Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater
@oddfellows-newhaven
Description
We believe that access to high-quality arts experiences is a fundamental right. Throughout its history, Oddfellows has remained committed to artistic excellence and social change. The Playhouse’s mission has three parts: 1) an artistic dimension to provide high-quality theater by and for young people; 2) an educational dimension to promote the growth of young people--in skills, knowledge, and self-confidence--through the performing arts; and 3) a social action dimension to offer opportunities especially to underserved and at-risk youngsters to promote the development of a genuinely multiracial, multicultural society. Individual Playhouse programs must address at least one of these broad goals; Playhouse activities as a whole must address all three. Founded in 1975 by a small group of Wesleyan University students as a theater organization designed to include children from all backgrounds, Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater now annually serves approximately 1300 young people, ages 3-20, in a broad spectrum of performing arts activities. The oldest, largest and most active year-round youth theater in Connecticut, the Playhouse is an independent, not-for-profit organization with an arts/social service mission. Oddfellows has been recognized with an Award of Excellence from the New England Theater Conference, a Community Service Award from the Middlesex County NAACP, a Community Champion Award from Citizens Bank, was the subject of a CPTV documentary, and was named Connecticut’s Best Children’s Theater by Connecticut Magazine every year from 2013 – 2019. Oddfellows staff and teaching artists are committed professionals with proven expertise in working with young people and producing the highest quality and most imaginative theater. Teamwork and cooperation are stressed, while life and theater skills are nurtured and refined. A generous financial aid policy offers scholarships to all children who need them. No child is ever turned away for financial reasons, and the Playhouse actively engages marginalized members of the community. Oddfellows school-year, tuition-based program is structured in three 8-week terms of classes and productions. The opportunity to perform in front of an audience is part of every student’s experience, whether for family and friends on Share Day or in the mini-and mainstage productions in the theater. A signature event of Oddfellows is the Children’s Circus of Middletown, now in its 33rd summer and a national model for community circus. The Children’s Circus is a 5-week summer camp for ages 5 -15 that leads to a spectacular outdoor public performance with over 200 performers and an audience of over 1,000. In 2018, the Children’s Circus was one of two programs nationally awarded the New York Life Foundation Award for Excellence in Summer Learning by the National Summer Learning Association. Oddfellows students come from Middletown and 25-30 surrounding communities. 87% of participants are from Middlesex County and 13% are from Greater Hartford. Race and ethnicity is: 52% white; 24% black; 14% Hispanic; 6% mixed; and 4% Asian. 56% are female, 44% male. 48% of students in all programs receive financial aid. The Playhouse has an endowment of around $33,000. The Playhouse has a small core staff, a committed Board, many contracted artists, technicians and designers, and engages hundreds of volunteers each year. Oddfellows occupies a 10,000 square foot building (now owned by the City of Middletown with OP as primary tenant at $1 per year) in downtown Middletown, CT, and has been a deeply valued community resource for 46 years.