Piccolo's History
In 1995, The Union Pacific Railroad offered to rent their Evanston, Illinois Main Street Depot to John Szostek for use as a home for the Custer Fair. After one year in the building, John decided to undertake the restoration of the neglected, 95-year-old depot and turn it into a cultural center and theater. He began a process that eventually led to a $4.5 million restoration project.
In 1996 John, a Valparaiso University Alumnus, called the Chairman of the university's Theater Department, John Steven Paul, offering to teach a workshop on Mask and Movement to the theatre students for free. Dr. Paul agreed, and went a step further, asking John if he would establish a performance date for two-person act called, The Secret Circus.
John and his partner, Ken Raabe, also a VU Alumnus, performed the show to a packed house. Thanks to the success of both the workshop and show, Dr. Stevens asked John if he would direct Servant of Two Masters at VU. This show eventually particpated in the regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, receiving nine awards.
A group of those student actors went on to become the founding members of Piccolo Theatre.
Unfortunately, while an agreement to restore the Main Street Station was completed, the work had yet to begin, so the first Piccolo Theatre performance was at the glorious Cuneo Museum in Mount Vernon, IL. It was a commedia dell'Arte show of select scenarios.
The first two seasons were performed in other venues while the five-year restoration project was completed.
