Last week, officials with CAST, the performing arts program at Julian, announced that the program’s CASTSummer Arts Institute has been canceled this year, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a result of the clear guidance provided by IDPH and Governor Pritzker’s 5-stage ‘Restore Illinois’ plan, District 97 has created safe conditions for summer programming that will likely start too late and be far too restrictive of the kind of CAST experience to which we have become accustomed,” according to a joint letter written by Bill McGlynn, CAST’s program director; Kathy Simon, program manager; and LeKeya Shearill, the Summer Arts Institute director.
They explained that D97’s business office plans to refund all tuition payments by the end of May. Families should contact ksimon@op97.org if they have not heard from CAST officials by then.
“The only other time in the last 30 years that CAST did not have a summer camp was related to the construction of a brand-new theater,” CAST officials said. “While we can’t promise that this time, we are certain CAST will be back with a refined sense of purpose. Whether you are on stage or in the audience, we hope to see you there!”
