I’ve had the pleasure of covering Oak Park Festival Theatre’s outdoor Shakespeare productions each summer since 2023, which happens to be the same year that Peter G. Andersen took over as artistic director. His lovely versions of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Romeo and Juliet” have stayed with me, not least because they introduced me to several actors whose work I’ve continued to enjoy across the Chicago theater scene. As a director, Andersen combines attentiveness to language with a modern sensibility and a gender-inclusive and queer-inclusive approach to casting that shines new light on classics.
This year, Andersen leads the company through its most ambitious season yet, producing two shows in rotating repertory for the first time in its 51-year history. He directs another Shakespeare play, the tragedy “Hamlet,” while guest director Kathryn Walsh takes the helm for Oscar Wilde’s comedy, “The Importance of Being Earnest.” The productions are performed on alternating nights, with several cast members appearing in both shows as principal actors or understudies. Happily, this endeavor pays off in the form of two delightful evenings in the leafy oasis of Austin Gardens.
Andersen’s “Hamlet” makes a memorable addition to his Oak Park oeuvre. Drew Bos, last seen at OPFT as Romeo’s buddy Benvolio in 2024, stars as the Danish prince whose visions of his late father (Charls Sedgwick Hall) prompt an anguished internal reckoning over his bitter desire for revenge and suicidal thoughts. Unlike more overtly depressive takes on this role, Bos’ Hamlet is impetuous and sardonic, often bounding up three stairs in a single step and unspooling his words, words, words as if his mouth can’t keep up with his restless mind.
Hamlet’s frenetic energy, particularly when in the company of others, belies the melancholy that he reveals to the audience in solitary moments. When Bos exhales the line, “Now I am alone,” before launching into the “rogue and peasant slave” soliloquy, his sense of relief is palpable as he finally drops the mask. His Hamlet also shows a softer side in his interactions with Ophelia (Olive Gallagher), seeming to feel genuine regret when he condemns her to a nunnery, though this mood still shifts on a dime.
Solid performances from the supporting cast include Lucas Prizant as Hamlet’s loyal friend, Horatio, and Brenna DiStasio as Laertes, his opponent in the finale’s fateful duel. Both Laertes and Polonius are gender-swapped in this production, with Patrice Egleston playing the verbose mother of two daughters instead of a son and a daughter — a change that subtly shifts the dynamics in this family of women. On the villainous end of the spectrum, I’d like to see a bit more menace in Josh Carpenter’s slick take on King Claudius. There’s also room to more deeply explore Queen Gertrude (Jodi Gage)’s role in the palace intrigue and her troubled relationship with her son.
Evan Frank’s scenic design, a classically inspired look that was clearly built on a budget, doubles for both productions. In “Hamlet,” billowing gauze curtains add atmosphere at key moments — aided by a timely breeze during one of the ghostly scenes on opening night — but the upstage area sometimes looks distractingly busy. Among Taylor Pfenning’s contemporary costumes, Hamlet’s all-black ensembles and Ophelia’s soft whites are especially effective. Justin Cavazos’ sound design has a few tonal inconsistencies, such as pulsing club music that undercuts Hamlet’s foreboding lines about foul deeds, but it complements the bold greens and pinks of Devin Cameron’s lighting design. A few sound-related technical issues, which aren’t uncommon when performing outdoors, were handled smoothly by the crew and cast on opening night.
Where to start with “Earnest”? When casting was announced, I was thrilled about this particular combination of Chicago regulars that I’d first seen separately at Oak Park Festival Theatre: August Forman (a revelatory Romeo), Sonia Goldberg (an empowered Titania) and Aurora Penepacker, who starred in the indie-rock musical “Seagulls” before a breakout 2024-25 season in leading musical roles at Writers Theatre and Kokandy Productions. Together with Chad Bay, who plays Jack, these actors form the two central couples in Wilde’s romantic comedy: Forman as Algernon, Goldberg as Gwendolyn and Penepacker as Cecily.
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They certainly don’t disappoint. Under Walsh’s witty direction, all four deliver pitch-perfect comedic performances in this frothy farce, which is full of mistaken identities, exaggerated infatuations and fussy social norms. Bos, in a far cry from his cerebral Hamlet, embraces the physical comedy of dual supporting roles, the Jeeves-like butler Lane and the Cockney servant Merriman. Gage transforms from queen to governess, playing Miss Prism here, and Gabriel Armstrong also appears in both casts (Guildenstern and Marcellus in “Hamlet,” Chausible in “Earnest”). Barbara Zahora rounds out the “Earnest” company as match-busting matriarch Lady Bracknell.
Most of the production team works on both shows, with the notable exception of Pheobe Boynton, costume designer for “Earnest.” Using a palette dominated by pink, green and black, Boynton’s unconventional fabric blends and cuts enhance the cheeky tone of this production. The full-length, iridescent green coat that Algernon wears in the opening scene would make Wilde especially proud. Cavazos punctuates humorous moments with jaunty stings of sound, a choice that’s more effective than the overly synthesized timbre of his transitional music. Frank’s set is functional, but a countryside backdrop that appears to be made of plastic looks tacky.
Given the strength of the performances and direction, I suspect that “Hamlet” and “Earnest” will remain in my theatrical memory bank as highlights of my annual treks to Austin Gardens. Although they make for late nights, both productions are well worth a ride on the Green Line or Metra, and I sincerely hope that the weather gods will smile on OPFT for the rest of the summer.
Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.
Review: “Hamlet” and “The Importance of Being Earnest” (3.5 stars)
When: Through August 14 (“Earnest”) and August 15 (“Hamlet”)
Where: Oak Park Festival Theatre in Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Ave, Oak Park
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (“Earnest”); 2 hours, 50 minutes (“Hamlet”)
Tickets: $40 at oakparkfestival.com