Jackie Stahr is a special education teacher for Gull Lake Public Schools and a long-time volunteer at the Kalamazoo Civic Theater. On Friday, Mar 3, the Civic will stage a Penguin Project musical with Stahr directing again (she also directed 2022's Penguin Project adaptation of "Schoolhouse Rock"). Stahr and AnnMarie Miller, The Civic's director of education and outreach, join Cara Lieurance to talk about The Rainbow Fish Musical.
Designed to give kids with a range of special needs the chance to participate in live theater, the Kalamazoo Civic's production of The Rainbow Fish Musical is a partnership with The Penguin Project, a national program that gives community theaters the tools and training they need to include kids of all abilities. AnnMarie Miller, whose own child is a participant, says one of the crucial aspects of this program is how participants are paired with mentors of roughly the same age. The mentors work alongside the cast and crew for the four months it takes to learn and rehearse the show. Then, they stay with the performers during each performance, ready to assist or take over if needed. In the process, and through snack breaks, everything begins to feel normal for everybody.
The Rainbow Fish Musical will run until March 12. More information is at the Kalamazoo Civic website.