Theatre News Wire

 After the company's first summer away from Austin Gardens park in 46 years in 2020, Oak Park Festival Theatre returns to its outdoor home, located in downtown Oak Park, with "The Tempest," by William Shakespeare, directed by Barbara Zahora. The production will be staged July 15-Aug. 21.

"Our company was built on a foundation of Shakespeare and classic plays, and as the world continues to move toward healing from the events of the last year, we're happy to bring a story about forgiveness and healing back to our park with 'The Tempest,'" said Oak Park Festival Theatre artistic director Barbara Zahora. "We're also consciously working to expand our vision to one in which everyone is represented and celebrated on our stages, and we're excited to be celebrating the work of contemporary BIPOC playwrights in our virtual offerings, 'Nat Turner in Jerusalem' and 'The Venetians.'"

"As we return to in-person performances, the health and safety of our audience and artists are paramount," says Oak Park Festival Theatre managing director Bryan Wakefield. "We have been preparing COVID-19 protocols for the last year to make sure everyone from audience members to actors to crew members feel safe. We are fortunate that our park is large enough to ensure that each grouping of audience members can easily be seated in a space where they are socially distanced from other patrons. We also have contactless check-in and concessions, and readily accessible sanitization stations. We look forward to working with the Oak Park Department of Public Health and the Actors' Equity Association to ensure the smoothest and safest experience possible."