The Young Professionals Company At OCT Presents IMPULSE XV: TIME TO GET SCHOOLED

The Young Professionals Company at Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) is returning to live, in-person performances this month with its wildly popular improv show, Impulse!, opening October 29, 2021 at the Brunish Theatre in downtown Portland. This production will open OCT's 2021-2022 season of performances.

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 the entirety of its 2020-2021 virtually. While the virtual shows offered a wealth of learning opportunities and successes for the company, the excitement of returning to live performances is palpable. "Getting back into the theatre and engaging our audiences with laughter and joy is going to be such surreal experience," commented Blake Wales, Director of Impulse. "It will be SO wonderful to not have to say the dreaded words... 'you're muted'..."

In July 2021, the seniors of the teen troupe performed Impulse: Bonus Level live for one-weekend only to a sold-out crowd at Curious Comedy Theater. With those teens graduating, the troupe welcomes a new class of performers, many of which are new to the YP Company and new to Impulse. "It's been such an honor to work with this cast of Impulse. With new cast members comes new energy, comedic styles and a refreshing feel to the ensemble," explained Wales. "It amazes me how quickly these improvisors make honest connections with one another."

The return to the stage has been a much-anticipated event for everyone at OCT: "The rehearsal room energy has been amazing," exclaimed Dani Baldwin, Artistic Director of the YP Company. "Just hearing everyone laugh-out-loud together has brought a long-awaited therapeutic release!" Marcella Crowson, OCT's Artistic Director, echoed the excitement: "While we know there will be challenges in returning to in-person performances, we have been anxiously waiting for the chance to perform again, and I can't think of a more joyous way to open our season than with the teens of Impulse."

Impulse XV is recommended for ages 7 and up and will perform live at Brunish Theatre (located inside Portland'5 Centers for the Arts) Fridays through Sundays, October 29-November 7, 2021. COVID-19 safety guidelines as outlined by Portland'5 will be followed for this performance. Tickets are available for purchase at octc.org/impulse-xv.

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