In Arlington Heights there is a group that has been getting together for the last 4 years before each of Metropolis’ subscription shows and they call themselves the Play Group. The current group has been together for about 4 years but Sheila Cruz has been doing something similar for just about 10 years. This group of 11 women gets together for the Thursday night preview performance of each subscription show. What they have created is a genius bit of creativity. They have guaranteed themselves a way to get together at least 4 times a year, coming together to enjoy a themed dinner based on the show that they will see that night.

I had the fortune of joining them for dinner before There’s A Girl In My Soup. What is the theme you ask? Well soup of course; three different types to choose from in a bread bowl with biscuits cut out to look like little gingerbread girls, so you could in fact put a girl in your soup. Everyone brings something to share and they take turns hosting the festivities. As for the outfits, the ladies made the connection that soup is comforting which made them think of family. They remembered growing up and having aprons around and though they have mostly fallen out of use aprons still hold memories of a different time growing up. So they decided to wear aprons for this party. Sitting at each place setting was a “History of Aprons,” recalling the many uses that aprons have from carrying eggs in from the chicken coup to wiping away children’s tears.

Some past shows have prompted creative themes as well. For 10 Ways to Kill Your Husband the ladies had Bloody Marys, cold cuts, and killians. For Side Man, they tried their hand at Cajun food. Sometimes they even let their husbands in on the fun – this year for Holidays in the Heights, they did their own improv games before the performance, acting out the words to Christmas songs.

Sheila’s love for theatre began because of her grandmother who was a model for years (she brought out gorgeous pictures for us all to see). Her step-grandfather was a Play House general manager and the two of them travelled around touring with shows. Sheila remembers seeing Bubbling Brown Sugar and Disney on Parade and going to the Artist Café after performances, watching the actors come in, still wearing make-up from the show.

These 11 women have all been brought into the group through different connections to another member. Most have grown up in Arlington Heights, some have been friends for years and some have just met. But having dinner with them, you would think that they have all been friends their entire lives. The conversation flows non-stop and the women have to set an oven timer so they remember to leave for Metropolis in time, jumping into their cars, and usually making it to the show just as the curtain goes up. In a time that everyone is so busy and finding time to get together with friends is so difficult, what a great way to guarantee that at least four times a year you will all get together and catch up with your friends. I can’t wait to see what they have planned for our next show Accomplice, perhaps a murder mystery party of their own.

-Liz Lach, Marketing Associate