As a longtime volunteer for community theater in Spokane, Kimberly Roberts can usually be found backstage as a lighting designer, but she's been known to direct entire shows, and take on a few performance roles as well. While Ignite! Community Theatre is currently on hiatus as it looks for a new home base, the Civic has several summer season offerings. (E.J. IANNELLI)
What's your favorite summertime activity?
Outdoor entertainment, both theatrical and musical. Shakespeare in the amphitheater at the MAC or music at Manito are two great examples.
What place do you always go to every summer?
At least once or twice, we go to Lake Coeur d'Alene and spend the day swimming, picnicking and hanging around the park. We've traditionally ended the day with a performance at Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre or by making a visit to Art on the Green at North Idaho College.
Is there an underrated spot for experiencing summer entertainment?
I like to listen to the musicians at the Park Bench, the little café in Manito Park near the entrance to Duncan Garden. In the summer, they perform there on Friday nights. It's all different kinds of bands and musicians from different genres. One of the groups I've enjoyed seeing there is Donnie and Nancy Emerson's band. They're having a kind of renaissance with that new biopic, Dreamin' Wild, coming out nationally.
Do you feel like there's more variety in regional live theater than there used to be during the summer?
Absolutely. There are so many new groups on the scene these days. There's Spokane Ensemble Theatre, Spokane Shakespeare Society, Bright Comet Theatre and the Upstart Players. And you've got Spokane Playwrights Laboratory doing summer readings as well as venues like Stage Left and Spokane Civic Theatre doing summer shows, including more Civic Academy productions. I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch, but the fact that I can't name them all off the top of my head just shows how much choice we have these days. ♦
