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New location provides bigger opportunities for Geneva's Playhouse 38

Opening night of Playhouse 38's youth production of Disney's “Mulan Jr.” on Friday, July 8, will also serve as the grand opening of the community theater's new location in Geneva.

“We have the ability to do more and achieve more to make our shows better,” cultural arts coordinator Lisa Pivaronas said. “It provides the ability to cast more people in one show and have a spot to put them. I'm really excited to be able to include more in the program.”

To celebrate the community theater's new home in Suite P at 321 Stevens St. in Geneva, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 8, before the premiere of Disney's “Mulan Jr.” at 7 p.m. There will also be a meet-and-greet with the cast at 5:30 p.m. Popcorn and cotton candy will be available for attendees as well light fare provided by Deane's Market and Deli.

Performances of Disney's “Mulan Jr.” continue at 3 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, and 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 10. Tickets are $10 and can be bought in advance at Sunset Community Center or at the Playhouse 38 box office before the show. Parking and the entrance to the theater are in the back of the building.

This location accommodates 100 seats and has preparation rooms, also known to the theater community as green rooms, for actors to congregate and ready themselves for the performance. The stage is larger and also ADA accessible.

“I think the opportunities are endless because we can grow our programs and expand to the needs of the community,” said Traci Wicks, director of marketing and public relations of the Geneva Park District. “We are not limited in what we can do. We can host a variety of events as well as cultural arts programs.”

With a bigger stage come new opportunities to put on larger productions.

“When you have such a small stage, the shows you can pick are a smaller array. You have to really learn how to make it really simple,” Pivaronas said. “Hopefully we can amp up that part of our shows now, which I am very excited about.”

Playhouse 38, a facility of the Geneva Park District and host to the park district's Cultural Arts program, began in 2013 and since has put on 14 youth productions and nine adult productions, holding up to eight productions per year.

“We do everything from youth to adult community theater performances to offstage programs, acting lessons, improv classes, musical theater and more,” Wicks said.

Past productions include adult productions of “Things My Mom Taught Me” as well as “The Odd Couple” and youth productions of “School House Rock Jr.” and “The Jungle Book.”

“We typically tie in the productions with our seasonal productions,” Wicks said. “We try to do one each season.”

During the fall season, the adult production is usually a murder mystery. The winter productions are more family-oriented.

Staff and board members started looking into new areas to house the playhouse in December of last year as they saw the group outgrowing the theater. At the end of March, the group began working out of Sunset Community Center.

Although the ribbon-cutting is set for July 8, Playhouse 38 officially opened its doors to some small theater camps on June 17.

A second grand opening will be held in conjunction with the adult community theater opening night of “Calendar Girls” at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 25.

“We are trying to reach both youth and adult audiences,” Wicks said. “They will get the opportunity to explore our new home.”

Tickets for “Calendar Girls,” described by Wicks as a “touching comedy,” are $15 in advance and $20 at the door; performances are Aug. 25-28. For details, visit genevaparks.org or call (630) 232-4542.

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