The Heartland Festival at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will be taking a break this summer because of planned renovations to the Center for the Arts lobby. The renovations are scheduled to begin on July 1.
David Schuler, co-artistic director of the festival, explains "that because public access to the CFA will be restricted during the renovations, it is impossible to produce the festival this year to the level that the tri-state community has come to expect; however, the renovations are both necessary and exciting."
Added co-artistic director, Ann Farrelly, "After a successful eleventh season, it is disappointing to have to put the festival on hold, but the festival will be back."
While the Heartland Festival is on hiatus this summer, the popular Missoula Children's Theatre will return. "We feel strongly that we need to make time in the shortened summer schedule for MCT," said Schuler. "It is an important part of this community's summer activities.
"The MCT show this year will be ‘Cinderella,' which is very exciting," said Farrelly. "The schedule only allows for us to do one MCT residency, and the session will be much earlier than usual. However, we are confident that the program will be just as successful as in years past."
According to Schuler, "Cinderella" will take place from June 11-16, with shows on Friday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 16 at 11 a.m. in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Registration for MCT will begin on Monday, March 26. "We will be sending out more information in our traditional letter to parents very soon."
"It is hard to think of a summer in Platteville without the Heartland Festival, but it is important to keep the arts alive during the summer months," said Farrelly.
Added Schuler, "We hope the continuation of MCT will help fill the void, and we look forward to the twelfth season of the Heartland Festival in 2013."