Summary

Upper Darby SummerStage asked the Haverford board for use of Haverford High School for approximately nine weeks in summer 2026 while its usual site undergoes capital work, outlining schedules, audiences and plans to mitigate community impact.

Representatives from Upper Darby SummerStage presented a potential partnership to use Haverford High School facilities for summer 2026 while their home venue undergoes renovation. Chris Looner, the artistic and managing director, said the proposal would place SummerStage on-site for roughly nine weeks from mid-June to Aug. 14 and host children’s theater, technical theater, main stage, dance, cabaret and related programs.

“Through those meetings, we’ve looked to put together some details that we’ve outlined in a number of different pieces of paperwork,” Chris Looner said. “We discussed a potential partnership that would involve us being on-site at Haverford High School for 9 weeks this summer.”

SummerStage noted its scale—about 1,000 participants and 25,000–30,000 audience members across performances during a typical six-week public run—and told the board 20% of participants currently come from Haverford, which the presenters said supports a local partnership. The group described community benefits (local vendor opportunities, economic activity) and accessibility efforts (sensory-inclusive performances, staff training, investigation of ASL and open captioning options).

Board members asked questions about impacts to Extended School Year programming, athletics scheduling, parking and staffing; district staff said ESY is held at other facilities and facilities and security teams are already in preliminary logistics discussions. SummerStage said it has prepared a parking plan, a neighborhood outreach/goodwill campaign and initial operational calendars designed to return key rooms to district control several weeks before school begins.

Administrators also said any financial arrangement would be structured to cover facilities impact and sustainability rather than generate profit; the board asked staff and SummerStage to continue refining logistics, community outreach and a proposed financial framework before any final agreement.