The critically acclaimed Occidental Children’s Theater will celebrate its 24th year with an original story, The Adventures of Christopher Robin Hood, plus three adventurous adaptations of traditional folktales for a seven-week outdoor run in the Remsen Bird Hillside Theater on the Occidental campus.
Summer performances will run Thursday through Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m., July 11 through August 24.
In about an hour, the cast of six will perform four energetic and funny stories without props, sets or special costumes, relying only on their acting and acrobatic skills. “The cast carries it off with the unflagging charm that has made this reliable company one of the Southland's – and the summer's – most entertaining children's theater offerings," says the Los Angeles Times.
Conceived and written by Jamie Angell, the theater’s founding artistic director, and directed by Tristan Waldron ’12, the cast of Occidental alumni and students features Rory Hayes '21, Dyoni Isom '19, Kai Morfín '22, Sandy Nguyen '21, Sergio Perez '20, and Rosie Stevenson '20.
The play's script and action are the result of weeks of improvisation and revision by Angell, as well as the cast. The three traditional stories are the troupe's versions of folk tales from India, the Philippines and the Iroquois nation. Tumbling, commedia dell'arte (Italian improvisatory comedic theater), and even clowns influence the physical acting style of the troupe, Angell said. The unconventional material and the absence of props and costumes also force the actors and the audience to rely on their imaginations.
"This is kind of like tightrope walking," he added. "We use our bodies and voices to suggest what the audience's imagination will fill in. We're creating images out of the air."
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children ages 12-2 (children under 2 are free), and can be ordered online. Questions? Call (323) 259-2771 or email theater@oxy.edu.
If you love Children's Theater and have kids, then sign up for the Summer Institute of Fun, a dynamic and exciting acting camp for children where the kids get to learn the performance techniques from our summer show.
