GreenMan Theatre Storytellers celebrates Route 66 centennial with ‘Road Trip Stories’

As Route 66 commemorates its 100th anniversary in 2026, GreenMan Theatre Storytellers will join in the festivities with its “Road Trip Stories” featuring stories, songs and imagery.

“Road Trip Stories” will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, in Elmhurst Public Library’s large meeting room, 125 S. Prospect Ave.

Performers for “Road Trip Stories” will be Cassy Beach, Marilyn Connolly, Tom Kaiser, Steven Soria and Carolyn Thomas-Davidoff. Thomas-Davidoff will serve as director; Beach as music director.

Soria and Becca Easley will research popular songs for the event, including “Meet Me in St. Louis.” Tony Lopez will arrange the accompanying slide show.

“This will be a celebration of a 100-year-old road that has been woven into the consciousness and fabric of America,” Thomas-Davidoff said. “Both prosperity and hard times in the United States stimulated the use of Route 66, as well as the invention of the neon signs that advertised motels, restaurants and other locations along the route.”

GreenMan Theatre’s “Road Trip Stories” is a free program suitable for adults and children, ages 10 or older.

This will be a hybrid presentation, both live and online (by registration through the library). Those seeing the online version must register in advance. Registration for the in-person showing is strongly encouraged — as registration helps determine the size of the room being used.

There are 66 in-person seats and 197 online seats available. Sign up via elmhurstpubliclibrary.org

In its 22nd season, GreenMan Theatre Troupe is a nonprofit 501[c]3 organization whose mission is to provide a source of cultural enrichment and pride for the community by presenting diverse, quality productions and providing opportunities for personal growth in the theatrical arts. GreenMan has been presenting plays in Elmhurst since being founded in 2003.

Past productions include “Dracula,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Doubtful Abbey.” GreenMan also offers classes and workshops for members and the community and welcomes new members and participants in all aspects of theater production. GreenMan programs are partially supported by Explore Elmhurst, as well as other individual and corporate donations.