For many Portland kids, the first standing ovation of their lives happens at Oregon Children’s Theatre. The region’s flagship theatre for young audiences, OCT stages lavish productions of beloved books — dragons, wimpy kids, wild things — at the Newmark and Winningstad theatres downtown, seen by some 120,000 people a year.
Its Acting Academy gives students from preschool to high school real training and real stages, including young-professional productions that rival the main stage. Touring shows and classroom programs carry theatre to schools across Oregon and Washington.
The secret of OCT’s success is respect: it never talks down to kids. It just gives them great stories, beautifully told — and a lifelong love of live theatre as a souvenir.
