“The Youth Outreach Program isn’t just about theatre; it is about teaching our youth important personal and life skills to carry with them for the rest of their lives. It is about building connections with others and respecting each others’ differences … It is about having that bravery, that courage, to step onto a stage and allow their passion to shine.”
-Deborah Dodaro, OTC Youth Outreach Founder
Oceanside Theatre Company is dedicated to making theatre accessible to all ages and to providing theatre arts education in our community. As part of our mission, OTC partners with Title I schools to offer After-School Drama Outreach at school sites throughout Oceanside’s school districts including: Jefferson Middle School, Laurel Elementary, Libby Elementary, Mission Elementary, and Ivey Ranch Elementary.
This free programs teaches at-risk youth about the theatre arts while also building self-confidence, cooperation, creativity, and trust. Studies show student involvement in the arts improves academic performance, lowers dropout rates, and fosters better attitudes about community service. OTC is committed to bringing arts education to the youth in our community by filling the gap left by the elimination of arts education in local schools.
Activities include theatre and drama-related workshops, rehearsals and performances including acting exercises, improv, voice, dance, scriptwriting, stage design, prop and costume creation.
Student Reviews
4th Grade:
5th Grade:
Meet the Instructors
Gabriela Jimenez
Jimenez graduated from UC Berkley with a B.A. in Sociology and is an Elev8 Literacy and Enrichment Specialist with AmeriCorps-Safe Passages. As Honors Scholar Program Navigator at MiraCosta College, where she earned her A.A. in Liberal Arts with an Emphasis in Social and Behavioral Sciences she was the only Latinx student on staff in her department at a Hispanic Serving Institute. A member of Phi Theta Kappa National Honors Society and Regents & Chancellor’s Scholars Association, she led the Equity and Inclusion board. Jimenez is also a poet.
Lindy Lyon
Lindy Lyon is a spirited and passionate Dancer, Choreographer, and Instructor. As a B.F.A. graduate of Colorado Mesa University, she is trained in Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Modern, Ballet, Contemporary, and more. Her pieces have been adjudicated and featured in concerts and festivals across the country, and she has performed with Legoland California and Jingle Beat Nashville. Lyon contributed choreography to Oceanside Theatre Company’s The Little Mermaid in 2023, and she looks forward to working on more musical productions in the near future. Lyon loves to share the joy of dance with people of all experience levels, and she believes in making dance accessible for all.
Jason Russo
Jason is so excited to be working as a Teaching Artist with OTC and OUSD! He is a professionally trained actor, and graduated from the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. His unique teaching style allows students of all ages to have a lot of fun, while developing a sense of confidence in areas of voice and speech, acting, improv, movement, and teamwork.
Interested in Having an After-School Theatre Program At Your School?
For more information about the program, contact Kelli Frager at kfrager@oceansidetheatre.org.
Sponsored by Oceanside Unified School District and
