Oregon Children's Theatre Presents DIARY OF A WORM, A SPIDER, AND A FLY

Is Spider getting too big for his own skin? Will Fly find her superhero powers in time to save her Aunt Rita from peril? Will Worm learn to stand on his own two feet...even though he doesn't have feet? Take a look at the world from a bug's perspective and you'll see that their lives are a lot like ours.

Based on the best-selling children's book series Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss, Diary of a Spider, a Worm, and a Fly, the production was originally commissioned by OCT and performed on the Newmark stage in January 2011. Artistic Director Stan Foote chose to remount the production this year because the themes in this enduring children's story reflects on many fears and challenges young children face in their daily lives. "These themes are universal for children and adults," Artistic Director Stan Foote explains. "We all have experiences feeling scared and excited about changes in our lives, and it's a valuable reminder that what makes us different from one another also makes us unique, and these differences strengthen our community."

The cast features Lydia Ellis-Curry, Marcelino Hernandez, Lulu Kashiwabara, Sam Majors, Julia Meyers, Asher Ross, and Xavier Warner. The majority of the cast are also members of the Young Professionals Company, OCT's mentoring program for teens ages 14 to 18 years old. YP Company Director Dani Baldwin is proud to see such great Young Professionals presence in the cast of Diary. "I've watched these talented actors grow through the YP Company, and it's exciting to see it all come together on stage. The Young Professionals Company offers training and professional experiences which have paid off in their auditions, their dedication in the rehearsal hall, and their stellar performances. These are amazing individuals to work with, and I'm excited to see them take their YP experiences to the OCT Mainstage."

The creative team includes: Francisco Garcia (Director), Jeffrey Childs (Musical Director), Kemba Shannon (Choreographer), Daniel Meeker (Scenic Designer), Jennifer Lin (Lighting Designer), Jenny Ampersand (Costume Designer), and Phil Johnson (Sound Designer).

Before Every Performance: Come up to an hour early for a pre-show activity!

Following Every Performance: Meet the cast, take photos, and get your playbill autographed!

Saturday, May 11, 2:00 pm: Interpreted performance in American Sign Language.

Founded in 1988, Oregon Children's Theatre has served well over two million children, teachers, and families. Its mission is to create exceptional theater experiences that transform lives. OCT is Oregon's largest non-profit professional children's theater company and a resident company of Portland'5 Centers for the Arts. Performances are held weekdays for school audiences and on weekends for family audiences. OCT serves more than 120,000 children of all ages each year. OCT offers numerous school services including study guides, teacher professional development opportunities, in-school workshops, and an extensive outreach program. In partnership with Kaiser Permanente, the Educational Theatre Program provides free touring productions that promote healthy living. OCT's year-round Acting Academy offers theater classes for children ages 3-18 and Young Professionals Company, a mentoring program for teens.

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