To say that Forest Park Theatre’s dramatic reading of Jane Eyre on April 11 was lightly attended would be an understatement. The eight performers outnumbered the five audience members. I don’t understand why these performances aren’t attracting larger audiences. It begs the question: do we really want professional theater in Forest Park?
Director Richard Corley is certainly concerned. For a theater to be successful, the community has to claim ownership. He was hoping more villagers would turn out for the dramatic readings of six exceptional plays, all written by women.
The plays were staged at convenient locations like the American Legion Hall. It was certainly affordable, with ticket prices ranging from $5-$20. Perhaps watching professional actors read from scripts is a deal-breaker for some. But I found it compelling. Dispensing with sets and costumes forces audiences to focus on the words, ideas and passions of the play.
The first play I saw was Spay. It was set in a West Virginia town that has been devastated by the opioid epidemic. One of the characters is an addict, with a loser boyfriend/supplier. A well-meaning woman tries to persuade the young mother to get sterilized, so she can’t bring any more children into her sad world.
The next play I attended, Rachel, finds the title character Rachel Loving questioning whether she should bring children into a racist world. For Jane Eyre, the title role was played by Corley’s daughter, Emma Geer, who is an actress in New York. During the play, I was impressed by how dedicated the cast was to the material. They didn’t seem to mind performing in front of a small audience.
However, Corley said, “They would be more fulfilled with a larger audience.” He had hoped the staged readings would be a cost-effective way to introduce the community to the kind of material the theater wants to present.
Corley is more than a director, he is a “pipeline to talent,” using his position as a theater professor at UIC to bring up-and-coming actors to Forest Park. His young actors made last season’s outdoor staging of Measure for Measure a success.
He is grateful for the $10,000 gift from the village but pointed out that the production cost the theater $35,000. Corley doesn’t see how summer Shakespeare is sustainable without support from local businesses.
Some are stepping up. Piacere Mio is again hosting the Forest Park Theatre’s gala, donating all the food and drinks. The gala is this Sunday, April 21, starting at noon and will feature actors doing scenes from Shakespeare to celebrate the Bard’s birthday.
Artistic events like plays can be primary drivers of economic growth. Imagine how a theater could benefit our restaurants? Corley hopes to find a home someday for Forest Park Theatre. He envisions a storefront on Madison with 40 seats. Until then, he will continue to stage dramatic readings. Malapert Love will be the final presentation of the series on May 16 and 19.
Whether we have a professional theater depends on us. There are grants available but these grants are awarded to communities that demonstrate a commitment to live theater. This commitment costs money. Actors must be paid. Posters, programs and banners, sets and costumes are a further expense.
Volunteers are needed to serve on a board directors, who help out as ushers. Corley feels fortunate to have volunteers like John Griffin doing the stage lighting. Griffin is also a videographer who films productions and interviews with the actors.
I want to live in a town that supports professional theater. And I don’t want to attend any more productions where the cast outnumbers the audience.
Really, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Editor’s note, April 17, 2024: This article was updated to reflect a change in the performance date for Malapert Love. It has been rescheduled to May 16 and 19.
