"Shrek the Musical" at the Historic Brooks Theatre Nov 5-7, 12-14

OCEANSIDE, CA — The Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC), the resident professional theater company at the historic Brooks Theater, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) will resume their Youth Theater Arts partnership to produce Shrek, The Musical, with a cast of local youth.

The annual OTC Youth Outreach program introduces participants ages, 8 to 18, to the wonders and benefits of theater arts during a 9-week after-school program, underwritten by OTC and BGCO.

"This partnership is filling a void in theater arts in the public schools. - and changing kids lives." said Leann Garms, OTC Board member, "Everyone is thrilled to get back to theater after the pandemic - especially the 36 kids participating this year, many who have never set foot on a stage."

On November 5th -7th and 12th -14th, the program culminates in six performances for family, friends and the general public, where the beloved Shrek characters will come to life onstage at the historic Brooks Theater in the heart of the Oceanside Cultural District. Tickets are available at https://bit.ly/SHREKTKTS.

With the help of OTC’s Youth Outreach Program and BGCO’s established network at school sites throughout Oceanside, the program attracts a wide array of youth in the community from diverse backgrounds. After a pandemic pause in 2020, including in-person gatherings that impacted many in the community, this year’s collaboration invited participants to once again come together under one roof for rehearsals at BGCO’s Performing Arts Center. Thirty-six local youth will participate in this year's production. Much like the characters they will interpret onstage, the young actors, too, will embark on a challenging quest, learning collaboration skills and theater disciplines including acting, singing & dancing, and building new friendships along the way.

“This wonderful collaboration will not only provide access to performing arts for youth in Oceanside, but will help our participants rebuild connections with each other and the community, especially after this challenging year,” said Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside CEO, Jodi Diamond.

With many school districts eliminating the Arts, OTC and BGCO saw a window of opportunity to provide a theater education program. OTC & BGCO first collaborated in 2019 to produce, Seussical Jr., with 43 area youth from ages 8 -18 participating, helping fill the gap left by the elimination of arts in the schools. The COVID-19 pandemic put the program on hold until now.

“The Youth Outreach Program isn't just about theatre; it is about teaching kids important personal and life skills to carry with them for the rest of their lives,” said Carol Naegele, OTC Board member and Youth Outreach Director.

Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, bringing all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there's more to the story than meets the ears. A green ogre named Shrek is the unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek.

BGCO & OTC invites the local community to support youth theater arts in Oceanside by attending one of the six performances in November.

The OTC Youth Outreach Program is presented with generous support from the City of Oceanside, San Diego County, Oceanside Community Foundation, Union Bank, Nordson Corporation, Pratt Memorial Fund, and Fox Foundation.

COVID protocol for all Shrek performances requires everyone inside the Brooks Theater to wear a mask. Proof of vaccination or COVID-19 tests are not required. Patrons are requested not to attend if they are feeling unwell.

About Oceanside Theatre Company:

Celebrating 10 years, Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC), the resident professional theater company operating the Historic Brooks Theater in downtown Oceanside is a center point of the Oceanside CA Cultural District (OCCD). OTC’S mission is to produce professional theatrical, visual art and musical productions for the entertainment and enrichment of the community; present educational opportunities in the arts for children and adults; and provide a safe, state-of-the-art public venue for expansion of artistic endeavors in North San Diego County and greater southern California. OTC produces a four-show mainstage theatre season in the 198-seat venue, as well as a Music Series and ongoing events and play readings in the adjacent black box theater, Studio 219. An important part of OTC’s mission is inspiring and sharing the arts with local youth through the Youth Theater Arts Outreach program, which includes Summer Theater Camps and Youth Theater Arts Outreach during the school year. To learn more visit www.oceansidetheatre.org.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO), celebrating 70 years of building great futures in Oceanside, is a youth development organization that is dedicated to providing a safe, fun and enriching environment for youth during non-school hours. BGCO remained open to serve youth during the entire pandemic. From May 2020 through August 2021, BGCO’s Emergency Food Program provided more than 55,000 free and nutritious meals to youth under 18 regardless of membership status.

BGCO is a local, nonprofit organization affiliated with Boys & Girls Clubs of America but raises 100% of the funds that support its life-changing programs through individual giving, events and grants. For 70 years, BGCO has continued to uphold its mission to inspire, develop and enrich young people to reach their fullest potential as confident, responsible, caring members of society. To learn more visit www.bgcoceanside.org.