Quincy Community Theatre to dedicate Barbara Rowell Auditorium

QUINCY — Quincy Community Theatre will formally dedicate the Barbara Rowell Auditorium at Quincy Community Theatre on Saturday, April 9. 

“As Managing Artistic Director from 1983 to 2006, Barbara’s impact on QCT’s past, present and future cannot be overstated,” said Artistic Director Brandon Thomsen. “Perhaps most visible of Barbara’s diverse legacy is the very building that our theatre occupies — a venue to match her grand vision for what community theatre can be. For this reason, we can’t think of a better way to honor her legacy than to name the auditorium, in which she devoted so many years of her life, in her honor.”

Doors will open at 12:00 pm for a social hour, with the celebration formally starting at 1:00 pm in the OLC lobby. After the unveiling, guests will then move into the newly-named auditorium where they will continue to honor Barbara through photos, words, and song. A light reception in the lobby will follow the program. On Monday, Mayor Mike Troup read a Proclamation at the Quincy City Council Meeting declaring April 9, 2022, Barbara Rowell Day in Quincy.

A fund named in Barbara’s honor will be established to help with long-term capital improvements to help maintain the space she built for generations to come.

Memorial donations can be made at the event, online at 1qct.org/barbara-rowell, or mailed to Quincy Community Theatre at 300 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 118, Quincy, IL 62301.