An Update about our upcoming season
As we close out our first in-person season since 2019, we are preparing for some big news and changes at Oregon Children’s Theatre. But we need your help, so please read on to the end.
First, we are thrilled that our new Producing Artistic Director, Jenn Hartmann Luck, has arrived and she’s dove headfirst into the real work of supporting the youth and families of Portland through artistic excellence. As a longtime fan of OCT’s work and the legacy of Stan Foote—including the inspiring adaptation of The Giver he ushered to life—having Jenn step into this role right now feels particularly poignant.
Next, let’s celebrate some highlights of this past season! We produced three Mainstage productions, welcoming over 7,000 families and 50,000 field trip students back into the theatre. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for coming out to support our artists, hear fantastical stories, and spend important time with the young people in your lives.
Now in its 21st year, our award-winning Young Professionals Company wrapped another season of professional training and workshops, presented three shows, resumed their annual trip to Ashland, and learned invaluable life skills, all under the guidance of our own Dani Baldwin. But don’t take our word for it—hear it from graduating senior Emma Fonseca Halverson, who will be studying Theatre and Ethnic Studies at Reed College this fall: “The YP Company has been one of the best, most life-changing experiences I have ever been a part of and has completely shaped the trajectory of my life. It gave me the opportunity to work in professional comedy, something I never thought of myself—a woman of color—doing. Now, my goal is to start a nonprofit theatre education program aimed at serving the Hispanic community I grew up in.”
Lastly, OCT classes and camps continued in three locations across the metro area, serving over 1,000 youth, and another 400 (so far!) this summer. Led by OCT student-turned-performer-turned-Education Director Blake Wales, who has been a part of OCT since he was just 9 years old, our classes continue to help children develop strong life skills such as self-awareness, empathy, teamwork, and creativity.
But, like many arts organizations across the country, one year of successful programming has not been enough to compensate for all OCT’s pandemic-related losses: sharp decline in revenue, hesitant audiences, the nationwide elimination of Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program (which financially supported OCT’s in-school services for over 15 years), staffing and leadership changes, the loss and destruction of our previous headquarters and black box theatre on NE Sandy Blvd., and rising costs in our field to produce high-quality performances. Therefore, we are taking this critical moment for OCT to pause our Mainstage programming for the fall of 2023. With full support of OCT’s Board of Directors, Board Chair Dre Slaman affirms that “While trying to maintain status quo might be the easiest route, this brief pause will allow us to be thoughtful and intentional about what comes next and evaluate the steps to get there, both artistically and financially, with the aim of coming back stronger than ever at the beginning of 2024. The Board is confident in Jenn’s vision and leadership that will take OCT to the next level in 2024 and beyond, in partnership with the support of our community and stakeholders.”
All that said, we’re still here providing essential programming for Portland area youth!
The YP Company will continue to produce impactful shows for teens and adults, opening this fall with Spider, a brand-new work commissioned by the YPs and written by Madeleine Adriance, a former YP and student at Brown University that explores school shootings and their effects on teen mental health.
Our acclaimed classes and summer camps continue at The Hanna Building and at Multnomah Arts Center. If you haven’t signed up yet, do so NOW—camps are underway and many are selling out!
We are offering new in-school programs beginning this fall, including Be YourSELF, an elementary school program focused on social-emotional learning, and I am… Me!, a high school program focused on self-awareness, diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. OCT was one of only 14 organizations across Oregon to receive funding from the Oregon Department of Education to do this important work.
Here’s where you come in. In a typical full season, ticket sales only cover about 25% of our operating budget, so during this shortened season, we will need the support of foundations, donors, and our community more than ever. Like the very youth we serve, the two of us grew up as theatre kids and we understand the immediate dangers young people face growing up without access to the arts. If you agree that theatre is not just a hobby, but a creative expression that can be life-changing, life-affirming and life-saving, please give what you can today to help ensure OCT’s future tomorrow.
For the youth,
Jenn Hartmann Luck
Producing Artistic Director
Michael Hammerstrom,
Director of Marketing & Development