For any acting student, working with Broadway directors and playwrights would be a dream. For the drama students at Dunbar Middle School for Innovation that dream came true. In early January, the cast and crew of Dunbar’s production of The Musical Adventures of FLAT STANLEY, JR. attended the 2012 Junior Theatre Festival (JTF) in Atlanta, Georgia. The Dunbar group was one of 65 groups representing 19 states. There were more than 3000 individual participants ranging in age from eight to eighteen. The Dunbar group stood out, however, winning more awards in their three day trip than they ever expected to take back to Lynchburg.
Dunbar performed fifteen minutes of their show FLAT STANLEY, JR. in front three judges who ultimately gave the group an Outstanding Achievement Award for their performance. An impressive crowd of performance professionals also attended the show, including Mr. Timothy McDonald, the man who wrote The Musical Adventures of FLAT STANLEY, JR. As a result, sixth grader Alyssa Kendrick was asked to audition for a choreography DVD that New York’s iTheatrics produces for their Broadway Jr. Shows. In addition, seventh grader Chad Gilliam and eighth grader Megan Love were interviewed by a film crew discussing the importance of the arts in schools and eighth grader Nia Dyke was chosen to interview three actors and two producers from NBC’s new show “Smash.”
Seventh graders Katie Morse and Maxwell Gregory were selected as JTF All-Stars. As All-Stars, they will travel to New York City this summer and perform in the new works that are being added to the MTI catalogue.
Ten female Dunbar students were selected to be a part of a group to help pay tribute to this year’s 2012 Junior Theatre Award recipients – the creators of the musical Annie. Ashley Brown, Hallie Feinman, Alyssa Kendrick, Nora Schuppe, Savannah Smith, Kenzie Gunter, Katie Morse, Emma Wray, Maria Wray and Megan Love joined 90 other students in red Annie shirts and wigs to sing “Tomorrow” on stage as the creators of Annie received their award.
Theatre teacher Albert Carter was also an active participant during the festival. Mr. Carter and sixth grader Spencer Cohen were part of a hand selected group charged with learning and performing a musical in an hour. Thankfully, they had they help of Dancer Jacob Brent. Brent is best known for his work as Mr. Mistoffelees in Broadway’s CATS.
Mr. Carter was one of eight educators selected for the “Broadway Welcomes American’s Teachers at the Freddie G Theatre Experience.” He will now receive an all-expenses paid trip to New York City in the summer of 2012 to collaborate with other educators and work one-on-one with Broadway greats.
An encore performance of The Musical Adventures of FLAT STANLEY, Jr. is scheduled for Saturday February 4th at 3:00 p.m. at The Academy of Fine Arts in downtown Lynchburg. Call The Academy box office for ticket information.