THE HISTORY OF OAK PARK FESTIVAL THEATRE
Now almost 50 years old, Oak Park Festival Theatre is the Midwest’s oldest, professional, outdoor, classical theatre.
For the summer of 1975, actor and Oak Park resident Marion Karczmar “dreamed up” a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to be performed on a flatbed truck (just as Joseph Papp had begun) in a downtown Oak Park cup de sac surrounded by Tudoresque shopfronts and hired young professionals artists (members of Actors Equity Association) such as William H. Macy and David Mamet.

In 1976 the Park District of Oak Park invited the company the use of nearby Austin Gardens located at 167 Forest Avenue, an idyllic oasis in the heart of Oak Park. Performing under a canopy of stately trees and twinkling stars, Oak Park Festival Theatre took its place in the hearts of Oak Parkers. Early Artistic Directors of the company include such Chicago theatre legends as James O’Reilly, David Darlow, Patrick O’Gara and Tom Mula. They attracted the finest area artists for their productions and the theatre flourished for many years. In the early 2000’s, financial woes began to beset the theatre. But the celebrated theatre carried on. Jack Hickey was appointed Artistic Director in 2003, a post he held until 2018. 

By 2010, Festival Theatre was again producing wonderfully popular and successful seasons. A second summer production was added. These were modern classics to compliment the works of Shakespeare and this contemporaries. Indoor productions were added at venues such as Pleasant Home, the Cheney Mansion, and Madison Street Theatre. OPFT offered a four-production season for several seasons. Our expanded season drew ever larger audiences so that by 2015, OPFT attracted over 6,700 patrons. Season after season of critically acclaimed productions as well as bespoke productions as fund-raisers and the loyal support of our board and patrons got the theatre out of debt. In 2016, OPFT hired their very first full-time employee when company member Jhenai Mootz became Managing Director. She was followed by Bryan Wakefield. Now Tom Arvetis is our Managing Director, and his staff is growing each season. 

Two years later company member Barbara Zahora, a celebrated actor/director/scholar, became Artistic Director. Despite a couple of particularly soggy summers, the pandemic, and a devastating fire that destroyed our offices and storage, when Barbara stepped down at the end of 2022, Festival Theatre was flourishing.

Our new Artistic Director, Peter G. Andersen brings a most impressive international resume. For his first production,  Andersen has chosen to present his version of our very first production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Come, delight with us in  this topsy-turvy comedy of love, desire, and transformation as we complete our first half-century of creating  the unmatched magic of theatre.

SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

OUR CHILDREN 

Deeply committed to offering theatre for all ages, Festival Theatre offers productions that are created as multi-generational experiences. Encouraging the love of language at an early age, Festival Theatre offers free tickets to children 12 and under. OPFT also offers an internship and apprenticeship program to allow young aspiring theatre professionals to peer behind the curtain and learn what it takes to put on a full scale professional production as a way to apply their theatre education.

GIVING BACK

Festival Theatre contributes to our vibrant community by creating projects with such local organizations as Prevail, Oak Park Regional Housing Authority, Animal Care League, Oak Park Art League. and the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association.

Beginning in 2014, Festival Theatre and the Park District of Oak Park created our Community Appreciation Night program. The program specifies that the first preview performance of each summer show is dedicated to our community by providing free tickets to anyone who would like to attend that evening’s performance. The gift of free professional theatre to the community allows people without the financial ability to attend normally. The response to this program has show staggering attendance numbers from our community. This program has inspired OPFT leadership to look into opportunities to expand this initiative.

LOCAL ECONOMY

Since its inception, the Festival Theatre has been an integral component of the community. Our summer season in Austin Gardens beats at the heart of downtown Oak Park. With a draw of nearly 7,000 attendees annually, Oak Park Festival Theatre provides a vital draw of potential income for the downtown area. With an abundance of nearby restaurants, shops and tourist attractions for pre and post show activities, performance nights see hundreds of our theatre patrons flocking to our charming downtown to enjoy its offerings.

PARK DISTRICT OF OAK PARK

The mission of the Park District of Oak Park states “In partnership with the community, we enrich lives by providing meaningful experiences through programs, parks and facilities.”

For nearly 50 years, Festival Theatre has been one of those meaningful experiences brought to the community. Each summer we return home to build our stage in Austin Gardens through the generosity of the Park District of Oak Park. Festival Theatre makes a concerted effort to work closely with the dedicated and diligent Park District staff to preserve the beauty of Austin Gardens. We work closely with the Park District to minimize any impact on Austin Gardens, a priceless treasure. Festival Theatre is privileged to be a steward of the park and to work with the Park District of Oak Park to bring arts and cultural programming to the Oak Park community.