Metropolis resumes in-person performances, with an outdoor tent
More than a year after the onset of the pandemic, thespians took the stage for the first time Thursday in downtown Arlington Heights.
But it was a unique opening night for the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, which is starting its 2021 season under the stars.
As one of the first Chicago-area theaters to resume live, in-person performances, Metropolis is staging its revival of “Little Shop of Horrors” within a 40-by-90-foot tent in front of North School Park. The theater got permission from the village board in March to use Eastman Avenue from Arlington Heights Road to Evergreen Street for the temporary venue.
On Thursday night, patrons who were masked (for COVID-19 health protocols) and bundled up (for the cooler evening) were seated in socially distanced pairs throughout the tent, which can fit up to an audience of 72.
Preview shows run through Sunday, with the regular run May 13 through June 19.