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”

Oddfellows Playhouse Open House

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, September 10th, 2022 from 12:00 to 3:00pm. Families, kids, volunteers and artists will have the opportunity to tour the Playhouse, meet the staff and get a hands-on sense of the kind of things that we do. Learn about opportunities this year for kids, teenagers and adults alike. Find out how you can get involved at Oddfellows this fall! The Playhouse is located at 128 Washington Street in Middletown. 

Oddfellows Playhouse is Connecticut’s oldest and largest performing arts program. Since 1975, Oddfellows has offered young people throughout central Connecticut access to high-quality performing arts education and performances. Financial aid is available to families that are not available to afford tuition.

Registration is now open for our 48th season, which begins September 17th. Our fall programming offers age-appropriate training in theater, dance, circus, music and visual art for ages 3 - 20. Programs for younger students focus on skill building and fun. Teenagers can find challenge, inspiration and community in Circophony Teen Circus or the Teen Repertory Company. Adults of all ages are encouraged to join the fun at the Playhouse as volunteers - opportunities include everything from helping with box office or ushering for performances, assisting in classes, painting sets, or volunteering in the Oddfellows office.

For more information: call (860) 347-6143, email info@oddfellows.org or visit us at oddfellows.org.

Oddfellows programs are made possible with support from the Middletown Commission on the Arts; Connecticut Office of the Arts/DECD; City of Middletown; The Fund for Greater Hartford; American Savings Foundation; State of Connecticut Judicial Branch (Youth Violence Prevention); Middletown Youth Services Bureau; Community Foundation of Middlesex County; Middletown Health Department; Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation; Thomas J. Atkins Memorial Trust Fund; Middlesex United Way; CHEFA Cultural Relief Grant; New England Foundation for the Arts/New England Arts Resilience Fund; George & Grace Long Foundation; and many generous individual donors.

Oddfellows Playhouse presents Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

 

Oddfellows Playhouse is bringing in-person theater back to central Connecticut! Get tickets here.

The Teen Repertory Company will be performing Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, by Anna Deavere Smith

Twilight is a powerful piece of documentary theater exploring the riots following the acquittal of the police officers charged in the beating of Rodney King. Originally performed as a one-woman show by author Deavere-Smith, the play features over 20 characters representing many perspectives on the incident - including Rodney King’s aunt, Korean grocery store owners, LA Police Chief Daryl Gates, gang members, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, truck driver Reginald Denny, the leader of the Black Panther Party, and others. The play remains relevant today -- the two weekend run will coincide with the one year anniversary of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Oddfellows Executive Artistic Director Dic Wheeler, who is directing the production, says “This has been an amazing piece to work on right now, especially with our very diverse cast and production team. Watching the trial of Derek Chauvin unfold while immersing ourselves in the story of Rodney King has been powerful and painful for everyone; we’re all in the journey, and we’re aiming to bring ourselves and the audience to a place of Hope and Justice at this moment in history”.

Choreography for the production is by Felicia Goodwine; Vocal Director/Assistant Director is Diamond Wynn; Costume Designer is Vijor McCray; Properties Designer Pamela Lang; Sound Designer Rowan Trowbridge-Wheeler; Stage Manager Jen Rankin; and Sound Engineering by Thunder and Lighting.

Tickets for this production are $15 for adults and $8 for students. “Big Heart” tickets for $25 are available for anyone wanting to support Oddfellows’ work with young people, the arts and social justice.

Dates: May 20th - 22nd & May 28th -29th

Time: 6 pm - 745 pm

Location: Salvation Army's Rear Parking lot, 515 Main St, Middletown, CT

Get your tickets today!

***The production contains mature material and strong language and is not recommended for small children.

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 is made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. Additional support is provided by the Middletown Commission on the Arts; Connecticut Office of the Arts/DECD; The Fund for Greater Hartford; American Savings Foundation; State of Connecticut Judicial Branch (Youth Violence Prevention); Middletown Youth Services Bureau; Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation; Thomas J. Atkins Memorial Trust Fund; Middlesex United Way; CHEFA Cultural Relief Grant; New England Foundation for the Arts/New England Arts Resilience Fund; George & Grace Long Foundation; and many generous individual donors.

Great Make Believe Society Welcomes New Year with First Show of the Year

The Great Make Believe Society is proud to host our monthly improv show full of spontaneity and light-hearted fun! Join us for a night of laughs you will feel in your gut the next morning.

Special Guests: One Night Stand - this group was formed by Ellen Ornato to perform one-time at a fundraiser for the Mt Laurel Ski Club in late January. Come support Ellen Ornato, Jenny Drescher, Nate Gagnon, Karyn Burns and Christopher Polack as they perform together for the first time as One Night Stand.

The Great Make Believe Society is Ashley Hamel, Joseph Hart, Ben Lewis, Kate Samberg, Katie Perzanowski, Christopher Polack, Christopher Dube, Nate Gagnon, and Brian Quagan.

When: Sunday, January 5th. 7:00pm
Where: The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center
605 Main Street, Middletown, CT
Cost: $5 donation to TBT


Parking: Unmetered parking on Main Street, at It's Only Natural Market and at municipal lot one block south of The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center.

Oddfellows Playhouse Teen Rep Production

She Kills Monsters: A New Play for New Audiences

Oddfellows Playhouse, one of Connecticut’s premier youth theaters, is proud to present She Kills Monsters, a new play by Qui Nguyen.

Inspired by the classic game Dungeons and Dragons, the play tells the story of Agnes Evans, a popular high school cheerleader. Agnes’s younger sister Tilly is her opposite and a total embarrassment – a geeky, shy, awkward girl. When Tilly dies suddenly in a car accident, Agnes’s only tie to the sister she barely knew is a role-playing adventure game that Tilly had created herself. Agnes enters her sister’s fantasy world and learns about who her sister was – while fighting off the monsters, real and imaginary, that plagued Tilly’s short life.

 “Qui Nguyen has written a contemporary high school play – timely, theatrical, and super fun with an emotional heft that sneaks up on you,” says Kristen Palmer, the show’s director.

“The themes of loss, acceptance, questioning sexual identity, and escapism contained in this play make it a great jumping-off point for wider conversation and reflection on issues young people face every day.”

Palmer adds that the play isn’t only for the youth, though. “Teens, their parents, young adults and anyone who has ever sought refuge and meaning in a book, video game, or film will connect to this original story.”

Don’t miss the chance to see Oddfellows’ talented Teen Repertory Company bring this unique coming-of-age play to life.

Performance Dates: March 20, 21, 22 at 7:30pm and March 23 at 2pm

                                       ** Recommended for ages 12 and up **

Location: Oddfellows Playhouse 

               128 Washington St. 

               Middletown, CT 06457

Tickets: $18 for adults and $10 for seniors and students

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE or call 860.347.6143

Spring 2014 Registration for Theater Classes and Productions at Oddfellows Playhouse is OPEN!!

Exciting new theater arts classes and productions are being offered for children and youth ages 4 - 11!  

Registration is now open for Spring Classes and Productions at Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theatre.

Kids can explore their creative side, become confident in public speaking and enjoy working as a team while experiencing the arts through classes in acting and creative dramatics.  This spring there are several unique opportunities.

●       PRODUCTION CLASS: FOR FEET’S SAKE. An Oddfellows First! The Kids Company, for children 8-11 year olds, will take the main stage with this original, wild take on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid. Young actors will work together, learn rehearsal skills, choreography, and songs as they gain acting experience on-stage and off. All registered students will be cast in the show.  Attendance is VERY important, and additional rehearsals may be called as show time approaches. Performances will be on May 16^th at 7pm and May 17^th at 2pm.

●       Theater Classes for ages 4-7 develop self-confidence and build communication skills in a positive growth environment.

 

All classes at the Playhouse are taught by professional artists dedicated to arts education.  Each session culminates in a sharing for families and friends!

Details and registration is available at www.oddfellows.org

Spring classes start the week of March 17^th and end the week of May 12^th

All classes take place at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street, Middletown.

About us:

Oddfellows Playhouse was founded in 1975 as a community-based, multicultural theater program designed to include children from all backgrounds. Oddfellows remains Connecticut’s largest and most active year-round youth theater, an independent, not-for-profit organization that annually serves over 1,200 young people.  The mission is “ to build essential life skills through the performing arts.”

In 2013 Oddfellows Playhouse was named “Connecticut’s Best Children’s Theatre by Connecticut Magazine.  In 2012 Oddfellows was awarded its very first National Endowment for the Arts award for the Our Town grant. In 2003, Citizens Bank named Oddfellows Playhouse its Community Champion for youth services, and CPTV featured the Playhouse and its program on a special titled art.culture.life. In 1999, the Playhouse received a Community Service Award from the Middlesex County NAACP in recognition of its years of commitment to young people, particularly those challenged by poverty.  The New England Theatre Conference recognized the Playhouse’s history of quality performing arts and youth education with an Award of Excellence in 1998.

The Playhouse has produced over 350 shows, including classics, contemporary and world premieres.

For more information contact:  Kristen Palmer at (860) 347-6143 ext. 103 or Kristen@oddfellows.org.

ODDFELLOWS PLAYHOUSE SEEKING YOUNG ACTORS for 2014 Productions!

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theatre will produce two Connecticut original productions this Spring with actors in grades 6 - 12 through the Teen Rep and Jr. Rep Companies.

The Teen Rep Company is seeking actors ages 14 - 20 for the Connecticut premiere production of  SHE KILLS MONSTERS by Qui Nguyen.  It will be directed by Kristen Palmer.

The show switches between fantasy and reality as his edgy teen focused play tells a story of loss, family, identity and acceptance – in an exciting comic book style.  When Tilly dies suddenly in a car accident her older sister Agnes’s only connection to her is a role playing adventure Tilly left behind. Agnes enters her sister’s fantasy world and learns about who her sister was – while fighting off the real and imagined monsters that plagued Tilly’s short life.

Young Actors will thrive in this show as they develop their acting skills and are part of an ensemble Teen Rep Production project. There will be opportunities for stage combat, choreography, puppetry and creating stage effects.

All interested teens are invited to attend an open workshop to learn more about the script and ensemble at Oddfellows Playhouse on January 6th or 8th from 6-8pm.  Rehearsals start January 13th and will be held every Monday and Wednesday nights from 6 - 8:30pm.

Performances: March 20-23^rd

Tuition: $300.  Financial Aid, Scholarships and Work-Study Available. 

The Jr. Rep Company seeks actors in grades 6 – 8.   This show will also feature a first ever east coast musical production.  The Connecticut premiere production of BUCCANEERS by Liz Duffy Adams will be directed by Lorra Webb.

Young Enid Arabella longs for adventure and escape from her family’s poverty. She runs away and is captured by a pirate king and his crew of kidnapped children. She summons her courage and wits to lead a mutiny and overthrow their oppressor – only to find herself in charge of a crew as fractious as the seas.

This new musical, premiered in 2012, is an exciting performance opportunity for young actors to sing, dance, act and be a part of an ensemble that values their voices and talents at any stage of development. Led by long-time Jr. Rep director Lorra Webb this musical presents great messages about leadership, empowerment and family.

Rehearsals begin January 14th and are held every Tuesday & Thursday, 4:30-6:30pm until the Performances on April 3, 4 and 5th.

Tuition is $300.  Scholarship and Financial Aid are available.

All actors will have a role in the production.  Oddfellows has been producing plays with young people for over 38 years.  The cadre of directors and designers are professional artists with a commitment to young people’s personal growth and artistic development.

To register, or for more information on how to get involved go to oddfellows.org or contact Artistic Director, Kristen Palmer at 860 347 6143, ext. 103.

About us:

Oddfellows Playhouse was founded in 1975 as a community-based, multicultural theater program designed to include children from all backgrounds. Oddfellows remains Connecticut’s largest and most active year-round youth theater, an independent, not-for-profit organization that annually serves over 1,200 young people.  The mission is “ to build essential life skills through the performing arts.”
In 2013 Oddfellows Playhouse was named “Connecticut’s Best Children’s Theatre by Connecticut Magazine.  In 2012 Oddfellows was awarded its very first National Endowment for the Arts award for the Our Town grant. In 2003, Citizens Bank named Oddfellows Playhouse its Community Champion for youth services, and CPTV featured the Playhouse and its program on a special titled art.culture.life. In 1999, the Playhouse received a Community Service Award from the Middlesex County NAACP in recognition of its years of commitment to young people, particularly those challenged by poverty.  The New England Theatre Conference recognized the Playhouse’s history of quality performing arts and youth education with an Award of Excellence in 1998.
The Playhouse has produced over 350 shows, including classics, contemporary and world premieres.

For more information contact:  Kristen Palmer at (860) 347-6143 ext. 103 or Kristen@oddfellows.org.

Fall Classes Starting at Connecticut's Best Children's Theater

Oddfellows Playhouse Fall 2013 Theater classes start Oct 14th!. 

The Fall Session runs for 8 weeks, with programs beginning the week of October 14 and concluding the week of December 9.  There are no classes held the week of Thanksgiving.

Fall Theater Class Registration is Open

Oddfellows Playhouse is pleased to announce its Fall 2013 Programming.  The youth theater, which provides afterschool and weekend theatrical programming, is excited to unveil its programmatic offerings under the guidance and direction of Artistic Director Kristen Palmer.  Oddfellows’ programs use theatre as a vehicle to build essential life skills, while exploring highly educational and creative themes and plays.

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.

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.

Oddfellows Playhouse Names New Artistic Director

The Board of Directors at Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater are delighted to announce that Kristen Palmer has been named the theater’s new Artistic Director, joining Executive Director Matthew J. Pugliese in steering the 38 year old youth arts organization.  

 “We are glad to welcome Kristen to Oddfellows, into this important role.  We share a vision for extending the theater arts to young people and underserved audiences, and I’m excited to begin working with Kristen to develop Oddfellows’ presence in our community”, said Executive Director Matt Pugliese.  

 Kristen Palmer brings with her twenty years of theater making and educational experience to Oddfellows Playhouse.

“I am tremendously excited and honored to begin as Artistic Director of Oddfellows Theatre. This youth theatre has expanded and contributed to so many lives over the years and engaged young people and adults in the art and practice of theatre. I strive to create highly aesthetic, richly engaging experiences and with Oddfellows I am joining an organization with a matching commitment to theatre and to the community”, said Palmer.  

While a member of Printer’s Devil Theater in Seattle, Palmer produced, directed and wrote new works.  In New York City she took part in the Women’s Project Theatre Lab, the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab and the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program and continues to be an associate artist of New Georges.  Kristen received a Jerome Fellowship at the Playwrights’ Center of Minneapolis, a Connecticut State Individual Artist Grant from the Commission of Culture and Tourism and was Playwright-in-Residence at the William Inge Center for the Arts.  She has designed and implemented arts programs engaging students in their own creative processes with Dreamyard Drama Project, Brooklyn Free School, the Creative Arts Team, and many other organizations throughout the country.  She has developed and led arts education programs and directed productions with early childhood through college students, special needs populations, English language learners, incarcerated youth and underserved communities in the South Bronx, Brooklyn and D.C. 

Kristen received her Bachelors from Bretton Hall in Yorkshire, England studying Dramatic Arts with a focus on creating original work and using drama in community and educational contexts.  She holds an MA from NYU in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study with concentrations in education and theatre and an MFA from Hunter College in Playwriting where she studied under Tina Howe. Her plays have been produced and developed throughout the country.

“We’re delighted to have Kristen with us. Her combination of skills as an arts educator, playwright, and director are perfect for Oddfellows,” said Board of Directors chair, Elizabeth Bobrick. “we are looking forward to having her take her place in the community.

Comedy, Drama - All in One Evening

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater's 
Teen Repertory Company presents

Nightmares & Streetscapes:

An Evening of One-Act Student Directed Plays

The Actor's Nightmare by Christopher Durang

Friday May 3
Saturday May 4
Thursday May 9
Friday May 10
Saturday May 11

All performances at 7:30pm

Call 860-347-6143 for tickets or purchase online.

Pillow Talk by Peter Tolan

Luis Serazo in The Zoo Story by Edward Albee

“Nightmares & Streetscapes: An Evening of One Act Plays”

Oddfellows Playhouse’s Teen Repertory Company
presents Nightmares & Streetscapes: An Evening of One Act Plays

Middletown, Conn. –  Oddfellows Playhouse’s Teen Repertory Company will present Nightmares & Streetscapes: An Evening of One Act Plays.   The evening features comedies and dramas by Edward Albee, Christopher Durang, Eric Lane and Peter Tolan and runs May 3-4, 9-11 at 7:30pm.

The evening consists of four student directed one-act plays, including the dark comedies “The Actor’s Nightmare” by Christopher Durang, “Dancing on Checker’s Grave” by Eric Lane and the light hearted “Pillow Talk” by Peter Tolan.  The evening is appropriate for high school students and older, with some of the plays touching on mature themes and humor.  The project is the first time in several years that members of the Teen Repertory Company have had the opportunity to direct.  The process has been guided by director Ken O’Brien.

The Teen Repertory Company is comprised of students in grades 9-12, from 10 different towns throughout central Connecticut.  The Teen Repertory Company brings to life challenging and fun theatrical productions appropriate for audiences of all ages.  

The production runs Friday and Saturday May 3 and 4, 2013 and Thursday through Saturday May 9-11.  All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are $15 for Adults and $8 for Students/Seniors.  Anyone brining a canned food item for Amazing Grace Food Pantry will receive a $2 discount on their ticket.  Tickets are available online at www.oddfellows.org or by calling 860-347-6143.  

The production is made possible by major support from CT State Department of Education, Middlesex United Way, The Stare Fund, Pratt & Whitney, the Middletown Commission on the Arts and Daphne Sebolt Culpeper Foundation.   Media support is provided by WESU 88.1FM.

Oddfellows Playhouse and MARC: Community Resources Announce New Programmatic Partnership

 Oddfellows Playhouse and MARC: Community Resources are embarking on a new programmatic effort providing weekly theater arts training to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Oddfellows will provide instruction for MARC’s consumers in many theatrical skills, including Beginning Acting, Mask Theater, and Comedy and Improvisation.  The arts training will build important skills for consumers to use outside of the theater.  They will develop collaborative ensemble skills, become more comfortable with public speaking, learn to better communicate ideas, and express their imaginations and emotions. 

GMBS Improv at Buttonwood tonight

The Great Make Believe Society is having a secret show tonight at the Buttonwood Tree at 7PM.

We will be previewing our latest improv show call "It's a Date!" We're preparing for our big show at Oddfellows Playhouse on Friday April 19th.

So if you can get out tonight and some see our show, we'd love to see you.

Admission: $5 donation to Buttonwood Tree

Alice Threw the Looking Glass Opens Tonight

 The Oddfellows Playhouse Junior Repertory Company

presents

Alice Threw the Looking Glass
A Parody of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style
A Comedy by John Walch
Thursday April 4 - 7:30pm
Friday April 5 - 7:30pm
Saturday April 6 - 7:30pm


Adults $15
Students & Seniors $8
Bring a nonperishable food item for Amazing Grace Food Pantry and receive $2 off on your ticket.
Call 860-347-6143 to make a reservation or purchase tickets online.

First-year college student Alice is in serious danger of failing her English course when she follows her composition paper into the trash -- and ends up in a hallucinatory world where the rules of grammar are turned upside-down.  If she wants to pass, she'll need to deal with gunslinging run-on sentences, thugs hawking colloquialisms, fearsome Modifier Leeches, and more.  Inspired by Lewis Carroll and parodying the grammar and writing style bible The Elements of Style by Strunk & White, this witty comedy explores the fantasy world of language.

Alice Threw the Looking Glass - It's Not a Typo

Oddfellows Playhouse’s Junior Repertory Company will present Alice Threw The Looking Glass: A Parody of Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style by John Walch.  The comedic combination of the world of Alice in Wonderland and grammar rules will run April 4-6 at 7:30pm. 

First-year college student Alice is in serious danger of failing her English course when she follows her composition paper into the trash -- and ends up in a hallucinatory world where the rules of grammar are turned upside-down.  If she wants to pass, she'll need to deal with gunslinging run-on sentences, thugs hawking colloquialisms, fearsome Modifier Leeches, and more.  Inspired by Lewis Carroll and parodying the grammar and writing style bible The Elements of Style by Strunk & White, this witty comedy explores the fantasy world of language in all its grotesque mutations.

The Junior Repertory Company is comprised of students in grades 5-8, from 10 different towns throughout central Connecticut.  The Junior Repertory company brings to life challenging and fun theatrical productions appropriate for audiences of all ages. 

The production runs Thursday thru Saturday, April 4 through April 6.  All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are $15 for Adults and $8 for Students/Seniors.  Anyone bringing a canned food item for Amazing Grace Food Pantry will receive a $2 discount on their ticket.  Tickets are available online at www.oddfellows.org or by calling 860-347-6143. 

The production is made possible by major support from CT State Department of Education, Middlesex United Way, The Stare Fund, Pratt & Whitney, the Middletown Commission on the Arts and Daphne Sebolt Culpeper Foundation.   Media support is provided by WESU 88.1FM. 

Creating Something Out of Nothing

The following is the opinion Matt Pugliese, Executive Director at Oddfellows Playhouse

There are many skills and benefits that children receive from involvement at Oddfellows Playhouse and in theater arts programs.  Creativity and imagination are some of the first benefits people list when talking about the value of a theater arts education and experiences.

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to appear on WNPR’s Where We Live with John Dankosky to discuss the topic of creativity.  The discussion between panelists Constanza Gowen-Segovia (CO LAB), Louise Loomis, Ed.D (Thinkwell Center) and the Watkinson School Creative Arts Program students has really stuck with me. (Listen here) It was a broad, wide ranging discussion and we only began to touch the subject of creativity.

I have been thinking a great deal about creativity in the wake of our conversation, and how to re-frame what it is that we do at Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater. In particular, I’ve been considering the way society values creativity.  It is very much in the forefront  of our current economic environment to talk about the new economy, and the importance of innovation.  "Innovate" is simply another way of saying "create".  So, if we are going to prepare our young people to be innovative, we need to build their creativity. 

Creativity is something that you need to practice.  As with any skill, one needs to work to develop and refine creativity.  That is one of the  benefits of continued involvement at Oddfellows Playhouse and in theater.  It is an opportunity for a young person to have their creativity exercised.  Just as students go to sports and music practices, creativity and imagination need to be exercised and pushed to the limit. 

All of the “creating” that goes on in each rehearsal comes with other benefits as well.  Students become quick thinkers, they improvise and they learn to work through scenarios in advance and feel prepared when something unexpected happens.  This helps them learn to handle the anxiety that comes along with so many aspects of life—such as a school project, a business presentation, speaking in front of colleagues or sharing an original idea. 

Oddfellows’ spring session begins the week of April 1, and is full of opportunities for children ages 3-18 to exercise their creativity.  The youngest students in Pre-K, Kindergarten and Grade 1 have classes that are designed to get them used to using their creativity and sharing it with their peers.  Think of it like riding a tricycle, then a bicycle with training wheels.  Students in Story Starters (grades 2-3) can create a Mini-Production based on the West African folktale of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters.  Not only are they creating characters and story, but they are considering a “Cinderella” tale from a different cultural point of view.   The Kids Company (grades 4-5) can explore Fundamentals of Musical Theater and Comedy and Improv.  Junior Rep (grades 6-8) can give their imaginations a serious workout with How To Deliver a Monologue and Intro to Playwrighting.  Our Teen Rep (grades 9-12) also has an opportunity to discover their unique voice with Intro to Playwrighting and Intro to Directing classes.  Complete class descriptions and information can be found at www.oddfellows.org .  Registration is available online or by calling 860-347-6143. 

Spring Theater Classes Enrolling at Oddfellows

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater is pleased to announce its Spring 2013 Session will begin the week of April 1.  Oddfellows’ programs use theatre as a vehicle to build essential life skills, while exploring highly educational and artistic themes and plays.  There are a variety of performance options and technique based classes for students ages 3-18.