Summer Place Theatre: Production & Scenic Team

We are excited to introduce a new way to get involved with Summer Place Theatre: Friends of Summer Place Theatre.

This program is designed for people who want to support SPT in ways that match their interests, skills, and availability. Whether you want to volunteer your time, make a financial contribution, or do both, Friends of Summer Place Theatre offers meaningful ways to help strengthen our organization and support our future. While we initially listed 20 volunteer openings, we welcome anyone interested in getting involved.

The program was created to help us:

• Strengthen community involvement
• Increase volunteer engagement
• Expand fundraising capacity
• Create sustainable operational support
• Build long-term relationships with patrons and families

This opportunity is ideal for those who enjoy hands-on work, collaboration, and helping bring productions to life behind the scenes.

Production & Scenic Team

Volunteers in this area might help with:

Set Building

Assist with constructing scenery for our summer productions. For the 2026 season, set building is expected to take place approximately June 1–14 for Guys and Dolls and June 29–July 12 for Rent.

Painting

Help paint scenic elements for each production. The timeline will be approximately the same as the set build schedule for each show.

Load-In / Load-Out

Load-in typically involves meeting at one of our storage units in Naperville, helping load materials into a truck, traveling to Naperville Central High School Auditorium, and unloading everything into the theatre. This is expected to take place approximately during the last week of May or first week of June.

Load-out takes place after the final performance of the summer season. Volunteers help strike the set, load materials into the truck at the theatre, and unload them back into our storage unit in Naperville. For 2026, this will take place on the evening of August 2.

Set Strike

Help take down the set after each production, organize props and costumes, and prepare materials either for the next production or for storage. Expected strike dates are the afternoon/evening of June 28 for Guys and Dolls and August 2 for Rent.

Storage Organization

Assist with organizing our two storage units, which house set pieces, lumber, tools, props, costumes, and other materials. This is an ongoing need throughout the year.

Backstage Support

Help support productions during performances in backstage or technical roles, depending on need. Volunteers in this area would need to be available for all performances of a specific show.

Performance dates are:

Guys and Dolls

June 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28

Rent

July 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 31, and August 1, 2

Specific backstage and technical needs for each production are still to be determined.

Volunteer Commitment Levels

Ensemble Friend

• Volunteer at least 10 hours per season
• Recognition in program (Friends List)
• Two Opening Night tickets for both shows

Spotlight Friend

• 25+ hours per season
• Program recognition
• Invitation to Friends appreciation event
• Early access to tickets (24-hour presale window)
• Four Opening Night tickets for both shows

Standing Ovation Friend

• 50+ hours per season
• Featured recognition
• Opening night invite for one show
• SPT Friends pin or badge
• Six Opening Night tickets for both shows

About Summer Place Theatre

The Summer Place, Inc., commonly known as Summer Place Theatre, began in 1966 as a way to keep students active and their acting skills sharp over the summer months.

It was founded by Donald “Doc” Shanower, then Dean of Theatre at North Central College. In 2016, Summer Place celebrated its 50th season and dedicated its productions to Doc. Although he passed away in 2015, just before that milestone anniversary, his impact on the organization and the Naperville community continues to be felt.

Our Mission

The Summer Place, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer-supported community theatre based in the Naperville area, strives to provide professional-quality year-round theatre arts entertainment.

We are committed to providing:

• A supportive and collaborative environment for artists
• High-quality, culturally enriching entertainment to the community
• Educational opportunities for all ages through mentoring and performance-based participation

Summer Place Theatre is funded through ticket sales, advertising sales, concessions, grants, and the generous donations of our patrons.

As a community theatre, Summer Place provides Naperville with the opportunity to gather, create, and share theatrical work at a very low cost. Major support has also come from the Naperville Park District, which provides rehearsal space, and Naperville School District 203, which provides our summer performance venue at Naperville Central High School Auditorium.