CONTRIBUTED BY OCT
OPELIKA — The Opelika Community Theatre is beginning its 11th season with a wide range of immersive theater opportunities designed to serve participants of all ages and abilities, from young children to senior adults.
Opelika Community Theatre, commonly known as OCT, offers programming for individuals ages five and up, focusing on education, inclusion and creative expression through live theater.
Central to OCT’s programming is the O-ACT Academy, where students receive training in musical theater, acting technique, character development, improvisation, creative design, stage direction, sound and lighting. Academy students also compete in the Alabama Conference of Theatre’s Trumbauer Jr. regional competitions and participate in additional performance opportunities throughout the year.
OCT is also home to The Penguin Project, a nationally recognized program designed for individuals with neurological, physical and developmental challenges. OCT is the second chapter in Alabama appointed to the National Penguin Project Foundation.
The program allows participants to perform in modified Broadway-style productions as either Penguin Project Troupe members or Penguin Players, depending on age. Troupe artists currently range from ages eight to 20, while Penguin Players are ages 21 and older. Plans are underway to expand the program to include Penguin Pals for children in kindergarten through age nine. The Penguin Project was founded more than 20 years ago by Dr. Andy Morgan, a pediatric neurologist from Illinois. OCT is currently seeking additional artists and mentors to support the program.
Another unique offering is OCT’s C.A.S.T. program — Creative Acting for Senior Theatre — designed for adults ages 50 and older. The program promotes creative expression while supporting cognitive health, emotional well-being and community engagement among senior artists.
Each year, OCT produces the Black History Showcase during Black History Month in collaboration with NAACP ACT-SO and R.E.A.C.H. Ministries. The free outreach event, held in partnership with the City of Opelika, celebrates the impact of Black artists through music, dance, theater, poetry and spoken word.
OCT also partners with the Opelika Victorian Front Porch Tour Committee, providing actors to portray historical figures during the annual event, which has highlighted Opelika’s Victorian-era history for more than three decades.
Additional programming includes a three-week summer musical theater camp, murder mystery dinner theater productions in partnership with local restaurants and opportunities for new and aspiring writers to present original works.
This summer’s musical theater camp will feature “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” and is open to students ages eight to 17. The camp will run June 8 through 27, with daily sessions from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST.
Upcoming events
• Feb. 5–6: Auditions for Hamlet, 6–8:30 p.m.
• Feb. 20–21: Black History Showcase, 6:30 p.m.
•Feb. 27–28 and March 1: 101 Dalmatians, 5 p.m. Friday–Sunday and 2 p.m. Saturday–Sunday
• April 24–26: The Penguin Project: Raise Your Voice!
• May 8–17: Hamlet
• March: Auditions for Legally Blonde Jr.
Unless otherwise noted, all auditions and events are held at Opelika Community Theatre, located at 1220 Fox Run Ave., Suite 216, in the USA Town Center.
OCT’s website is currently undergoing updates. For additional information about programs, auditions or events, contact (334) 400-9660, email opelikacommunitytheatre1@gmail.com or follow Opelika Community Theatre on Facebook and social media platforms.
