The Young Professionals Company Presents 'WROL'
The production is the third in Oregon Children’s Theatre’s 2021-2022 Mainstage Season.
The Young Professionals Company at Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) will present WROL (Without Rule of Law), opening February 18, 2022. The production is the third in Oregon Children's Theatre's 2021-2022 Mainstage Season.
The Young Professionals Company (YPs), the award-winning teen mentoring program at OCT, has already been busy this season: they opened OCT's season with their annual improv production Impulse, then collaborated on and performed in OCT's holiday production Merry Happy Everything. Their next production of WROL, written by Michaela Jeffery, is a coming-of-age dark comedy examining the shortcomings of society in a post-apocalyptic world.
Convinced the world at large can't be trusted to prioritize the well-being of adolescent girls in the event of a cataclysmic event (or just in general), WROL tells the story of a determined troupe of 8th grade 'doomers' committed to preparing for survival in the post-collapse society they anticipate inheriting. "The YPs loved that the youth characters all had something to say: something that was important and felt authentic coming from them," explained Dani Baldwin, Artistic Director of the YP Company. "They were excited about a play with issues they wanted to present and discuss, and they felt their voices were important in the conversation. The play speaks to the powerless position youth feel-the feeling that adults left them this world and they need to fix it-and the responsibility that forces them to carry."
As with other productions mounted by the company, the YPs reviewed scripts and selected WROL to be produced as part of their season of performances. "They loved that it was dark, but also had comedy," said Baldwin. "It was topical-fear of government, fear of end of the world-and they thought the characters could see what was terribly wrong in the world when the adults had lost sight. It was a play which really stuck with them: it felt real."
This production will also mark OCT's first time performing at the Multnomah Arts Center Performance Hall, located in SW Portland. The choice to perform at this new venue supports the company's goals of expanding beyond the downtown corridor. "If we learned anything from the past couple of years, it's that we want to grow and reach other communities besides those who can access downtown Portland," commented OCT Artistic Director Marcella Crowson. "We had begun expanding our Acting Academy classes into different areas of Portland (including Multnomah Village), but this is the first time we'll produce a show outside our Black Box studio or the performance venues at Portland'5 Centers of the Arts, and while that is challenging, it is also extremely exciting and timely."
WROL (Without Rule of Law) is recommended for ages 13 and up and will perform Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays February 18 through March 6, 2022. COVID-19 safety guidelines will be followed for this performance, including vaccination and masking requirements. More Information and tickets are available for purchase at octc.org/wrol.
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