fraud investigator working through the red tape of her government job trying to uncover the truth while following the rules.

My favorite moments involve a rolling whiteboard, a fantastically bad Moby Dick joke, the intricate intelligent details of the fraud, USB drive confusion, clever dialogue, and some of the best hand gestures ever seen on stage.

My husband’s favorite character was Claire, the boss of the government fraud agency. She was fantastically entertaining. Her voice, mannerisms, personality and office political savvy made us nod in recognition and laugh out loud - a little in horror and a bit in understanding of her job constraints.

I’ve always been attracted to smart things. I think that is why I liked this play so much. The writing is very clever; however, while complicated, the plot is easy to follow. The script and director find ways to spell out some of the more complicated aspects of the fraud, and the bonus fraud, and the resolution, so the audience never feels overwhelmed by the details, but rather entertained and, frankly, impressed.

The barn theatre’s thrust stage offers a great space for this piece. Simple, yet detailed staging, enhances each scene. This is my first live theatre production with masks and I have to say, I was extremely impressed. I was still invited into the lives and presence of the story and the masks weren’t distracting from the plot. The actors conveyed a surprising array of expressions much to our delight.

The Whistleblower’s Dilemma is presented as part of Playcrafter’s Barn Owl Series. Shifted from last season to this one due to COVID-19, the theme/connection of the plays requires they are all written by local playwrights. Writers submitted synopses and summaries of their pieces and were selected for production. 

We were lucky enough to see the world debut of The Whistleblower’s Dilemma written by Quad Citizen Jim Sederquist. His work has been showcased previously at Quad Cities Playwrights’ Festivals. The Whistleblower’s Dilemma is Sederquist’s first full-length play and it certainly was impressive. Here are Jim and his wife Katie on opening night.

The cast features Sara Laufer, Greg O’Neill, Elle Winchester, Rock Island; Andy Curtiss, Davenport; Andy Sederquist, Sherrard; and Kassidy Holdridge, Bettendorf. Mike Turczynski, Rock Island, directs the show. The staff also includes Marni Turczynski, Rock Island.

The Whistleblower’s Dilemma
August 13-15 & 20-22, 2021
Playcrafters Barn Theatre, 4950 35th Ave, Moline, IL 61265
Reserve tickets online or get them at the door.

If you’ve been back to live theatre already or if you are just ready to test the waters, I HIGHLY recommend The Whistleblower’s Dilemma. The play is correctly categorized as a dramedy. I was intrigued. I laughed. I gasped. I sighed. You will too!

*Photo credit: Jesse Mohr and the Sederquist family.

Written by Meghan Cooley

Meghan Cooley moved to the Quad Cities from St. Charles, IL, as an Augustana College student over 20 years ago. She left briefly after graduation and then returned to work in admissions and then marketing at Augustana College for 18 years. She now works as a consultant for admissions marketing and social media. She also does copy editing and writes for the Quad City Moms Blog. Now a true Quad Cities transplant, Meghan lives in Rock Island with her husband, Luke (R.O.W.V.A. and Augustana grad and Modern Woodmen employee) and four boys. She loves living in the Quad Cities and finds it the perfect place to raise a family, plan a date night, and go on adventures.