Welcome

Dear Friends,

On behalf of our artists, staff and Board of Trustees, welcome to the second half of Great Lakes Theater’s 60th anniversary season! Our mission to bring the pleasure, power and relevance of theater to the widest possible audience guides our mainstage productions, as well as our educational programming. We believe theater holds the capacity to illuminate truth and enduring values, celebrate and challenge human nature and actions, and provide our student audiences a glimpse of a broader world and the wellspring of learning made possible through the arts.

After a short hiatus, we welcome everyone back to this momentous season with Shakespeare’s gorgeous, romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing, a sublime exploration of the power of deception and the dangerous consequences of rumors and falsehoods. It is difficult to express how grateful we are to be back on stage at the Hanna Theatre with Much Ado About Nothing after two years of uncertainty since our cancellation of the production in March 2020. It deeply moves us to have you in our audience today. Your patience, support and loyalty throughout these many months have sustained every member of our company.

There’s more to come following Much Ado About Nothing! The curtain rises on the grand finale to our 60th season this April/May with the uproariously funny, romantic thriller, Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps. This madcap, fast-paced show is a joyful reminder of the power of laughter and a fitting close to this anniversary season.

With so much to celebrate in this milestone season, we especially wish to honor those who supported us over the two years we weathered this unparalleled storm. As you read your program and look around the theater tonight, you will see the names of many friends, partners, corporations and foundations whose support makes all of this possible. We encourage you to join the Great Lakes Theater family with your gift. We extend our sincere gratitude to all of our sponsors and Annual Fund donor/members, with continued appreciation to our partners of 40 years at Playhouse Square and the tireless efforts of our Board of Trustees, dedicated administrative staff, gifted artists and the tremendous generosity of this community.

We thank you for your patronage and hope to see you in our audience again soon.

Charles Fee Producing Artistic Director Bob Taylor Executive Director