Vaughan returns to Cd'A Summer Theatre

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue — there’s a new marriage of concepts at Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre — a community institute poised to return to its roots in the 2019 season with the leadership of a new, old guard.

“We are so excited to announce not only our new (old) leadership team, but also a return to some of the most basic elements that have made Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre a local favorite for over five decades,“ said Tracey Vaughan, executive director, in a news release.

Vaughan served in this role for two seasons in recent years, and after a brief hiatus, she is back to launch a new vision for the theater along with new artistic director Stu Cabe.

Cabe is not new to the theater either. He is the one individual who has been involved with the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre longer than any other, and has worked since 1986 under all five previous artistic directors in CST’s 51-year history.

“I started with CST on the eve of my 20th birthday. Since then, I have done just about everything there is to do in theater: acting, singing, dancing, set building, company manager, board member — you name it,” Cabe said.

“We have housed actors, brought food for long rehearsals, and even did grocery runs for performers without cars. Yeah, like Johnny Cash said, I’ve been everywhere, man.”

Cabe also met his wife at CST in 1994 while doing the show “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”

What Vaughan and Cabe are most excited about is a return to the theater’s original mission.

“Our return to our roots means looking at professional mentorships for local aspiring actors and theatre artists,” Cabe said. “Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre has always been a training ground for up-and-coming actors, and dozens have gone on to fantastic careers that include Broadway, movies and TV.”

One of the old slogans used to recruit actors to CST in the ’60s and ’70s was “The place to go before going pro,” Vaughan said.

“Now, of course, we have many professionals who work with us both on stage and off, and we thought this was a perfect fit to encourage young talent in the area to learn and grow as artists from direct mentorship. We are a company of both professionals and proteges. Stu and I are both educators, so the teaching aspect fits naturally into our vision for the theater.”

Vaughan replaces Kerri Thoreson, who served as CST’s executive director until last fall. Cabe is stepping into the position Jadd Davis previously held.

As an educator, Vaughan holds an Master of Fine Arts in Theatre and has taught at North Idaho College, University of Idaho, Gonzaga University, and currently at Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy. Vaughan has no plans to leave the local charter school.

“Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre has a piece of my heart, but Charter is my home,” Vaughan said. “Luckily, my work with Summer Theatre can be mostly seasonal, and I can use my background in education in our efforts.” Vaughan also owns local company Coeur d’Alene Murder Mystery Theatre.

Cabe holds a master’s degree in teaching. He was a high school drama teacher, and now he travels the country speaking to students on the topic of anti-bullying.

In 2017, Cabe was named one of the top seven youth speakers in the country. He speaks to about 120,000 students per year and has reached nearly 1.2 million students in his career.

The theater will continue to produce high quality productions with a “Broadway in Your Backyard” slogan. The 2019 season opens with the beloved Disney show, “Beauty and the Beast” which will run from June 13 to 30, followed by classic “Oklahoma” from July 11 to 28. The season will be capped off with “Smokey Joe’s Café” from Aug. 8 to 25.

“From an artistic director standpoint, our three-show season is also adding the old with the new,” said Cabe. “‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a new classic, ‘Oklahoma’ is an old classic being done in a new and exciting way, while ‘Smokey Joe’s Cafe’ is the perfect blend of new and old. We can’t wait for people to see this season.”

Vaughan said the company is bringing more to the community than its main summer shows. There will be staged readings, cabaret concerts, fun community events and more, throughout the year, Vaughan said.

“Look for announcements often about what we have to offer the community,” she said.

Tickets are available online at www.cdasummertheatre.com, via phone at 208-660-2958, and in person at 4951 Building Center Drive #105 in Coeur d’Alene. Performances are at the Coeur d’Alene Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Road, Coeur d’Alene.