Local playwrights, actors welcome in Bartlett Adult Theatre
Local playwrights looking for a place where they can see their work come to life need look no further than the new Bartlett Adult Theatre.
Started in April 2011 by Arts in Bartlett President Rita Lopienski, the theater group is now preparing for its sixth production, which was written by Russ Devereaux, a playwright from St. Charles. It opens Friday, Sept. 28.
“None of these people really have a chance or opportunity to know how (their play) would sound and look acted out live, so that’s really become the focus of (Bartlett Adult Theatre),” Lopienski said, adding that most of the shows last an hour to 90 minutes.
Open to writers and performers ages 18 and older, the Bartlett Adult Theatre also gives actors — even first-time actors — a chance to participate in a theatrical show.
“Perfection’s not the goal,” Lopienski said. “We want to do our best that we can, but (the goal is) just to give local people that opportunity to get creative and experience what theater is about.”
Anyone from the suburban area or Chicago is welcome to send in scripts to the theater group or audition for the three to four productions it puts on each year.
“I think everybody has creative talent and they maybe never had the opportunity to explore that,” Lopienski said, adding that she personally always had a love for music, but didn’t try acting until she was an adult. “It’s never too late to try something new and creative for yourself.”
When rehearsing for a play the group typically meets twice a week in the evening for two to three months at the Arts in Bartlett building, 118 W. Bartlett Ave.
Genres for previous shows have ranged from comedy to romance. In February the group did an adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland” that was created by a Wheaton College student.
The group’s next production, titled “Autosave,” is a show about a young woman who spends months working on an important document for work, only to lose it when it doesn’t save correctly on her computer.
In an attempt to retrieve the document, the woman is transported into the machine, where she meets different components of the computer.
Lopienski said it’s a fun play that includes interesting characters and some live music.
“Anybody that has had trials and tribulations with a computer I think would appreciate it,” she said. “I think it’s a very useful story.”
Performances of “Autosave” will take place at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28-29, and at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, in the Bartlett Nature Center auditorium, 2054 W. Stearns Road. Tickets are $10.
For information on the upcoming play or to get involved with Bartlett Adult Theatre, visit artsinbartlett.org or call (630) 372-4152.