Lawrence University, which served as the home of Attic Theatre for 44 of the community theatre group’s 55-year history, will reprise that role again beginning this summer.
Lawrence and Attic officials have announced an agreement that will bring Attic productions back to Lawrence’s Music-Drama Center, where they staged plays from 1959 until 2003. Attic formed a partnership with the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in 2004 to perform shows at that facility’s Kimberly-Clark Theater.
“Lawrence and Attic Theatre share a common and mutually reinforcing history and we are thrilled to welcome Attic back to their home on our campus,” said Greg Volk, Lawrence executive vice president. “Both organizations remain committed to enhancing the cultural life of the community and we believe that our partnership should be sustained and extended.”
The “new” Attic Theatre will resume performances with a limited schedule this summer. They will stage two shows in Lawrence’s Cloak Theatre the weeks of Aug. 2-12 and Aug. 17-30. The titles of the two productions are expected to be announced this Sunday afternoon at a volunteer event at Cloak Theatre.
“We’re delighted to be coming back,” said Judy Winzenz, newly-elected president of Attic’s board of directors. “Lawrence and Attic have simply grown up together. That’s where we belong.
“The board of directors and I have been thrilled with the enthusiastic reception we have received from Lawrence about our reestablishment of Attic on Lawrence’s campus. We’re happy we were able to work out an agreement and we look forward to reestablishing ourselves at Lawrence for a very long time.”
After spending the 2004 season at the PAC, Attic Theatre approached Lawrence officials about returning to campus but ultimately opted to stage its 2005 season at the Monkeywrench Theatre inside the YouthFutures Valley Fair on Appleton’s south side.
Last August, Attic announced plans to construct its own performing space inside the Edison Center in Appleton’s industrial flats, but a $1.5 million fund-raising effort for that project failed to generate sufficient interest. In December, Attic’s board of directors voted to dissolve the organization, effective Dec. 31, 2005.
Winzenz was among a group of supporters who were against Attic permanently closing its doors. The former board was persuaded to rescind its decision to disband and in January, a new 14-member board was elected, with Winzenz as its president. Discussions with Lawrence officials about returning to campus began at that time.
According to Winzenz, the restructured Attic Theatre, whose board has since grown to 20 members, will be virtually an all-volunteer organization with no full-time paid staff members.
“We will work hard to rebuild our audience and our base of contributors. I’ve been delighted with the response of the community at this point.”
Attic Theatre was founded in 1950 by Zoe Cloak, wife of Ted Cloak, founder of the Lawrence theatre department and professor at the college from 1929-69. The group drew its name from the fact it held its first acting classes in the attic of Cloak’s home on Union Street.
When Lawrence opened its Music-Drama Center in 1959, Attic Theatre began using its 500-seat proscenium and smaller “black box” theatres for productions even before Lawrence students staged shows in the building. Over the years, Attic Theatre enjoyed a strong reputation amd established itself a the area’s premier community theatre troupe. By the late 1990s, attendance at Attic Theatre productions had reached 20,000 a season.
