Lake Zurich Theater was Summer Home to Geraldine Page, Harvey Korman

For about 10 years in the mid-century, Lake Zurich had a successful summer playhouse.

Lake Zurich Playhouse was started by Bella Itkin-Konrath  who taught at the Goodman  School of Drama for 47 years and was the director of the Children’s Theater of the Goodman Theater in Chicago

Bella started the summer stock in the early ‘40s and brought together young actors and actresses to perform shows over the summer.

Legendary theater and screen star Geraldine Page and Harvey Korman, well known for the Carol Burnett Show, were among those young actors. 

Page met her husband at summer stock in Lake Zurich and they were married at the Barrington Methodist Church. Page appeared in more than 100 different plays at the Lake Zurich Playhouse following World War II. 

Lake Zurich’s Summer Playhouse was located on Main Street where the Watersedge Apartments stand today. The theater consisted of several cottages put together to form a stage and seated 200 people.

At the time there were only 350 people in Lake Zurich, so people came from all over to see shows in Lake Zurich

The theater disappeared in the early 50s.

A review in the  Waukegan Sunday Post Bulletin said “Those who applauded the players this week traveled by many routes to arrive at the Playhouse on highway 22, just east of th lake in the village of Lake Zurich. They found a quaint little theater whose highest worth is the fine enthusiasm of its young players. “

This information was provided by the Ela Historical Society.

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