Oregon Children's Theatre Blog

ALICE & WONDERLAND CASTING INFORMATION

Auditions June 5^th and 6^th’

Saturday starting at 10am (2-hour sessions)

Sunday starting at 12pm (2-hour sessions)

Download audition sheet here.

Music Tracks

www.octc.org/downloads/Track_02.mp3

www.octc.org/downloads/Track_06.mp3

Written in 1975 – This show is Rockin’. Reminiscent of HAIR, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, and THE WIZ

Looking for 14 singer/dancer/musicians

ROLES

Alice: Mezzo rock/pop sound – good movement skills

White Rabbit: Baritone-tenor/lead guitar – good movement skills

Caterpillar: Mezzo/bluesy/rock diva

Cheshire Cat: Mezzo/Keyboards

Humpty Dumpty: Baritone – good movement skills

Tweedle Dee: Baritone-tenor – dancer

Tweedle Dum: Baritone-tenor – dancer

Mock Turtle: Baritone-tenor/bluesy/big personality – good movement skills

Mad Hatter: Baritone/wild man – dancer

March Hare: Baritone-tenor/big personality – dancer

Door Mouse: Soprano/big personality – dancer

Chorus - 6 dancer/singers: Looking for gymnastics, Bollywood, contemporary jazz, ballet, and good partnering skills

Bring resume, headshot, 16 bars of music and be ready to move.

Call for an appointment beginning May 3rd   

Over this spring term, a group of journalism students from the University of Oregon has been working with our staff to develop strategies to boost public awareness of all that we do.  Part of their project involves researching and writing new posts for this blog. The following is their first contribution.  Look for more behind-the-scene peeks in coming weeks.

What sets Oregon’s Children Theatre apart?

There is much more to Oregon’s Children Theatre (OCT) than meets the eye. At OCT, not only do we present fully professional performances in world-class venues, we pride ourselves in our contributions to the community we serve. We strive to enhance the theater experience by using the best actors, designers and technical crews. We cater to young audiences to provide age-appropriate, contemporary material, presenting plays with production values that rival those of any other theater company in the region. Oregon’s Children’s Theatre is also recognized nationally based on our work in developing original scripts with acclaimed authors such as Lois Lowry and Louis Sachar.

Beyond our live performances, OCT creates partnerships with schools, teachers and social service agencies, such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Friends of the Children and St. Mary’s Home for Boys, because we believe that every child should have the opportunity to experience the performing arts.  Last season alone, OCT provided nearly 8,500 free and discounted tickets to students and teachers from economically disadvantaged schools to ensure access to students who would otherwise not be able to participate. Also, last season, OCT provided free services to almost 1,500 disadvantaged children through workshops, Acting Academy scholarships and other exclusive events.

To maintain our position as Oregon’s flagship performing arts institution for young audiences, we will continue to commission new scripts, expand partnerships with organizations serving disadvantaged youth to ensure our programs have maximum impact, focus on the highest quality theatre and improve the overall audience experience any way we can. Thank you for your continued support!

At Oregon Children’s Theatre (OCT), we believe that no child should be denied the magic of theater. We work hard to provide services that allow children to experience and engage in theater. In a nutshell, we provide community services, teacher assistance, free or reduced tickets for schools, and acting scholarships – all made possible with the help of donors.

We’re proud to be partners with social service agencies such as Boys & Girls Club, Friends of the Children, and St. Mary’s Home for Boys to give the youth they serve great arts experiences–from seeing our plays to participating in theater games and acting workshops. We give out a lot free tickets to our shows, plus scholarships for children who might not otherwise be able to participate.

Not many people know that we provide teacher assistance to connect our plays to required learning benchmarks for a variety of grade levels and subjects. Teachers take part in free teacher previews and professional development workshops, and they receive resource guides for every play we produce.

Donations also help to provide acting scholarships for 10 to 15 percent of all of the students in our Acting Academy and Young Professionals mentoring program. These scholarships allow children to gain hands-on theater experience, building a foundation of skills, both for the stage and for life.

We cannot make these services available without the help of donors such as yourself. Please call 503.228.9571 or click to make an online donation today. Help us bring theater to Oregon children.

We are incredibly proud to be premiering Louis Sachar’s “Small Steps,” currently showing in the Winningstad Theatre until May 16, 2010. “Small Steps” is a sequel to Sachar’s Newbery Award-winning “Holes,” and was commissioned by OCT for this world premiere.

When you read a book or see a movie or play, do you ever wonder what might happen to the characters after the story ends?  X-Ray and Armpit, two of the characters from “Holes,” become the central figures in “Small Steps,” which takes place after their release from the notorious Camp Green Lake. Armpit’s goal after being released fis to take small steps: 1) Graduate from high school; 2) Get a job; 3) Save some money; 4) Avoid situations that might be dangerous; 5) Lose the nickname Armpit.  Armpit’s life intersects with a young pop sensation, Kaira DeLeon, but X-Ray, has a moneymaking scheme that could derail all of his dreams. Can Armpit follow the small steps that will lead him to success?

Sachar’s tale focuses on three main characters: Armpit, played by Johnny Crawford; Ginny played by Annabel Cantor; and Kaira DeLeon played by Ellora Vilkin.  Four of the young actors in our production are members of the OCT Young Professionals program, and we could not be more proud of their work.

Our production of “Small Steps” includes several songs written to accompany lyrics Louis Sachar wrote for the book. According to Bob Hicks review of “Small Steps” in the Oregonian, “Small Steps wouldn’t be the success it is without the sharp, polished songs by composer Karl Mansfield, a top theatrical conductor and keyboardist.”  Ellora is an amazing singer, and is truly believable as a pop star.  Click here to watch a video about the making of the music.

“Small Steps” show times are Saturdays (May 8th and 15th) at 2 and 5 pm, and Sundays (May 9th and May 16th) at 2 pm. Ticket prices range from $16-$24 and the show is 75 minutes with no intermission. OCT recommends this play for families with children ages 8 and up, though younger children have been enjoying it as well. You can order by phone and avoid many service fees by calling our box office during weekday hours: 503-228-9571.  Our staff is happy to help you select the best seats. You can also click here to purchase your tickets online right now.

SMALL STEPS STAGED READING
Fertile Ground: A City-wide Festival of New Works
Festival Performance Date(s): Jan 22 at 2:00 pm
Venue: Madison High School Library (2735 NE 82nd Ave)
Single Tickets: FREE Reserved seats at 503-228-9571
Flash Your GrOw Button and Save: FREE

Visit the Fertile Ground website here.

OCT’s Young Professionals Present: Impulse! “On the Spot Comedy”
Join the Young Professional improvisation troupe for spontaneous laughter!

3 shows only: January 15-17
Friday @ 7pm, Saturday & Sunday @ 2pm.
At the Galleria location in the YP Studio Theater.
Tickets are only $5-$10.
Seating is very limited, so call now to reserve your seats.
503-228-9571