We welcome you to look around our website to learn more about us.

As our name implies, we perform shows in the Summer. We've been doing so since 1966; have a look. You can look up the shows and more importantly, the people who brought them to you: the cast and production crew. Did you participate in one of them, or know someone who did? Feel free to send us any photos or playbills! We are trying to complete our archives. Feel free to email us at info@summerplacetheatre.org if you have something to share. 

After summer, there's one more fun event for the year: Ghost Stories ... In the Park ... In the Dark, a fun and spooky evening for kids of all ages put on in cooperation with the Naperville Park District.

To keep you in the know, we have a News page on our website and a newsletter as well so the news can come to you. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll see our Newsletter Signup. We promise not to bombard you with email and we certainly won't give your email address to anyone else.

It takes a lot of talented people and a lot of work to put on these shows. If you have a knack for acting, singing, painting, building, makeup, costumes, sales, design - we said it takes a lot! - and you have a love for theatre, then we want you in our Community. Get Involved wherever you'd like. We'd love to have you work with us.

It Started With Doc

Dr. Donald "Doc" Shanower, professor emeritus at North Central College, formed this little group in 1966 to keep the drama students acting through the summer. Don was born on December 15, 1921 in Canton, Ohio. He spent three and a half years in the U.S. Army Infantry with the 75th Division in the European Theater, was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, and was awarded a Purple Heart and other service medals. He then returned to Kent State to complete his undergraduate degree and his M.A. Following a four-year stint at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, Don accepted a position in the Speech and Theater Department at North Central College in 1955. While an assistant professor there, he earned his PhD from the University of Michigan in 1959 and was known to students as "Doc" for the remainder of his 31 years at NCC. After treading the boards in college, in the leading roles in "Othello”  and “Macbeth", he found his true calling as a director of both classical and contemporary plays and musicals. He introduced students to plays from Aristophanes to Miller and beyond. Away from the stage, he taught Public Speaking, Acting, and History of the Theater. At the beckoning of NCC students and with college and community support, "Doc" founded the Summer Place in 1966.  He was awarded the Clarence F. Dissinger Memorial Award for distinguished teaching and extraordinary service to North Central in 1981. It wasn't that long ago when we played at North Central College outside under a tin roof. But we've come a long way and we're determined to keep the tradition alive. Over numerous years, the group took on a life of its own, but Doc continued to be there, coming to most of our shows. Doc passed away in September 2015 just before he could celebrate our Golden Anniversary with us. We miss you, Doc and thank you for giving us our start!