Oakland Community Theater to Present Free Annual Melodrama in the Park

Oakland Community Theater will bring its annual summer play back to City Park this June with a free outdoor melodrama for the community.

This year’s production, “Choo-Choo Chicanery,” is described as “a comedy of romance, intrigue, and railroad ruin.” Written by John Burkhart and Bette Keehley, the show invites audience participation, with cheering and booing not only allowed, but required.

Performances will take place at City Park in Historic Oakland, located at SE 2nd Street and SE Maple Street, behind Stearns Hardware.

Showtimes are scheduled for:

• Fridays and Saturdays
  June 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 7 p.m.
• Sundays
  June 21 and 28 at 2 p.m.

All performances are free, though donations are welcome. Refreshments will also be available for purchase.

Those attending evening performances are encouraged to bring a chair, along with a blanket or jacket, as it can get cold near nightfall. Organizers also ask that pets be left at home.

The annual Melodrama in the Park has become a summer tradition in Historic Oakland, offering a lighthearted outdoor theater experience for families, residents and visitors alike.