First Folio Theatre, Shakespeare theater in Oak Brook, Illinois
First Folio Theatre was a theater company based at the Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook, Illinois, with an outdoor stage on the grounds and an indoor performance hall inside the main mansion. The two spaces offered very different experiences, one open to the sky and the other tucked within a historic building.
The company was founded in 1996 under the name First Folio Shakespeare Festival and ran for over 25 years before closing in February 2023. Over that time it developed a teaching approach for actors based on working directly with the original text, known as the Folio Method.
The company presented classical works and Shakespeare productions to different audience groups throughout its years of operation. These performances were part of a broader approach that welcomed visitors of various ages and backgrounds.
The theater closed in February 2023, so no performances take place on the estate anymore. Anyone wishing to visit the Mayslake Peabody Estate should check in advance what access is available, as the grounds may be open for other purposes.
On summer evenings, audiences could bring blankets and sit on the lawn to watch Shakespeare productions with a chapel visible in the background. The setting placed the stage between an old stone building and open sky, which gave the outdoor shows a look found in very few theaters in the Chicago area.
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