Dear Friend of Oak Park Festival Theatre:
On Tuesday, November 23, 2021, the offices of Oak Park Festival Theatre sustained significant fire, smoke, and water damage as a result of a multi-alarm fire at the 1034 Lake Street building in downtown Oak Park, IL. The offices were on the second floor, directly above Delia’s Kitchen. We are immensely thankful that there were no injuries reported during the fire. However, there is substantial damage to the entire building, including damages to two other local businesses and two residences.
Our losses are considered total: OPFT’s equipment for stage productions such as computers, sound equipment, costumes, props, and lighting in addition to office equipment, technology, and nearly 50 years of OPFT records and artifacts have been destroyed.
At this time, the OPFT staff and board leadership are still determining the impact of this crisis on our organization and 2022 programming, including our summer outdoor production in Austin Gardens.
OPFT employs more than 100 artists and serves more than 5,000 patrons annually. We do so by the support of generous patrons and donors such as you. For more information on supporting our fire recovery, please visit oakparkfestivaltheatre.com. We look forward to overcoming this crisis and rebuilding an even brighter future for all.
For any questions regarding operational or administrative processes, please contact Managing Director Bryan Wakefield at bryan@oakparkfestival.com. For artistic questions or inquiries about our season or programming, please contact Artistic Director Barbara Zahora at barbara@oakparkfestival.com.
