ABOUT THIS SERIES:
This is an insider’s peek into live music venues in the Quad Cities area, with a specific focus on venues whose audience capacity is below 500. The series aims to highlight the vibrant, diverse music scene in the Quad Cities and shed light on the more intimate venues that are often overlooked.
By highlighting venues with an audience capacity below 500, the series aims to showcase the intimate and personal experiences that these venues provide. We acknowledge that larger venues, and bars often dominate the music scene conversation with either touring musicians or cover bands, and seek to shed light on the charm and character of the Quad Cities’ smaller music venues.
Photographed & Written by: Matthew Terry
The secret lives of freemasons have long perplexed the populous: spawning band names, films, and even a Simpsons semi-sing-along parody so discreetly hidden behind the fictitious name, “The Stonecutters”. Their impact on the world of art is undeniable. However, when one thinks of this “structural society” it is the resilience of what they constructed in past decades that has helped keep them relevant in the present.
With a history rooted in medieval stonemasonry when building cathedrals and religious structures was considered sacred, it’s easy to appreciate what this group is responsible for. They have helped build some truly historical monuments. And while there is no shortage of stone structures in this area, there are a few that stand out above the crowd. One of those is the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Moline which is now the home of The Spotlight Theatre, the final feature in this year-long focus on local venues.
Moline’s Scottish Rite Cathedral rests on 7th Avenue in Moline, adjacent to Interstate 74 as it stretches from the edge of the Mississippi and winds past downtown Moline. Though it has long been a beacon for those rushing by in their modern motor-powered carriages, the keystone of the cathedral was placed on May 24th, 1929, decades before the elevated road system as we know it opened to the public.
More than 25 Scottish Rite Cathedrals were constructed, including one in Peoria and one in downtown Des Moines where I had the opportunity to showcase my photography as part of the 2021 Iowa Arts Gala. While the exterior is awe-inspiring, the real inspiration is found beyond the doors, where QC locals, Brent and Sarah Tubbs operate the 500-seat theater held within a building once utilized by four separate Scottish Rites bodies, as well as Eastern Star, and International Rainbow chapters, and others. The Moline Valley Masonic bodies were located here until 2018, when they sold to Adam Bain and Blake Humphrey, a pair of native Quad Citians.
While you may not associate the Masons with theatre, there’s actually quite a connection between the two that makes it anything but surprising that they are responsible for constructing so many in their history. The group has a deep connection to the theatre, particularly with their initiation rituals that often involve dramatic storytelling, props, and symbolic gestures.
This was most prominent during the Enlightenment Era of the 18th century. The Spotlight utilizes the original theater once occupied by a reticent fraternity. In fact, many of the costumes and original backdrops were left for the new owners when they took over this grand space, and some of the scenery you see during the performances gets delivered to the stage via a pulley system from an antiquated era. This truly showcases the lasting strength of the Masons, and why they understandably take such pride in their creations.
This approach to one’s passion is required to keep places like these afloat, and it transcends but a singular creativity. Passion permeates these walls as well as through the proprietors of the Spotlight stage, Brent and Sarah Tubbs. Serious stage veterans themselves, they have both been involved in the performing arts for their entire lives. Brent began in elementary school with Davenport Junior Theatre before moving West where he graduated and performed improv with Second City in LA, even traveling the world acting with the Reduced Shakespeare Company.
Sarah also has an admirable acting history herself. Originally from the QC, she went West to study musical theater at Cal State-Fullerton and has performed in about 2 dozen local shows over the past decade including Annie in 2023. As someone who starts shaking when speaking to more than a handful of people, I will always envy the ability of those like Sarah and Brent who can put themselves out there time and time again in front of crowds.
The Tubbs came into this space after a chance encounter with Adam Bain, the co-owner of the building. Sarah and Adam had known each other since their days at Rocky and happened to cross paths again while Bain was searching for someone to fill the theater space and bring some much-needed life to this nearly century-old Moline landmark.
Complete with original stained-glass lining the balcony, the atmosphere of this space is unlike anything else in the QC. The experience of attending an event here extends beyond the performers on stage, whether that stage is the home for a candle-lit concert, a classic musical like Annie, or a Christmas performance full of local musical icons. The building also houses The Spotlight Studio: the current home of ComedySportz and a more intimate space with performances that are quite a shift from the more elaborate shows seen on the Spotlight’s main stage.
In addition to the plays and concerts, Sarah and Brent have an enthusiasm for performance education. Opportunities to get up on stage can be limited for children and young adults, and the Tubbs aim to provide an outlet for those individuals who have been turned away when limited local spaces fill up. This is done through their Children’s Company and Summer Arts programs.
These theatre production classes teach acting and singing (Sarah has been an instructor with QC Rock Academy for several years), as well as choreography, blocking, costuming, even set/lighting design, set building, and more, while the students eventually put together a complete production. Their passion for teaching the next generation was in full display last Friday when Annie opened at the theater. I was completely blown away by the skill level of the kids in this show.
There’s nearly a century of history in these walls, stories told and concealed all the same, and being run by this pair with over a half-century of shared experience is what is needed to keep it moving forward, beyond its forthcoming centennial celebration. This building has seen changes unfold around it that the builders could have never envisioned, yet it still stands as tall and resilient as the day that cornerstone was placed.
The strength of stone holds this building up, but it’s the individuals within that give it heart, and the Tubbs have seen so much of the ebb and flow of the theater world – knowing what does and does not work – they are just the people it takes to keep that heart progressively pulsing into the future.
Venue Name: The Spotlight Theatre
Website: www.thespotlighttheatreqc.com
Venue Address: 1800 7th Avenue, Moline, IL 61265
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheSpotlightTheatreQC
