Riverbend Theatre Collective is the newest theatre organization in the Quad Cities area. Bringing contemporary and intimate musicals and plays to the QC, RTC is thrilled to be a part of the emerging theatre community.
RTC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to this organization, please contact ace@riverbendtheatrecollective.com or call us at (309) 786-1633. Producing Artistic Director Allison Collins-Elfline, a native of Moline, IL, is thrilled to be back in her hometown, and bringing a new kind of theatre to the QC area. A graduate of Clarke College in Dubuque, IA with a degree in Music, Ally and her husband Rob moved to Cincinnati, OH while Rob worked on his DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) at the University of Cincinnati- College Conservatory of Music (CCM). While in Cincinnati, Ally maintained a thriving vocal studio, studied under Patricia Linhart, musical theatre vocal instructor at CCM, and was able to cut her teeth on local semi-professional and professional theatre. Favorite roles include Cathy in The Last Five Years, Woman #2 in Putting it Together, Woman #2 in I love you, you're perfect, now change!, Florence Vassy in Chess, and Daisy Hilton in Side Show, for which she was nominated for a Cincinnati Entertainment Award. Working both on and off-stage, Ally realized she was ready to start her own theatre company.
In August 2006, Rob and Ally moved to Eureka, CA where Rob took his first college teaching position at Humboldt State University. In the Spring of 2007, Rob was offered a position at Augustana College, and come the summer, Ally and Rob moved back to their hometown. When she's not working with RTC, Ally owns and instructs at Ars Nova Vocal Academy in Rock Island. Ally is a recognized full member of NATS, National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Music Director Dr. Robert Elfline is a native of Morrison, IL and graduated from Morrison High School in 1993. He began his studying the piano at age six and by age twelve was accepted into the studio of renowned pianist Donald Walker, with whom he studied for six years. After high school, Rob earned the degree of Bachelor of Music piano performance from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1997. After college, Rob enrolled in the graduate program at Rice University in Houston, Texas, taking performance honors and earning the degree of Master of Music. Most recently, Rob finished the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, and was previously on faculty at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. Rob is currently Assistant Professor of Piano at Augustana College. Additionally, for the past ten years, Rob has maintained an active private studio having taught private lessons, group piano classes and music theory classes to pre-college students in Davenport, Iowa and Mason, Ohio. As a performer, Rob takes a particular interest both in the sonatas of Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert, and the recent music of American composers. Additionally, he enjoys presenting works of lesser-known composers, particularly those active around the turn of the nineteenth century. This interest has led to the study of works for piano and narrator, a long-neglected segment of the piano repertoire that has formed the basis for his dissertation.
