Curtains to rise on stages in Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Elgin, St. Charles

Six area community theater companies have announced their upcoming season productions, and there appears to be something for everyone’s tastes.

The iambe theatre ensemble returns with its fall production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s “Good People” at the Elgin Art Showcase in downtown Elgin. The ensemble was founded by Doreen Dawson, Shannon Mayhall and Liz Johnson, noted for providing high quality theater that focuses on “honest, provocative and compassionate explorations of the human condition.” The emphasis is on the underrepresented, particularly women of all ages. “Good People” explores the struggles, shifting loyalties and unshakable hopes of one Margie Walsh, who just has been let go from yet another job. Facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break, Margie thinks an old fling who made it out of Southie, her Boston neighborhood, might be her ticket to a fresh new start. Directed by Annie Slivinski, the cast includes iambe founders and veteran actors Dawson, Johnson and Mayhall, and runs Oct. 25-Nov. 10. (iambetheatreensemble.com)

Also based in Elgin is Elsinore Ensemble, now in its third season of performing challenging and rarely performed scripts. The founders are actors Thomas Neumann, Jamie Ewing and Lori Rohr, whose upcoming season includes “Hand to God” by Robert Askins (Sept. 27-Oct. 13) and “The Lifespan of a Fact” by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell (April 4-May 4). Directed by JJ Gatesman, “Hand to God” relays the story of meek Jason, who finds an outlet for his anxiety at the Christian Puppet Ministry after the death of his father. The play explores the fragile nature of faith, morality and the ties that bind us. “The Lifespan of a Fact,” directed by Jeff Award-winning Aaron Reese Boseman, features founders Neumann, Ewing and Rohr in its comedic battle involving an essay that could save a sinking New York magazine. “The Lifespan of a Fact” will be staged at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture in Chicago. (www.facebook.com/ElsinorePlayers)

This year marks the 26th anniversary season of Janus Theatre, which has produced more than 100 productions throughout the Chicago area. Artistic Director Sean Hargadon will direct the season’s two plays: “The Revolutionists” at the Elgin Art Showcase (Oct. 10-20), and in conjunction with the Elgin Shakespeare Project and Moonlight Repertory, “Macbeth” at the Moonlight Theatre in St. Charles (Oct. 31-Nov. 3). “The Revolutionists” by Lauren Gunderson is billed as a comedy about four women who lose their heads during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror in 1793 Paris. Also directed by Hargadon, Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth” about power, corruption and the supernatural gets a new staging at the historic Moonlight Theatre. (janusplays.com)

Supporting a robust theater program, McHenry County College’s Black Box Theatre in Crystal Lake will present two plays plus a fifth annual 12-hour play competition (May 3) in the 2024-25 season. Theater department head Jay Geller will direct Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses” (Nov. 1-17) and “Legally Blonde: The Musical” (March 7-23), with collaboration from choreographer Maggie McCord and musical director Michael Hillstrom. “Metamorphoses” brings Ovid’s tale to visual life, set in and around a large pool of water on stage. Geller promises it will “juxtapose the ancient and contemporary in both language [and] image, with an emphasis on love, loss and transforming powers of memory and imagination.” “Legally Blonde: The Musical” is based on the movie, and follows the transformation of character Elle Woods. And the annual play competition challenges groups of two to six people to write, rehearse and perform a 10-minute play within 12 hours. Groups arrive at 7 a.m. and work through the day to perform at 7 p.m. that evening. (www.mchenry.edu/blackbox)

Founded in the spring of 1952 as an evening adult education class at Elgin Community College, the Elgin Theatre Company is moving into its 73rd season. The 2024–25 season will open with Ron Hutchinson’s “Moonlight and Magnolias” (Sept. 13-22) at the Elgin Art Showcase, directed by Jocelyn Adamski. The play is set in 1939 Hollywood, and was inspired by real events. It is billed as a behind-the-scenes account of the collaboration between film producer David O. Selznick, director Victor Fleming and screenwriter Ben Hecht as they struggle to write the screenplay for “Gone with the Wind” in five days. Newly elected ETC President Madeline Franklin promises “our 2025 season body of work will support the causes of humanity, and demonstrate the importance of combining art, soul and collaboration – and more will be happening as we discover our new normal.” (elgin-theatre.org/next-production)

A merger of the historic TownSquare Players and Woodstock Musical Theatre Company, Theatre 121 has been the resident community theater group of the Woodstock Opera House since 2019. Its 2024-25 season includes: “A Christmas Story” (Nov. 15-Dec. 1), “Groundhog Day” (Jan. 31- Feb. 16), “Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers” (April 4-13) and “The Prom” (June 20-29). Theatre 121 also produces Storybook Players for young audiences, and plans presentations of “Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” (at Stage Left, Aug. 17), “Little Red Riding Hood” (Mt. Prospect Library, Oct. 12) and “A Special Treat for Santa” (Woodstock Library, Dec. 14). (theatre121.org)

For over 30 years, I sat on the TownSquare Players Board and can tell you that, without a doubt, a season’s play selection is one of the most challenging, important and exciting responsibilities of a board member. How to balance the right amount of comedy, drama and musical – with an eye on topics, actors, costs, sets, costumes and available directors – ultimately decides what will sell tickets and make money for continued survival. A theater company’s season makes it stand out; a good season must reach the audience. Fortunately, it looks like these six companies are on their successful ways.

• Regina Belt-Daniels got her community theater start with a WMTC production of “Carousel,” and went on to act, stage manage and direct in more than 30 years of theater at the Woodstock Opera House. Celebrating her 10th year of writing theater reviews for Shaw Local News Network, when not attending live theater, she can be found happily traveling with her husband, teaching, acting and directing.