Oddfellows Playhouse Teen Repertory Company Announces Auditions for Journey to the West, September 12th and 15th

Auditions are September 12 and 15 in Middletown for actors ages 14 - 20 looking for a powerful and challenging performance experience this fall.

Oddfellows Playhouse Teen Repertory Company 2022 announces auditions for
“Journey to the West", a contemporary adaptation of a 16th century classic Chinese novel created by Mary Zimmerman. The play combines comedy, adventure and satire in a moving allegory of human perseverance and ingenuity.

Audition dates are September 12 and 15, 6:30 - 9 pm.

Anyone wishing to auditions should:

*Register for one of the two evenings by emailing info@oddfellows.org or calling (860) 347-6143.

*Arrive on time, dress to move, and be prepared to stay the entire 2.5 hours.

*Open to anyone ages 14 - 20.

*Everyone who auditions and commits to the rehearsal and production schedule will be cast.

Rehearsals begin September 19 and will be Mondays and Thursdays, 6 - 9 pm.

Performance dates are November 10 -12 and 18 - 19.

“Journey to the West” will be directed by Missy Burmeister, a seasoned and visionary theater artist who teaches Theater at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and directs Looking In Theater.

Tuition for Teen Rep is $300. Financial aid or work-study are available for all who need it.

Email info@oddfellows.org to register for one of the two auditions, or call (860) 347-6143 for more information.

Photo attached by Bill De Kine of Ivan Lazaro and Sofia Hurlbert in May, 2022 Teen Repertory Company production of “The Greeks”

Auditions for Teens and Adults for Oliver!

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater and Connecticut Heritage Productions are again joining creative forces this holiday season with a co-production of OLIVER!  the Tony-Award winning musical based on Dicken’s classic novel .  Adult and teens are invited to audition for this up-coming production.

OLIVER!, directed by Peter Lofreddo will feature a multi-generational cast of actors.  As in last year’s A Civil War Christmas, which involved Oddfellows’ Teen Repertory Company and adult actors, actors and the community will reap the rewards of this unique partnership to produce a tremendous musical.  “Oliver contains some of the best known standards in the Broadway show tune canon, ”Consider Yourself at Home”, “Food, Glorious Food,”, “You Can Go but Be Back Soon “and the haunting love ballad, “As Long As He Needs Me.” – Director Peter Lofreddo.

 Classic songs, indelible characters and a rich world will offer an entertaining and engaging show this holiday season, with performances December 5-17, 2013.   This production is being supported in part by the generous donation from John and Mary Murphy.

Auditions will be held at Oddfellows Playhouse from 7pm – 9pm on Monday September 16th and Wednesday September 18th.  Teens and Adults from all backgrounds are encouraged to audition. 

Additionally interested teens are invited to attend a pre-audition workshop at Oddfellows on Wednesday, September 11th.  This is a fantastic opportunity to meet the artistic staff and learn songs, scenes and dances from the show in a fun, introductory session.  There is no fee for the workshop or auditions.

Tuition is charged for the Teen Rep program for students. Pre-registration and scholarship applications are available at Oddfellows.org.

Oddfellows and CHP have joined forces on various projects in the past including Higher Ground: an original play dramatizing the long struggle of African-Americans for freedom and equality, and the Connecticut Valley Student Playwriting Competition.  They approach this production with the goal of bringing together various perspectives and members of the community to explore themes of juvenile justice, historical views of economic inequity and a youth’s search for family.

“Oddfellows and CHP thought this was a great production to approach with a multigenerational cast because of the age range of characters in the play.  There is a lot to learn as an actor when you are portraying a character your own age, rather than someone 20 or 30 years older.  Equally as important is the different point of views that a cast with different life experiences brings to a production.  It is important that we teach our young people different points of view on the world,” said Oddfellows’ Executive Director Matt Pugliese. 

Connecticut Heritage Productions' mission is to inspire, nurture, and sustain an appreciation of the performing arts by entertaining, enlightening, and connecting our audiences to the ever-changing sensibilities of our times. Their work is a collaborative effort of artists, professional staff, board members, and the community.

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

Oddfellows Playhouse Announces 2013-14 Season

Oddfellows Playhouse is pleased to announce its 2013-14 Season for its Junior and Teen Repertory Company.  The first season under the guidance and direction of Artistic Director Kristen Palmer is filled with classics, family musicals and some new endeavors.

The season will begin with the Junior Repertory Company’s of The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet onstage November 14-16, 2013.

Auditions at Oddfellows

Auditions are taking place this week at Oddfellows Playhouse on Tuesday September 18 and Wednesday September 19 from 7:00-9:00pm for the Oddfellows' Teen Repertory Company (Grades 9-12).  Update:  A Civil War Christmas is a multi-generational production - so actors of all ages and ethnicities are encouraged to come out Tuesday and Wednesday to audition specifically for that show.

For auditioning students:
1. Students must be able to attend rehearsals on either Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs beginning the week of September 24.
2. Students should arrive on time and plan to stay for the entire evening.
3. Dress to move.
4. Be prepared to read from the script with others, improvise and have fun!
5. There is no cost to audition.

The Teen Rep will begin with a “historical” piece by John Heimbuch, William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead: A True Account of the Zombie Plague of 1599, takes the stage from November 9-17 at 7:30pm.  This play from the NY Fringe Festival takes place backstage on the opening night of Shakespeare’s Henry V.   Dealing with drama behind the scenes becomes more complicated when an afflicted madman enters the Globe and attacks.  As the affliction spreads through London, the Globe is placed in quarantine and the survivors within must fight for their lives.   This production is being produced by the generous support of Beverley and Tony Bellisio.

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater and Connecticut Heritage Productions are joining creative forces this holiday season with a co-production of A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel.  The play will perform at Oddfellows Playhouse from December 6-15 at 7:30pm.  A Civil War Christmas received its world premiere at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven in 2008.  The play is by Paula Vogel, with music by Daryl Waters.



There are also auditions on Wednesday September 19 from 6:30-8:30pm and Friday September 21from 4-6pm for the ARTFARM/Oddfellows Playhouse circus group - Circophony: A Youth Circus Roadshow for students ages 12 and up.



CIRCOPHONY: A Youth Circus Roadshow
Auditions: Wed., 9/19, 6:30 – 8:30 pm or Friday, 9/21, 4 – 6 pm.
Rehearsals will be Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:15 – 8:45 pm beginning October 1. (No rehearsal Nov. 21. Last pre-Christmas rehearsal Wed., 12/19; January rehearsals M & W 1/7 & 9 plus Jan. 14 – 17)
(Additional rehearsals December 29 & 30 for Middnight on Main performances December 31.)
Show premieres January 18 & 19 at Oddfellows Playhouse.
Tour availability January through June.

To prepare for the audition:
1. Contact ARTFARM (860.346.4390 or info@art-farm.org) to register for one of the two audition dates.
2. Arrive on time and plan on staying for the entire two hours.
3. Prepare a one minute solo showcasing your best skills.
4. Dress to move.
5. Be prepared to dance, improvise, work hard, play nicely with others and have fun.

Auditions for Oddfellows Teen Repertory Company

Oddfellows Playhouse is pleased to announce its Fall 2012 auditions for William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead: a True Account of the 1599 Zombie Plague by John Heimbuch and A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel, with music by Daryl Waters.

The season will begin with a “historical” piece by John Heimbuch, William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead: A True Account of the Zombie Plague of 1599, takes the stage in November.  This play from the NY Fringe Festival takes place backstage on the opening night of Shakespeare’s Henry V.   Dealing with drama behind the scenes becomes more complicated when an afflicted madman enters the Globe and attacks.  As the affliction spreads through London, the Globe is placed in quarantine and the survivors within must fight for their lives.   This production is being produced by the generous support of Beverley and Tony Bellisio.

“This play is fun.  That is what initially drew me to it.  But the genre of horror is a reflection of our society, and it says a great deal about where our fears are today that we have become recently fixated on zombies and the risk of some pandemic outbreak.  During the Elizabethan era, the term “afflicted” was used synonymously for madness, illness or even demonic possession.  This play is about the fear of others,” said Pugliese.

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater and Connecticut Heritage Productions are joining creative forces this holiday season with a co-production of A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel.  The play will perform at Oddfellows Playhouse from December 6-15.  A Civil War Christmas received its world premiere at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven in 2008.  The play is by Paula Vogel, with music by Daryl Waters.  Special funding from the CT Humanities Council helps make this production possible.

“One of Paula Vogel’s original sources of inspiration for writing this play was to create a truly, unique American Christmas production.  So many of our standard holiday cultural pieces are imported from other countries – A Christmas Carol, the Nutcracker and so forth,” said Peter Loffredo, artistic director of Connecticut Heritage Productions. 

The play, directed by Loffedo, will feature a multigenerational cast of actors from the community.  The play is set in Washington, D.C., and along the Potomac during a Christmastime near the end of the Civil War. Vogel weaves together notable historical facts and figures with fictional characters and events to explore the celebration of Christmas and the state of our nation during wartime.

Pre-audition workshops, recommended for student actors, to learn more about the Playhouse, the plays and to sharpen audition skills are held from 7-9pm on Tuesday and Wednesday September 11 and 12. Auditions will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday September 18 and 19 from 7-9pm.  There is no charge to audition.  There is a tuition fee for the Teen Repertory Company.

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, 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 County Community Foundation, Middlesex United Way, the Middletown Commission on the Arts, Middletown YSB, the National Endowment for the Arts, Northern Middlesex Cable Advisory Council, Pratt & Whitney—Middletown, Price Chopper Golub Foundation, the Stare Fund, Stop and Shop Foundation, Thomas J. Atkins Foundation, Triple Frog, LLC and WESU (88.1FM).

Multi-generational Cast to Take the Stage for Holiday Production

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater and Connecticut Heritage Productions are joining creative forces this holiday season with a co-production of A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel.  The play will perform at Oddfellows Playhouse from December 6-15.  A Civil War Christmas received its world premiere at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven in 2008.  The play is by Paula Vogel, with music by Daryl Waters. 

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.

Summer Production Auditions

Oddfellows Playhouse is pleased to announce upcoming auditions for actors of all ages for asummer children’s theater production of Jack and the Beanstalk by Marjorie Sokoloff.   This is a multi-generational production for actors of all ages with a slighty different take on the traditional folktale.  Jack and the Beanstalk tells the story of a young boy with a tough life. He and his mother have no money, no food, a run-down house, and an opera-singing cow that won't give milk. Just as he's about to be sent off to an orphanage, Jack meets a mysterious stranger, who gives him three magic beans, along with an even more mysterious piece of advice that sets Jack climbing up a beanstalk and into the clouds. There, he meets a Giant who would do anything to change places with him. With the help of a wise-cracking hen and a self-absorbed cow, can all of their problems be solved?

There are 10 roles available.  The characters in the show are as follows:
Jack: Male, the main character, needs to be a moderately athletic performer
Jack's Mother: Female, preferably older age range.
Jack's Father/Stranger: Male, preferably older age range.
Cow: Non-gendered, will have to work with a puppet head, needs to have moderate vocal/singing ability.
Albert “the Giant”: Male, might involve some work with stilts or extended false limbs;
Albert's Mother: Female, preferably older age range.
Hen: Male, will have to work with a puppet, must be capable of performing in “stand-up comedy” style.
Voices/Clouds: Non-gendered.

Auditions will be held Thursday June 21st from 6:00-9:00pm and Saturday June 23 from 10:00am-12:00pm at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street in Middletown, CT.   Actors of all ages, genders and ethnicities are encouraged to audition. Performances will take place on Friday mornings at 10:00am on July 27, August 3 and August 10.  Rehearsals will take place at the Playhouse on weekday evenings from 7-10pm and on weekend afternoons according to cast availability.  Auditions will consist of readings from the script.

ARTFARM Taming of the Shrew Auditions

From Dic Wheeler:

ARTFARM will be holding auditions on Sunday, March 15 for this summer's Shakespeare in the Grove production of "The Taming of the Shrew”. Auditions will be held 11 am to 2 pm or 4 pm to 7 pm at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington St. in Middletown . Must be 18 or over to audition, and there is a particular need for experienced male actors. Bring resume, Shakespeare monologue, dress to move and prepare to stay for the entire three hour session. Stipends available for some roles. Equity slots have been filled. To register for one of the audition sessions, or for more information, contact ARTFARM at (860) 346-4390 or info@art-farm.org.