University News
Summer Music Theatre Announces Hiatus
February 12, 2010
MACOMB, IL – Change is the one thing in life that's constant … and that same motto holds true for the world of live theatre.
Western Illinois University's Summer Music Theatre (SMT) will undergo a transformation within the next 12 months, which includes a hiatus of SMT productions in Summer 2010, according to David Patrick, chair of Western's department of theatre and dance and coordinator of the Summer Music Theatre program.
"After much discussion, we felt it was in the best interest of the program, given the University's current cash flow situation and the state of the economy in general, to take a break from this summer's program," Patrick said. "Summer Music Theatre has provided entertainment to the region for more than 38 years; however, in the past few years, the recession has impacted ticket sales, and then the state's budget worsened. We made the decision to use this as a time to reflect on the program successes – and not-so-successful performances – to revamp SMT so we can come back better than ever in Summer 2011."
Patrick said while this was an "extremely hard decision" to make given the longevity of the program, the timing couldn't have been better to re-evaluate and revise the program.
"Summer Music Theatre provides an excellent teaching tool for our students. They put together these productions from start to finish, with the assistance of our outstanding faculty and staff. This re-evaluation of the program will also provide our students with a new learning experience," he added. "The department, the College of Fine Arts and Communication and the University is committed to bringing back an improved version next summer."
Summer Music Theatre began in 1972 with a performance of "Carnival," followed by "South Pacific" in 1973 and "Fiddler on the Roof" in 1974. Over the past 38 years, such classics as "Oklahoma," "The Music Man" and "The Sound of Music" have graced the Hainline Theatre stage. In recent years, the SMT lineup included some "edgier" shows – such as the recent "The Rocky Horror Show" – to reach those who enjoy offbeat performances.
The department will be forming a SMT task force within the next few months, Patrick added. Community members who have suggestions or are interested in participating in the SMT task force should contact Patrick at (309) 298-1543 or DE-Patrick@wiu.edu.
"I look forward to working with my colleagues, students and members of the community to revise Summer Music Theatre. It's going to be an exciting, invigorating challenge," Patrick said. "And we look forward to announcing the 2011 lineup."
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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