Naperville's Community Theatre cancels 2020 season; storytelling workshop still on
Following the advice of medical experts and the directives of government agencies, the board of directors at The Summer Place, Naperville's Community Theatre, has voted to cancel the remainder of its planned 2020 season. The play, "The Diary of Anne Frank," scheduled to open July 9, and "The Sound of Music," scheduled to open July 24, will not be performed.
The first production of the season, the musical "Cabaret," scheduled to open June 19, had already been canceled in early April.
At this point there are no plans to postpone and resume work on any of this season's selections. Notice of the decision has been sent to production crews, season ticket holders and newsletter and social media followers.
The Summer Place has been entertaining the Naperville community since its beginning at North Central College in 1966, when the theater department chair, Don Shanower, created a summer theater opportunity for his students. From there, it expanded to include any local aspiring actors and graduated from performing in a tent to the auditorium at Naperville Central High School, where Summer Place has now been located for over 20 years.
In 2019, a remodeling project at the school threatened the cancellation of the season until the troop found a temporary home at Community Christian Church. Summer Place was scheduled to return to the high school this year to perform their 54th season. It's the first time in its history that the "Show Will Not Go On."
This very difficult decision was reached after holding out in hopes of a quicker recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, but with news of Gov. Pritzker's stay-at-home directive extended until May 30, with the infection and death curves reducing but not yet peaking, and with large public gatherings unlikely now throughout the summer, the decision, sadly, is the appropriate one.
Like many people in the performing arts, Summer Place is looking at ways to provide entertainment in some form that can result in some revenues, since expenses continue to mount.
While production costs like set building materials won't need to be spent, there are still storage rental fees, insurance costs and utilities that we pay year-round. Donations to help the nonprofit organization are gratefully accepted through their website, SummerPlaceTheatre.org/Donate.
As the theater company finds ways to operate, they will alert their audience and community through news channels, their website, and social media.
One annual program they still look forward to producing is "Ghost Stories in the Park ... In the Dark," which remains scheduled for the first weekend in October at the Naperville Park District Grand Pavilion. A workshop on storytelling remains scheduled for mid-August to be held at the Rubin Center.
Follow Summer Place Theatre by newsletter email and via social media platforms, all accessed through their website, SummerPlaceTheatre.org.