Fall 2011:   Bleacher Bums

     By members of the Organic Theater Company long, long ago, such as Joe Montegna and Dennis Franz

           Dates: September 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25, 2011

                    Directed by Linda Collins

Location: Kimball Street Theater in the Ryder Center of Elgin Academy, Elgin, IL

As the baseball season winds down and playoff season, well maybe, begins, ETC invites you to nine innings of bittersweet comedy with the diehards known as the Bleacher Bums. The exasperation of defeat and the blood-pumping thrill of victory are viewed through the eyes of the most dedicated of fans (save one) watching the beloved Cubbies tackle their arch rivals: the St. Louis Cardinals. An unexpected love story of the highest magnitude, Bleacher Bums reminds us that it’s never too late to have faith, and never too soon to start over.

 "Bleacher Bums is a delightful gem of a play." - New York Times

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Late Fall 2011:   It's a Wonderful Life - Radio Drama

     Dates: November 18, 19, and 20, 2011

                    Directed by Linda Collins

    Location: Kimball Street Theater in the Ryder Center of Elgin Academy, Elgin, IL

It's a Wonderful Life is the story of George Bailey, the unsung, beloved hero of Bedford Falls. As a child, George risked his own life to save his brother from drowning. As he grew older, his countless small deeds mattered very much in the lives of the Bedford Falls townspeople. George prepares to leave town and go to college to fulfill his dream of building skyscrapers. However, when his father, the president of the small Bailey Building and Loan Company, dies, George postpones his dreams, manages the family company, and finds happiness in his marriage to Mary Hatch. When Uncle Billy accidentally misplaces company funds, George faces financial ruin and almost certain imprisonment. Seeing no way out, he runs to the bridge over the river, prepared to plunge to his death. Enter Clarence, George's lovable, bumbling guardian angel, who has come to Bedford Falls to prove to George that his life is worth living and to earn wings for himself. He grants George one wish: to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. Suddenly Bedford Falls is a very unpleasant place: the bustling small town main street is lined with pool halls and saloons; none of his friends or family recognize him, not even his beloved wife, Mary, who, in this world without him, is a prim spinster. Pursued by police, George returns to the bridge and begs to have his life back. Clarence grants it and George runs home to find his children, his wife, and a town that rallies to support him. Finally, George comes to realize…it truly is a wonderful life.

Click here to order your tickets for "It's a Wonderful Life".........

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Winter 2012:   Leaving Iowa         

 By Tim Clue and Spike Manton

 January 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29, 2012

Leaving Iowa is the story of Don Browning, a middle-aged writer, who returns home and decides to finally take his father's ashes to his childhood home, as requested. But when Don discovers Grandma's house is now a grocery store, he begins traveling across Iowa searching for a proper resting place for his father. This father-and-son road trip shifts smoothly from the present to Don's memories of the annual vacations of his childhood. Don's existential journey leads him to reconcile his past and present at the center of the United States. Leaving Iowa is a postcard to anyone who has ever found himself driving alone on a road, revisiting fond memories of his youth.

 "Leaves you with a smile on your face." —The Detroit News