COD Summer College Theater to put on original production 'Every Day is Zoom Day!'

College of DuPage's Summer Repertory Theater will virtually present an original production, "Every Day is Zoom Day!," highlighting the resiliency of the human spirit in a COVID-19 world. The performance will stream live on the COD College Theater webpage at 7 p.m. Friday, July 24.

Rehearsed through Zoom and scripted through improvisation, the production features three days in the life of the Mostaccioli family during the stay-at-home mandate resulting from COVID-19. Their lives may seem to be on hold, but their connections with family, friends and community members are very much alive. The play features seven actors playing 17 different roles.

"Due the college's transition to virtual learning, we canceled our two summer productions, a touring improvisational show and a musical, and created one online production," said College of DuPage Theater Department Chair and Director Connie Canaday Howard. "When the cast and I were creating the framework of the plot, through Zoom, we thought it would be intriguing to make the play about this new virtual world we are living in. Though much of the piece is pure enjoyment, recurrent themes are the need to adapt given unknown circumstances, resiliency and how we can continue to grow as individuals and in our relationships."

College Theater's yearly improvisational show continues to provide students the forum in which to exercise and hone their creativity and acting skills, said Canaday Howard.

"Despite College Theater never before performing in a virtual environment, we are excited to reach a wider audience and showcase our students' vast talents in a way we have never seen before," she said. "And like the show's theme, we are glad we can offer this free performance to our community members to help us all feel connected during these unprecedented times."

The cast includes Christopher Lindquist (Naperville), Elizabeth Nahulak (Wheaton), Ameya Patankar (Naperville), Monica Patankar (Naperville), 2020 Belushi Stage Management Scholarship recipient Dale Perry (Wood Dale), Paula Smith (Orland Park) and Christina Verges (Brookfield). Production staff includes Kimberly Morris, Sabrina Zeidler, Robert Nardini, Michael Moon and Jon Gantt.

Support is made possible by a generous gift from the College of DuPage Foundation's Dr. Donald and Helen (Gum) Westlake Fund for Student Productions.

For more information, visit www.atthemac.org.