Omar Vicente Fernandez, the artistic director of Subtext Studio Theatre Company, found inspiration for his play, Que Te Vaya Bien, while attending a Cubs game. Fernandez, who enjoys partaking in cannabis, had picked up a joint from a dispensary near Wrigley Field before the game. Feeling a sense of inebriation, he noticed the flood of thoughts running through his mind as he sat alone in the stadium, lacking someone to talk to during quiet moments of the game.
Fernandez described feeling a connection to the individual conversations around him, as if each person in the stadium was dealing with their own personal struggles. This led him to write the first scene of Que Te Vaya Bien, a play centered around a Mexican American father and his lawyer son navigating generational trauma against the backdrop of a Cubs–Brewers game. Symbolically choosing the Milwaukee Brewers for the play, Fernandez explored themes of alcoholism and fatherhood in a deeply personal and biographically influenced story.
Que Te Vaya Bien marks Subtext Studio Theatre’s second entry in Destinos, the Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, following the success of their previous production, The American Dream. Founded in 2021 by Fernandez and a group of University of Illinois Chicago theater students, Subtext has grown to expand its reach beyond Berwyn and Oak Park. With a new season of plays planned, Que Te Vaya Bien showcases the company’s commitment to storytelling and exploration of complex themes.
Fernandez’s journey into theater began in middle school when he accidentally stumbled into a drama club, sparking a passion that eventually led him back to theater after a brief stint as a high school football player. Today, as a student at UIC, Fernandez continues to pursue his love for theater and aims to further expand Subtext’s presence in the Chicago theater scene.
In a similar vein, the Forest Park Theatre company, founded by UIC faculty member Richard Corley, has also been pushing the boundaries of traditional theater with its unique Shakespearean adaptations. Moving from outdoor performances to full productions at the Madison Street Theater in Oak Park, Forest Park Theatre is known for its innovative approach to classic texts and translations by American poets like Richard Wilbur and Ezra Pound.
Corley’s vision for Forest Park Theatre focuses on building an ensemble of actors who can bring a contemporary sensibility to classic works, bridging the gap between past and present. With productions like The Misanthrope and Elektra, Forest Park Theatre showcases a diverse range of plays that challenge traditional norms and engage audiences in thought-provoking storytelling.
As both Subtext Studio Theatre Company and Forest Park Theatre continue to evolve and expand their reach in the Chicago theater scene, their commitment to innovative storytelling and reimagining classic works sets them apart as key players in the local arts community. Through bold and ambitious productions, these theater companies are shaping the future of theater in the near west suburbs and beyond.
