Dear Friends,
It’s the first snow of the new year, and as I sit here in my cozy armchair, blanket wrapped around my feet to keep out the chill, I’m thinking of you. I’m thinking about summer sun, picnics, family, friends, balmy nights, travel, and adventure. And that has nothing to do with my personal summer itinerary or travel plans. It is how Acting Out Theatre Co. approaches its summer theatre production. It is all of the above! Let me explain.
Many things go into planning the show that we bring to you. Of course, it starts with the play selection itself. We have performed eight summer shows now and have learned much. We have welcomed your feedback and your support, more than you know! Much time and thought is put into perusing scripts and choosing just the right show, all the while keeping in mind who it is we serve…. you! Our highest goal is to bring something of quality to you; to transport you to another time and place, if only for a little while…to bring you laughter and tears, adventure and repose.
Our entire board is obsessed with finding the perfect location for each show. We have driven every downtown street, alley, and back road with our eyes peeled for that perfect place that screams “here I am!” We are very fortunate, as we many times feel that in our search we gain an appreciation for our history and our community that can often times go unnoticed. Sometimes our location finds us while scanning the landscape. We may find a spectacular location, but must wait for that “just right” show to present itself. This was the case with West Side Story! Once we find this space and have permission to use it, we get so excited to share it with you! Our goal is to transform this space into some place new, some place magical, some place memorable! Our set designer works tirelessly for months in advance to create a setting that melds us with the surroundings and pulls us in to the story, all the while, building community relations with those who have allowed us to be in their space. We have immensely enjoyed partnering with the many people who make our community a better place to live! Nothing gives us more pleasure than to know we have come to this new place as guests, and truly leave as friends!
In addition to the “just right show” and the “just right location” we pride ourselves on attention to detail throughout the show. Details matter! Costume designers, hair and makeup artists, and prop managers scour the internet to find that “just right look,” taking great care to stay true to the story and the era. We believe those details elevate your experience to the next level!
Last, but not least, we throw a big block party where you are invited to picnic with family and friends before our show! It’s a celebration, really! The sentiment is, “AOTC is here! We’ve done it! We are excited to share this show with you! Please join us!” We gain no profit from our vendors. We just want to offer them the opportunity to come to this party and do business with you! We just want you to taste what Kankakee County vendors have to offer and enjoy! It is so satisfying for us to look around and see you assemble into small groups and watch you talk your way through the crowd.
So, as the snow plow makes its way down my road, I’m feeling even cozier than when I sat down to write this. I’m warmed by the memories I’ve made on our wonderful journey, and the promise of more memories to come. You see, our show location is never empty when we leave. In fact, we hope that space will never be the same!It does however always contain the beautiful memories we’ve made with you!
Won’t you join AOTC in this transforming journey?
Sincerely – Paula Denault & the Acting Out Theatre Co. Board of Directors –Sharon Richardson, Julie Gindy, Jean Roth, Ryan Schultz, Mike Pranger, Jackie Fisher, Diane Marcukaitis, Michael Keigher & Shauntia Mettlin
We are looking for individuals and businesses to lend their support.
Please see Patron and Sponsor opportunities below!
As always we thank you for your continued support, we could not do this without our very generous community!