A northern Illinois theater company has cancelled the rest of its season to prepare for a big change.
Dixon Stage Left is moving to a new location. It was founded in Dixon by Tim Boles a decade ago. Boles recently retired. Scott Fattizzi is the acting executive director of the blackbox theater. He said the establishment has been looking for a new downtown space over the past couple of years.
“Because we had our performance base. And then we had a separate box office in a separate location,” he added, “we had a rehearsal space and a third location. And then we had storage and a fourth location. This transition now lets us bring all of those items that the theater utilizes under one roof.”
Fattizzi said the current space is about 6,700 square feet in area. The new location at 105 S. Peoria Ave. is about 9,500 square feet.
He says shows for the new season was set before the plan to move was put into place.
“So, a little sneak preview as to what the first two shows will be, when we can get to them is Steel Magnolias, which we've wanted to do for quite some time,” he shared. And then a wonderful musical comedy called Nuncrackers, which is the ‘Nunsense Christmas.’”
He said since the new place is bigger, the theater’s outreach will grow as well. He predicted that the audience will double in size over the next few years.
Fattizzi said they are looking for folks who are interested in becoming members of Dixon Stage Left. These donations would help update the theater’s new home.
The public can keep up with the changes by subscribing to the theater’s newsletter. Fattizzi said the publication and social media will show pictures as the new facility transforms. The anticipated date of reopening is late this year or early next year.
