Riverfront Theatre Company

RIVERFRONT THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES 2ND SEASON, NEEDS HELP

Riverfront Theatre Company, the professional theatre company formed in 2007, announces its second season line-up of shows. The company’s first season concluded in June at the Clock Tower Resort. The season featured "Leaving Iowa", ‘The Water Coolers", "The Deer and the Antelope Play’ and "Moonlight and Magnolias", and were all quality productions, well-received by audiences and critics alike.

For its second season of quality theatre productions, the group has selected:
---Nunsense A-Men, similar to the original Nunsense, but with the roles of the nuns played by men
---A Tuna Christmas, a "sequel" to the side-splitting comedy "Greater Tuna"
---The Odd Couple - Female version, Neil Simon’s hilarious play re-written with women in the lead roles
---My Dinner with Amy, a witty, saucy comedy about religion, sex, double standards and relationships.

But the season has encountered a roadblock. Performance rights have been secured and the shows were scheduled to be announced several months ago, but the board of directors decided to delay their announcement due to the unexpected loss of their rehearsal and performance space. The Clock Tower Resort notified the group in mid-July that new management had made plans to renovate and use the theatre for other purposes, and that they would not be renewing the theatre group’s lease. The organization then spent several weeks trying to fit a suitable venue into their budget, and trying to raise additional funds to cover the costs.

After making some adjustments to their schedule, the group reserved dates at the New American Theatre building at 118 N. Main Street for performances in November and December. However, the change of location, coupled with the need to find a separate rehearsal space, has increased their space rental costs by several hundred percent. This has forced the group to temporarily suspend its operations and step up fundraising efforts, asking for everyone’s financial help to the get the season started as soon as possible.

"Operating in a fiscally responsible manner is one of the cornerstones we were founded on, and we are looking forward to getting starting the next season as soon as the necessary funds are there.", says Mark Kann, current president of the board of directors. "We secured our shows, then lost our venue; now we have a venue, but need the extra funds. It’s not the greatest economy, but we need to call on all supporters of theater to help us at this critical time".

The board is also searching for additional persons to serve as directors, currently consisting of Kann, W. Alan Williams, Richard Swanson, Peter Zammuto and Richard Vidal. Bill L. Beard is also Senior Advisor to the group.

Riverfront Theatre Company is accepting donations as well as pledges to get the much-needed financial support. The group needs approximately $10,000 in donations and an additional $20,000 in donations or pledges by mid-October to resume operations in a timely manner. Tax-deductible contributions are processed through the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, and checks should be made payable to CFNIL. A pledge form (PDF or DOC) is available from their website, www.riverfronttheatre.org. To view the Pledge/Donation Form, click here for the PDF Version (Adobe Acrobat Reader required) OR click here for the DOC Version (MS Word required). Checks and pledges should be mailed to Riverfront Theatre Company, PO Box 63, Rockford, IL 61105.

"We are committed to producing our 2nd season, as well as our 3rd and 4th, for that matter. We just need the financial support of our community" says W. Alan Williams. Adds Kann, "We want to thank all those who have supported us financially so far this year, and we are committed to using those funds as intended. Once the additional donations and pledges are in, we will immediately and enthusiastically return to the business of providing quality theatre in Rockford."