New play opens at Oddfellows --talkback Saturday!

The Oddfellows Playhouse Teen Repertory Company is premiering a new, ensemble-created play with music tonight. Between You and Me represents the authentic voices of over a dozen teenagers working with Playhouse Artistic Director Dic Wheeler and State Troubadour Nekita Waller. The performance at 7:30 pm tonight is a "Pay-What-You-can" Preview.

Performances continue May 17 -18 & 24-25 at 7:30 pm. The May 18 performance of Between You and Me will be followed by a Talkback with the cast and staff. The Talkback will be moderated by Felicia Goodwine, Program Manager for the CT STRONG program at the Community Health Center in Middletown.

The play was created over an extended series of teen workshops this winter led by Wheeler and  Waller. Workshop participants identified issues that were of the greatest importance to them and used writing, movement, improvisation, interviewing and song writing to generate original performance material engaging these issues. The performance which has developed from this process explores issues of identity, acceptance, anxiety, choices and social justice. It will be performed by a cast of nine young people ages 14 – 20 with a three piece live band.

Director Wheeler describes the play as “an emotional journey through the lives of contemporary teenagers”. The talkback will be an opportunity for audience members to engage with the cast and collectively process their responses to the piece. The Talkback will take place immediately after the May 18 performance, which starts at 7:30 pm and will last about one hour. The Talkback itself is expected to last about 30-40 minutes.

Felicia Goodwine works with young adults ages 16-25 to help support them with their goals as well as case management, basic needs, mental health, educational planning, employment skills, and social opportunities. Felicia has been in the behavioral health field for 14 years and is also a Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She received the award for Best Prevention Program in Middlesex County from the Middletown Substance Abuse Prevention Council in 2015. Felicia is an advocate and champion for young people especially those in Middletown. 

Between You and Me will be performed 5 times between May 16 and 25. This unique exploration of contemporary teen life and issues will be presented at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street in Middletown, May 16 – 18 and 24 -25. All performances are at 7:30 pm. Only the May 18 performance will feature a post-show Talkback.

The Playhouse was supported by a grant from the Connecticut Office of the Arts to bring Waller and Wheeler together for this project. Wheeler is directing the production, and Waller is the Musical Director. The creative team includes Band Director Bryan Titus, Assistant Director Cecilia Kurachi-Ubé, Scenic Designer Kate Ten Eyck, Costume Designer Christian Milik, Lighting Designer Jon-Paul LaRocco, and Properties Designer Pamela Lang. Band members include Mick Bolduc on Guitar, Phil Faraci on keyboard, and Tim Gaylord on drums and percussion.

The play addresses mature issues of teen life and is recommended for ages ten and up.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for kids and students. Thursday, May 16 is a “Pay-what-you-Can” Preview.

In addition to the CT Department of Economic and Community Development/Office of the Arts, this production is supported by the Middletown Commission on the Arts, Middletown Youth Services Bureau, State of CT Judicial Branch, The Fund for Greater Hartford, the Stare Family Fund, and the Community Development Block Grant Program.

Oddfellows Playhouse is a non-profit youth theater, founded in 1975, which promotes the growth of young people – in skills, knowledge and self-confidence – through the performing arts. The Playhouse is Connecticut’s oldest and largest theater program for young people, and maintains an ongoing commitment to making high-quality arts experiences available to all young people.

For tickets, or more information, contact Oddfellows Playhouse at (860) 347-6143 or www.oddfellows.org.