Oregon Children's Theatre to Present Stage Adaptation of FLORA & ULYSSES

Can a hairless, little squirrel change the human heart? After getting sucked up by a Ulysses 2000x vacuum cleaner, a squirrel is rescued by Flora Belle Buckman, a 10-year-old self-proclaimed cynic. She names him Ulysses and discovers he has been reborn a superhero. Indeed, this once average squirrel can suddenly understand Flora, fly, and even write poetry. Together they embark on an adventure full of quirky characters and bursting with heart.

Based on the bestselling book by Kate DiCamillo (author of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Tale of Despereaux, and Because of Winn Dixie), Flora & Ulysses is a winner of the 2014 Newbery Award and was on the 2013 National Book Awards Longlist for Young People's Literature.

Director Marcella Crowson had been a fan of Kate DiCamillo's work even before she directed last season's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. "Her stories are populated with such marvelous, complicated characters, often living ordinary lives until they are confronted with rather extraordinary circumstances (and a bit of magic)," said Crowson. "Flora & Ulysses is certainly no exception."

According to Crowson, what's unique about Flora & Ulysses is that "[the heroes'] particular brand of heroism doesn't come from external sources, but from other people's faith in them. There are no comets from outer space or bites from radioactive bunnies. There are just real people, with their own hardships and loneliness, being there for one another, rising to the occasion, acting with courage and love and profound strength."

The cast features Aida Valentine as Flora Buckman, Bryce Duncan as Ulysses, Heath Koerschgen as George Buckman/Alfred T. Slipper, Diane Kondrat as Dr. Meescham/Rita, Claire Rigsby as Phyllis Buckman, Matthew Sunderland as Ernie/Mr. Klaus/ Donald Tickman, Darren Sze as William Spiver, and Danielle Valentine as Tootie Tickman.

The creative team includes: Marcella Crowson (Director), Kaye Blankenship (Scenic Designer), Jenny Ampersand (Costume Designer), Jennifer Lin (Lighting Designer), Rory Stitt (Composer & Sound Designer), Emily Wilken (Props Master), and Sarah Kindler (Projection Artist). Book by John Glore.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCE EVENTS:

Before Every Performance: Come up to an hour early for a pre-show activity!

Following Every Performance: Meet the cast, take photos, and get your playbill autographed!

Saturday, February 25th, all shows: First Timer/First Saturday. $5 tickets for children attending theater for the first time. See www.octc.org for details.

Sunday, February 26th and March 26th: Grandparent Day. Join us for special senior (age 62+) ticket prices on the first and last Sunday of each show. Tickets are only $11 - $21.

Saturday, March 4th, 2:00 pm: Interpreted performance in American Sign Language.

Saturday, March 4th, all shows: Scout Day. Tickets for Girl and Boy Scouts are discounted 25%. Fun patches are available for sale for $2 each (order in advance!).

IF YOU GO:

Oregon Children's Theatre presents Flora & Ulysses

Based on the best-selling book by Kate DiCamillo

Written by: John Glore

Directed by: Marcella Crowson

Dates: February 25-March 26, 2017

Times: Saturdays at 2:00pm and 5:00pm Sundays at 11:00am and 2:00pm

Location: Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway

Tickets: $18-$28 for adults and $14-$24 for children (discounts for groups of 8+)

Box Office: 503-228-9571 or www.octc.org

Recommended for ages 7 and up.

Founded in 1988, Oregon Children's Theatre has served well over two million children, teachers, and families. Its mission is to create exceptional theater experiences that transform lives. OCT is Oregon's largest non-profit professional children's theater company and a resident company of Portland'5 Centers for the Arts. Performances are held weekdays for school audiences and on weekends for family audiences. OCT serves more than 120,000 children of all ages each year. OCT offers numerous school services including study guides, teacher professional development opportunities, in-school workshops, and an extensive outreach program. In partnership with Kaiser Permanente, the Educational Theatre Program provides free touring productions that promote healthy living. OCT's year round Acting Academy offers theater classes for children ages 3-18 and Young Professionals Company, a mentoring program for teens.

Funding for Oregon Children's Theatre's 2016-2017 season is provided in part by the Shubert Foundation, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, and Work for Art. Oregon Children's Theatre Company receives support from the Oregon Arts Commission, a state agency funded by the State of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts.

FLORA & ULYSSES. © 2013 by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Keith Campbell. Originally published by Candlewick Press. Used with the permission of Pippin Properties, Inc. Book by John Glore.

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Ava Brogi

Marketing Assistant

Oregon Children's Theatre

www.octc.org

Office: 503-228-9571 x 127

Mobile: 503-544-5783