Oak Park Festival Theatre Receives $90K Grant from Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

The Oak Park Festival Theatre has revealed a $90,000 grant from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation in support of its 50th Anniversary season and ongoing $1 million campaign to further secure the future of the company. The generous gift will be distributed over two years – $60,000 in 2025 and $30,000 in 2026 – and provides vital momentum for the theatre’s plans to expand access, invest in sustainability, and strengthen artistic programming. 

“As Oak Park Festival Theatre celebrates five decades of producing exceptional work in Austin Gardens, this investment from the Angell Foundation helps ensure we’ll be here for the next fifty,” said Peter Andersen, Artistic Director. “At a time when arts funding is shrinking nationwide, the Angell Foundation’s generosity is a lifeline–and a launching pad.”

The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation’s mission is to work towards a world of thriving and equitable communities in which the promise and power of the arts flourish, and where healthy oceans sustainably support the human and other animal species that depend on them. Their support is a major milestone for Oak Park Festival Theatre’s campaign to raise $1 million, which will fund environmentally conscious infrastructure, educational programs, and long-term organizational sustainability. 

The Angell Foundation grant follows a record-breaking gift from the Park District of Oak Park earlier this year and reflects the theatre’s growing network of supporters, who are committed to making classical theatre accessible, inclusive, and resilient for the next generation. 

Chicago Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. HAIRSPRAY (Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park)

6.9% of votes

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6.9% of votes

3. DREAMGIRLS (The Drama Group)

6.6% of votes

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