Contact Information

The Rising Stars Theatre Company
P.O. Box 34197
Chicago, IL 60634
(773) 736-2490
info@risingstarstc.org

Board of Directors

  • Judy Sheehan - President
  • Betty Shipan - Treasurer
  • Staci Singer Kelley - Secretary
  • Scott Kelley - Board Member
  • Val Stroud - Board Member
  • Lori Laboy - Board Member
  • Dan Rocha - Board Member

  • Patrick Brenner - President Ex Oficio

History

The Rising Stars Theatre Company was founded by the late Ann Dunn in 1979 as an Explorer post, a co-educational division of the Boy Scouts of America. It encompassed the ages of 14-21 and its special interest was musical theatre. It began as an ensemble of students who had been in Ann's chorus at Portage Park School. The students wanted to continue performing after graduation, hence the formation of the Explorer post.

As the years progressed, the Company branched out to include more and more high school and later college-age students. The major emphasis of the group was performances at hospitals, nursing homes, churches, and civic organizations looking for entertainment. Some of the young people who performed with the Company went on to professional careers in the arts, while others went on to college, marriage, family, etc. Some performers also remained active in the Company after reaching adulthood, serving in advisory capacities as well as performing with the younger members. It was a great blend of actors, singers, and dancers from many age groups, and the younger members learned a lot from the more experienced performers. One year, the Company performed over 50 traveling shows!

In 1987, the Company produced its first full-length musical: My Fair Lady. The cast was a mixture of high school students and young adults. The production was a success and set the direction for the future of the Company. Many other productions followed—Broadway standards, as well as lesser-known shows—all of them successful. See the list of past productions below.

Later, the group officially became The Rising Stars Theatre Company with an all-adult Board of Directors and production staff. It was headed by Ann Dunn until her death on February 2, 2005. Several years ago, the company was invited to take up residence at Martin Luther Church. The Rising Stars Theatre Company gratefully acknowledges Martin Luther Church for its commitment to community theatre in Chicagoland by allowing the use of its theatrical facilities. In fall of 2006, The Rising Stars moved their perormances to the Saint Patrick Performing Arts Centre, 5900 W. Belmont, Chicago. We gratefully acknowledge Chet Kondratowicz, Karl Sullivan and Brother Konrad Diebold, FSC for their support with our new partnership.

Productions

Click here to see photos from recent productions

1987 My Fair Lady 1996 Into the Woods 2003 Mame
1988 Bye Bye Birdie 1997 The Music Man 2003 Guys & Dolls
1989 Godspell 1998 Carousel 2004 Nunsense
1990 Patent Leather Shoes 1998 Hello, Dolly! 2004 Anything Goes
1991 Once Upon a Mattress 1999 Annie Get Your Gun 2005 Beauty and the Beast
1992 Fiddler on the Roof 1999 Annie 2005 The Sound of Music
1993 The King and I 2000 Oklahoma! 2006 Meet Me in St. Louis
1994 Little Shop of Horrors 2000 Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat		 2006 Singin’ in the Rain
1994 Puttin' on the Ritz
Broadway Revue		 2001 Cinderella 2007 The Pajama Game
1995 The Sound of Music 2001 Fiddler on the Roof
1995 Sunset Boulevard
Broadway Revue		 2002 South Pacific
1996 Nunsense 2002 My Fair Lady