Summer home

MSU´s Summer Circle Theatre moves into its new digs

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After nearly 40 years of wandering in the wildernesses of the Red Cedar River — enduring floods and plagues of mosquitos — MSU’s Summer Circle Theatre has arrived at its promised land: the Summer Circle Courtyard. The space, nestled between Fairchild Theatre and the Kresge Art Center. is a permanent home for the summer theatre group, wired for sound and lights and equipped with comfortable seating for up to 400 patrons.

“For decades, we’ve been talking about building a permanent space,” said Kirk Domer, MSU Theatre Department chairman.

Summer Circle Theatre series has, until this season, led a nomadic existence. Its first performances in 1961 were mounted in Demonstration Hall, a catch-all facility that has hosted everything from livestock shows to MSU basketball and hockey games to marching band rehearsals.

In 1970, the troupe moved outdoors to the Fairchild Theatre courtyard, where it stayed for nearly a decade. The theater moved again in 1981, setting up shop in the Red Cedar River floodplain with a stage that backed right up to the river.

After 12 years of enduring swampy conditions and the threat of flooding, the group moved its performances to higher ground in 1993, staging its shows behind the Auditorium.

The impetus for the Summer Circle Courtyard project came from Sam Austin, MSU physics professor emeritus and former head of the university’s cyclotron program. Sam and his wife, Mary, supporters of summer theater for over 50 years, approached the Theatre Department in 2010 with the idea of creating a permanent performance space.

In previous years, the Summer Circle Theatre has rebuilt its outdoor stage every year. The new permanent Summer Circle Courtyard will be in place year round, and is wired for lights and sound.

“We actually get to focus all of our attention on creating the shows and not on building the stage,” Domer said.

“It really reinforces MSU’s commitment to the arts,” said Rob Roznowski, associate professor of acting.

Summer Circle Theatre, along with the Friends of Theatre at Michigan State University, will celebrate the completion of the courtyard theater with a gala event Tuesday night. Celebrate the Stage will include food and wine, a live auction, a raffle and a private preview performance of “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play,” which will officially open Summer Circle Theatre’s 2015 season the next evening.

Among the items up for auction is a house concert by singer/songwriter and MSU theater alumnus Joshua Davis. The singer, fresh off his third place finish on NBC reality TV singing competition “The Voice,” will perform a private concert at the home of the winning bidder.

Other items up for bid include a stay at Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel, a sculpture by Mark Chatterly and tickets to regional theaters. Tony Caselli, artistic director of Williamston Theatre, will emcee the evening.

The gala event is also a fundraiser for the troupe. Its free performances are supported by a combination of university funding, private donations and sponsorships. In addition to costs such as performance royalties, costumes and set design, Summer Circle Theatre also pays a stipend to students involved in the productions.

“We treat this like a professional theater company,” Domer said.

Now that the theater has a permanent home, the fundraiser is focused on expanding student financial support.

“This is Friends of Theatre’s sixth gala supporting Summer Circle Theatre,” said Jacqueline Babcock, president of the organization. “Each year we pick a target area requiring financial support as the focus for our spring event. Helping to ensure free theater for those who enjoy it and want to expose their children to live theatre is important to those of us who love the arts. By supporting student artists of Summer Circle, we can help the Department of Theatre continue this mission.”

Domer is already excited about the energy the new outdoor stage is creating. In addition to its proximity to the Fairchild Theatre and the Kresge Art Center, the courtyard is just a stone’s throw away from the Broad Art Museum, the Wharton Center and the Music Building. This congregation of campus cultural entities has opened up opportunities for cross-discipline cooperation.

“We’ve already seen an overwhelming response to the space,” said Domer. “It’s created quite a synergy.”

Domer is already working with local musicians and dance groups to line up pre-show entertainment for the Summer Circle Theatre series, and is exploring ways to involve the art galleries in the summer programming. Another group is already using the courtyard space for weekly Tai Chi classes.

The courtyard stage will also host a summer drama camp for kids. The Summer Circle Theatre Day Camp, June 22 to 25, will be led by actors and designers from Summer Circle Theatre and will teach kids age 6-12 about acting, design, music and dance.

“The important part of this drama camp is to cultivate the next generation of theater audiences,” said Roznowski.

A 10-year veteran of Summer Circle Theatre, Roznowski is directing the season-opening “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play.” The unconventional script imagines a post-apocalyptic world where a group of survivors bond over a shared memory of TV show “The Simpsons.” This sort of adventurous programming, said Roznowski, sets Summer Circle Theatre apart from other groups.

“We want to educate and challenge the audience,” he said. “It’s not your normal summer fare.”

Other productions this summer include “The Book of Liz,” written by David and Amy Sedaris, and “An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein.” The latter, with a 10 p.m. start time, is for “mature audiences only,” and features the more risqué works of the beloved author. “The Book of Liz,” however, is recommended for ages 8 and up — which may come as a surprise to those familiar with the work of either Sedaris sibling.

Even while pushing the program forward with edgy programming, Roznowski is honored to be a part of the Summer Circle Theatre’s 55-year history.

“It’s become a tradition for a lot of people,” he said. “There are people who came with their parents years ago who are now bringing their own children.”

Celebrate the Stage

Friends of Theatre at Michigan State University gala event 6-10 p.m. Tuesday, June 9 $40 Fairchild Theatre 542 Auditorium Road, East Lansing theatre.msu.edu

“Mr. Burns, a postelectric play”

MSU Summer Circle Theatre June 10-13 8 p.m. FREE Summer Circle Courtyard Between Fairchild Theatre and Kresge Art Center, MSU campus, East Lansing theatre.msu.edu

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