LAKE FOREST — Programming at Gorton Community Center is going urban.
Expanding its roster over the past nine months, Gorton offers a variety of entertainment often found in Chicago — including movies, concerts, storytelling programs and classes for all ages on an ongoing basis in Lake Forest.
“We’re bringing a city experience to our town,” said Executive Director Amy Wagliardo. “People don’t have to go all the way to the city for things they would do there. They can experience it here.”
Since Wagliardo took over Gorton in April, she has intensified the programming with the help of Catherine Yehle, the program director, and Melinda Lister, the director of marketing. Wagliardo said the idea is to offer activities with an artistic bent. Some draw in other elements of the community.
The admin team at Lake Forest’s Gorton Community Center, from left: Director of Marketing Melinda Lister, Executive Director Amy Wagliardo and Program Director Catherine Yehle.
Wagliardo said the stepped-up programming is an evolution of Gorton’s mission since a massive renovation was undertaken. The center ran out of money in 2010 and closed temporarily. More than $7 million was raised by the community to reopen Gorton and renovate it.
With the fundraising complete, programs starting to blossom, such as the Gene Siskel Film Center Series in October 2015. When Wagliardo took over in April, she said her charge was to add more.
“I have an arts background and programming background,” said Wagliardo. “Before (former Executive Director) Brenda Dick retired she did the fundraising. Now I can focus on the programming.”
The Siskel series offers a movie in the John and Nancy Hughes Theater the first Thursday of each month. In October it presented an opportunity to create a partnership with the Lake Forest Book Store and the Deer Path Inn, according to Lister. It happened with the screening of Old Fashioned: The Story of the Wisconsin Supper Club.
“People could go to the book store to buy the Wisconsin Supper Club Cook Book,” said Lister. “Then they could go to the Deer Path Inn for appetizers and drinks. They featured an Old Fashion for $5. Then they came here for the movie.”
Gorton will feature a double header at 8 p.m. February 25 with a concert in the Hughes Theater and a more intimate evening of storytelling in the Nagel Room. Lake Forest resident Kathy Sparrenberger will sing tunes of divas like Dionne Warwick, Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, Karen Carpenter and more in their style.
At the same time six people will be tell personal stories in the Nagle Room like they do at similar events in Chicago, according to Wagliardo. The show is dubbed “Truth Be Told.”
“There will be six story tellers in an intimate cabaret setting with tables,” said Wagliardo. “They will all be telling personal stories.”
Another movie event Jan. 28 was a road show. Wagliardo said the Telluride Film Festival brought two hours of short movies ranging from four to 18 minutes in length. She said next year it might be expanded to two nights with one evening devoted to short films and the other to a feature-length production.
“We felt the short films offered more,” said Wagliardo. “How else can you show a hellacious downhill ski movie and a sketch of a man and his dog?”
Gorton’s programming is not all about movies, concerts and storytelling. There are acting classes for children of all ages, according to Yehle. She said they also offer a class in mindful stress reduction. There are more practical offerings too.
“We have yoga for teens,” said Yehle. “We have SAT review, sewing, robotics and coding.”
“We’re also thinking about wine education, beer and spirits too,” added Wagliardo.
Yehle said the Siskel center is not the only film opportunity. Facets Multimedia will come up from Chicago this summer to offer a filmmaking camp for youngsters ranging from 8 to 14.
“They work intensely from 9 to 5 for five days,” said Yehle. “They learn how to make and produce films.”
Click here for a complete schedule of programs at Gorton.
Gorton Community Center
Gorton Community Center’s Gene Siskel Film Center Series in Lake Forest. Photo courtesy of Dale Jessen.