Looking for a Creative Outlet? Join the Cast of Village Follies in Winnetka, IL
- Katherine Reynolds
- Jul 13
- 2 min read
If you've been craving a creative outlet — somewhere to perform, write, choreograph, or just shake off the rust from a hobby you haven't touched in years — Village Follies is worth knowing about. It's a long-running community theater group in Winnetka, IL, built entirely around amateur performers, and it offers one of the most genuinely open-ended creative experiences on the North Shore.
Not Your Typical Community Theater
Most community theater productions hand you a script someone else wrote and a part someone else cast. Village Follies works differently. If you want to do more than just perform the show you can also help write it. Cast members can script their own skits and parodies, choreograph their own dance numbers, direct their own pieces, and in some cases even compose original music. If you've got an idea for a sketch, a song parody, or a dance number rattling around in your head, this is a place built specifically to let that idea become a real, fully staged performance in front of a live audience.
This community theater welcomes everyone, from complete novices to tenured actors there is a place for you in the Village Follies.
Who It's For
There's a role for just about anyone who wants one:
Singers
Dancers
Actors
Writers
Musicians
No professional theater background is required. Village Follies is built on amateur, community performers, many of whom step on stage for the very first time alongside seasoned cast veterans. Whether you've always wanted to try theater, used to perform years ago and miss it, or simply have a creative idea you've never had an outlet for, there's a place for you here.
A Great Way to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
It's also a fast way to make friends. Village Follies has been a Winnetka theatrical tradition for more than 50 years, and many cast members say the friendships built during rehearsals are as memorable as the performances themselves.
What Being in the Cast Looks Like
Cast members rehearse together over several months — polishing a song parody, blocking out a sketch, setting choreography — before bringing it all together on the Matz Hall stage at the Community House in Winnetka. Every show has a different theme, so no two seasons of Village Follies look the same, which keeps returning cast members coming back to try something new each time.
Don't Want to Perform? There's Still a Role for You
Village Follies also relies on volunteers behind the scenes — so if performing isn't your thing but you still want to be part of the creative process, there's a place for you in the production too.
How to Get Involved
Village Follies welcomes new performers and crew members on an ongoing basis. The best way to find out what's currently happening — auditions, rehearsal schedules, or upcoming volunteer needs — is to check directly with the group:
Auditions & opportunities: villagefollies.com/auditions
Facebook: Village Follies Group
If you're searching for a creative outlet, a community theater group near Winnetka, IL, or just a fun way to meet people who love "doing theatre for the fun of it," Village Follies is ready when you are.


Comments