Here they come again! Those joyful - and trying - times we call "The Holidays:" the annual celebration of presents and parties, obligatory expressions of peace and good will, accompanied by overstuffing at dinners, not to mention all that STUFF! Yet, as the lyrics of the opening song in Oak Park Festival Theatre's (OPFT) wondrous holiday production Midwinter's Tales poignantly reminds us: "Christmas or Hanukah/Solstice or Kwanzaa/Whatever the name/Behind all the phony sentiment/Something is quite real all the same."
The reality is that despite all the hurt in the world, people really do care about each other. Few events symbolize that caring better than the joyous five-year collaboration between OPFT and the Oak Park-River Forest Area Walk-In Ministry (WIM) that strives especially to extend a helping hand to the thousands of WIM clients in our own community who desperately need it.
Midwinter's Tales, this year's festive offering benefiting both OPFT and WIM, will take the stage Saturday, December 3rd at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 4th at 5:00 p.m. in the stunningly beautiful Unity Temple sanctuary, Lake Street at Kenilworth Avenue, in downtown Oak Park.
"A joyful celebration in story and song, Midwinter's Tales will feature members of this generous and diverse community helping to restore the bodies and spirits of those who feel and often are forgotten, as well as to say thank you to all those who continue to nourish these two vital community organizations," said the production's creator and director Belinda Bremner.
Drawing on such diverse sources as Kenneth Graham's beloved Wind in the Willows and Yiddish folk tales of Hanukah, Bremner has created a funny, touching, and joyous evening that illumines the spirit of giving we feel as we express our diversity of beliefs. A story from famed Chicago journalist Mike Royko makes an appearance, as does the inimitable Mr. Dooley and his Chicago south side Irish pub, a creation of the prolific Finley Peter Dunne, one of Royko's legendary predecessors. The landmark social work of the pioneering Jane Addams is recalled, as is the most irreverent and hilarious rendering of the classic Twelve Days of Christmas ever composed, as any faithful WFMT listener can attest.
In keeping with the evening's theme of welcome and inclusiveness, the cast of Midwinter's Tales features some of OPFT's most recognized actors along with members of the Oak Park-River Forest community, including Oak Park and River Forest High School. OPFT veterans Mary Michell, Barbara Zahora, Christian Gray, Tony Dobrowolski, Kevin Theis, OPFT Artistic Director Jack Hickey, Sara Nichols, and Edwin Wald lend their considerable talents to the festivities. OPFT board member Len Grossman will narrate one of the two Yiddish folk tales that Bremner reset. Joining them will be local children Miranda Theis, Gwendolyn Theis, Racquel Hernandez, Ruben Hernandez, Lena Henry, Leo Henry, Salome Henry, and Trevor William Raymond. Musicians include Bob Vogler on Piano, Bethany Jorgensen, OPRFHS students Ella Gill, Scott Daniel (playing fiddle at the Saturday performance), and Fiona Braslow (playing harp at the Sunday performance), and members of Oak Park Temple's Yiddish music group Mameloshn: including Ben Stark (guitar), Dan Friedman (bass guitar), Michael Bass (voice), Elisa Lapine (voice and drum), and Fran Ellstein (voice, Sunday).
Creator and director Belinda Bremner also was the author and director of Mrs. Coney, the Kennedy Center Prize winning centerpiece of the last four OPFT-WIM benefits. A Jeff award-winning actor who appears as Amanda in OPFT's acclaimed production of The Glass Menagerie through November 13th, her OPFT directing credits include Dancing at Lughnasa, Of Mice and Men, Faith Healer, and this coming summer's production of Richard III.
Mary Michell, Kevin Theis, and Jack Hickey were seen in last season's Faith Healer. Sara Nichols and Miranda Theis were seen last summer in the "Henry" plays in Austin Gardens. Christian Gray also may be seen as Tom in The Glass Menagerie through November 13th. Barbara Zahora and Tony Dobrowolski are veterans of Mrs. Coney.
Holiday Reception follows performance in Unity House
Following the performance, guests are invited to step across the lobby to the welcoming Unity House where sumptuous food and drink await beside the glowing hearth. Hosting the reception will be the dedicated volunteers and generous supporters of the Oak Park-River Forest Area Walk-In Ministry with whom Oak Park Festival Theatre shares the proceeds of the benefit evenings. Enticing gift baskets, filled with theater and sports tickets, dinners from favorite local restaurants, fine wines and more, will be raffled off at the reception each evening.
"Walk-In Ministry is grateful for the continued collaboration with OPFT especially this time of year when everyone should be celebrating with friends and family and yet so many of our neighbors right here in Oak Park are struggling just to provide basic necessities to their children. Many are without joy and hope and perhaps we can help give a little of that back," says Cristy Harris, Executive Director of WIM.
Midwinter's Tales performs December 3 at 7:00 p.m. and 4 at 5:00 p.m. at Unity Temple, Lake St. at Kenilworth Ave. in Oak Park. Advance ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for children under 12. Prices are $5 more at the door. Please see
OakParkFestival.com for more information and to purchase tickets, or call 708-445-4440. This performance is suitable for ages 7 and up. The performance runs approximately 70 minutes without intermission.
Oak Park Festival Theatre-Oak Park's only Equity theatre and the Midwest's oldest professional theatre performing the classics outdoors-is currently celebrating its 38th year of theatrical excellence and has embarked on its second year-round season producing outstanding productions of the plays of William Shakespeare and other classical authors, as well as important contemporary plays by some of the world's greatest playwrights.
The Oak Park-River Forest Area Walk-In Ministry is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of its clients by supporting their efforts to resolve their needs. WIM helps them gain access to services relating to food, housing, transportation, employment, and other resources necessary to restore independent living, self-sufficiency, and stabilization. WIM's goal is to offer its clients access to a range of programs and services to help mitigate the factors that contribute to urgent financial strain and/or homelessness, ultimately resulting in recovery and self-sufficiency. WIM uses solutions-based counseling and community resources to identify issues and develop individualized plans to assist clients in the communities served. More information may be obtained by calling 708-386-1946 or visiting the WIM website at Walk-In-MinistryOPRF.org.
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