Who We Are

OUR MISSION

Oklahoma Children’s Theatre provides extraordinary live theatre and interactive educational experiences for young audiences. We inspire young people to visualize their potential, enhance family relationships and invest in the future of our communities.

ORGANIZATION

We were founded as a nonprofit organization in 1986 to help children grow and learn through live theatre.
Learn more about our history

PERFORMANCES

SHOWS

We put on exciting live shows for families and young audiences. Annual programs also include seven main stage performances that take place at Oklahoma City University. School groups and the public attend the series, which topped 70 performances last year.

TOURING

Touring shows bring educational productions to rural and low-income schools. Last year, OCT performed at more than 50 sites in communities across the state.

EDUCATION

CAMPS

We host one-week and shorter camps throughout the summer and during seasonal school breaks (spring, fall, and winter). Young people aged 5-13 years old are the target students to participate in the creative process of writing and performing, film, visual arts and more.

CLASSES

Weekly classes in the fall and spring focus on imagination, acting, and other drama skills. We offer after-school classes, homeschool opportunities and student productions. These programs allow your child to develop new skills, problem solve, and make new friends in a safe and encouraging environment.

YOUNG COMPANY

Young Company is OCT’s year-round student production program. Young actors who want to get more involved love taking to the stage alongside to bring productions of full-sized adventure to life.

OUTREACH

IN-SCHOOL RESIDENCY PROGRAMS

Teaching artists spend time in local schools teaching theatre skills as well as creative thinking and teamwork through an arts education curriculum.Through sponsors, educational outreach programs are provided at no or minimal cost to school that serve low income student populations.

PAGE TO STAGE

Page to Stage is a short-term workshop series for schools with students from low income families. The workshops focus on literacy through storytelling and concludes with a story-based professional production.

FUNDRAISING

FAIRY TALE BALL

Our only annual fundraising event is a one-of-a-kind gala in OKC. It’s a dazzling, fun and fantasy filled evening filled with games and play areas for adults and children.

MENTORING

OCU INTERNSHIPS

Each semester we employ part-time student workers from the Oklahoma City University campus, which provides practical education and experience in working for a professional theatre company.

TEEN VOLUNTEERS

Each year we provide opportunities for teens to volunteer as part of our seasonal camp programs. Our teen volunteer program provides a safe and engaging environment that focuses on teaching young people important life skills through an internship styled program for 14-16 years olds.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jamie Shouse
President

Emily Blake
Vice President

Shawn Richardson
Treasurer

Kanika Brown
Secretary

Paul Shinn

Emily Taylor

Leslie Te

Lou Carmichael

Olivia Castrejana

Gina Ellis

Riley Joseph

Charlie Monnot

Wesley Burt, Advisory Member

OUR HISTORY OVER 38 YEARS

Oklahoma Children’s Theatre began as a program of the Stage Center in downtown Oklahoma City, serving children and youth audiences. In December 1986, it became an independent non-profit, with founder Lyn Adams as Executive Director. Initially based at Oklahoma City Community College, the theatre’s audience grew from 10,000 to over 20,000 in three years.

During this time, OCT introduced several programs, including summer workshops, school tours, and a Youth Conservatory. In 1989, OCT moved to the City Arts Center, allowing expansion into main stage productions, a statewide tour, a youth theatre program, and arts collaborations with local daycare centers and artists.

In 2005, OCT relocated to the Oklahoma City University (OCU) campus, establishing strong partnerships in performance and education. By 2007, OCT moved to the Children’s Center for the Arts at OCU, thanks to support from the Inasmuch Foundation. This space now hosts classes, performances, and camps year-round.

OCT annually offers five in-house productions, a statewide tour, and a variety of educational programs, including after-school classes and camps throughout the year. OCT continues to work closely with the Oklahoma City University School of Theatre, giving students opportunities for experiential learning.

TIMELINE
2023

Austin Klososky joins the cast as Executive Director!

2022

After 36+ years of dedication, founder and Executive Director Lyn Adams announces her retirement. Julia Kirt and Michael Myers each serve as Interim Executive Directors.

Julia Kirt, Austin Klososky, Lyn Adams, and Michael Myers
2016

Oklahoma Children’s Theatre celebrates it’s 30th anniversary!

2015

We celebrated our 20th annual Fairy Tale Ball, as well as our 20th anniversary of our first BancFirst tour.

2014

We saw a great expansion of Page-to-Stage, which represented the beginning of a new direction for our educational programming, as we began to focus on in-school and outreach programs as our core educational mission.

2012

Our Co-production with OCU saw our Executive Director Lyn Adams take to the stage, in “Pride and Prejudice”. We also debuted our new Christmas show “Junie B in Jingle Bells Batman Smells”.

Our in-school literacy program Page-to-Stage came to life, as we bought our first show “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” to schools.

2009

Office assistant extraordinaire Brandon Kreider joined us in Spring 2009 (and then left to go to Chicago in August of 2012)

2008

Our afterschool Young Company Program worked along side our adult actors in “The Sugar Plum Fairy” with the fabulous Miss Kaitlyn as Phoebe the fairy.

2007

Strengthening our partnership with OCU, we began our annual Christmas Co-production, with “A Christmas Carol”, which ran annually until 2012.

We also moved to our new offices, where we still reside in the Children’s Center for the Arts, located on the corner of NW 25th & Blackwelder Ave.

2006

Turning 20 years old, 2006 saw many exciting additions and changes. We presented our first season of summer camps on the OCU campus themed “Peace, Love, & Summer Camps”, where we held 4 classes each week for the 12 weeks of summer. This summer also saw future OCT Director of Programs Mollie Reid make her teaching debut.

We also welcomed our new Education Director Rozz in September 2006, as we continued to expand our program. We began our Afterschool programs with Putnam Heights Elementary, with help from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

We welcomed our bookkeeper Sherri Blaik to our team. She introduced us to Mattox, who was 3 months old and who cried continuously through our first meeting. He’s now in college and has a gorgeous little sister Allie.

2005

In 2005 OCT moved away from City Arts Center, to our new home at Oklahoma City University. We moved to the offices on the corner of 24th and Blackwelder, and proudly presented our first show on campus “William’s Window.”

We also created a new partnership with Funnel Design, thanks to a generous re-branding grant from Sarkey’s Foundation. This saw the redesign of our much loved mascots Rose, Scarlett and Fushia, or the Three Little Pigs.

2004

We celebrated forming a new partnership with the Oklahoma Community Service Commission ( now Red River Community Corps), welcoming our first member Lauren Brickman who now lives in NYC and is a Theatre professor and also a really cool theatre company called ” Story Pirates”.

2002

In March we presented the groundbreaking show “And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank” with a touching visit from Eva Schloss of whom the play was about.

‘And Then They Camp for Me’ Reception. Lyn Adams and Eva Schloss
‘Winnie the Pooh’ Production Photo
2001

‘Rumpelstiltskin’ Production Photo

1999

This year saw the first Stage Center Presents, an exciting collaboration between multiple Oklahoma theater companies that aimed to bring in bigger names for the Oklahoma public. We proudly presented “To Kill a Mockingbird”

We also started our partnership with Allied Arts as a member agency.

‘Dr.Doolittle’ Production Photo
1998

Summer Camp at City Arts Center, Water Day

1997

We were excited to promote Elin Bhaird as our Artistic Director in December.

3rd Fairy Tale Ball - Robin Hood, Lyn Adams with guests
Production Photo
1996

Celebrated our 10th anniversary.

1995

April 1995 saw Elin Bhaird join us with her first show “Gilgamesh”. 1995 also saw our first Fairy Tale Ball, our now annual fundraising event. “Cinderella” was held at the First National Center and was chaired by Becky Love.

This year we also began regional touring in earnest, with support kindly provided by BancFirst, and CEO David Rainbolt. (We have toured to BancFirst communities continuously for 29 years!)

1994

In 1994 Lyn Adams became director of City Arts Center, as well as Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. This helped to strengthen the relationship between these two organizations, and even though they remained separate 501 ( C ) 3 organizations, both organizations worked hard alongside each other, moving to fill the goal of bringing arts to the Oklahoman community.

1991

In summer 1991 we added Nursery Rhyme Camps to our summer programming, separating our age groups to 5-7 and 8-12 years . This year we would offer two classes of 15 kids, each week for 6 weeks as well as the three weeks camp “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.

1990

1990 saw the beginning of our summer week long camp program, with a six-week long Fairy Tale Camp season, where 15 kids each week would join us. Our first three week camp in the newly remodeled theatre at City Arts Center was ” The Pied Piper of Hamlin”. The air conditioning went down in the middle of the summer and two giant wind/cool air tubes were brought in to help.

1989

In August of 1989 OCT moved to the fairgrounds, where we began our partnership with City Arts Center (now Oklahoma Contemporary Arts). Thanks to Chris Keesee, Marilyn Myers and the Kirkpatrick Foundation who made this possible. Our first show in our new location was the “3 Billy Goats Gruff” which had to be presented in the old Panetarium as the Theatre renovation had not been completed. When we brought in three reall Billy Goats, a donkey and a pony to provide a little atmosphere, I am sure Chris and marily both wondered if they had made the right decision to have us live with them at the City Arts Center! Our opening show in the new flexible theatre space was “Bah! Humbug!”

1986

Nov 7th 1986 we received our Certificate of incorporation, officially registering us as Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. Our home was Oklahoma City Community College, where we presented our first season of “The Mirror Man”, “A Christmas Carol”, “The Porker Sisters”, “Rapunzel”, “The Velveteen Rabbit”, “Treasure Island”, and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.We want to thank those that made Oklahoma Children’s Theatre possible; Nancy Anthony of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, Nancy Deaver ( then of Yordi Smith & Pickel, Dr Bruce Owen of the Oklahoma City Community College and our first Board of Directors.

Right: Lyn Adams with John Kirkpatrick,
‘Bah! Humbug!’ Reception

Left: ‘Puff’s Magic Dragon’
Production Photo – Toby Tobin & Kelly Riha