Hidden Talent Theater Company stages Neil Simon play

Jim Gattone is founder and director of the Hidden Talent Theatre Company, which just opened a revival of Neil Simon's "The Star-Spangled Girl." He grew up in Glenview. His father was a working jazz musician so, in Gattone's words, he always "had a show business, performance orientation." Despite that, Gattone never dreamed he would end up founding and running a theater company in the suburbs.

Back in high school, "I got involved in musicals in junior year," Gattone says, "and in my senior year I decided not to go out for track so I could audition for the musical." But Gattone ended up working in the corporate world; this after majoring in speech and communication in college and cross-cultural communication in graduate school.

"I worked in human resources and performance management," Gattone says, adding that he was working for a high-tech firm in the late '90s and first years of the new century.

But then the Internet bubble burst, sending Gattone out of the field when his position was eliminated. That experience made Gattone promise himself he would only work in fields he was "passionate" about. His time spent working for a friend's landscaping company only solidified his resolve.

Eventually, Gattone found a job he liked at a financial services firm. But he was ready with a Plan B should he ever lose that job. His Plan B: Create a theater company.

"I put together a business plan to put together a theater company," Gattone explains, "I did a lot of research into theaters like Steppenwolf. My idea was to help small schools and churches that didn't have a theater department. But people who saw it said 'This is good. You have to make it larger.'"

So Gattone expanded his idea. And as luck would have it, his job at the financial services firm was shipped to India.

Hidden Talent Theatre Company was born. The name refers to the observation Gattone and his friends made about all the talented suburban actors who have other careers, but who like to perform all the same."

"We wanted to provide an outlet for artists with a multicultural mission," Gattone says.

Gattone, working with Tim Smoot, got things started with a bang with last year's well-received production of Rod Serling's classic "Requiem for a Heavyweight."

"We wanted to do something different right off the bat," Gattone says. "We like something that is family-oriented, but plays that are different, that are a challenge."

Gattone and company chose Simon's seldom-produced comedy because the major themes of the play seemed timely: politics and the Olympics.

Is it hard doing theater in the suburbs?

"We are lucky to have so many people willing to volunteer their time for our theater," Gattone says, "and each of us has an interest in where this will take us. You don't know how thrilling this is. We shall see where we are in five years."

"The Star-Spangled Girl" runs through Aug. 31 at the Cutting Hall, 150 East Wood St., Palatine. Call (847) 202-5222 or see hiddentalenttheatre.org/tickets.html.