Florida Rep 'Rocks' on Saturday mornings

COURTESY PHOTO Mary-Margaret Roberts, Patrick Simone and Trey Gerrald in "Cinderella Confidential." Megan Hart, 7, and Shea Cunningham, 6, probably didn't expect to be in a musical last Saturday.

But when actors of "Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.," asked to join them dancing, they bounced up from their front-row seats on the floor and wiggled to the beat of "Do the Circulation." The musical, based on the popular 1970s television series, teaches audiences grammar, history, and science through catchy tunes.

"There's always, in every audience, at least one kid who is completely mesmerized by what's happening - like who's completely in it with you. I used to be one of those kids," said Jason Parrish, associate director of the Florida Repertory Theatre.

Mr. Parrish directs "Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.," the first musical in the six-year history of Florida Rep's children's theatre theatre program. The Lunchbox Theatre series started Saturday and runs through April 11. For $12, audience members see the show, get a lunch from sponsor Jason's Deli, and can attend a workshop after the show, where actors teach theatre techniques through games and answer questions.

This season's children's program started touring in local schools last fall. It features two other shows — "Cinderella Confidential," a comedic twist on the classic fairy tale, and "Zap!," a play about electricity. After two weeks of eight-hour-day rehearsals for each of the three shows, performers began touring for school groups of about 300. The program reaches about 12,000 students a year.

The shows' four actors teach others while receiving education themselves — they are the Rep's season interns. They unanimously agreed "Schoolhouse Rock, Live! Jr." is their favorite show in the series to perform.

"You can look at the audience during 'Schoolhouse' and they're smiling the whole time," said Jessica Leach, 22, a graduate of Coastal Carolina University's musical theater program.

"It's funny because the teachers get into it too because they know the music from when it first came out," added fellow intern Mary-Margaret Roberts, 22, who recently graduated from Emory and Henry College in Virginia.

"I think the best part of doing these tours, which was surprising to me, is that it's such an immediate reaction if you're doing your job good or not because the kids will tell you," said Trey Gerrald, 22, who has a bachelor's in theater from Coastal Carolina University.

Ms. Leach agreed, "They'll either be fidgeting or they'll be laughing. You just have to be ready for whatever reaction they're going to give you."

At the workshop after the shows, audience members talk to actors and ask questions.

"They think we're famous. One girl asked us if we had managers. And they're always interested in what's going on behind the curtain," said Mr. Gerrald.

The Lunchbox series offers an alternative to the traditional Saturday morning cartoons.

"I think it's better because we're for real," Mr. Gerrald said. "We're really in front of them and we're there. And then they get to jump up and dance with us and play with us. It's better than just sitting in your house."

Ms. Leach agreed.

Every year acting interns perform in the children's theater program, which Mr. Parrish said is constantly growing and experiencing new changes.

The venue of this year's Lunchbox series is one of those changes. The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center downtown hosts the show, sponsored in part by Pamela Templeton and Fort Myers Toyota.

Ms. Templeton, Toyota's treasurer, said sponsoring the Lunchbox series was a great way to support local arts and children at the same time. "It really does give them an opportunity to express themselves and to learn about working with each other," she said.

Ms. Templeton said the Art Center will help downtown experience its full renaissance. "It will be an attraction that will benefit local businesses and restaurants," she said.

Mr. Parrish said, in addition to the touring theater, he hopes to have a permanent home in the future dedicated to the Rep's children's theater programs.