For the first time in company history, Oak Park Festival Theatre presents two productions in repertory: William Shakespeare’s HAMLET and Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST.
Though separated by centuries and radically different in tone, both plays explore questions of identity, performance, truth, and societal expectation. Presented on alternating evenings throughout the summer, the productions invite audiences to experience two of the theatrical canon’s most enduring works in conversation with one another.
In HAMLET, Prince Hamlet returns home following his father’s death and his mother’s swift revenge, only to discover a kingdom haunted by betrayal, suspicion, and revenge.
In THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff navigate a web of mistaken identities, secret engagements, and social satire as they attempt to win the affections of two very particular women.
FACT SHEET:
HAMLET
Title: HAMLET
Written By: William Shakespeare
Directed By: Peter G. Andersen
Cast: Brew Bos (Hamlet), Brenna Distassio (Laertes), Olive Gallagher (Ophelia), Pedro Jimenez (Rosencrantz), Gabriel Armstrong (Guildenstern), Patrice Egleston (Polonius), Jodi Gage (Gertrude), Josh Carpenter** (Claudius), Lucas Prizant (Horatio), and Charls Sedgwick Hall** (Ghost/Player/Gravedigger)
Understudy Cast: Lucas Prizant (Hamlet), Avery Dulak (Laertes), Anya Moeske (Ophelia), Ben Crane (Rosencrantz/Guildenstern), Julia Rowley (Polonium/Gertrude), August Foreman (Claudius/Ghost/Player/Gravedigger), Jamille Calixte (Horatio).
Production Team: Patrick Starner (Production Manager), Andy Cahoon (Technical Director), Tessa Huber (Stage Manager), Chrissy Roy (Assistant Stage Manager), Devin Cameron (Lighting Director), Evan Frank (Scenic Designer), Taylor Pfenning (Costume Designer) Duncan Hon (Master Electrician), Trent Jones (Scenic Painter), Sophia De La Torre (Board Mixer), and Jack Short (Box Office Manager).
** Denotes Membership in Actors’ Equity Association
Dates: July 1 – August 15, 2026 (previews July 1, July 3)
Press Opening: Sunday, July 5, 2026
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Select dates only. See website for complete schedule.
Location: Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302
Tickets: General Admission ($40); seniors ($30); students ($15); previews ($20); children under 12 ($5). Group discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Additional booking fees apply.
Box Office: www.oakparkfestival.com
FACT SHEET:
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Title: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Written By: Oscar Wilde
Directed By: Kathryn Walsh
Cast: August Foreman (Algernon), Chad Bay (Jack), Sonia Goldberg (Gwendolyn), Aurora Pennepacker** (Cecily), Drew Bos (Merriman/Lane), Barbara Zahora** (Lady Bracknell), Gabriel Armstrong (Chausible), and Jodi Gage (Miss Prism).
Understudy Cast: Gabriel Armstrong (Algernon), Pedro Jimenez (Jack), Olive Gallagher (Gwendolyn/Cecily), Evan Ozer (Merriman/Lane/Chasible), Belinda Bremner (Lady Bracknell), Julia Rowley (Miss Prism).
Production Team: Patrick Starner (Production Manager), Andy Cahoon (Technical Director), Chrissy Roy (Stage Manager), Tessa Huber (Assistant Stage Manager), Devin Cameron (Lighting Director), Evan Frank (Scenic Designer), Phoebe Boynton (Costume Designer) Duncan Hon (Master Electrician), Sophia De La Torre (Board Mixer), and Jack Short (Box Office Manager).
** Denotes Membership in Actors’ Equity Association
Dates: June 30 – August 14, 2026 (previews June 30, July 2, July 4)
Press Opening: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Select dates only. See website for complete schedule.
Location: Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302
Tickets: General Admission ($40); seniors ($30); students ($15); previews ($20); children under 12 ($5). Group discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Additional booking fees apply.
Box Office: www.oakparkfestival.com
ABOUT OAK PARK FESTIVAL THEATRE
Oak Park Festival Theatre, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is Oak Park’s premiere Equity theatre and the oldest professional outdoor classical theatre in the Midwest. Since 1975, Oak Park Festival Theatre has produced over 100 plays for thousands of theatre-lovers, and are best known for summer outdoor shows performed under a canopy of stars in the idyllic Austin Gardens park. It is the mission of OPFT to perform timeless plays in distinctive spaces and create empowering educational programming, both of which foster dialogue, strengthen relationships, and explore the depth of the human experience. For more information: www.oakparkfestival.com