The Young Professionals Company At OCT Presents THE MAD ONES

The Young Professionals Company at Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) will present The Mad Ones, a coming-of-age musical by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk, at the CoHo Theatre this February.

The musical tells a poignant and powerful story of Sam, a high school senior who contemplates her future after the death of her best friend; the emotional story explores themes of friendship, loss, life, and death. This production is the second in the Young Professionals' (YPs) 2022-2023 season and was chosen by a play selection committee made up of YP members, who chose the script because of its musical challenges and its relevancy to real, teenage issues and themes.

A unique aspect to this production is the inclusion of an adult actor, Kerie Darner, in the role of Sam's mother, Beverly. Typically, Young Professionals shows feature an all-teen cast, but adding an adult to the cast has offered the teens mentorship in a different way than in previous productions. "Kerie is a seasoned professional and the YPs have been thrilled to hear about her experiences, as well as perform alongside her," explained Dani Baldwin, Artistic Director of the Young Professionals Company. "They've commented on how much they've learned just by watching how she approaches the work. It's another layer of mentorship they get from this experience." In addition to the opportunity to perform or learn backstage skills each season, teens who participate in the Young Professionals Company have access to college-level training and workshops, audition coaching and apprenticeships, mentorship from OCT's artistic leaders and education team, and much more.

The Mad Ones debuted in November 2017 off-Broadway at the 59E59 Theatre in New York. Written by long-time collaborators Kerrigan & Lowdermilk, who have received praise of being one of the best young songwriting teams in the country, the show has an almost cult-like following among young people. Kerrigan, an award-winning lyricist, bookwriter, and playwright, has had works developed by La Jolla, Kennedy Center, Theatreworks/Silicon Valley, Primary Stages, Goodspeed, and others. Lowdermilk has collaborated on The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful and Her Dog and Earthrise at The Kennedy Center in DC, and Rosie Revere, Engineer & Friends, written with playwright Lauren Gunderson, which is currently touring the US. They have also received numerous awards, including the Larson Award, Alan Menken Award, and Richard Rodgers Award.

The production features teen actors Sofia Gomez, Ava Horton, Sidra Cohen-Mallon, Ethan Thompson, Ava Neudeck, and Leah Wick, alongside Kerie Darner. The teen cast will perform in groups of three on alternating evenings: a performance schedule can be found on OCT's website.

The Mad Ones will perform Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays February 10 through 26 at CoHo Theatre, located at 2257 NW Raleigh St, Portland. Tickets are $12 for students and $18 for adults when purchased in advance; tickets are $15/$20 when purchased at the door. Due to language and mature themes/situations, the show is recommended for ages 14 and up. More Information and tickets are available for purchase at octc.org/the-mad-ones.

Founded in 1988, Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) 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 theater for young audiences 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 offers numerous school services including study guides, teacher professional development opportunities, in-school workshops, and an extensive outreach program. OCT's year-round Acting Academy offers theater classes for children ages 3-18 and the Young Professionals Company, a year-round mentoring program for teens that includes professional level training, education, and public performances.

Funding for Oregon Children's Theatre's 2022-2023 season is provided in part by the National Endowment of the Arts, Shubert Foundation, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, the James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation, and the Oregon Arts Commission.

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