Classical Catholic Drama Club Performing Oliver Twist At Broken Arrow Community Playhouse

The curtains open on a children's play of the Charles Dickens novel "Oliver Twist" on the evening of Friday, February 2nd.

The performances by the Classical Catholic Drama Club are at the Broken Arrow Community Playhouse at 1800 S Main St. Kenneth Henderson is the director of the play. He adapted the novel for the stage which is set in London in the 1830's.

"It is a tragic story, but it is also a story of redemption," Henderson said.

The play is centered around Oliver, a young orphan boy who embarks on a quest for love, identity, and belonging amidst the harsh reality of a society with poverty, crime, and moral ambiguity.

Inti Zerger, 11, was chosen as the lead. "If you like action, this is a very good play," he said. "I get stolen by a whole bunch of bandits, I get shot, I get manhandled, it is awesome."

It is Zerger's first time on stage, after watching from the audience last year.

"I watched The Jungle Book last year and I had the time of my life," he continued saying, "That is what inspired me to do this play actually."

Every cast member is homeschooled, and the Classical Catholic Drama Club has helped introduce them to theatre.

"We have a lot of kids that have never been on stage before," said Henderson. "They come to us, and we teach them how to act and to watch them blossom as an actor is great."

Like the character he plays, Zerger, has found his own sense of belonging on the stage. "It is really fun," he said. "I have got to interact with a lot of people, I have made a lot of friends, and this is basically like my home now."

Through a nearly 200-year-old story, Henderson said his cast is learning new lessons. "It is important that kids today see that life was not always so easy and there are still people in the world today that do not have it easy, so appreciate and be grateful for what we have," he said.

By bringing this classical literature to the stage, it ensures the stories of the past are not lost.

Tickets for Oliver Twist can be purchased at https://www.classicalcatholicdrama.org/.

The production is the first two weekends in February.