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<strong>Siouxland</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> | Enjoy / 68<br />
New Stage Players: Penguin Project in South Sioux City<br />
By Christine Wolf<br />
Once a year, a magical and touching celebration<br />
of the human spirit unfolds at numerous theaters<br />
across the country. This year will mark the first year<br />
that New Stage Players will be a part of the project. The<br />
New Stage Players Penguin Project is a program in which<br />
a group of children from all over the greater <strong>Siouxland</strong><br />
area take to the stage to perform a modified version of<br />
a well-known Broadway musical.<br />
This production is unique because ALL of the<br />
roles are filled by children with special needs:<br />
cognitive, learning, motor, hearing, and visual<br />
impairments, genetic disorders, and neurological<br />
disorders. They are joined on the stage by their peer<br />
mentors who have volunteered to work with them<br />
side-by-side and guide them through four months of<br />
rehearsals and eventually the final production.<br />
The mentors are responsible for knowing all of the lines,<br />
songs, and blocking of their partners but appear “in<br />
the background” to provide direct assistance only as<br />
needed. Involvement in the program enhances social<br />
interaction, strengthens communication skills and boosts<br />
self-confidence. It also provides an opportunity to create<br />
lasting friendships<br />
and to be a part of<br />
the performing arts<br />
community.<br />
The Penguin Project<br />
was founded by Dr.<br />
Andrew Morgan,<br />
a developmental<br />
pediatrician and the former Head of the Division<br />
of Child Development at the University of Illinois in<br />
Peoria. He created The Penguin Project recognizing<br />
that theatre not only provides children with a valuable<br />
recreational experience and an opportunity to display<br />
their creative talents, but also enhances social interaction,<br />
communication skills, assertiveness and self-esteem. The<br />
Penguin Project strives to demonstrate that individuals<br />
with special needs are fully capable of participating<br />
in community activities with the same dedication and<br />
enthusiasm as others, if given opportunity and support.<br />
The Penguin Project Foundation was created to replicate<br />
Dr. Morgan’s vision in community theatres across<br />
the country. There are currently 31 Penguin Projects<br />
nationwide, including The New Stage Players Penguin<br />
Project in South Sioux City.
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