NEW OCTAVIANS EVERYONE HAS A TALENT JUST WAITING SHINE.

It’s always fun to learn what The New Octavians are doing. This local theatre group is led by Brent Alan Goodrich, the CEO of Octavian Foundation for the Arts. This past summer the group put on their own production of “Mean Girls.” Hammond is lucky to have this community theater and youth performing arts academy here in our city, and Brent was eager to chat about this expanding group of youth thespians.

The group first came together in 2012 under Anna Pfeil’s leadership, but by 2018 the studio was dormant. Then, Brent was asked to take the helm and revivify the theatrical production group with theater students eager to join.

When the baton was passed to Brent, he decided on a rebrand to alert the community to the changes in the original group. He dubbed the 501 (c) (3) nonprofit’s latest iteration “The New Octavians.”

Help From the Team

Brent stressed that “it takes a village to make a community theater work,” and he should know. In addition to running The New Octavians, he also teaches music and theater at

St. Thomas Aquinas and is the studio facilitator for the high school. Here at The New Octavians, Brent relies on his brother, Steven, to manage the business side of the organization. The group’s dance instructors are the talented Olivia Lowentritt and Shala Waguespack, and the team is complemented by the eminently qualified Margaret Dorignac, a theater intern from Southeastern Louisiana University.

In addition to dance, The New Octavians offer private lessons in acting, piano, and voice, focusing on different musical genres that include country, pop, and musical theater. They also do an annual adult production to give members of the community a chance to show off their acting chops. Brent and his team are quick to ensure everyone who wants the opportunity to participate is able, even offering scholarships when needed.

award-winning Performances Join

While the group of students enrolled in private lessons range from a dozen to 20, when they put on a production they often have as many as 30 all working cohesively to ensure its success. But The New Octavians also have a junior theater competition team of 25 talented actors that attended a musical theater festival in Atlanta where they made their mark. This talented group won awards for best in ensemble, acting, music, and overall production.

There are many ways for parents and community members to get involved with the group. They welcome tax-deductible donations from all, but also need hands-on involvement in the six shows they produce every year. Students, parents, and volunteers work backstage building sets, and the group can always use wood, costume pieces, unique props, and help with building maintenance.

Brent encourages interested parties to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to learn about upcoming shows like “Southern Fried Funeral” which will run November 2nd -5th, and the Christmas show later this season. Along with their home studio in Hammond at 1905 W. Thomas St., Suite K, The New Octavians perform at popular local venues like the Columbia Theater, Reimer’s Memorial Auditorium, and Covington’s Fuhrmann’s Auditorium. Parents with children eager to learn more about performing on stage can email The New Octavians at admin@theoctavians.org.