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Summer Circle brings theater to East Lansing families

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Free, accessible theater returned to East Lansing June 15 as the Summer Circle Theatre began the season with a production of “Schoolhouse Rock Live!”

Summer Circle Theatre is turning toward a more family-friendly direction, said Katherine Clemons, the director of the show. “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” was the perfect choice to “chauffeur in the new era of family-friendly theater.”

Even though it is a university-run program, Summer Circle Theatre is a fixture in the East Lansing community. 

“SCT is a staple in the East Lansing Community,” Clemons said. “We have members who have been coming for 40+ years, never missing a show. It’s a place for the community to gather together and partake in the arts for free together.”

The outdoor courtyard was already half filled an hour before showtime. There’s a tradition in the program that awards a pair of season passes for the upcoming Michigan State University theater season to the first arrivals who remain seated until the show begins, Clemons said.

Arts & Entertainment

Michigan State Theatre Department returns to in-person learning

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The Theatre Department at Michigan State has allowed classes to return to in-person learning with COVID-19 safety measures in place. Theatre isn’t the only department to bring students back into classrooms, but with acting, singing and dance classes, it makes sense that it would be one of the first departments to do this. Normally, drama and singing classes would take place in the MSU Auditorium, but the Wharton Center for Performing Arts is allowing students to do their theatrics in its various theaters and spaces this semester. While the Wharton isn’t the typical classroom for the students, they were excited to be able to practice on stages that professional actors normally use. Students with in-person classes are required to participate in the Michigan State “COVID-19 Early Detection Program” and fill out a health screening prior to vising campus.