“Seussical Jr." at Augustana College -- February 22 through March 3.

Friday, February 22, through Sunday, March 3

Augustana College's Brunner Theatre Center, 3750 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island IL

For the third year in a row, the Center for Living Arts, the Penguin Project of the Quad Cities, and Augustana College's theatre department are teaming up to help turn kids into stage stars, which they'll do in the February 22 through March 3 Brunner Theatre Center run of Seussical Jr. a production that boasts a cast composed of talented youths with special needs.

A one-act version of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical, Seussical Jr. finds Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and loads of additional favorite Dr. Seuss characters springing to life on-stage in this fantastical musical extravaganza from Tony-winning composers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Transporting audiences from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, the Cat in the Hat narrates the story of Horton, who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people called Whos. Horton must consequently protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, and must also guard an abandoned egg that's been left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger, and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him, and everyone learns about the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community.

In director Dino Hayz's staging of Seussical Jr., all of Dr. Seuss' beloved characters are portrayed by young artists with developmental disabilities. They are joined on-stage by peer mentors who have volunteered to work side by side with the youths through rehearsals and the final performances, resulting in an inspiring, magical theatrical experience for students and audiences alike.

Designed to provide children with special needs with creative skills related to theatre arts, the Penguin Project has evolved into a national program, with replication sites throughout the United States. The program provides a supporting environment for children with disabilities to explore their creative talents, and has demonstrated that participation in the performing arts has therapeutic value by enhancing social interacting, communication skills, self-confidence, and self-esteem. Founded by Dr. Andrew Morgan in Peoria, Illinois, in 2003, the Penguin Project is a national non-profit organization with the vision of creating unrestricted access for children with special needs to the performing arts. This is accomplished with the assistance of multiple replications across the U.S. that produce modified versions of well-known Broadway musicals.

Seussical Jr. will be staged at Augustana's Brunner Theatre Center February 23 through March 3 with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $12, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)794-7306 or visiting Augustana.edu/tickets or CenterForLivingArts.org.

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