The award-winning Elgin Area Leadership Academy (EALA) invites the community to attend a thought-provoking free, live performance entitled, “The Crane”, on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at the Elgin Community College Spartan Theatre, Building G, Room G100 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.

The original play, written by playwright and retired Kane County Judge Wiley Edmonson, is a reader’s theatre performance presented by the Elgin Theatre Company (ETC). ETC was founded in 1953 and is now a fully independent non-profit, which produces high-quality plays for the community. ETC's Julie Price is the Director for the docudrama.

“The Crane” production tells the story of 9/11 and a female crane operator, who was active on-site following the tragic event, and the ethical issues associated with her participation.

The EALA “Ethical Leadership Docudrama” is a highlight of the annual year-long experience individuals embark on building an understanding of community leadership through exposure, enrichment, and engagement. Edmondson has been an integral part of EALA as he has penned over a dozen original plays to stir emotions and invoke ethical issues and discussions.

The EALA curriculum is specifically designed to assist individuals in becoming active and engaged leaders in their community. Following the April 24 evening virtual performance of “The Crane”, this year’s EALA class will meet later in the week to discuss the play in detail with a discussion on ethics and ethical decisions.

A program sponsored by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, EALA develops a corps of informed, committed, and qualified individuals capable of providing dynamic leadership for the greater Elgin area. Founded in 1990, more than 600 individuals have graduated from the Academy volunteering in virtually all aspects of the community. Through the volunteer co-coordinators Dan Fox, Ruth Munson, and Anthony Ramos, the curriculum provides broad-based leadership perspectives to familiarize participants with the needs, opportunities, and resources in the Elgin area.

EALA is a 10-month program, meeting on Saturday mornings, featuring distinguished community leaders, content experts, and successful executives in the Elgin area sharing their ideas, perspectives and experiences. Monthly programs provide individuals with the skills, knowledge, connections, and engagement necessary to develop and leverage a strong professional network of future and current Elgin leaders in all industry types.

For more information, contact Carol Gieske, Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, at cgieske@elginchamber.com or call 847-741-5660.