First Alum-Written Play to Premiere at UIC Theatre

UIC Theatre alum Aniello Fontano is making history — his original play summertime, an interlude is the first alum-written production to be featured on UIC’s main stage, and UIC Today has the full story.

Set on the hottest day of summer in a tight-knit Chicago neighborhood, the play is part of Fontano’s seven-play series windy’s cycle, or how to carry immense weight. Inspired by his own family’s roots in Little Italy — including the legacy of Fontano’s Subs — the story is, in his words, “a love letter” to the people who build and sustain our communities.

Directed by faculty member Bonnie Metzgar and senior Omar Fernandez, the show features performances by student actors Angel Harris, Ariana Kamla, Santino Leone, and more. Fernandez encouraged the cast to lean into their lived experiences: “These characters are you.”

summertime, an interlude opens Saturday, April 19, and closes out the 24–25 UIC Theatre season. Click the link below to read the full story.