Oddfellows Playhouse
Oddfellows Playhouse is a non-profit youth theater in Middletown, Connecticut. The playhouse provides programing to students of all ages, ranging from classic plays to circus skills. The organization serves over 1,200 young people annually and is Connecticut's largest and most active year-round youth theater.
History
Oddfellows Playhouse was founded in 1975 by four Wesleyan University students with a commitment to serve students of all backgrounds. The name Oddfellows comes from the initial building the playhouse occupied, which was owned by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.In 1996, the playhouse bought and renovated a 10,000 square foot building on Washington Street in Middletown, with extensive help from the City of Middletown.
In 2017, ownership of the building the playhouse occupies was transferred to the City of Middletown, who granted Oddfellows Playhouse a 25-year lease at a rate of $1 per year. This was intended to stabilize the playhouse's financial problems as well as expand programing for city youth.
Programing
Each year, the playhouse puts on two stage plays for each of their two age brackets: Junior Repertory Company and Teen Repertory Company. Past shows have included classics such as Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, plays such as those by Washington Irving, and musicals such as Urinetown.In addition to the stage shows, the playhouse also conducts a children's circus camp each summer. Skills taught include clowning, acrobatics, dance, stilt-walking, juggling, unicycling, art and puppetry. The camp lasts five weeks and culminates in a live show with over 120 performers and a live band.