Oregon Children's Theatre to Present Bizarre, Funny and Intense ORPHANS

Suspenseful, bizarre, humorous, and intense! This Tony-nominated show tells the story of siblings - sensitive recluse, Phillip; and violent pickpocket, Treat. When Treat kidnaps a mysterious businessman, the tables are turned on the two siblings in a strange, hilarious, and moving way.

In a unique approach to casting the siblings, OCT will have three casts representing different dynamics: two brothers, two sisters, and a brother/sister combination. The casts will rotate their performance days. "It brings a freshness that can be lost in telling the same story with the same cast," said Director Val Landrum.

Orphans playwright Lyle Kessler was born and raised in Philadelphia, where Orphans takes place. It first premiered in Los Angeles in 1983, and has gone on to be produced all over the world. In 2013, Orphans was nominated for two Tony Awards; one for Best Revival of a Play and one for Best Leading Actor.

"Orphans reflects unconscious elements in myself that were, at the time, indigestible and butting up against each other in my psyche; issues I wasn't really in touch with but was trying to put into a dramatic framework," said Kessler (www.broadway.com). Kessler and his wife are also founders of The Imagination Workshop, an organization that performs scenes and original plays for psychiatric patients. It is the longest running arts and mental health program in the world.

The cast features Maya Caulfield and Devlin Farmer as Treat, James Farmer as Harold, and Nate Gardner and Emma Goodman Fish as Phillip.

The creative team includes: Val Landrum (Director), Dani Baldwin (YP Artistic Director & Prop Design/ Costume Assistant), Don Crossley (Technical Director/Lighting Designer), Gordon Romei (Sound Designer), Sullivan Mackintosh (Costume Designer), Emma Stewart (Stage Manager), Maya Barbon (Apprentice Director), and Scouten Christensen (Apprentice Lighting Designer).

IF YOU GO:

Oregon Children's Theatre's Young Professionals Company presents

Orphans

a Tony-nominated production

Directed by: Val Landrum

Written By: Lyle Kessler

Dates: April 14-30, 2017

Times: Fridays through Saturdays at 7:00pm, Sundays at 2pm

Location: Young Professionals Studio Theater, 1939 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland

Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. $8 for groups of 8+ with code YPGROUP1617

Box Office: www.octc.org/orphans

On the web: www.octc.org

Other info: Recommended for ages 13 and up (language and subject matter)

The Young Professionals Company is comprised of dedicated theater students ages 14-18 who have been selected to participate in a year-long mentoring program where they receive advanced training through exposure to a wide range of college-level workshops and professional development. Each season, the company presents three shows and other public events. The Young Professionals Company is dedicated to building a supportive community of theater peers, providing them with resources, information, and professional on-the-job experience.

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.

Photo Credit: Blake Wales

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