Theatre News Wire

After 21 years in their current location at 7300 W. Madison Street, Circle Theatre will be relocating to The Oak Park River Forest Performing Arts Center, 1010 Madison Street. This 14-month relocation will be a temporary step on the way to Circle's ultimate goal of creating its own permanent performance space. Circle Theatre's current lease will end on October 31, 2010. At the end of that lease, Circle will officially move all productions to 1010 Madison Street. Over the next few months, Circle will begin to transition to the new space with productions playing in each location. Circle's final production at the 7300 W. Madison Street location will be the glittering comedy, The Philadelphia Story, which runs through September 5, as well as a youth summer camp performance of Annie Jr on July 24 & 25 and a youth program production of the epic American musical Ragtime from August 5 through 15.  The first production in the 1010 Madison space will be Circle's main stage musical The Wedding Singer, based on the Adam Sandler film of the same name, running from September 17 through October 31. This temporary move will allow Circle to continue producing while preparing for the next step in Circle's history. In addition, the move will offer constituents expanded restroom facilities, more available seating and a more comfortable overall experience while retaining the high-quality of design and production that Circle has epitomized throughout its 25 year history. Artistic Director Kevin Bellie stated that "the fact that the 1010 Madison space is just a few blocks from our current location is a great plus. Our patrons will not have to worry about increased travel and will still be able to experience the great shopping, restaurants and bars in the area." Circle Theatre, now celebrating its 25th anniversary season, will continue to move towards its ultimate goal of a permanent performance space that offers comfort to audiences and spaces ideal for quality production.