OKTC STAGEDOOR, APRIL 2010

As you read this, 3 of our 11 shows in this 2010 season are already part of our history.

 A Midsummer Night’s Dream became an actual dream on Sunday night, and both Sleeping Beauty and Bridge to Terabithia concluded at the end of March Break. It would certainly be a shame if you all didn’t see at least one of these, as each one had its own individual highlights.

Sleeping Beauty was highly colourful in costuming and used black light to delightful effect.

Terabithia was characterized by deeply felt acting, and imaginative use of visual projections.

Midsummer showed our OK’s playing with style and character in a classical comedy, that left audiences with a warm feeling.

Together, all three were remarkable for their stunningly beautiful costuming, apt properties and sets, expert artistic leadership, and committed casts of Original Kids, who showed that the team was more important than the individual.

You  OK Volunteers who created so many beautiful things and who managed so much behind the scenes deserve to smile and feel artistic satisfaction. You really pulled out the stops on these 3 shows.

If you didn’t get around to seeing any of these shows, then I challenge you to “get your motor runnin’, get out on the highway!”! To maintain our health as we approach the 20^th Anniversary Season of Original Kids, we need involvement. As one of the only true North American Youth Theatre Companies running a full playbill of productions, we generate success both economic and spiritual when our own Company, families and friends support our efforts. And you’ll find that it is worth it.

I’ve been around pretty well all of those 20 years, and I know. These kids, these productions, are OURS. I just spent a week in New York with OKTC, enjoying 11 productions from Off-Broadway experimental theatre to Broadway smash hits. The day after return, I was off to the Wolf Hall to see 2 OK shows. I swear I teared up time and again as I watched these shows, not because they made me sad, but because I loved watching our own kids learning doing and achieving on the stage. That feeling I get when I watch our kids (maybe more now like my grandkids, really!) is perhaps the greatest gift that a life in theatre has given me, and I’d love all of you to do what you need to do to feel that too. Start where I’m able to start: think of ALL the Original Kids as your children.  Then it doesn’t have all that much to do with how brilliant the production happens to be, or who is playing a bigger role and who a smaller. I’m not even completely sure what it is, but I think maybe it is being in a dark room with others like me,  watching and rooting for our own children down there in the light, trying to create something beautiful together before the lights go out. Life in the Theatre.

WHEN ARE YOUR NEXT CHANCES?

The Selfish Giant, based on the sensitive and resonant story by the great Irish writer, Oscar Wilde, runs from Apr. 9 to 11. This lovely little musical paints a valuable, inspiring message for life. Inspiration!

Spring Mystery Madness (Apr. 16 to 18), written by Harry Edison expressly for this cast, is a Scooby-Doo-type mystery set right in the Spriet theatre. Fun!

Jerry’s Girls (Apr. 22 to 25) is a fizzy musical revue based on the great songs foom the musicals of Jerry Herman, such shows as Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage Aux Folles. This is Broadway on the Spriet stage. Pizzazz!

Anne of Green Gables (Apr. 28 to May 2) is the same famous musical that has run at the Charlottetown Festival for decades, and is the greatest stage version of Montgomery’s masterpiece- by far. Our first production of this show was SOLD OUT! Charm!

You can get fully informed on details for these shows on www.oktc.ca and  purchasing tickets right on there.

Another excellent plus about seeing a show other than the one your own kid is in is that you can see it together as a family-with your kid. You can make theatre-going one of the good things your family does together. And you all receive the benefits of supporting your own Company!

FOR EASY TICKET PURCHASING

To purchase tickets conveniently online, we’ve added a feature on www.oktc.ca. On the Home Page Menu Bar, click on “Buy Tickets” and you’re linked directly to the Grand Theatre site where our tickets are sold. This method is easier and faster than going direct to the Grand website. And the big advantage to buying online is that you can do it 24/7.

Otherwise you can phone the Grand box office at 519-672-8800 during their open hours which change depending on whether or not there is one of their own shows playing.

It is probably safe to say that, for most of our performances, there are last minute tickets available 30 minutes before start time right at our own Spriet box office. So if you decide late to come, it is worth a try. Often a call to 519-679-0598 will help you find out if tickets are available for that next performance.

The Grand usually sends all sold tickets and remainders for Sat. And Sun. performances to us  on Fridays, so a call to the above number is the best way to find out what remains.

But my rule of thumb, even with super hot smash hits on Broadway, is this: “ There’s usually no such thing as a truly sold-out show, if you are willing to try all the angles.”

OKTC GRAD GALA: AN EVENT FOR ALL.

Traditionally, OKTC ends its season with a special celebration in which we feature and honour our Grads who have been a part of OK, sometimes for 10 years or more, and listen avidly to every  one of them as valedictory speakers. This occasion, when our Grads briefly recount their lives  in the Company, and what membership has meant to them as they’ve grown up, is a great highlight of the year, and an event for all OK’s and families to experience and treasure. In addition, we honour all of our OK’s who are graduating from elementary school into their  secondary years to become the leaders of the Company, and to begin to fill the void of talent, involvement and leadership  left behind by our secondary Grads who are saying farewell.

There’s entertainment too, as some casts from the 2009-10 season re-unite to do  big numbers from their shows.

As important as looking back, is looking forward, and we’ll do that in a big way, as our artistic Director  reveals the short list of productions under consideration for the future.

All OK’s and their families are warmly invited!

The Details:

Monday, May 31, 630pm to 815pm

Wolf Performance Hall, London Central Library

Admission: FREE!!

Validate your parking ticket from the underground parking at the Library Welcome Desk.

How you can help me to plan this?? If your OKid is graduating from elementary school and will attend, let me know at art@oktc.ca . It is hard for me to track down the elementary grads without your help!

OKTC NEW YORK TRIP 2010

56 of us went to Broadway for a whole week, and 56 returned to the relative calm placidity of London (“Ontario [pause...] Canada” as we usually say).

Here are some sound bytes from some of them:

“Thank you for the opportunity to see such a beautiful city; I will never forget the memories I made. I saw 10 shows and had the time of my life.”

“The trip was fantastic again this year.”

“My drama teacher is impressed that I saw 9 shows in the duration of the trip-and I’m pretty proud myself.”

“It was the experience of a lifetime, and we explored NYC to our heart’s desire. I miss it, its flashing lights and busy streets.”

“I got to meet my all-time favourite actor, Andy Samberg. Definitely worth waiting out in the middle of the night in the cold and rain for that!”

“A shopgirl in a store on Times Square genuinely thought I was a New Yorker.That made my day.”

“Thank you a million times for giving this to me and to all of us.”

And just a couple of parents’ thoughts:

“Original Kids does a tremendous job of filling these young people with a sense of passion, purpose and confidence. Thanks to all the supervisors for everything.”

“What a fantastic experience for these kids, shared with them year after year.Truly a life-changing event.”

Coming Up: March 10 to 17, 2011.

SUMMER CAMPS FILLING FAST

Our beloved Camp OK is well past the half way point toward selling out. Kamp Kidlets, which habitually sells out, is headed that way too. You all are in the know about these great Camp experiences, but your friends might still be in the dark. This is just the time that parents are getting their arrangements made for the summer. I know they will appreciate your directing them to all the “Our Camps” information and registration on www.oktc.ca.

OKIDBITS

~* Here are the names of the character models on our Camp OK brochure.

Front cover L to R: Nicole Nadeau, Thomas Sayers, Phil Johnston, Meaghan Couture, Alexa Shipman.

Back cover L to R: Sarah Couture, Tsilala Graham-Haynes, Toni Rubini, Ben Guest.

Also at the photo shoot was Kyla Piccin.

Our expert photographer is OK alumnus parent, Malcolm Miller.

~* It is always a tough time at OK when applications and interviews for Camp staff conclude and the hired staff is announced. We could hire satisfactorily at least 3 complete staffs from the applicants, and so the reality is that we have to disappoint a lot a great candidates. This is just the way it is at Original Kids. With the quality of our members, it is never true that there is merely a small bunch of first-rate candidates, and the rest, obviously not up to the standard. The truth is that every candidate is exceptional. The unsuccessful candidates should use the experience gained in resume preparation and interview and try-out challenges to try again (and obviously in other aspects of their lives, such a part-time job applications etc. Look on your attempt as a rehearsal. And the successful staff should keep in mind that there are so many others who would love to have their chance and would have done a great job if they had got it.

~* It is school show time and lots of our OK’s feature in theseand other  community shows. St. Catherine of Siena always does a show, and this year it it Seussical Jr. A member of the cast as lead bird is OK Ciana Danbrook. I’m an old school show guy, and would love to mention all of our kids who use their OK skills in their community, but can do so ONLY IF YOU EMAIL ME THE INFO!

~*OKTC has 4 Co-Operative Education students doing placements here. They have already begun to make a big contribution to our office, technical, set construction and publicity operations.

A big welcome to Nathaniel Abram (Saunders), Dave Dresser (Laurier), Craig Gilbert (Oakridge), Gabriel LaLiberte (St. Thomas Aquinas).

ON WITH THE SHOWS!