The newest production of The Penguin Project of the Quad Cities — “High School Musical Jr.” — will be presented Friday through Sunday, Jan. 27-29, 2023 at Brunner Theatre Center, 3750 7th Ave., Rock Island.
Tickets are $15 each will be limited to six per purchase, available HERE or by calling 309-794-7306. The livestream performance will be Sunday, Jan. 29 at 1:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s shows are at 7:30 p.m.
The Sunday live stream will only play at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 and is not a ticket to the live performance. You will not be able to pause or unwind or view the performance at any other time.
You will receive an email with a link following your purchase. Only one device can use the link at a time.
The QC Penguin Project (part of a nationwide effort) each year performs a modified version of a well-known Broadway musical.
All the roles are filled by young artists with developmental disabilities including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, visual impairment, hearing impairment, and other neurological disorders, according to the Penguin Project website.
They are joined in rehearsals and on stage by a dedicated group of “peer mentors” – children the same age without disabilities who have volunteered to work side-by-side with them through four months of rehearsals and through the final performance.
The goals of Penguin Project are:
- To provide an opportunity for children with special needs to develop creative skills related to the theater arts.
- To provide an opportunity for children with special needs to participate in a community theater experience.
- To facilitate interaction between children with special needs and their age-level peers through joint participation in a community theater experience.
- To facilitate an appreciation of the challenges faced by children with special needs and their families.
- To identify the impact of a community theater experience on the communication skills, socialization, and self-confidence of children with special needs.
- To facilitate interaction among medical, developmental, educational, and theater professionals through participation in a common community project.
- To provide a forum for support and interaction for families of children with special needs.
The QC Penguin Project was the subject of an inspiring documentary, “I Am Able” (produced by Rock Island-based Fresh Films), which premiered this past November at the Putnam’s Giant Screen Theater. To learn more about that film, click HERE.
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