Ojai ACT

04/23/2025

🎭Get involved in our 2026 Theatrical Season - submissions are open now!🎭
You have until May 31st to let us know if you have a compelling play you’d like to see on our stage, have the vision behind a must-see musical, or are an advocate for a show you think OACT should bring to the Valley- we welcome your ideas! Please visit the informational link in our description or at OjaiACT.org for full details on our guidelines and how to submit a show. ✨

04/16/2025

💗“Crimes of the Heart” is reaching the end of its run! This award-winning play blends humor and heartbreak in a way only live theater can. Whether you’re in it for the family drama, the unexpected laughs, or the unforgettable performances, “Crimes of the Heart” is a show you don’t want to miss. Get your tickets now!
💗For our final weekend, we’re offering a 2-for-1 ticket special on both Friday and Saturday! It’s the perfect opportunity to bring a friend and catch this show before it closes. Whether you’ve already heard the buzz or are just now thinking of making plans, this offer makes it easy to enjoy a night at the theater. Seats are limited, so we recommend booking soon to take advantage of the deal — and to see why audiences have been loving this funny and poignant story about family, forgiveness, and fresh starts.
💗Find tickets in our description or at OjaiACT.org! If you purchase your ticket online, simply mention this deal at will-call when you pick it up, and it will be honored. You can also call 805-640-8797 or email [email protected] to make your 2-for-1 reservations, or make your purchase at the door that night and get the same deal.
💗Pictured left to right: Sean Ernst, Della Newlow, Emily Vallance, Bethany D’Ambra, Anna Kotula, and Jacob Tapp. 🎭

04/11/2025

OUR 2-FOR-1 TICKET DEAL IS BACK, THIS SATURDAY APRIL 12TH! Take a look at our beautiful “Crimes of the Heart”set build and dressed by Shannon Penrith! It evokes a sense of 70’s Southern charm and living a quiet, cozy life… until the three MaGrath sister come together to drum up some chaos! Don’t miss “Crimes of the Heart,” we only have two weekends of shows left! Find multiple ways to get tickets at OjaiACT.org or get them online in our description. Photos by Shannon Penrith 🎭

04/09/2025

Some snippets from “Crimes of the Heart,” which has only two weekends of shows left! Audiences are loving this heartfelt, hilarious, and beautifully acted Southern story about three very different sisters brought back together via scandals and second chances. If you’ve been waiting to get tickets, now’s the time. Get tickets in our description or at OjaiACT.org, or by calling 805-640-8797 🎭
Photo 1- “Warning: Kitchen encounters may cause heat.” Jacob Tapp as Doc Porter and Anna Kotula as Meg.
Photo 2- “Sisterly love, kitchen chaos, and one very unimpressed cousin… Welcome to Hazlehurst!” Anna Kotula as Meg, Emily Vallance as Babe, and Bethany D’Ambra as Chick Boyle.
Photos by Stephen Adams 🎭

04/05/2025

Buy one ticket, get one free! For tonight’s performance, April 5th, you can buy one ticket online or over the phone for “Crimes of the Heart” and get a second one for free at will call! Find tickets at OjaiACT.org or in our description 🎭

04/02/2025

We have a special event this Sunday, April 6th! Join us for an audience talk back with “Crimes of the Heart” director Sindy McKay after taking in that afternoon performance. Reserve tickets in our description or at OjaiACT.org! 🎭

03/31/2025

“Crimes of the Heart” celebrated its opening night this past weekend! Thank you to all who attended and made it a special evening and weekend ✨

We are offering our 2-for-1 special this Saturday, April 5th- buy two tickets for the price of one! This deal is good for walk-ups and online ticket purchases, so bring a friend, a family member, or someone who shares your love of live theater, and experience this gripping story together. If you purchase your ticket online, simply mention this deal at will-call when you pick it up, and it will be honored. You can also make your purchase at the door that night and get the same deal.

Tickets and further information can be found in our description or at OjaiACT.org!

Pictured: Our fabulous cast! Top row: Bethany D’Ambra, Jacob Tapp, and Sean Ernst. Bottom row: Anna Kotula, Della Newlow, and Emily Vallance. Photo by Stephen Adams 🎭

03/28/2025

“Crimes of the Heart” opens tonight! Set in the 70’s, a family crisis (or two!) brings the McGrath sisters back to Old Grandaddy’s house where they try and figure out why they “zigged” when life said “zag.”
A touch of romance, a little longing, a lot of laughs, and the answer to the question, “Can you have a mid-life crisis at the age of 30?”
Tickets can be bought at the door, over the phone, or online in our description or at OjaiACT.org 🎭

03/27/2025

We open tomorrow! Come see “Crimes of the Heart” at OACT! Set in the 70’s, three Mississippi sisters get together after the youngest shoots her husband to revisit the past, get a handle on their current problems, and look towards the future. Can they get through their troubles together? Learn more and get tickets in our description or at OjaiACT.org 🎭✨

03/27/2025

“Crimes of the Heart” opens this weekend! Set in 70’s small town Mississippi, three sister re-unite resulting in familial chaos. New chapters are opened, old wounds get re-hashed, and sudden visitors stir the bubbling pot. Will it boil over? Come see “Crimes of the Heart” at the Ojai Art Center every weekend starting this weekend, March 28th- April 21st. Details and tickets can be found in our description or at OjaiACT.org! Graphic by Jill Dolan 🎭

03/26/2025

This wonderful production of Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley opens this Friday, March 28, at the Ojai Art Center. It's funny. It's fractious. It's family.

A family crisis (or two!) brings the McGrath sisters back to Old Grandaddy's house where they try and figure out why they "zigged" when life said "zag."

A touch of romance, a little longing, a lot of laughs, and the answer to the question, "can you have a mid-life crisis at the age of 30?"

Join us, won't you? Tickets available at ojaiact.org, by phone at 805 640-8797, and even at the door! Curtain time - 7:30.

03/12/2025

Here’s our calendar of shows for “Crimes of the Heart,” get your tickets now in our description or at OjaiACT.org! 🎭

03/08/2025

Auditions for “Young Frankenstein” are here at the end of the month! Go to OjaiACT.org or visit our description for further details.
⚡️Join us for “Young Frankenstein”! From the creators of The Producers, this hilarious musical brings Mary Shelley’s classic tale to life with a Mel Brooks twist. Follow Dr. Frederick Frankenstein as he inherits his infamous grandfather’s castle and laboratory, joined by a cast of quirky characters—including the ever-faithful Igor, the enigmatic Frau Blücher, and the irresistible Inga. With over-the-top comedy, high-energy dance numbers, and unforgettable songs, “Young Frankenstein” is a monstrously good time! 🎭

03/04/2025

Here at OACT, we are diligently working on our next production of the 2025 theatrical season, “Crimes of the Heart.”
This Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Beth Henley, and directed by Sindy McKay, is a deeply touching story within a dark comedy that follows the three Magrath sisters as they reunite in their small Mississippi hometown. Here, they learn to navigate love, loss, and the lingering wounds of their past—all with unexpected humor and resilience. Get your tickets now!
Tickets can be purchased online in our description or at OjaiACT.org, at the door, over the phone at 805-640-8797, or email [email protected] to make reservations. Doors open at 6:45 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and 1:15 PM on Sundays. 🎭

02/26/2025

Tickets are available now! You can find them in our description or at OjaiACT.org 🎭
🌟 Winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, “Crimes of the Heart” is a poignant and humorous exploration of the complexities of family and resilience. The Magrath sisters—Lenny, Meg, and Babe—come together at their childhood home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi after Babe is accused of shooting her husband. As past wounds resurface and new revelations unfold, the sisters find strength in each other, proving that sometimes, the best way to heal is through laughter.
🌟Our run will have 12 performances, running weekends from March 28th - April 20th. We will have Friday and Saturday evening performances at 7:30 PM, and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. See you there! 🎭

02/18/2025

You won't believe how good this cast is ----UNTIL YOU COME AND SEE THE SHOW.
They were fantastic at the first table read!!
Tickets will be available at the OACT website SOON!

We have our cast for “Crimes of the Heart,” coming soon to OACT! We are pleased to have the following individuals bringing their immense talents to our stage this March:

🌟Meg McGrath – Anna Kotula

🌟Lenny McGrath – Della Newlow

🌟Babe Botrelle – Emily Vallance

🌟Chick Boyle – Bethany D’Ambra

🌟Doc Porter – Jacob Tapp

🌟Barnette Lloyd – Sean Ernst

In a small Mississippi town, the three McGrath sisters—Lenny, Meg, and Babe—reunite after Babe shoots her husband, seemingly unaware of the gravity of her actions. Through this chaos they have to navigate family tensions, their meddling cousin, a love-struck lawyer, and an abandoned lover. Through humor and heartbreak, the sisters confront past wounds and rediscover the bonds that hold them together.

“Crimes of the Heart” is written by Beth Henley, directed by Sindy McKay, produced by Jill Dolan, and stage managed by Christina Fabbro.
We’ll be performing weekends, March 28th - April 20th, 2025, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. More details to come! 🎭

02/18/2025

We have our cast for “Crimes of the Heart,” coming soon to OACT! We are pleased to have the following individuals bringing their immense talents to our stage this March:

🌟Meg McGrath – Anna Kotula

🌟Lenny McGrath – Della Newlow

🌟Babe Botrelle – Emily Vallance

🌟Chick Boyle – Bethany D’Ambra

🌟Doc Porter – Jacob Tapp

🌟Barnette Lloyd – Sean Ernst

In a small Mississippi town, the three McGrath sisters—Lenny, Meg, and Babe—reunite after Babe shoots her husband, seemingly unaware of the gravity of her actions. Through this chaos they have to navigate family tensions, their meddling cousin, a love-struck lawyer, and an abandoned lover. Through humor and heartbreak, the sisters confront past wounds and rediscover the bonds that hold them together.

“Crimes of the Heart” is written by Beth Henley, directed by Sindy McKay, produced by Jill Dolan, and stage managed by Christina Fabbro.
We’ll be performing weekends, March 28th - April 20th, 2025, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. More details to come! 🎭