Beloved arts mentor seeks her own happy ending
Ryan McCain took a drama class from Susannah Kist at the Palatine Park District when he was 9 and caught the acting bug from her. Now he's 18 and a regular in Kist's community theater productions.
His older brother, Mike, took music lessons from Kist as a child. He's now a music education major at Lawrence University.
"It's not an usual story," said their mother, Lesley. "Susannah has given so much to so many families like ours. So many, many families have been touched by her imparting her love of music and theater to young people."
Now all that goodwill that Kist has put into the community - giving private music lessons, running a local theater company, teaching drama through the park district and working as a voice tutor at Lake Zurich High School - is coming back to support her as she faces a health crisis.
Three days before Christmas - and well into preparations for "Cinderella," the latest a production of the Wood Street Theater, which Kist co-founded - she learned she has breast cancer.
While Kist is in Arizona getting specialized medical treatment, her friends, students and colleagues are working to get her the emotional and financial support she needs - and making sure her show goes on.
Friends have established a fund for Kist, and the proceeds of two upcoming performances of "Cinderella," which debuts Friday, Feb. 20, at Cutting Hall in Palatine, will go toward that cause.
Kist, 47, has health insurance but it doesn't cover all the costs of her treatment, and she has no paid sick time when she's unable to work.
She said she's gratified to see her colleagues and friends use their creativity - something she's always tried to foster - to find ways to help out.
Though it was hard to let go of the reins, "when you step out of the way, miraculous things happen," she said.
Kist grew up in West Bend, Wis., where, her sister Sarah Beth Kist remembers she would lead the children in "Kist Kids" shows.
As a young woman, she got involved in the Chicago theater scene, but found that, as much as be in the spotlight herself, "I really like planting the seeds and watching the garden grow," she said. So she "moved out to Palatine and found ways to develop creativity."
She founded Wood Street Theater Co. with her partner, Glen Jackson, with the goal of having rehearsals only once a week - at least until crunchtime right before a show - so families would have a "low-key way to get plugged in ... We try to keep in family-oriented."
In the "Cinderella" production, the title character expresses her hopes by saying, "I officially wish ... "
Julie Price, who has stepped in as director in Kist's absence, borrowed that line.
"We officially wish," Price said, "that we have Susannah back with us soon like she was before, happy and healthy."
<p class="factboxheadblack">'Cinderella'</p> <p class="News">Wood Street Theater Co.'s production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical</p> <p class="News"><b>Showtimes:</b> 7 p.m. Feb. 20; 2 & 7 p.m. Feb. 21; 2 p.m. Feb. 22; 7 p.m. Feb. 27; 2 & 7 p.m. Feb. 28; 2 p.m. March 1.</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Cutting Hall, 150 E. Wood St., Palatine.</p> <p class="News"><b>Tickets:</b> $11-$15; call the box office at (847) 202-5222 or buy online at <a href="http://www.palatineparks.org" target="new">palatineparks.org</a>, click on "Box Office."</p> <p class="News"><b>How else to help:</b> A fund to assist Susannah Kist with medical expenses is taking donations c/o P.O. Box 61, 440 W. Colfax St., Palatine, IL 60067-9998. For details, e-mail friendsofsk@aol.com. The group behind it is planning a murder mystery fundraiser for April 24 (a planning meeting is 7 p.m. Feb. 24 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Palatine).</p> <p class="News">Proceeds from the afternoon shows of Feb. 21 and 27 will benefit theater company co-founder Susannah Kist.</p>