🎭 Free Shakespeare in the Park

Help Bring Free Shakespeare to Life This Summer!

Dear Friends:

Every summer, something magical happens as the late afternoon August sun sets. I watch families unfold their lawn chairs, neighbors gather with picnic blankets, and actors take the stage at The Grove at Altenheim in Forest Park. There, with no lights, and no microphones, our company of superb actors bring to life the magnificent poetry of William Shakespeare, entirely for free. Each performance is a testament to how art can bring us together and help us share the best of our humanity. Frankly, I think we need that sharing and that togetherness now more than ever.

Five years ago, I founded Forest Theatre Company, a nonprofit arts organization affiliated with the Arts Alliance Forest Park to bring year-round professional theatre to the communities of Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Berwyn and beyond. As part of that mission, each August our free Shakespeare performances draw hundreds of theatregoers from across the Western Suburbs to picnic, relax, and enjoy the best of professional theatre close to home. But we can’t do it alone.

We need your help to make our 5th annual production—The Two Noble Kinsmen—a reality. Your donation helps us pay actors, design stunning sets and costumes, provide free programming for all ages, and keep this beloved community tradition alive and thriving. Whether it’s $5 or $500, every gift ensures that the arts remain vibrant and open to everyone.

You can provide a general donation on this page or check out our current auction items at https://givebutter.com/c/NxmmyN/auction

Keep Shakespeare free, local, and alive. I look forward to seeing you in August!

Richard Corley

Producing Artistic Director

Free Shakespeare in the Park

Help us continue our tradition of Free Shakespeare in the Park