John Philip Sousa marching band music greeted me a block away from the play, “Talley’s Folly” on this, the first day of sensuous summer. Horns sounded and drums rolled from the Lakeside Pride Marching Band. They’re heralding the first production of the 2007 summer season for the Oak Pak Park Festival Theatre, a small, local, professional, equity theatre company. Today’s production, set in the lush Austin Gardens in the 100 block of Forest Avenue, had a loyal following of attendees trucking past Austin Gardens’ iron gates, and past “Rickshaw Rick’s Custom Cabs” green canvas-topped bikes parked outside that might have reminded them of transportation in Thailand.
Moveable Gourmet catered picnic-style food where local chefs Carol Buckantz and Erik Ruminski showcased their famous pasta salad, fried chicken, chocolate chip cookies and watermelon. What a great summer supper!
Since Wednesday Journal theatre critic Doug Deuchler already reviewed this lovely play centering on delightful dialogue between a husband and wife in 1944 Lebanon, Mo., I opted to do a color commentary of the event.
The Oak Park Festival Theatre is supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, the Oak Park Area Arts Council in partnership with the Village of Oak Park, the Park District of Oak Park, Austin Trust, the Community Foundation of Oak Park and River Forest, and the Oak Park Area Visitors and Convention Bureau.
Our local community has always been supportive of the Oak Park Festival Theatre, myself included, having twice been recruited to join their advisory board, but only to twice turn down the warm invitation due to too many prior commitments to give it my all. Festival Theatre executive director Joyce Porter continued to keep me informed. For example, when I asked her to comment on their new season, she said: “We have two very different plays-one a modern intimate romance, the other a large-scale swashbuckler with a Shakespearean feel to it. There are two things they do have in common. They are both set and performed at their best outside, though rarely if ever done there. They have high-quality writing. ‘Talley’s Folly’ won the Pulitzer Prize. ‘Robin Hood’ (which previews July 18, 19 and 20) was highly praised at its initial indoor production. It features amazing writing by author Scott Lynch-Giddings. It’s written entirely in verse. Both feature award-winning directors and actors.
“We really raised our profile in the theatre-going community this year by having David Girolmo, Steve Pickering and Michael Webber working here. Additionally, we also have a guest show on four Wednesdays beginning July 25 with guest artist Megan Well’s ‘Firebird,’ which is directed by our own advisory board member Jessie Affelder.
“Folks can call us at 708-445-4440 for more information. In sum, few people know that we’re the oldest professional outdoor theatre in the Midwest.”