Oak Park Community Theatre debuts first show with Peter Pan in the park 

Blankets, lawn chairs and a chorus of laughter filled a quiet corner of Carroll Park with the opening weekend of Peter Pan, the first-ever show put on by Oak Park Community Theatre.  

Sean Kelly, an Oak Park resident and life-long thespian, began the creation of Oak Park Community Theatre about a year ago when he realized there was a gap in affordable and accessible performing arts options.  

“I want it to be as inclusive as possible,” said Kelly. “That means to me a space where people of all ages and people of all neurotypes are gathered together to put their hands on a shared piece of art.” 

With the help of local organizations, businesses and community members getting involved with the production of the show, his vision became a reality. The group rehearsed throughout the summer, going between venues such as Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Oak Park Arms Senior Living Community.  

“It really doesn’t take a whole lot if we all give a little bit of what we already have, be that material or space or time or a little bit of money,” said Kelly.  

Kelly not only created the group and directed the show but also wrote the adaptation of Peter Pan they performed. He said he felt other versions of the show were a bit unfair, painting an incomplete picture of what it means to be a child and adult. With this version he wanted to show “how what we really need is each other because each of us is missing something that the other one has.” 

The mixed-generational cast helped hammer home this sentiment as people spanning decades and all acting levels performed alongside one another.  

“I think just like getting to work with kids has been a really interesting experience, because I just love the way kids see things, and their perspective on the world,” said Lindsay Chyna, who plays Wendy and is studying theatre at Roosevelt University. “That’s something that I would just love to bring into future shows, just that kind of excitement and wonderment of the magic of theater.” 

For Jessica Woodburn, it offered an opportunity to step on stage again, this time with her son. Woodburn stopped acting in 2020 when he was born and had been looking for something to do together because she could tell he has the “performance bug.” When they saw a poster for auditions, she knew it was the perfect fit. They even get to act in the same scenes as she plays Captain Hook and he plays the tail of the crocodile.  

“It just absolutely puts the community in community theater,” said Woodburn. “The world can be really rough outside, and when you’re able to join together and create something and see everybody else’s perspective on a story and sharing what a story means to you, it’s really helpful to understand that you’re not alone.” 

The opening weekend was a success drawing a full crowd and complete with an ice cream truck open during intermission. The audience is encouraged to interact with the show as they sit around the marked “stage” in the grass. The show is free to attend and there is one more weekend of shows on Aug. 15 and 16.  

“I’m hopeful that in years to come, we’ll just continue to build a community of artists around this project who want to do that kind of thing, add a little of themselves, so that once everybody puts a little of themselves into it, it all adds up to this incredible spectacle,” said Kelly.