History

Much of this information came from Richard S. Taylor and Mark Johnson
On September 6 & 7, 1918, outdoor drama began at New Salem. The Old Salem Lincoln League
produces a three-hour pageant on two consecutive nights at the 'grass-carpeted, natural
bowl, amphitheatre . Music accompaniment was done with a 3-piece orchestra and a cast of
300. They re-enacted Lincoln's life between allegorical tableauxs. Two to three thousand people
attended over the two night event.

We jump to October of 1936 when the Civilian Conservation Corps workers create a natural
amphitheatre in a "gulley just north of the parking lost and by May the location was established as
"Kelso Hollow." On September 10, 1936, Petersburg's centennial is staged at Kelso Hollow, with
CIPS donated power lines and lights. The local funeral loaned 3,000 folding chairs for the event.
This event drew seven to eight thousand people.

For the next few years, The Old Salem Lincoln League produces a number of plays including
"The Salem Years," "Northwest Territory Caravan" and ""Freedom on the March." In 1940, the
Works Progress Administration, had writers produce a script with a 30-piece orchestra, with a
chorus. Special lighting was done and new sets were brought in for the "Out of the Wilderness"
folk festival sponsored by the Old Salem Lincoln League. Twelve thousand people attended.

In August of 1947, the Springfield Theatre Guild presented "Abe Lincoln in Illinois. Republican
State Representative G. William Horsley stars as the lead, Abe Lincoln. They added
microphones and dressing tents . The three night event gathered eight thousand people. The
play was free, but did collect a few donations. The donations helped to create a non-profit
organization, the Abe Lincoln Players with the intent of staging annual productions of "Abe
Lincoln in Illinois" in Kelso Hollow. This production continues for a few years.

In 1950, Governor Adlai Stevenson attends the Lincoln League annual dinner and declares that
Kelso Hollow should have a summer-long pageant in which Lincoln's life would be secondary to a
portrayal of life in the village of New Salem. Kermit Hunter was hired to write a script. The
Lincoln League, with the appointed chair of fund-raising, Mary Schirding, the League raises
$40,000 to produce "Forever This Land." (This is the play that Theatre in the Park will be
producing over July 4th weekend.) Gov. Stevenson authorizes $27,000 in state funds to
completely rebuild Kelso Hollow Theatre, with permanent seating that could accommodate 3,850
people. Dressing rooms, public toilets, a ticket booth and an entrance all were built in preparation
for the production of "Forever This Land.

From June 30 - August 25, 1951, "Forever This Land" is staged over fifty times at Kelso Hollow.
A professional cast sprinkled with a few amateurs, including Springfield lawyer, Harlington Wood,
Jr., playing Lincoln. The cost of tickets was $2.00 and attendance reached 52,000.

Following the run of "Forever This Land," the Abe Lincoln Players of Springfield, with State
Representative G. William Horsley as Lincoln, presented "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" for two weeks at
the end of August. Admission was fifty cents.

Staging of "Forever This Land" continued in 1952. From June 28 through August 24, 1952,
"Forever This Land" played for 57 nights, attracting 57,000 people. The production is deemed a
success from the public interest viewpoint, but the large payroll and production costs deemed the
production a financial failure.

For the next few years, the Lincoln League and the Abe Lincoln Players present various
productions including "Lincoln at New Salem" and "Abe Lincoln in Illinois.
In 1958, the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce underwrites the second season of plays
by the "Southern Players," a drama company of students from Southern Illinois
University. They perform such shows as "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Picnic,"
"Sheperd of the Hills, "Comedy of Errors," "Beyond the Horizon," and "Ten Little
Indians" (which Theatre in the Park did last season under it's new title of "And Then
There Were None.") Admission was $1 for adults.

From 1959 - 1964, "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" was produced by the Abe Lincoln Players,
followed by the Southern Illinois Players performing "Prologue to Glory" in 1966.

From 1967 - 1969, the Abe Lincoln Players and the Southern Illinois Players produce
their summer theatre.

In June of 1976, Professor John Ahart of the University of Illinois, organized a repertory
company under the name of "The Great American People Show. They performed "Your
Obedient Servant, A. Lincoln" Tuesdays through Sundays evening at Kelso Hollow.
Other performances included "Lincoln Walks at Midnight." The Great American People
Show performed for eighteen years at Kelso Hollow. This provided a steady theatrical
presence at the Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site. John Ahart assisted in the
design of the outdoor theatre and the indoor theatre of the now permanent theatre and
Visitor's Center at the site.

In 1997, Robert Crowe took the helm after the theatre had been redesigned and built. His
company was called Theatre in the Park. He ran the outdoor venue for seven years. His
productions included a wide variety of music and theatrical presentations. His original
collaborations with playwright/composer Ken Bradbury included "Abraham" and
"Distant Thunder." Plays produced over this period included "Spoon River Anthologies,"
"The Fantasticks," "1776," "Cotton Patch Gospel," "A Mid Summer Night's Dream,"
"Shenendoah," and many more. Robert Crowe utilized area directors, actors, designers,
and technicians to produce live entertainment.

In 2003, Robert Crowe retired, and a new team of management took over Theatre in the
Park. Dave and Shelly Flickinger, Pat Anderson and Kari Catton, created a not-for-profit
organization, called Theatre in the Park. As a tax-exempt, charitable organization,
Theatre in the Park is run by a board of directors. Tom Lawton, a Petersburg resident,
and an participant in the Great American People Show, helped organize the board of
directors, and recruit more board members to actively oversee the activities of Theatre in
the Park. The new board of directors maintained the integrity of past summer theatrical
themes instituted by Robert Crowe. The new management produced shows such as "Your
Obedient Servant, A. Lincoln," "Abraham," "Into the Woods," "Little Shop of Horrors,"
and more. The management team created a diverse menu of family-oriented
entertainment that included dramas. The drams have been very widely received by
audiences and currently, there are three dramas and three musicals in each summer
season. In 2008, Dave and Shelly Flickinger, along with Pat Anderson, left the
management team, and Kari Catton was named Executive Director of Theatre in the Park
in 2008.

2009, to celebrate Lincoln’s 200​th​ birthday, TIP had productions that were dedicated to
him including a production of Forever This Land directed by Don Bailey.

In 2017, Theatre in the Park had it’s best season with more than 10,500 attendees.