February 17, 2005

McLeod Summer Playhouse to return

by Paula Davenport

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale's beloved summer theater program — the McLeod Summer Playhouse — will return this year with a twist.

The University's theater program will collaborate with Carbondale Community Arts for an exciting bill of offerings, with everything from Broadway musicals to new plays in development and a play sure to showcase some of Southern Illinois' most captivating high school performers.

Performances will be staged at the SIUC Communications Building. The McLeod Theater will host all productions except the new plays, which will appear in the building's nearby Christian H. Moe Laboratory Theatre.

Here's the summer schedule:

  • "I Do, I Do," a delightful musical about marriage starring SIUC faculty members Tim and Lori Fink. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday June 24 and 25 with a matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 26; and evening shows again at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, July 1 and 2.
  • "My Fair Lady." Performances will be at 7:30 p.m., the entire week of Friday July 8 through Saturday, July16, with 2 p.m., matinee on Sunday, July 17.
  • New Plays in Development will feature works by three playwrights in SIUC's nationally renowned graduate playwriting program. The performance will take place Saturday, July 23, in the Communications Building's Christian H. Moe Laboratory Theatre,
  • "West Side Story," featuring talented area high school students. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, July 29 and 30, and Monday, Aug. 1, with a matinee at 2 p.m., Sunday, July 31.

For more information, call the SIUC Department of Theater publicity office at 618/453-7589.