Our STORY

The Ophelia Theatre Group was founded by actor, director and playwright Sarah Bennett in Lake Elsinore, California in 2003. Comprised of a group of young actors from high school drama class and local community theaters, OTG produced plays, musicals, original works and variety shows throughout the Elsinore and Temecula Valley for several years, honing their skills and solidifying their unique personality and approach to theater arts.

In 2011, the company, along with 16 founding members, moved to New York City where they renovated a long-neglected wing of a local recreation center into a fully functional black-box theater. From this space they were able to continue to grow as artists, working with many talented actors, designers, writers and directors from across the country as they carried on with their vision of “Character Above Concept, Story Above All Else.”

While operating in their beloved neighborhood of Astoria, New York, Ophelia largely diversified their professional and creative development. The company embraced the opportunity to branch out to more immersive theatre creations, custom-made entertainment for youth and families in the area, and even breaking into the independent film industry with two award-winning short films, honored at local film festival The Sparrow Film Project. Additionally, Ophelia was the premier producer of the original work Your Alice, by Billie Aken-Tyres, and later a proud co-producer as the piece went on to be featured at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and then as a highly reviewed submission to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland in 2018.

The 2020s brought with them a deluge of change worldwide, and many of the Ophelia Theatre Group members found themselves back in California, eager to begin producing once again. Their primary focus now aimed at creating original work from the ground up, they are currently developing two experience-driven projects, Opheliatrics at the Music Hall which premiered in 2023 and the Prohibition-era comedy Undue Hilarity which began workshopping in 2024. As they reestablish themselves in Southern California, so much of the heart of the group, as well as many original members, still reside in New York City. The ambition is to resume production there as well, fulfilling OTG’s vision of providing quality theatre coast to coast.

The Ophelia Theatre Group is excited to be part of the tremendous growth happening in their hometown of Lake Elsinore. The name Ophelia has always been an homage to the name Elsinore, both names being derived from Shakespeare’s renowned piece Hamlet. Now after many years since they got their name, this group of once rag-tag dreamers have been shaped and refined by decades of experience and unforgettable adventures. They feel honored to be able to pass along their knowledge and passion to even more artists and continue to cultivate the theatrical landscape of the city that gave them their start.