The South Arkansas Arts Center is bringing back the Penguin Project for its second year, with the musical “Honk, JR.”
Last year’s Penguin Project musical was Disney’s Aladdin, Jr., and “was a great success,” said Lynn Gunter, director for this year’s production.
This year, SAAC is offering “Honk, JR.” to not only the Penguin Project, but also as the summer musical for Theatre Camp.
Theatre Camp is scheduled to begin tomorrow through Friday for students in grades second through ninth.
According to a press release from SAAC, after the curtain closes on the camp production, SAAC will launch their first-ever crossover production by again staging “Honk, JR.” for the Penguin Project. Actors 12 and up are invited to participate in the Penguin Project as “mentors.”
The Penguin Project will be kicked off with a weeklong Penguin Mini Camp on Aug. 6-10, from 9 a.m. until noon. Rehearsals for the production will begin the following week, culminating in ticketed performances on Sept. 14-15.
According to its website, the Penguin Project, founded by Dr. Andrew Morgan in 2003, is a national nonprofit organization with the vision of creating unrestricted access for children with special needs to the performing arts.
Through a targeted outreach, special needs children are recruited as artists and cast in the production, from starring roles to its ensemble.
Each special needs artist is paired with a mentor of similar age, who guides them through the production from start to finish.
The first Penguin Project last year was under the leadership of Gary Hall and Darrin Riley, and Gunter said there are some areas they have evaluated and will try to improve.
“The areas we chose to change were the length of the project, the age of actors and a stronger focus on training the mentors,” Gunter said.
Last year, rehearsals were held over a five-month period, but this year the play will be performed in six weeks.
“This is an ambitious endeavor, however, a six-week commitment is much easier on our students and families,” Gunter said. “By starting our project with a Penguin Camp, I believe we can meet our deadline.”
Gunter said they chose to reach younger artists by lowering the actor age to those in second through 12th grade. Mentors are restricted to those in sixth grade through 12th grade.
In another initiative for improvements, Gunter said they will better prepare their mentors by beginning rehearsals with already knowing their part, one of the benefits of offering the same script that the Theatre Camp is using.
“Any mentor in that camp will have the opportunity to play that role along with their artist in our project,” Gunter said.
There are two scheduled “Mentor Saturdays” in August to train the mentors before actually meeting their artist.
It is the mentor’s job to keep their artist safe and successful throughout the rehearsals and performances, giving them the support and guidance they need to shine on stage.
Leaders of the Penguin Project include Cassie Hickman, music director; Karen Langston, mentor coordinator; Darrin Riley, acting coach; Bekah Gunter, choreography; and Renea Lyles, family coordinator.
Lynn Gunter said SAAC has been great support for organizing, preparing and giving advice for the project.
“Together, our team is ready, emotionally, physically and theatrically, to begin this amazing journey,” she said.
Although this is Gunter’s first time directing a special needs project, she feels prepared because she worked with the cast last year.
“I plan to listen to others who know more about the special needs community, and be flexible enough to change at any given moment if the need arises,” she said. “I think loving the students but holding them to a standard they can reach is the best way to direct.”
A mentor from last year’s production, Abbey Williams said she really wants to do the Penguin Project again after having a good experience in the program.
“I am now best friends with Bailey Ogle, who was my artist,” Williams said.
Jamie Ogle said that as a mom of a special needs child and a mom of a mentor, she saw where the project helped give children with special needs a way to plug into theater arts.
“I saw where it stretched my special needs daughter out of her comfort zone and helped build confidence,” she said. “For my son, who was a mentor, I saw where he was learning patience and understanding.”
Ogle also noted that the project helps brings awareness to the community.
“They can see how abled, talented, smart kids with special needs are,” Ogle said. “And it brings awareness to the special needs diagnosis as well. And brings awareness of ways the special needs can be ministered to or help out.”
Lisa Cotton said she was at first apprehensive about signing her child up for the project, but now highly recommends it to anyone interested.
Cotton’s child, Christian, was cast as the lead role in last year’s production and she also had a son who was a mentor.
Ashlee Raborn said her child, Micheal, who was a special needs artist last year, met several “wonderful people during his time at SAAC.”
In addition to the Penguin Project, her younger daughter also had the pleasure of participating with the Jungle Book Kids. Raborn noted that her daughter was very shy, but that didn’t hinder her experience.
“SAAC has a fantastic group of individuals who work extremely hard to make dreams come true for people young or old, shy or outgoing,” Raborn said. “There is always something for everyone, whether on stage or behind the scene. Both of my children are hooked.”
SAAC’s Executive Director Laura Allen said she hopes that as many of the theatre campers as possible will consider staying as mentors for the Penguin Project and that this gives them the opportunity to get to know the project as actors first.
“We are so excited to be welcoming the Penguin Project back to the SAAC stage in 2018,” Allen said in a press release. “While we know not every camper will be able to participate as a mentor, and not all our members will be available for Penguin camp, we love offering the opportunity.”
For more information about Penguin Project, which is sponsored by LANXESS, call SAAC’s office at 870-862-5474 or visit saac-arts.org.
Kaitlyn Rigdon can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].