Friends of Summer Place Theatre - Creative & Media Team

We are excited to introduce a new way to get involved with Summer Place Theatre: Friends of Summer Place Theatre. (we listed 20 needed, but the more the merrier!)

This new 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.

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 program allows individuals to support SPT in ways that match their skills, interests, and availability.

Creative & Media Team

The Creative & Media Team supports Summer Place Theatre by helping tell our story, promote our productions, and strengthen our presence in the community. This is a great opportunity for volunteers who enjoy creativity, communication, marketing, and the arts.

Volunteers in this area might help with:

Graphic Design

Create visual materials that support Summer Place Theatre’s productions and programs, including show posters, social media graphics, digital ads, flyers, signage, and program layouts. Volunteers may help maintain brand consistency while designing materials that are engaging, professional, and audience-friendly.

Videography & Production Trailers

Capture video content that helps bring our productions and organization to life. This could include filming rehearsal footage, cast interviews, behind-the-scenes moments, promotional videos, teaser trailers, and event highlights for use on social media, our website, or other outreach efforts.

Photography

Take photos that document productions, rehearsals, special events, volunteers, and community engagement. These images may be used in marketing materials, social media, archives, fundraising campaigns, and promotional storytelling throughout the season.

Social Media Content Creation

Help plan, create, and organize content for platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. This may include writing captions, designing or selecting visuals, promoting auditions and performances, highlighting volunteers and artists, sharing behind-the-scenes content, and helping keep our online presence active and engaging.

Website Updates

Assist with keeping the Summer Place Theatre website current, accurate, and visually appealing. Tasks may include updating production pages, adding event or audition information, posting news or announcements, refreshing images, and helping ensure patrons can easily find the information they need.

Research

• Support organizational growth by researching ideas, trends, and resources that may benefit Summer Place Theatre. This could include looking into theatre marketing strategies, audience engagement ideas, fundraising concepts, volunteer programs, community partnerships, or best practices from other arts organizations

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 (1 show)
• SPT Friends pin or badge
• Six Opening night tickets for both shows

About Summer Place Theatre

The Summer Place, Inc. (or Summer Place Theatre as it has come to be known) got its start back 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 1966. 2016 was our 50th season, and we dedicated our shows to Doc. Sadly, we lost Doc in 2015, just shy of our big 50th anniversary. We miss you, and most of all we thank you for creating this long-lasting Naperville institution.

Our Mission Statement

The Summer Place, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit, 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.

The Summer Place, Inc. gets funding through ticket sales, advertising sales, concessions proceeds, grants, and the generous donations of our patrons.

The bulk of our expenses go towards royalty fees, set building costs, and, depending on the production, costuming. To a far lesser extent we spend money on honorariums for our directors and musicians. Our actors do not get paid. For that matter, our actors don't pay us for the opportunity to act in our shows, although of late they have paid a script and costume fee to help defray those costs. Our producers, who are pulled from our Board of Directors, are not paid to produce the shows, nor are any of our Board Members or Officers paid for their service.

Summer Place is a Community Theater. It provides a great deal to Naperville: the opportunity to gather and create a work of art and to share that work with its citizens at a very low cost.

One of our largest supporters is Naperville itself. The Naperville Park District provides rooms for us to meet and rehearse,, and Naperville School District 203 provides our theatre venue during the summer: Naperville Central High School Auditorium.