Displaying items by tag: Whitney Minarik

Oil Lamp Theater’s Oil Lamp Academy, 1009 Waukegan Rd., announces 2027 winter and spring classes are on sale now. Offerings are available for students ages pre-K through adult and a variety of experience levels. Returning classes offered are Theater Makers, Story Explorers and Theater Skills classes with new and exciting themes. More storytelling and adult offerings are also returning with fan-favorite teachers. Continuing this winter and spring, classes previously available at The Laughing Academy, are available with Oil Lamp Academy, with the same courses and faculty. Registration may be found at OilLampAcademy.org with full and partial scholarships available for application at OilLampAcademy/Forms.

“Oil Lamp Academy continues to grow with every session. Our fall semester saw a record-breaking number of classes offered and new and former students returning to partner with professional instructors on learning new skills, building upon their talents and, of course, having fun,” said Oil Lamp Academy Education Director Whitney Minarik. "We are looking forward to the new year with theater, storytelling, playwriting and comedy offerings and welcoming all to the Academy.”

Oil Lamp Academy’s Winter & Spring Course Offerings Include:

Youth Theater Classes

January 16 - May 10, 2027

No youth classes March 22 - 28, 2027

Youth Theater classes are offered for students from PreK - 9th grade. 

Theater Makers: Around the World in 8 Plays, Jan. 25 - May 10

Weekly on Mondays, 4:15 - 5:45 p.m.

Grades 4 - 8

Theater Skills: Triple Threat, Jan. 26 - May 4

Weekly on Tuesdays, 5:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Grades 3 - 5

Theater Makers: Daring Detectives, Jan. 28 - May 6

Weekly on Thursdays, 4:15 - 5:45 p.m.

Grades 3 - 5

Story Explorers: Winter Wonderland, Jan. 16 - March 6

Weekly on Saturdays, 9 - 9:45 a.m.

Grades PreK 4 - 1

Story Explorers: Puppy Patrol, March 13 - May 8

Weekly on Saturdays, 9 - 9:45 a.m.

Grades PreK 4 - 1

Theater Makers: Around the World in 8 Plays, Jan. 24 - May 2

Weekly on Sundays, 4 - 6 p.m.

Grades 5 - 9

Youth Improv Classes

January 25 - May 8, 2027

No youth classes March 22 - 28, 2027

Youth Improv classes are offered for students from Kindergarten - 12th grade. 

Improv Grades K - 2: Putting the YOU in Team!, Jan. 26 - May 4

Weekly on Tuesdays, 4:30 - 5:15 p.m.

Grades K - 2

Improv Grades 3 - 5: Essentially Ensemble, Jan. 27 - May 5

Weekly on Wednesdays, 4:15 - 5:45 p.m.

Grades 3 - 5

Middle School Improv: Exploring Long- Form Improv, Jan. 27 - May 5

Weekly on Wednesdays, 5:15 - 6:45 p.m. or Weekly on Thursdays, 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Grades 6 - 8

Improv for Teens, Jan. 26 - May 4

Weekly on Tuesdays, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Grades 8+

Adult Classes

Oil Lamp Academy offers a wide range of arts-based classes for adults to build skills to shine on or off the stage. Classes are open to all who are looking to expand appreciation of the performing arts, build public speaking skills, increase self confidence, grow as an actor, writer or storyteller or just try new things and make new friends.

Adult Improv, Jan. 13 - Feb. 17

Weekly on Wednesdays, 7 - 9 p.m.

Intro to Standup with Tyler Fowler, Jan. 25 - March 8 (no class Feb. 15)

Weekly on Mondays, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Live Performance on Friday, March 12

Exploring Acting, Jan. 13 - March 3 (no class Jan. 20)

Weekly on Wednesdays, 1 - 2:30 p.m.

Play Development, Jan. 24 - March 14

Weekly on Sundays, 1 - 3:30 p.m.

Adult Improv with Jimmy Carrane, Jan. 14 - Feb. 18

Weekly on Thursdays, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

COMING UP FROM OIL LAMP THEATER

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

November 20 - December 27

Adapted by Joe Landry

Directed by Becca Holloway

Preview Performances: Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 21 at 3 p.m.

Opening Night: Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances on Dec. 2 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m, Dec. 16 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. There will also be an understudy performance on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

This heartwarming production is the perfect way to embrace the spirit of the Christmas season. Experience unmatched holiday cheer with Frank Capra's beloved classic, It's a Wonderful Life, reimagined as a captivating Live Radio Play, complete with foley sound effects and set in Oil Lamp Theater’s WBFR radio studio.

Audiences are invited to journey to Bedford Falls, where George Bailey's troubles lead him to wish he was never born. Clarence, an angel sent to intervene, steps in to make his wishes come true and George quickly learns just how blessed he is and how many lives he has touched.

ABOUT OIL LAMP ACADEMY

The Oil Lamp Academy is the bold new chapter for arts education at Oil Lamp Theater—a welcoming, professional-led space where high quality performing arts instruction shapes confident, well-rounded and connected individuals of all ages.

Taught by professional artists and educators in our welcoming and inclusive space at the ​Oil Lamp Academy, classes are for anyone interested in an accessible, uplifting experience that sparks creativity, expands self-expression, and builds connection.

ABOUT OIL LAMP THEATER

Oil Lamp Theater is a professional nonprofit performing arts organization in Glenview, Illinois, welcoming over 10,000 patrons annually from more than 225 communities—41% from Glenview and others from across the North Shore and Chicago. Since establishing its intimate 60-seat home in downtown Glenview in 2012, Oil Lamp has grown into a cultural beacon, earning recognition as “Best Live Theatre in the North Shore” for four consecutive years.

With more than 70 productions to date, Oil Lamp is known for its dynamic Mainstage season, special events and its resilience during the pandemic, when it innovated with drive-in performances and outdoor productions. Today, the theatre continues to foster connection, broaden horizons and illuminate the human condition through professional theater and year-round programming.

In addition to its productions, Oil Lamp Theater operates Oil Lamp Academy, its education branch dedicated to “Training for Life Through the Performing Arts.” In 2025 alone, the program served more than 230 students ages three to 97 years old, offering classes that use theater as a pathway to build confidence, creativity and lifelong skills.

Oil Lamp launched Light The Way in 2025, a transformative fundraising campaign designed to expand arts education, strengthen essential staff and establish a larger performance venue with the goal of staying in downtown Glenview. And in July 2026, Oil Lamp announced its new future home will be at the former Ten Ninety Brewing Co. in Downtown Glenview, 1025 Waukegan Road, next to Oil Lamp Academy. Building on its roots as a scrappy storefront, Oil Lamp is evolving into a more robust organization—without losing the intimacy and warmth that define its theater experience. Oil Lamp Theater hopes this announcement inspires excitement throughout the community. Stay tuned as additional news is shared in the near future. For information or to support the campaign go to OilLampTheater.org/Light-the-Way or reach out to Oil Lamp at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

City Lit Theatre’s world premiere of Shane, adapted for the stage and directed by Mark Pracht, brings a fresh, nostalgic perspective to Jack Schaefer’s classic novel - a story immortalized by Alan Ladd in the memorable 1953 film. Pracht, who has been developing this piece since the 2000s, crafts the adaptation as a heartfelt tribute to his own father and grandfather. The result is a sincere exploration of positive masculinity, celebrating men who stand by their virtues and protect others, even at great personal cost.

Set in the Wyoming Territory in the 1880s, the story kicks into gear when Shane, a quiet, mysterious stranger carrying the weight of a dangerous past, rides onto the homestead of Joe Starrett. Seeing something noble in the newcomer, Joe offers him a job as a farm hand, inviting him into his home and introducing him to his wife Marian and young son Bob. But the family’s peaceful routine is threatened by an escalating battle over land. Fletcher, a ruthless local cattle baron, wants to drive out the homesteaders at all costs, even hiring a killer to instigate a final conflict.

The narrative shines primarily through the eyes of young Bob, played warmly by Bruce Holtman. Spying on Shane at every opportunity, Bob serves as our window into understanding this complex, high-stakes frontier world. Narrating much of the action, Holtman skillfully transitions from an energetic, shy, and wide-eyed child into a mature observer. He injects a sense of humor into the production, as his younger self observes the adult world without always understanding the subtext. Through Bob’s perspective, the story taps into the beloved western's classic father-son overtones. He sees the mysterious stranger as the tough, capable man he wants to become, while Shane’s genuine kindness toward the boy shows that despite a dark past, he is capable of taking him under his wing.

Whitney Minarik (Marian Starrett), Josh Odor (Joe Starrett) in Shane at City Lit Theatre.

Michael B. Woods gives a strong performance as Shane, maintaining a jaded, guarded viewpoint that slowly softens. He gives the titular character a needed complexity as he wrestles with his past and rediscovers himself.  Woods also executes the stage combat with convincing physical precision.

The ensemble also gives strong performances. Josh Odor plays Joe Starrett, with a steady, kind masculinity. He is stoic, hard-working, and fiercely devoted to his family, yet far from weak; in Shane, he finds a true blood brother who is willing to stand beside him in the fight against Fletcher's greed. Whitney Minarik plays the wife, Marian, with equal skill, portraying a stern woman who may be a little bit of a fish out of water in the frontier, but who manages regardless. Minarik handles the character's complex emotional landscape well, navigating a subtle romantic pull toward Shane.

Adapting a western presents production challenges, and yet, the play manages a compelling story. In a contemporary landscape where masculine energy is often framed negatively, this tale highlights what it means to be a man of integrity: placing the needs of others first and standing up for what is right despite fear. As Shane famously notes, "A gun is a tool. No better and no worse than any other tool.” In that same spirit, Shane learns to see himself as more than the past he ran from. By choosing to protect a family and a home he cares about, his ultimate victory on stage allows us, much like Bob, to recognize our own capacity for growth and virtue. City Lit’s Shane is earnest, capable entry for anyone looking to step into the Wild West for an evening.

Through October 4^th. https://www.citylit.org/shows/46-s

Have you ever fallen in love – or out of love? Have you ever lost the love of your life only to find the new love is waiting for you right around the corner at just the perfect moment? Have you ever found love when you weren’t even looking for it? In John Cariani’s play, Almost Maine, the audience follows a series of several vignettes that revolves around these questions, each taking place in a small out of the way Maine town that sits under the Northern Lights. Skillfully directed by Susan Gorman, the stories we are presented with are touching, charming and often very funny. While some scenes are more direct in their nature a few are intended for the audience to interpret – leaving myself in a healthy conversation on the way home on where we felt the writer was going. The nice thing about this play is that it relates to just about everyone who has been in a relationship in one way or another, so throughout the performance it was easy to say to myself on a few occasions, yep, I’ve been there…

To successfully pull off its nine heartfelt sketches, this talented cast of four take on the daunting task of playing five-plus roles each – and they absolutely nail it. Cast members, Eileen Dixon, Zach Kunde, Whitney Minarik and Rio Ragazzone each get to show off their wide ranges, particularly impressing with their spot-on comedic timing. The casting couldn’t have been more perfect as all four leave notable performances – and to be fair, I caught the final preview just before opening night.

The creative team does a fine job in staging this production. The set is simple – not much more than a few pine trees thoughtfully moved around a home or establishment entrance for each scene – but it works well thanks to an engaging script that really keeps our focus on each actor so that the set works more as a subtle background that leaves the actors with a wide open, nearly blank canvas, leaving the deeper details of its scenes up to the imagination of the audience.   

In all, I found Almost, Maine an irresistible collection of quaint love stories that touched on every end of the spectrum. Delightful and often laugh out loud funny, Oil Lamp Theater kicks off 2023 with a sure-fire winner that is sure to capture the hearts of so many. Almost, Maine runs through February 26^th. For tickets and/or more show information, click HERE.

Recommended!

*On a side note, it was my first time attending an Oil Lamp production in their Glenview home. Just a short (and easy) drive from Chicago, I found the theater space perfectly sized for an intimate, yet roomy, experience and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. I’d suggest arriving to a show early to check out the charming bar/lounge area that includes loads of comfy seating and the added nice touch of providing cookies for its guests. And with parking just next to the theater, it couldn’t have been a better all-around experience.