Daddy Long Legs is a stage musical based on the 1912 novel of the same name by Jean Webster, featuring music and lyrics by Paul Gordon and book by John Caird. Set in turn-of-the-century New England, the musical tells the story of orphan Jerusha Abbott of the John Grier Home and the mysterious benefactor who agrees to send her to college. Jerusha dubs this man “Daddy Long Legs” after seeing his elongated shadow upon exiting the orphanage. We later discover this man to be the charmingly awkward philanthropist, Jervis Pendleton who finds himself impressed by her amusing satirical essays about life at the John Grier Home. Despite his usual practice of selecting young men, he devises a nine-point plan for Jerusha’s further education. As her trustee, he will be sending her to a local college with all expenses paid, with the intention that she educate herself to become a writer. The only condition is that Jerusha must write to him reporting on her progress and impressions of the college, and that he will remain anonymous, only to be addressed as “Mr. Smith”. Her letters will never be answered, nor will he pay the slightest attention to them. Under the conditions of her anonymous benefactor, Jerusha accepts and begins sending him a letter once a month, describing her new-found experiences with life outside the orphanage.

Olathe Civic Theatre Association is an all-volunteer 501c3 organization producing theatre in Olathe since 1974. Performing in the Buddy Rogers Family Playhouse, OCTA produces high-quality, engaging, and thought-provoking theatre productions a year.

Through the generosity of volunteers, season ticket holders, donors, city, and community, in addition to a dedicated Board of Directors, OCTA has grown into one of the most progressive community theaters in the Kansas City metropolitan area.