The thing about community theatre is that it’s the community that makes it happen, every bit of it. What many people see are the actors and actresses on the stage, but there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes that not many know about. It takes an entire army of volunteers to get things prepared and kept in motion from the set design to the lighting to the promotion to the music to the sounds and more.
Chicago Street Theatre is an amazing example of what can be accomplished when like-minded, passionate individuals come together and stick together through their mutual love of theatre and desire to share that love with the community. Many of the volunteers at Chicago Street below have been involved with theatre for many years and I was able to sit down with some of them to find out why they do what they do.
Sheri Nash has been on the stage since she was 6-years-old. She came to Chicago Street on the invite of a director who guest directed at the theatre of which she was part. That was 45 years ago and she has been volunteering at Chicago Street ever since.
“Being here allows me to do what I love. I just fell in love with the theatre and the people here,” Nash said. “I direct plays and run the box office.”
A familiar face, Eric Brant, has been volunteering with Chicago Street for 35 years. He is on staff as the Marketing Director, but he was a volunteer first, and still is to this day. He directs, designs sets, creates props, and he can be seen on the stage.
“The beauty of volunteering in theatre is that any talent you have can be used here,” Brant said. “There are lots of opportunities for people to get involved. Theatre is a team process and the volunteers coordinate and come up with all of these great ideas that represent each of our shows in the best light.”
Mark McColley has been a volunteer with Chicago Street since 2010. His contributions can be seen during each performance. He works to build the sets that are designed for each show.
“I live close by and I love the people,” McColley said. “It’s never boring here and I have a lot of fun.”
Mike Strayer has been a patron of Chicago Street for the last 35 years and he has volunteered with the theatre for about eight years now. He is a member of the Board of Trustees and he also helps build sets as well as with concessions and management. “I love the behind the scenes stuff,” Strayer said. “The people are fun and this keeps me busy and there is something new for each show.”
Stan Christianson is the Development Chair for Chicago Street Theatre and has been volunteering there for the last 15 years. He has directed, been a stage manager, and held other backstage duties for many shows.
“This is a fun group to be with and it serves as a productive asset to Valpo, especially for the youth,” Christianson said. “Theatre is a great opportunity for people of all ages to get involved and learn.”
Don Parker is also a member of the Board of Trustees. For the last 24 years he has put his skills to work as a volunteer at Chicago Street. He will help backstage and play the standup bass when Chicago Street performs musicals.
“I got into musical theatre where I grew up and when I moved here I looked for a place to continue participating in theatre,” Parker said. “It’s something I’ve always enjoyed. The people behind the scenes do so much that no one sees.”
Jim Drader is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and he came to Chicago Street seven years ago to recognize his dream. He auditioned for the Brighton Beach Memoirs and got hooked. You can find him building and designing sets, ushering guests in before performances, and doing other miscellaneous but important tasks that make each performance run smoothly.
“We have a theatre family here,” Drader said. “We have a lot of fun and every show brings something new and fun to the table.”
Kari-Anne Innes and her son Jakob Innes both volunteer at Chicago Street, Kari-Ann for the last 20 years and Jacob has been involved since the day he was born (13 years).
“I love the theatre,” Kari-Anne said. “I direct the family shows and I act in our shows as well. I also teach a class here on Shakespeare. I went to school with many people here and it’s like a second home.”
“It’s really fun here,” Jakob said. “I do a lot of acting here as well as tech work.”