Some of the Parkers Chapel School District's finest theater students will stage a production of Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr. on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the high school auditorium.
PCHS theater instructor Tracye Couture said the production, which was originally planned and canceled due to COVID in 2020, has been a long time coming.
Students from 4th through 12th grade will be featured in the play, which consists of songs from the Schoolhouse Rock! animated series that began in 1973.
Couture says the show features many nostalgic favorites that parents who grew up watching the series will likely recall.
"I really hope the entire audience joins in and sings along to the songs," Couture said.
The play is mostly made up of music but contains some dialogue to "help tie the songs together."
Members of the school's Thespian Troupe and more advanced Theater classes will held lead the play, including two senior Theater 4 students who served as the musical directors.
Couture said that several Theater 1 students – "my newbies," she joked – will help lead off the play with sections of dialogue along with solo musical performances.
"For them to be Theater 1 students and say 'yeah, I'll do this solo' ... It takes a lot of courage and I'm so proud of them," Couture said.
Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr. will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday; tickets are $5 at the door.
A dessert auction will also be held Saturday to help raise money for the school's theater department.
Parkers Chapel's theatre department will remain busy within the coming months as they prepare to attend the state Thespian Festival and stage a full-length production of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" the first weekend of May.
Several members of the district's Thespian Troupe #8889 will attend the State Thespian Festival from Feb. 9 – 11 in Russellville, competing against actors and actresses from across the state.
This will be Parkers Chapel's fourth year of competing at the festival. Last year, students managed to collect wins including several "Excellence" and three "Superior" ratings.