Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Established in 2000 as a subsidiary program of the YWCA of Bartlesville, CMT was founded as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization in response to an increased demand for arts education programs in our region, specifically in musical theatre. A true “Cinderella” story, CMT exists because members of the Bartlesville community banded together to ensure that students in northeastern Oklahoma have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of productions, workshops, and training classes in each discipline of musical theatre—acting, music and dance—so they become true triple threats. However, while CMT’s programming challenges students to hone their craft, our ultimate goal is to help students develop life-skills, like teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and self-confidence that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
The capstone of CMT’s programming is the annual Main-stage Summer Musical, a five-week musical theatre intensive during which students ages 7-17 learn how to put on a full-scale Broadway musical complete with elaborate sets, period-costumes, intricate lighting design, and a live orchestra. Typically, each production casts 65-85 students who live within a 40-mile radius of Bartlesville, OK. In order to make this production accessible to as many students as possible, the Main-stage Summer Musical is tuition-free. During the summer, CMT also offers a variety of non-audition based summer camps that additional training and performance opportunities to students by teaching them how to produce a show in two weeks or less.
In 2015, CMT assumed full ownership of a partnership between Missoula Children’s Theatre and Bartlesville Public Schools called SPOTLITE. Special Program on Theater: Lessons in Theater Education (SPOTLITE) is an in-classroom theatre enrichment program that reaches every 4th grader, including public schools, private schools, and homeschool students, in Bartlesville during the month of October. CMT also facilitates the Missoula Children’s Theatre Residency Program, which allows K-8 students in Bartlesville to audition, rehearse and perform an original musical in a professional venue, Bartlesville Community Center. These programs expose students to theatrical crafts, like lighting and makeup, improvisation, storytelling, and are another example of CMT’s dedication to providing high-quality arts education to the Bartlesville community.
Striving to broaden our impact in the community, in 2017, CMT established Stage School, which offers fall and spring skills-based acting, dance, and music classes to students in the Bartlesville area. Stage School classes are designed to build on one another as students achieve specific learning objectives in each eight-week session. Each member of CMT’s Stage School staff is degreed in his/her discipline and is trained to recognize students’ abilities and challenge them to reach the next level of their craft. In 2017, CMT also debuted school year fall and spring productions to give students more opportunities to perform. and hone their skills.
CMT has a long history of enriching the lives of students by providing quality musical theatre performance and educational opportunities. We look forward to continuing to grow our programming and impact through partnerships with the vibrant Bartlesville community.