COVID-19, Local, Park Forest, Science

Free COVID-19 Testing at Theater 47


Theater 47 in Park Forest is offering free COVID testing seven days a week.
Theater 47 in Park Forest is offering free COVID testing seven days a week. (Photo: Theater 47)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Theater 47 in Downtown Park Forest offers free COVID-19 testing daily. The theater is open seven days a week from 8 AM to 6 PM daily for this service.

Walk-ins are welcome.

Both Rapid and PCR testing are available.

“Fast results,” the venue says on its Facebook page.

No insurance is required to receive a test and the tests are certified for travel or work, according to the post.

The theater is located at 371 Artists Walk, Park Forest, IL  60466, near Tall Grass Arts Association. The office phone number is 708-898-7730.

About Theater 47

A community theater in Downtown Park Forest, we first wrote about Theater 47 in 2019 when they featured the show Mama’s Curse, a play written to raise awareness about sex trafficking, that also touched on homelessness, addiction, and broken family dynamics. The name is derived from the 47th Street area and has touched lives through performance arts nationwide, according to John L. Ruffin, a man with several titles at the location including Producer, Director, and Playwright.

According to the Theater 47 website, Mr. Ruffin is a native Chicagoan, born on July 3, 1971, and began his career at the early age of twelve, directing a play consisting of his two brothers and two sisters and his parents for an audience. Having a natural love for the performing arts, Ruffin went on to gain a lead role in a children’s play, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and “Aladdin” at Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Illinois.

While in college, Ruffin took courses in theater. After attending play after play, Ruffin decided to step out on faith and in 1993, he wrote, directed and produced his first play, “Choose Ye This Day!” thus starting his own company by the name of AGAPE Productions, Inc and John Ruffin Productions, Inc.

He says, “There was a time where the set actually fell during a performance, but that did not stop the anointing that God set in the room and ten people got saved. It was then that I knew then that I was headed in the right direction.” After each performance, the number of people coming to Christ grew. It is Ruffin’s belief that a play doesn’t mean a thing unless the anointing is there and lives are changed.

Other works accredited to Ruffin include: “I Won’t Go Back,” a biography about his former Pastor, the late L.T. Hutton, “It’s Too Good To Be True” and “We’re Dreaming of You, Selena”. Ruffin directed and produced a bi-weekly variety show, “Gospeltime, Live At The Legacy”.

Source material about Theater 47 and Mr. John Ruffin was taken directly from Theater 47’s website.


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