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The Simsbury Summer Theater for Youth got is start in town back in 1966 when a group of Simsbury High School students got together and decided to put on a production of "L'il Abner." That show was held in the auditorium of the Eno Memorial Hall, which continued to host the theater group's performances until 1968, when they moved to the stage at Simsbury High School.
This year's performance will mark the second year that the group will hold their production at Westminster's Centennial Theater, where they put on a production of "Bye, Bye Birdie" in 2004.
"This is going to be a beautiful show on all levels that people of all ages will be able to enjoy," Kevin Brownell of the Simsbury Summer Theater for Youth said. "Because this is our 40th year in Simsbury, we wanted to make the show a special and memorable one and this production of Cinderella will be. We are all looking forward to welcoming back the former actors, actresses, stage designers, directors and musicians who have helped make this group into what we have today. Everyone is very excited for this year's shows and we are thankful for all the support we have gotten from the kids, their parents and the people of the community."
Preparations for this year's production of Cinderella began at the end of June and since then, Gloria Kirwan-Gick, the director of the Simsbury Summer Theater for Youth, said that everyone in the cast to the crew of the Simsbury Summer Theater for Youth has been working extremely hard to be ready for opening night. Rehearsing for four nights a week for over four hours at a time, the cast and crew of the theater group were able to get every line memorized and all the elaborate sets built in time for opening night, something that Kirwan-Gick said is a testament to how much the kids in the theater group care about their work.
"We have a great play in store for people this year and everyone is very excited to start the show," Kirwan-Gick said. "We have been working on a tight schedule since we started this year, but all of the kids, the parents and our volunteers have worked hard. The kids in this group are very talented and enthusiastic about theater and I am proud of all the work they have done."
The Simsbury Summer Theater for Youth's production of Cinderella will be held Aug. 3, 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6. The Simsbury Summer Theater for Youth 40th anniversary reunion cabaret will be held 2 p.m. that Saturday. For tickets, call 651-0515 or log onto the Simsbury Summer Theater for Youth's Web site at www.sstfy.com.
"All of the kids have worked very hard this year and we have some really great performers in this year's show, so we hope people will come out and enjoy an evening of great theater with us," Kirwan-Gick said.
