An Invitation Over the Backyard Fence

I would never make a good theater critic. I’m too easily amused. Unless the acting is really bad, I would generally give everyone a standing ovation. The same goes for food.  I’m fairly kind to most restaurants.  I do have my favorites. They are generally locally owned places with some character. Good people watching potential never hurts.

I had a chance to see The Oak Lawn Park District’s Theater production of “Sugar." This is the second production that I’ve seen at the Oak View Center. This was due to an invitation by my neighbor done over our backyard fence. There was an extra ticket. A group of about 12 met at Deja Brew and then meandered over to the Oak View Center.

This is by no means the first theater production I’ve ever seen. I watched a few of my High School plays.  I never performed in any of them though. I saw a production of Orson Well’s, “1984,” in a long gone gritty, no-thrills, Blue Island community theater back in the 90’s.  When I lived on the North side of Chicago, I went to endless small theater productions. I’ve also seen a few big productions in downtown Chicago and on Broadway in New York.

So where am I going with this? It took an invitation across a backyard fence to get me to notice the Oak Lawn Theater Program. I was aware of it but assumed it couldn’t possibly be as good as what I had seen in the City. Maybe I’m more of a critic than I thought. I am happy to say that I was wrong.

Community theater is fun because it is low key. You see neighbors and friends in the audience and on stage. I also like the fact that some of our elected officials have been known to be in the audience and sometimes on stage. The cost is more than a movie but less than a rock concert.

Theater gets people out of their homes and away from television and computers. Smart phones do have to be turned off during performances. You tend to grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant, wine bar or coffee house before or after the show. This is good for the economy. I think it is also good for the soul too.

So in a nutshell, I highly recommend checking out a local treasure that I bet many locals do not know much about. Sometimes the grass is greener on your side of the world. Sometimes you also can get really good tips shared over your neighbor’s fence.