Fall Theater and Circus programs start September 8 in Middletown

2024 Oddfellows Teen Repertory Company production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It Photo by Bill De Kine

Registration is now open for Fall Classes at Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater, located at 128 Washington Street in Middletown! Beginning September 8th, classes in theater and circus will be offered for toddlers to 20 year olds. Teenagers are invited to audition for our fall mainstage production.

Teen Repertory Company (ages 14 - 20) will hold auditions for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet on September 8 and 11, 6 - 9 pm. This is a unique opportunity to work with ARTFARM Artistic Director and Shakespeare specialist Marcella Trowbridge on one of the great works of the western canon. Teens are asked to pre-register for one of the two audition evenings, to arrive on time, and plan to stay for the entire time. Everyone who auditions and commits to the rehearsal and production schedule will be cast in the show. Regular rehearsals will be Mondays and Thursdays, 6 - 9 pm. Performances will be November 13 - 15 and November 21 - 22.

Circophony Teen Circus (ages 12 - 20) offers serious circus training for young performers. No previous experience is required. Tuesday evenings, 6:30 - 8:30 pm is Acro Focus with Naja Muller, including stretching, flexibility, partner acrobatics, tumbling, mini-tramp and contortion. Wednesdays, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, is Juggling Plus with Joel Melendez, featuring juggling, balancing, rola bola, unicycles, rolling globe, diabolo, flower sticks and other forms of object manipulation & performance skills. Students may register for one or both evenings.

For our youngest Oddfellows, Saturday Classes feature Acrobabies (ages 15 months - under 3 years with caregiver; 9:15 - 9:55 am); Mixed-Up Fairy Tales (ages 3 - 6, 10 -10:55 am); Circrobatics (ages 3 - 6, 11 - 11:55 am); and Circrobalance (ages 5 - 8, noon - 1 pm). Classes start September 13 and continue through a Share Day on November 22 (10 weeks total - no classes October 11). All Saturday classes are taught by Meg Berritta.

After-School classes for ages 6 - 14 begin September 15 and will run for ten weeks this fall, culminating in a “Share Week” November 17 - 20. Most classes run 4:50 -5:50 pm.

Stage One classes for ages 6 - 8 include Intro to Shakespeare (Bard for Beginners); Circus I; Heroes and Villains; and Contortion and Flexibility (open to ages 6 - 11)

Stage Two classes for ages 9 - 11 include Acting in Motion; Circus II; Getting Creative With Shakespeare; Story to Stage; Contortion and Flexibility (open to ages 6 - 11); and Hip Hop Dance (open to ages 9 - 14).

Stage Three classes for ages 12 - 14 include Theater Design; Introduction to Commedia dell’ Arte; Theater Improvisation: Scenes and Games; and Complete Actor III (all of these classes meet 4:30 - 5:50 pm), as well as Hip Hop Dance (this class is for ages 9 - 14 and meets 4:50 - 5:50 pm).

Middletown Public School students may complement their class experience with Oddbridge, an extended day program which provides transport from Middletown schools to the Playhouse, a snack, and supervised arts activities, games and homework help before classes start. This year Oddbridge will run Monday through Thursday, September 15 - November 20, and will resume for a Special Mini Production Intensive Monday - Friday, December 1 - December 12. The program provides special programs and field trips on early dismissal days.

For more details on times, tuition and class descriptions, please go to www.oddfellows.org. If you have specific questions, email info@oddfellows.org or call (860) 347-6143. Financial Aid is available for all programs. It is Oddfellows Playhouse policy that the arts should be available to every young person regardless of ability to pay - no one is turned away for lack of funds.

Oddfellows Playhouse, founded in 1975, is Connecticut’s oldest and largest performing arts program for young people. 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; Liberty Bank Foundation; Middletown Health Department; Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation; Middlesex United Way; George & Grace Long Foundation; and many generous individual donors.