CHILDREN’S THEATER WORKSHOP OPENS

A children’s theater group that has three programs in Northern California has begun an Orange County repertory.

Alex Urban--who founded the Napa Children’s Theatre, the Solano Children’s Musical Theatre and the North Bay Children’s Theatre--recently announced the formation of Orange County Children’s Theatre in Huntington Beach.

The OCCT will hold a three-month-long workshop beginning in mid-February, culminating with a production of “Oliver!,” the musical based on Dickens’ classic “Oliver Twist.”

Like the other workshops, OCCT will be open to handicapped children as well as other youngsters, Urban said.

“We have always tried to make our programs and productions valuable to both developmentally and physically disabled kids because the theater experience is so good for their self-confidence,” Urban said. “We hope they grow a little with us.”

He said that the OCCT will be more than just a program for children to learn dancing, singing and acting skills. Participants gain poise through performing in front of both large and small groups and improve their reading and motor skills, he said.

“The emphasis on reading is very important, and we find that kids show better retention after our workshops,” he said. “We have worked with many dyslexics in the past and find that their schoolwork improves.”

Workshops will be open to about 300 youngsters--the same number as in the Northern California programs--and all will appear in the production. Urban said he had not decided whether all 300 would be in one cast or if the class would be split into two 150-member casts to perform on alternate nights.

Opening night for “Oliver!” will probably be in May, he said.

The children’s repertories specialize in musicals and have performed “Annie,” “Mary Poppins” and “The Music Man” in the past.

For workshop information, call (714) 847-7478.

Urban’s group is not the only repertory with the new name of Orange County Children’s Theatre. The Fountain Valley Community Theatre, which has been in the county for several years, recently changed its name to the Orange County Children’s Theatre.

Theater president Terri Schmidt said the name change is to reflect the repertory’s efforts to reach a larger audience throughout the region. As before, the group will continue to stage youth-oriented productions at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, she said.