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Arts & Entertainment

Taste Of The Arts Festival at TWS Raises Funds and Awareness

Community restaurants and donations pour in to Western Springs to support Theatre of Western Springs programs.

On Saturday night, 400 Theater of Western Springs’ patrons and guests gathered to attend the 5th Annual Taste of the Arts fundraiser.

Attendees paid $50 to enjoy the variety of foods, desserts and beverages provided. White party tents housed 13 restaurants and three dessert vendors from Western Springs, La Grange, Oak Brook and other communities. 

“All of the restaurants volunteer to be here,” said Chairman Jennifer Jermano-Miller. While the event is a recent addition to the theater’s 83 year history, it is an important one. “This is our biggest fundraiser,” said Jermano-Miller, “It keeps our operations running and makes us the premier theater that we are.” 

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While guests ate and mingled outside—inside, the crowded lobby was filled with tables covered with auction items. Guests bid on a variety of donated high-value prizes such as Cubs tickets, vacation packages and jewelry. 

“Between twenty and twenty-five percent of our budget comes from this event,” said Nick D’Asta, the newly elected Chairman of the theater’s board of governors. “Our goal here is to educate people in live performance,” he said, “and to raise the visibility of the theater, even in its 83rd season.”

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D’Asta remains enthusiastically committed to the theater even though his college-age daughter no longer participates in the programs. “This theater is one of the only places you get exposure to all aspects of theater,” said D’Asta. “Everyone works in the construction shop. Everyone learns about the light board,” he said, “in addition to the acting." 

Lyons Township Seniors Paige Whitlock and Meghan McDermott echoed D’Asta’s enthusiasm as they manned a pirate-themed prize table. They seemed unaffected by the heat despite being dressed head-to-toe in long skirts, blouses and eye patches.  

For Whitlock, volunteering was second nature, “I’ve been here [the theater] since the second grade,” said Whitlock, “the theater means the world to me. I’ve made so many friends, and it’s helped me learn how to express myself.”

Both girls expressed interest in roles in the Children’s Theater’s upcoming production of Treasure Island which they promoted with chances to win movies, a sailing trip, books, and a bottle of Malibu rum. 

This year the theater chose a Hawaiian theme and handed out leis as party favors to their guests as they walked in. One of these guests was La Grange resident Mary Baehler. “I came for the fun,” she said. “The food is great, there are lots of lovely auction items. Really, there’s something for everyone.”

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