OKTC STAGEDOOR, June, 2010

Editor: art@oktc.ca

GRAD GALA AMUSES, TOUCHES, ENTERTAINS!

A crowd of 265 came to the Wolf Hall on May 31, and, although they stayed quite a while, pretty well every moment was a pay-off. Casts from several shows going back to early November 2009, brought back special moments from their shows, and had everyone wishing they had seen all of those shows. Our Grade 8 Grads were featured, and were likely happy to get cheers from older kids when they told the audience what high school they were headed for. Nice to find out you have older Company members at your new school to welcome you.

The climax of the event came, as it always does, with the introduction of the 23 high school Grads, who are leaving us for new adventures. Each of them gave a heartfelt speech to put in words what their (up to 8) years in Original Kids has meant to them. Time seemed to stop as we listened to them, and felt the honour of being a part of their growing up. I won’t try to sum up their message, because it happened (just like live theatre), in the moment, and you have to be there or you miss those magic moments! Suffice it to say that their repeated words were “Family”, “Home”, “Friendship”, “Encouragement” and that they inspired the younger children, gave pride to their families, and helped our staff to relight the torch of idealism.

Just before the evening ended, there was a slide show of the shows being considered for next year (which is the 20^th Anniversary of the beginning of Original Kids Theatre) and beyond that garnered great uproar from the crowd, and it was all capped off with huge exuberance when the Camp OK staff and all the OK’s who have attended the Camp jammed the stage to belt out the Camp OK song.

It was once again a pleasure for me to plan and carry out our Grad Gala, and my thanks go out to my colleagues on the OK staff, our show staffs and especially our wonderful Original Kids whose energy and joy in life really make it happen in everything that we do.

OKTC  AT THE LONDON FRINGE

The first-ever Original Kid Alumni Show is about to happen ! A star-studded group of OK grads now in advanced training at universities and colleges has been assembled to perform at this year’s London Fringe Theatre Festival. They are doing the very recent Tony-nominated Broadway musical comedy hit, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee , and it will be great! Here’s a description: “Six young people in the throes of puberty  and overseen by grownups who have barely escaped childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. This is the hilarious tale of overachiever angst as the six outsiders vie for the local spelling championship.”

It will be performed at The Lounge (Venue 7) at 178 Dundas St. just east of Richmond St. Times: June 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26 at 6pm & June 27 at 4:30pm. $10 at the door. Check it out on www.londonfringe.ca

If you doubt the strong integration of Original Kids’ influence in the local theatre community, here’s a statistic for you. Original Kids , OK alumni, and OK staff past and present are involved in 14 Fringe productions; Tough!, The Unexamined Life, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, Spilt Milk in “Family Ties and Cherry Pies.”, Emma, Long Time Passing, Monster, Gunpowder, Kicked, The Good Game Good Time Old Time Pavilion Show, Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens, Spelling Bee, The Idi-Odyssey and The No Show. Now, isn’t that something! Mingling with theatre artists from across the country and around the world!

OK’S GEPPETTO AND SON IN THE GARDEN

The cast of Disney’s Geppetto and Son blew everybody away at the Grad Gala, receiving a standing ovation for their number from the show which is still 7 weeks away! It will obviously be a wonderful show, and with the setting being the gorgeous Rotary Reading Garden at the Central Library and the price being Pay-What-You-Can, well this just has to make your busy family summer schedule. Check out the details, dates, times on www.oktc.ca .

OK CAMP NEWS

• The Camp OK staff is excited about their upcoming leadership workshop at Huntsville’s Camp Tawingo on June 12 & 13.
  
  
• Kamp Kidlets is SOLD OUT.
  
  
• Registration for Camp OK will set a record this year, but good spots are still available in all sessions, especially Sessions 3 & 4. Pass the word. If you or your kids have been OK Campers, you know what a great camp it is!

20^TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON COMPANY INVITATIONS SOON

That’s right! Expect mail! Before long, we’ll be sending out our invitations to everyone who is invited back to be part of the Main Company, for perhaps the biggest season in our history!

And now, your humble OK Stagedoor editor is signing off until September! But you can always send news to art@oktc.ca.  Have a hearty summer and think, “Go Original Kids!”

Art