The Young Professionals Company At OCT Presents ALEX GETTING BETTER

The Young Professionals Company at Oregon Children's Theatre presents its final production of the 2020-21 Season, Alex Getting Better, streaming on-demand May 20 through May 31. This online production discusses the healing process following a sexual assault.

The Young Professionals Company (YPs), the award-winning teen mentoring program at OCT, rose to the unique challenge of producing shows for a virtual platform amid the COVID-19 pandemic; the company has produced three virtual performances this season, including a livestreaming production of its acclaimed, annual improv production Impulse. "Over the last few months we've have to learn quickly about adapting our work for the screen," commented Dani Baldwin, Artistic Director of the YP Company. "Our teens have been eager and willing to take on the work, and it's a great example of one of our core missions for the company: challenging ourselves to grow as artists and adapt to an ever-changing theatrical landscape."

The show focuses on Alex, a college sophomore who engages in multiple conversations with old friends in a healing journey to overcome a past sexual trauma. "In the play, Alex learns that it's okay to not be okay," Baldwin explained. "Healing from trauma is a process and cannot be overcome quickly. She learns that everyone has their own way of coping, their own way of accepting and processing the trauma." The YPs in the show also had important takeaways from the production. "It is important to tell stories through theatre and performance that may not come across the same if through a different medium," commented Lily Russell, who plays the titular character. "I've learned so much about my own healing process through Alex Getting Better and how it's okay to not be okay. It's all in your own time."

Alex Getting Better is recommended for ages 14 and up, as it discusses past sexual assaults; while the assaults are not portrayed, the content of the play references them, using the term 'rape' and contains other language that may be triggering for some viewers. The performance will be available to stream on-demand May 20 through May 31. The performance is free to watch, but donations are encouraged to help offset the production costs. Donations can be made online at octc.org/donate.

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