Oak Park Festival Theatre, Illinois, United States
4.5 (11 reviews) Spent Ranking #10 in Oak Park Theaters
Mini-Ravinia with a great cast/show
This newly renovated park district (Austin Gardens Park) location (including concessions, indoor restrooms, free bug spray) is very close to downtown Oak Park....a few blocks away. Parking is easy as meters only run Mon-Sat til 6pm, but otherwise are free. Setting is in a park district owned park....some shade. Picnics encouraged including BYO chairs, wine, tables, blankets...etc... Like Ravinia but much smaller setting (about 200 people?). Easy in, easy out. Performance was incredible and price was right. Just 2-3 blocks from Green Line L station.
Address
1010 Lake St, Oak Park, IL 60301-1147
Mobile
Website
http://www.oakparkfestival.com
Current local date and time now
Saturday, May 11, 2024, 14:37
User Ratings
4.5 based on (11 reviews)
Excellent
73%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Reviews
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5LucyMusicGirl 5:00 PM Apr 20, 2015
The Importance of Being Earnest, Oak Park Festival Theatre
I first encountered Oak Park Festival Theatre as a kid of 18, when I was cast in a production of "As You Like It." It was a wonderful production, and a lot of fun to be in. (I was the wench, Audrey). I attended many productions here, first with my Dad, and now with my kids. It is wonderful to be in an outdoor setting. The stage is always built, and framed by the gorgeous trees of the park. The acting is always first-rate. You can bring a picnic basket and have a meal and some wine, and then watch the show. It's magical. The last show I took my kids to was "The Importance of Being Earnest." I explained the plot to my kids, but they were 12 and 9 at the time, and I wondered if they would get all the wit of Oscar Wilde. They really did, and laughed out loud a lot, which was gratifying to the actors. The acting was wonderful as always. I really recommend this outdoor theatre.
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4ChrisH018 5:00 PM Jul 29, 2018
Great Venue/Great Performances
The Oak Park Festival Theatre puts on very well executed and performed plays throughout the year. The summer series, consisting of two plays which included You Can't Take It with You and The African Company Presents Richard III. The acting is as professional as you will see anywhere, and the staging is great. In addition, the summer series is performed outside in Austin Gardens, a very pleasant oasis. You can bring your picnic and wine to the park. The organizers also do a good job keeping the mosquitoes at bay, but, just in case, they provide complimentary bug spray. Street and village garage parking is available. The only reason this is not 5 stars is the organizers do not provide any seating structure. If you plan to sit on a blanket or low chair, get there early or accept that you will have an obstructed view. Patrons with tall chairs are permitted to set up in the front few rows, obstructing views for others who are sitting directly on the ground or who brought low chairs, which are both more courteous options in outdoor venues which are not graded. It would be nice if the organizers established some sort of line in front of which only low or no chairs were permitted and behind which tall seating was permitted. This change would go a long way to improve the experience for all patrons.
