playbill vip

A Note From the Director:  The theatre is supposed to tell us the truth about life. So what do we learn about life from Oliver!? To answer that question, I believe we have to go back to the original artist behind the story—Charles Dickens—and hear what he had to say. While we often get warm fuzzy feelings when we think of Dicken's stories, the reality is that "Oliver Twist" is about tough issues, the main one being about society's mistreatment of the poor. So, as we experience this story and think about the downtrodden and the disenfranchised, what truth are we seeing? Is it just truth about Victorian England's mistreatment of the poor, or is it truth about our own? How have we, as a country and as a city, stepped up to truly care for those in need around us? The cast and crew of Oliver! have certainly been busy pulling this show together... but in the midst of the craziness, we've tried to pause and think about why we are doing it. Is it just for fun? Just for ourselves? Just for an evening of entertainment for you? We pray that those things will definitely happen, but more importantly that we will each walk away asking ourselves... "am I a Bumble or a Sowerberry? or am I a Nancy or a Brownlow? Do look down upon the poor, do I take advantage of them, or do I extend a hand of acceptance, mercy, and grace?" And perhaps the greatest question of all, "What does God have to say about this to me?" We invite you to "consider yourself" one of us as we seek God's forgiveness for where we have not helped those in need and His help in stepping fully into His mission of the flourishing of everyone in our community. Thank you for joining us this evening... it is our honor and privilege to share this piece of truth with you.

For Christ's Glory,

Lesa Brown

As part of the vision and heart behind this production, Village Arts and the Cast and Crew of Oliver! are excited to highlight CASA and donate a portion of all ticket sales to this ground-breaking organization! 

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of the Pikes Peak Region is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization serving El Paso County and Teller County that trains and supervises volunteers to represent the best interests of our most vulnerable citizens – victims of child abuse, neglect, and severe domestic conflict. CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to be a voice for these children in court and in the community. The desired result is that children are placed into safe, loving homes where they can thrive. CASA PPR serves approximately 1,700 children per year in all our programs, but hundreds are still waiting for volunteer advocacy.

www.casappr.org