Oregon Children's Theatre's Young Professionals Company Presents IN THE FOREST SHE GREW FANGS

Smart, dark, and bewitching, this bloody deconstruction of Red Riding Hood takes on werewolves, teen lust, and high school bullies. An intense, captivating piece, In the Forest She Grew Fangs will open the 2016-17 Young Professionals Company season on October 28th. The Young Professionals (YPs) are theater students ages 14 and up who seek advanced training with Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) and produce three studio shows throughout the season.

"This goes beyond your typical fairy tale reimagining by using a narrative-based structure of a classic fable to illuminate contemporary issues of bullying and identity. The four characters harken to their fairy tale origins, but stay compelling and smart in their own right-and their poetic dialogue is absolutely breathtaking. " -New Play Exchange Review

In the Forest She Grew Fangs was inspired by the "It Gets Better" anti-bullying movement as well as the increasing pressures on teens caused by school shootings in the US. It was a finalist at the 2013 O'Neill Playwriting Conference. OCT's production is directed by Pat Moran and former YP, Zoë Rudman, who also co-directed OCT's Young Professionals production of The Wrestling Season last year. Both shows tackle the issue of bullying, but with very different stories and tones. Rudman agrees that theater is a good outlet to raise awareness about bullying: "It humanizes issues like these by using authentic, relevant character archetypes that the audience can relate to."

Black and white video projections by former YP, Lucas Welsh, will accompany the performance. Welsh most recently designed the video projections for Action/Adventure Theatre's original work, Hawthorne. "There's a specific world that Forest is set in. Projections allow us freedom to bring the audience to that place, and to many places quickly and not always literally," said Moran.

Writer Stephen Spotswood is an award-winning playwright, an ensemble member with Forum Theatre, and Artistic Associate with Pinky Swear Productions in Washington DC.

The cast features Emma Fulmer as Lucy, Max Bernsohn as Hunter, Piper Tuor as Ruth, Sierra Kruse as Jenny, and David VanDyke, Gracie Jacobson, Heidi Osaki, and Mikala Capage in the Ensemble.

The creative team includes: Pat Moran and Zoë Rudman (Co-Directors), Dani Baldwin (YP Artistic Director, Props & Costume Designer), Kaye Blankenship (Lighting Designer), Gordon Romei (Sound Designer), Kristen Mun (Fight Choreographer), Nora Pearson (Lead Stage Manager), Eric Votto (Stage Manager), Madeleine Adriance (Apprentice Director), Tirza Meuljic (Apprentice Lighting Designer), and Elizabeth Riutta (House Manager).

About the Young Professionals Company
The Young Professionals Company is comprised of dedicated theater students ages 14-18 who have been selected to participate in a year-long mentoring program where they receive advanced training through exposure to a wide range of college-level workshops and professional development. The company presents three shows each season. The Young Professionals Company is dedicated to building a supportive community of theater peers, providing them with resources, information, and professional on-the-job experience.

About Oregon Children's Theatre
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.

Funding for Oregon Children's Theatre's 2016-2017 season is provided in part by the Shubert Foundation, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, Work for Art, and Oregon Arts Commission.

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