Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater was founded in 1975 as a community-based theater program designed to include children from all backgrounds. Oddfellows is now Connecticut's oldest and largest year-round youth theater, annually serving over 1,000 young people, ages 2-20, in a broad spectrum of high-quality theater arts activities. The Playhouse strives to promote the growth of young people, in skills, knowledge, and self-confidence, through the performing arts. Although some of its students pursue a career in the theater, Oddfellows does not attempt to be a pre-professional school. The Playhouse is equally concerned with making a positive difference in the lives of young people, nurturing and refining their skills in the performing arts in a supportive, noncompetitive environment and enabling them to use those skills to facilitate success in other aspects of their lives. Oddfellows' star-free philosophy finds a place for everyone and lets every child shine. A generous financial aid policy provides scholarships to any family that qualify. Oddfellows is located at 128 Washington Street in Middletown, in a 10,000 square foot, three-story historic building, centrally located on block from Main Street. The building has been renovated to create a fully accessible flexible 110-seat black-box theater space with professionally equipped light and sound booth, classroom and rehearsal spaces, technical shop, lobby/gallery space, and administrative offices. Oddfellows' core, tuition-based program generally consists of three 8-week terms from September to May, offering 25-30 after-school theater classes plus five mainstage and four mini-productions. Students are grouped for instructional purposes into Little Fellows (ages 2-5), Stage One (ages 6-8), Stage Two (ages 9-11), Stage Three/Junior Repertory Company (ages 12-14), and Teen Repertory Company (ages 14-20). Mainstage productions chosen for the Teen Repertory Company regularly immerse students in dramatic literature that they would otherwise only be exposed to in college or in a top-notch high school with an AP curriculum. The Playhouse draws on the artistic traditions of many cultures, with a special ongoing commitment to exploring non-Anglo heritage. A Neighboryhood Troupes program offers free after-school weekly performing arts workshops throughout the school year for at-risk youth from Middletown and Portland. A five-week summer Children's Circus teaches skills to over 200 youngsters, leading to a spectacular outdoor public performance.
Other amenities: Dining Nearby, Dining nearby
