Back by Popular Demand 2 Additional Circophony Performances at Oddfellows Playhouse

Back by POPULAR DEMAND, Alice in Wonderland goes to the Circus in a fast-paced, all ages 45 minute show presented by the talented teen performers of Circophony.

Two additional showings of "Circus in Wonderland" will be performed

Friday, February 21 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, February 22 at 2 pm

At Oddfellows Playhouse
128 Washington Street
Middletown

Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children.

Circophony is a collaboration between Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater and ARTFARM. The company, directed by ARTFARM co-founder Dic Wheeler (also the creator and long-time director of the Children's Circus of Middletown), is made up of eight circus performers between the ages of 12 and 17.

"Circus in Wonderland" explores the magical world of Alice in Wonderland through the joy and spectacle of circus. Alice is plunged into a world in which the Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, White Rabbit and other iconic characters juggle, stilt, unicycle, clown and perform stunning feats of acrobatics. It's Alice in Wonderland like you've never seen it before! Bring your kids! Bring your parents! This show has something for everyone.

For more information about the show, which is available for touring through May, 2014, contact ARTFARM at info@art-farm.org.
For tickets please contact Bessie at Oddfellows Playhouse, (860) 347-6143

Youth Circus holds Auditions for Circus in Wonderland

Oddfellows Playhouse and ARTFARM announce auditions for the 2013-14 cast of Circophony, a touring youth circus company co-sponsored by the two Middletown-based theater groups. Young people ages twelve to eighteen are invited to audition to join the cast of this year’s show, Circus in Wonderland.

Auditions will be held Tuesday, September 10, 6 – 8 pm at Oddfellows Playhouse at 128 Washington Street in Middletown.
 
Circophony is a select youth circus company committed to providing first class training to aspiring circus artists while creating exciting new performances which will tour to schools, clubs, fairs, corporate events and festivals. Young people selected for the Company will receive a rigorous combination of circus training, physical conditioning and rehearsal/production experience. Members are expected to arrive punctually, attend all rehearsals and performances, work hard, be strong team players, and train independently outside of rehearsals.
 
Circophony is open to young people ages twelve to eighteen. Prior circus experience is not required. If you do not have circus experience, a background in dance, gymnastics, theater, cheerleading, parkour, hooping, magic or serious physical activity is helpful. The show is directed by ARTFARM’s Executive Director Dic Wheeler, who has been performing, directing and teaching circus in the United States and Europe for thirty years. Dic is the founder of the Children’s Circus of Middletown and ARTFARM’s Circus for a Fragile Planet, and is a charter member of the American Youth Circus Organization. Lead Trainer is circus performer and teacher Allison McDermott, an acrobat, aerialist, and graduate of the Professional Track Program at the New England Center for Circus Arts in Vermont.
 
Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 – 9 pm at Oddfellows starting Tuesday, September 17.  Attendance at rehearsals is compulsory – if you cannot commit to the rehearsal schedule you should not apply to join Circophony.

The opening of this year’s show will be January 17 & 18 at Oddfellows Playhouse. There will be rehearsals every evening January 13 – 16. Circophony’s Circus in Wonderland will be an original, main stage circus production loosely based on the characters and scenes from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, incorporating juggling, acrobatics, balancing, clowning, physical comedy and other skills developed by the company members.

The show will be available for touring throughout the school year, and Circophony members will be expected to be available for touring performances between January and May. Performers and their parents will be given adequate notice about show times and dates. We may also travel to regional youth circus festivals during the year.

Tuition for Circophony, which includes over thirty rehearsals plus the performances and tour, is $250. Some financial assistance is available.

To register for the audition, or if you have questions, email info@art-farm.org or call (860)346-4390

One Show Only! - Today at 5pm

25th Children's Circus of Middletown

25th Annual Children's Circus of Middletown:
The Big City Circus
 

The Middletown Commission on the Arts and Middlesex United Way present Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater’s 25th Children’s Circus of Middletown: The Big City Circus.  The one-time-only show will be presented on Friday August 2 at 5 PM at Macdonough School, with a rain date of Saturday, August 3 at 5 PM. 

The Big City Circus captures the hustle and bustle of city life. Through parades, traffic jams, skyscrapers and pigeons, 150 talented young performers find themselves flung into a chaotic urban sprawl. Featuring fast paced stilted construction sites, lively unicycle market places and an all out acrobatic battle with Godzilla, the Big City Circus aims to bring the sites, sounds, smells and zaniness of the big city to new heights.

 

The Children’s Circus of Middletown is an exceptional community wide program where entire families come together to create this one-of-a-kind spectacle. Director Jason Leinwand, now in his 2nd year as Director, comments often on spirit of community  “In my opinion, this is the essence of what the circus is. It's a place where everyone is welcome to participate. The circus is a place where all of our individual skills are collaged together to create an unbelievable spectacle that everyone can be proud to be a part of. We become a community of artists and over time, one big circus family.”

 

Oddfellows is asking everyone to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Amazing Grace Food Pantry.  Bring a lawn chair and enthusiasm to Macdonough School and enjoy the spectacle.  The 25th Children’s Circus of Middletown: The Big City Circus will perform at 5 PM on August 2 at Macdonough School (66 Spring Street) in Middletown.  Parking is limited to street locations, so carpooling is recommended. The Macdonough School lot is reserved for handicapped and elderly patrons.  Tickets are available at the door and are $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors. 

 

The Children’s Circus is part of the Middletown Commission on the Arts Kids Arts program.  The circus is made possible by the Middletown Commission on the Arts, the Middlesex United Way, The Middletown Board of Education and Oddfellows Playhouse’s many generous supporters.  For more information, call (860) 347-6143. 

 

Fall 2013 classes, auditions and productions will be announced soon!  Keep an eye on the websitewww.oddfellows.org.  

 

Circus Tech Nite Opportunity

Want to help make something like this?

Tech Nite for the Children's Circus of Middletown is an opportunity for children, adults, and families to create collaborative art projects to be used in the final performance of the circus program. Tech Nite is a loosely structured art workshop with a focus on papier mache, painting, cardboard construction, carpentry, and sometimes sewing. It's a ton of fun, a low-pressure creative outlet, and features music, candy, and watermelon.

When: Every Mon and Wed 7-9pm, beginning Wed 7/10 and ending Mon 7/29.

Where: Remington Rand Building, North entrance (parking and entryway marked).

Who: All are welcome! Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Contact Ro Seidelman, Technical Director, with any questions: (914) 310-5231

Donations of the following are welcome and appreciated:

-cardboard larger than 3 ft x 3 ft.
-foam rubber/mattress foam
-non-oil-based paints
-spray paint
-fabric larger than 1 yd.
-coffee cans, tupperware
-paper towel and toilet paper rolls
-Tyvek
-dowels
-1x3s and 2x4s 4 ft. or longer
-newsprint
-drywall and wood screws
-misc. hardware
-painting and carpentry tools

25th Children's Circus of Middletown Registration Open

Oddfellows Playhouse is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 25th Children’s Circus of Middletown.  The Children's Circus offers an exceptionally unique program where the whole family and the entire whole community, can get involved in the making of something truly inspiring and special. 

The Children’s Circus of Middletown, part of the Kids Arts program, is a partnership between Oddfellows Playhouse, the City of Middletown and Middletown Commission of the Arts with critical support provided from the Middlesex United Way.  The 5-week, half day program begins on July 1 and runs until the performance on August 2.  During this time, students ages 8-14 are develop a variety of circus skills including juggling, unicycling, stilting, acrobatics, balance and clowning.  The program culminates in an outdoor circus performance in front of a crowd of nearly 1,500 people.  Each year the circus explores a different theme, with recent circuses focusing on “In Your Dreams”, “Eat’s All Good” and last year’s “The Circus of Science”.

Circus Director, Jason Leinwand, returns to bring the circus to life for the 25th time.  The program takes place at Macdonough School on Spring Street. 

For more information on the program and how to register, visit www.oddfellows.org or www.arts2go.org.  Registration forms are available at the City of Middletown Arts Office, Russell Library or Oddfellows Playhouse.  Registration is currently open. The program is $125 for Middletown residents and $250 for out of town students.  Busing is available for Middletown residents only.

Counselor positions are open, and applicants can download applications from the City of Middletown’s website.  Counselor applications are due by March 22 to the City Arts Office located at 100 Riverview Center.  Student registrations will be accepted until the program is full.

Oddfellows’ Children’s Circus of Middletown programming is made possible through the generous support of the City of Middletown, Middletown Commission on the Arts, Middlesex United Way and Stop and Shop Foundation. 

Circus of Science

Artwork by Jason Leinwand

For 24 years, the Children's Circus has entertained audiences at the beginning of August.  Tomorrow - the Circus is back in town!

The Circus of Science
Friday August 3, 2012
5pm
Macdnough School
66 Spring Street
$5 Adults / $3 Students & Seniors

This year, Oddfellows is asking everyone to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Amazing Grace Food Pantry.  Bring a lawn chair and enthusiasm to Macdonough School and enjoy the spectacle. 

Photo by Andy Szegedy-Maszak

The 24th Children’s Circus of Middletown: The Circus of Science will perform at 5 PM on August 3 at 66 Spring Street in Middletown.  Parking is limited to street locations, so carpooling is recommended. The Macdonough School lot is reserved for handicapped and elderly patrons.  Tickets are available at the door and are $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.

The Children’s Circus is made possible by the Middletown Commission on the Arts, the Middlesex United Way, Stop and Shop Foundation, Peter Abare-Brown and Courtney Antonioli and Oddfellows Playhouse’s many generous supporters.  For more information, call (860) 347-6143.

Food Improv a Success

 Middletown, CT – On Thursday, June 28, Oddfellows Playhouse hosted a fundraising event, Food Improv: Where the Performing Arts Meets the Culinary Arts, at the Wadsworth Mansion of Middletown.  The event brought together over 140 of Oddfellows’ friends, alumni, community leaders, and families to enjoy a variety of food and drink while helping to support a great organization.

Over the course of the evening, Oddfellows raised over $20,000, $15,000 of which will be going directly to support scholarships for students, the Children’s Circus of Middletown, the Neighborhood Troupes/Arts Explorers for at-risk youth program, and the Teen Repertory Company’s fall production of William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead: A True Account of the Zombie Plague of 1599.  Executive Director Matthew Pugliese said that he was “overwhelmed by the support and generosity of all those attended and donated to the Playhouse.”  Oddfellows Playhouse Food Improv Success

Middletown, CT – On Thursday, June 28, Oddfellows Playhouse hosted a fundraising event, Food Improv: Where the Performing Arts Meets the Culinary Arts, at the Wadsworth Mansion of Middletown.  The event brought together over 140 of Oddfellows’ friends, alumni, community leaders, and families to enjoy a variety of food and drink while helping to support a great organization.

Over the course of the evening, Oddfellows raised over $20,000, $15,000 of which will be going directly to support scholarships for students, the Children’s Circus of Middletown, the Neighborhood Troupes/Arts Explorers for at-risk youth program, and the Teen Repertory Company’s fall production of William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead: A True Account of the Zombie Plague of 1599.  Executive Director Matthew Pugliese said that he was “overwhelmed by the support and generosity of all those attended and donated to the Playhouse.”

The event showcased performances by two of Traveling Circus’ members, Jasmine Peck and Zachary Sayers and a singing solo by Teen Repertory member Jacquan Shockley.   An attendee of the event, Peter Abare-Brown, said that it was “great to be able to see the kids perform.  It really hits you when you see what they are accomplishing and how you can help them achieve that.”

For the event, twelve of the best chefs and restaurants from around the state will be making tasting style dishes for guests to try.  “Each of the restaurants made amazing dishes, using past Oddfellows’ productions as inspiration for their food”, says Co-Chair of the event Elizabeth Cipollina, “and we can’t thank them enough for their support.  From the Ubo Rex inspired sushi of Miya Sushi, to the Wizard of Oz styled cupcakes from A Little Imagination Cakes, we are grateful”

“Not only were all our restaurants and guests generous and supportive of us, but sponsors were as well, including Citizen’s Bank, Connecticut Rental Center, Centerplan Companies of Middletown, Done on the Run, VerTerra, Connecticut Beverage Mart, Cardinal International, and Restaurant Equipment Paradise ” says Co-Chair Mary Murphy.   “Being able to help an organization like Oddfellows, and all the work it does for this community and seeing all the people come out to support them at the event, it made me know how valuable they really are.”

Oddfellows programming is made possible through the generous support of the American Savings Foundation, the CDBG Scholarship Program, the CT Department of Economic and Community Development, the CT Department of Education, Community Foundation of Middlesex County, Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Memorial Fund, Elizabeth Carse Foundation, the Fund for Greater Hartford, the George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation, the Irving Kohn Foundation, the J. Walton Bissell Foundation, Liberty Bank Foundation, Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, Middlesex United Way, the Middletown Commission on the Arts, Middletown Youth Service Bureau Afterschool Incentive Grant, Pratt & Whitney, Price Chopper Golub Foundation, the Stare Fund, Stop and Shop Foundation, Thomas J. Atkins Foundation, Triple Frog, LLC and WESU (88.1FM). 

 Media support is provided by Comcast and WESU 88.1FM.

Musicians Needed for Children's Circus Band

The Children’s Circus of Middletown, run by Oddfellows Playhouse as part of the Middletown Commission on the Arts’ Kids Arts program, is, once again, looking for musicians to play in its circus band. The band is open to all adult and teenage musicians willing to make the commitment to rehearsals and the performance on Friday, August 3 at 5:00 pm. Band director is well-known local musician, Dirck Westervelt.

New Summer Programming at Oddfellows

Oddfellows Playhouse is pleased to announce its summer classes and programs for students ages 4-18.  The theater’s programs cover a lot of ground, from circus to improve and playwrighting and allow students from 4 to 18 to develop their creativity and build life skills such as public speaking, teamwork, cooperation and self-discipline.  The summer will be very busy at Oddfellows Playhouse with new programs for teens, adult workshops and a slate of children’s theater performances.

Spring Circus Spectacular!

This weekend, bring the family out to enjoy Oddfellows Playhouse's Spring Circus Celebration: A Teen Circus Double Bill. Featuring new acts by members of the Connecticut School of Circus Arts at Oddfellows Playhouse, followed by the the Oddfellows Playhouse Traveling Circus' Company's Adscencio!

Thursday May 24 - 7:30pm

Friday May 25 -7:30pm

Ticket Prices
Adults $10
Students/Seniors $8 

www.oddfellows.org

860-347-6143

The Connecticut School of Circus Arts at Oddfellows Playhouse is an exciting endeavor brought to you by Oddfellows Playhouse and artists from Matica Arts and ARTFARM. This year round circus training program offers students the opportunity to develop their skills as a juggler, stilter, acrobat and unicyclist under the guidance of a team of veteran circus artists.

Check out this video of Oddfellows' Traveling Circus creating their new show "Adscencio!" under the direction of ARTFARM's Dic Wheeler.

If you've been on the fence - this show is sure to get you and your children excited about the 23rd Annual Children's Circus of Middletown.  

There are still spots available in the 23rd Children's Circus of Middletown. The half-day program runs from July 2 thru August 3. Spots are still available in both the morning session 9-11:30am or the afternoon session 12:30-3pm. Register by calling the Middletown Commission on the Arts at 860-343-6620 x201 or download the registration for here.

ARTFARM's new circus to perform in Guilford and NYC

Since its premiere at Central Connecticut State University's Global Environmental Sustainability Symposium on April 7, ARTFARM's all-new Circus for a Fragile Planet SUBMERGED! has been making a splash throughout the northeast. Ten shows have taken the five member company to schools all over Connecticut and New Jersey, during which time over 2000 students and teachers have been dazzled by the combination of stunning circus artistry and compelling science.
Now you have a couple of opportunities to experience this unique 60 minute circus yourself!
On SUNDAY, May 22 at 3 pm, Circus for a Fragile Planet SUBMERGED! will be performing at the Guilford Community Center, 32 Church St, Guilford, CT. This performance is sponsored by the Shoreline Outdoor Education Center, and tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for kids (less for SOEC members).
For more info about this performance, please go to www.shorelineoutdooreducationcenter.org.

On SATURDAY, JUNE 11 at Noon, SUBMERGED! will open the New York Festival of Young Artists presented by DownTownArt and the Lower East Side Girls' Club. This free outdoor performance will take place on East 4th Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery. For more info, go to www.downtownart.org

Created by and featuring ARTFARM's Executive Director Dic Wheeler as Professor Offli Varminhere, SUBMERGED! takes environmental circus to new levels of skill and advocacy, deftly combining breathtaking circus arts with accurate and compelling action points about the state of the Earth's hydrosphere. Adults and young people alike will love this fast-paced show, and no one will come away thinking about water in quite the same way again. Featuring ARTFARM circus company members Megan Berritta, Maegan Fuller, Allison McDermott and Joel Melendez as the "Fossil Fools", Circus for a Fragile Planet SUBMERGED! is the result of nearly a year of training, research and experimentation -- we think you will impressed and inspired by this unique combination of circus art and environmental education. Set and props are designed by Jason Leinwand; costumes by Heidi Kirchofer. Circus for a Fragile Planet SUBMERGED! is co-directed by ARTFARM Artistic Director Marcella Trowbridge. Photos here are by Heidi Kirchofer from the April 7 premiere.

Oddfellows Children's Circus Postponed Until Noon Saturday

The annual Oddfellows Children's Circus, scheduled for a performance tonight at Spencer School has been postponed due to inclement weather.

The show is rescheduled for a performance tomorrow, Saturday August 1, at noon, at Spencer School.

Children's Circus of Middletown, Friday

Oddfellows Seeks Circus Musicians

From Oddfellows Playhouse

The Children’s Circus of Middletown, run by Oddfellows Playhouse as part of the Middletown Commission on the Arts’ Kids Arts program, is, once again, looking for musicians to play in its circus band. The band is open to all adult and teenage musicians willing to make the commitment to rehearsals and the performance on Friday, July 31, at 5:00 pm. Band director is well-known local musician, Dirck Westervelt.

Percussion, horns, woodwinds, strings (electric or acoustic) are all needed. There will be an organizational meeting on Thursday, June 25 from 6-9 pm at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street, Middletown, but it is not necessary to attend this meeting in order to participate. Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9 pm, beginning July 7. Although attendance at all rehearsals is not compulsory, band members are expected to have consistent attendance and must be available for the dress rehearsal on July 30 and the performance at Spencer School in Middletown on July 31. Professional or highly experienced musicians are often able to “sit in” by coming to a few rehearsals before the show.

This is the 2st annual Children’s Circus, a 5-week program for Middletown youngsters ages 8 to 14. Over 200 young people learn such skills as juggling, stilt-walking, clowning, unicycling, acrobatics, and dance and present the results in a stupendous outdoor show, accompanied by live music by the circus band. The show annually attracts an audience of about 1,000.

To sign up for the circus band, please call Oddfellows Playhouse at (860) 347-6143 or contact Dirck Westervelt at (203) 577-7548 or dirckwestervelt@earthlink.net.

Oddfellows Playhouse Names New Children's Circus Director

Oddfellows Playhouse proudly announces that Skyler Sullivan is the new director of the Children’s Circus of Middletown. Sullivan is an extraordinary circus artist as well as an actor, singer, dancer, and mime. He has been a teaching artist with Circus Minimus in New York since 2001 and has an ongoing role as a juggling chicken on the well-known public television show, “Sesame Street.” He also appears as Arthur on “The Electric Company,” a Sesame Workshop on public television. Sullivan taught clowning, juggling, trapeze, tight wire, and acrobatics at the San Francisco School of Circus Arts. He takes over from Jake Weinstein, who led the Children’s Circus for the past 2 summers and has moved to Tennessee to pursue circus activities there.

Skyler Sullivan received his BFA in acting and musical theatre from Emerson College and brings a wealth of skills to the Children’s Circus. He has extensive training in mime, wire walking, stilting, juggling, partner acrobatics, clowning, stage combat, and Commedia dell’Arte. He is an accomplished dancer and plays the guitar, piano, and harmonica. He has performed with the American Mime Theatre in New York, the San Francisco Mime Troupe in California, and at the New York City Clown Fest as well as serving as the ring master for Circus Minimus. He appears frequently on stage and television and in films. Sullivan is sure to make the 2009 Children’s Circus one to remember.

The Children’s Circus of Middletown, part of the Middletown Commission on the Arts’ Kids’ Arts activities, was begun in 1988 by former Oddfellows’ artistic director Dic Wheeler. Each summer, 175 young people, ages 8 to 14, learn stilting, juggling, clowning, acrobatics, dance, unicycling, visual art, and other fantastic circus skills in this 5-week, half-day program. A challenging full-day Advanced Circus Program for veteran circus participants, ages 12-15, helps them take their skills to the next level. The circus concludes with a spectacular outdoor performance that has become a summer tradition in this area. With music by a live circus band and an audience of over 1,000, nearly 200 youngsters dazzle the crowd with circus acts and a level of skill that belie the youthfulness of the performers.

This year’s circus runs from June 29-July 31, with the gala circus show on July 31. Registration for Middletown youngsters began March 1; registration for out-of-town young people opens April 1. For more information, call Oddfellows Playhouse at (860) 347-6143.

Clowns to the Left of Me, Dancers to the Right

The Children's Circus of Middletown, formerly known as the Oddfellows Children's Circus, presents "Circus Out of this World" 5 p.m. tonight at Spencer Elementary School, 207 Westfield St.

Directed by Jake Weinstein, the circus involves over 200 (!) local children ages 8 -14 and a 15-piece Orchestra, ably conducted by Dirck Westervelt. The staff, crew, and talent have been rehearsing for 5 weeks in preparation for this extravaganza and, unless it rains, you won't be disappointed. There is a storyline about a stolen birthday cake and the plot blazes up into a flurry of juggling, unicycling, acrobatics, clowning, dancing, and much silliness, proving once again how far people will go for cake. Seriously, what audiences will see is just how talented the cast is and how hard they have worked to make the Circus look good.

If it does rain, the Circus will be postponed until the next day, Saturday August 2, at 12 noon. For ticket information, call 860-347-6143.

"Footloose: The Musical", inspired by the 1984 Kevin Bacon movie, will be performed by a dedicated cast of Middletown High School students tonight through Sunday. Directed by 2007 MHS graduate Greg Laucella, the show is a fundraiser for the Christine Marcelli LaRosa Scholarship Fund, named for the very popular language teacher who died in 2007, just days before graduation.

The show takes place in the auditorium of Middletown High School, 370 Hunting Hill Avenue. Performances are 7 p.m. tonight and Saturday night as well as 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available at the door. To read more about this production, click here for Melissa Pionzio's Hartford Courant iTowns blog and here for Sloan Brewster's article in today's Middletown Press.

Both of these endeavors have been supported by grants from the City of Middletown's Commission on the Arts.