Happenings Magazine Previews the 2025 Summer Season

Happenings Magazine

Published May 20, 2025

Players Circle Theater’s summer season kicks off in May with Vanities: The Musical (May 20 – June 8) by Jack Heifner, with lyrics & music by David Kirshenbaum. This comic musical journey follows 3 bubbly Texas teens from cheerleaders to sorority sisters to housewives, liberated women, and beyond. A true coming-of-age story, this hidden gem takes audiences through the 60s and 70s in a musical scrapbook of friends caught up in times that are a-changing.

Next, Players Circle’s educational wing, Players Circle Studio, will hold a camp for young performers. Aspiring actors ages 8-14 are invited to step into the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss. This exciting three-week theater camp (Seussical Jr.) runs from June 4 – 20. Registrations are available online.

From July 1 – 31, Southwest Florida’s most intimate theater invites audiences to marvel as three wacky men perform all of Shakespeare’s 37 plays in just 97 minutes in the irreverent and irresistible comedy, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield. If you like the Bard, you’ll love it. If you hate Shakespeare, you’ll really love it.

Starring our area’s most talented, duck-tailed, and bobby-soxed young adults (ranging from 15 – 22 years old), Players Circle Studio presents Grease (Aug. 1 – Aug. 10) with music, lyrics and book by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Get ready for a blast from the past and enjoy “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightning” and “We Go Together.”

Wrapping up the summer is Tony Award winner The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Aug. 19 – Sept. 7) with music & lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin, Conceived by Rebecca Feldman. This riotous Broadway musical follows an eclectic group of awkward teens as they vie for the spelling championship. Six spellers enter: Only one speller leaves champion.

In addition to full-scale productions, Players Circle plans to add stand-up comedy, live music, and a variety of eclectic theatrical entertainment to their summer programming.

Throughout the summer, Players Circle will welcome back to the stage several Southwest Florida favorites, including AJ Mendini, Kimberly Suskind, Rachael Lord, Lexi Rae Smith, Natalie Brouwer, Steven Kennedy, Elizabeth D’Aiuto and more. Associate artistic director Ted Wioncek III is slated to direct each of the main stage productions. Director of education Kimberly Suskind will direct Grease.

For tickets and more information, visit PlayersCircleTheater.com or call 239-800-3292. Players Circle Theatre is located at 13211 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers.

Players Circle Theater is located at 13211 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers. For more information, call 239-800-3292.