Submitted by the San Juan Lions Club

BJ Brandli, the advisor of the high school LEO Club, presented Island Stage Left’s co-founder Helen Machin-Smith with a $500 check. The student members of the LEO Club have grown up with Island Stage Left’s summertime performances of “Shakespeare Under the Stars” and felt very strongly about giving this gift to the theater.

Island Stage Left is experiencing a shortage of funds and a hardship in finding donated housing for their summer actors. A Shakespeare production requires a minimum of 12 actors to perform and the housing for the actors could not be secured this year. Because of these two unfortunate circumstances, Island Stage, in its 19th year, will abandon their traditional summer performance of Shakespeare and will present a smaller cast performing “Humble Boy” instead.

In accordance with their mission, “to give the experience of great theater to all islanders and visitors, regardless of their income or social status,” admission is free but donations are gratefully accepted.

The LEO Club hopes that this donation will encourage other service clubs and individuals to make donations to Island Stage Left and keep this treasured island tradition alive.

The goal is to bring back “Shakespeare Under the Stars” for Island Stage Left’s 20th anniversary in the summer of 2018.