[Music] hi I’m Rachel Danae and I’m the director
hi I’m Rachel Danae and I’m the director
hi I’m Rachel Danae and I’m the director of choreography focus for the penguin
of choreography focus for the penguin
of choreography focus for the penguin project at Lincoln community Playhouse
project at Lincoln community Playhouse
project at Lincoln community Playhouse the penguin project is a theater program
the penguin project is a theater program
the penguin project is a theater program where kids with special needs or artists
where kids with special needs or artists
where kids with special needs or artists play all of the roles and they’re
play all of the roles and they’re
play all of the roles and they’re assisted by peer mentors together they
assisted by peer mentors together they
assisted by peer mentors together they put on a full-scale theatrical
put on a full-scale theatrical
put on a full-scale theatrical production what makes the penguin
production what makes the penguin
production what makes the penguin project so special is that the audience
project so special is that the audience
project so special is that the audience can see the connection between the
can see the connection between the
can see the connection between the artists and the mentors hi I’m Ashlyn
artists and the mentors hi I’m Ashlyn
artists and the mentors hi I’m Ashlyn and I’m a mentor I’m Eric and I’m an
and I’m a mentor I’m Eric and I’m an
and I’m a mentor I’m Eric and I’m an artist
artist
artist hey I’m Trey and I’m a mentor we do a
hey I’m Trey and I’m a mentor we do a
hey I’m Trey and I’m a mentor we do a two-hour mentor camp at the beginning of
two-hour mentor camp at the beginning of
two-hour mentor camp at the beginning of the season and just try to help our
the season and just try to help our
the season and just try to help our mentors understand what types of things
mentors understand what types of things
mentors understand what types of things they might encounter at rehearsal we
they might encounter at rehearsal we
they might encounter at rehearsal we talked about like focus on abilities and
talked about like focus on abilities and
talked about like focus on abilities and not stuff they can’t do and I always
not stuff they can’t do and I always
not stuff they can’t do and I always thought oh you know I’ve never really
thought oh you know I’ve never really
thought oh you know I’ve never really looked at it that way it’s really just
looked at it that way it’s really just
looked at it that way it’s really just about being a good friend you end up
about being a good friend you end up
about being a good friend you end up having a great friendship by the end of
having a great friendship by the end of
having a great friendship by the end of it I felt like Eric was more of my
it I felt like Eric was more of my
it I felt like Eric was more of my mentor than I was his the mentors have
mentor than I was his the mentors have
mentor than I was his the mentors have to learn all of the lines all of the
to learn all of the lines all of the
to learn all of the lines all of the music all of the choreography of their
music all of the choreography of their
music all of the choreography of their artists to not perform the role
artists to not perform the role
artists to not perform the role themselves as a mentor you want to stand
themselves as a mentor you want to stand
themselves as a mentor you want to stand up a few steps behind the artists so
up a few steps behind the artists so
up a few steps behind the artists so they could be the center of attention
they could be the center of attention
they could be the center of attention that they would be the star
that they would be the star
that they would be the star they do it because it becomes so
they do it because it becomes so
they do it because it becomes so important to them to see their artists
important to them to see their artists
important to them to see their artists perform well what it does for people
perform well what it does for people
perform well what it does for people with special needs is it includes them
with special needs is it includes them
with special needs is it includes them it makes them part of the community
it makes them part of the community
it makes them part of the community appreciated for their talents their
appreciated for their talents their
appreciated for their talents their abilities and a chance to be accepted my
abilities and a chance to be accepted my
abilities and a chance to be accepted my friend came to one of the practices and
friend came to one of the practices and
friend came to one of the practices and he said well these kids are doing
he said well these kids are doing
he said well these kids are doing amazing things so why can’t they be
amazing things so why can’t they be
amazing things so why can’t they be doing it normal plays you know you don’t
doing it normal plays you know you don’t
doing it normal plays you know you don’t get much exposure to children of special
get much exposure to children of special
get much exposure to children of special needs in the general community so you
needs in the general community so you
needs in the general community so you tend to think they’re very limited but
tend to think they’re very limited but
tend to think they’re very limited but when you come here and you see a play
when you come here and you see a play
when you come here and you see a play with the book that thick that these
with the book that thick that these
with the book that thick that these children are memorizing there is no
children are memorizing there is no
children are memorizing there is no limitations there may be some physical
limitations there may be some physical
limitations there may be some physical things that are different but I don’t
things that are different but I don’t
things that are different but I don’t consider it limiting I know it’s magic
consider it limiting I know it’s magic
consider it limiting I know it’s magic when I hear kids talk about how this
when I hear kids talk about how this
when I hear kids talk about how this program has helped them feel more
program has helped them feel more
program has helped them feel more comfortable at school it helps them have
comfortable at school it helps them have
comfortable at school it helps them have more friends for the mentors it helps
more friends for the mentors it helps
more friends for the mentors it helps them to not be afraid of someone who’s
them to not be afraid of someone who’s
them to not be afraid of someone who’s different than they are we hear from
different than they are we hear from
different than they are we hear from parents and families about how this was
parents and families about how this was
parents and families about how this was the first project that their child could
the first project that their child could
the first project that their child could really do former special education
really do former special education
really do former special education teachers come see our show who will
teachers come see our show who will
teachers come see our show who will leave in tears and say this is all we
leave in tears and say this is all we
leave in tears and say this is all we ever wanted for our kids while we were
ever wanted for our kids while we were
ever wanted for our kids while we were teaching it seems to affect everyone in
teaching it seems to affect everyone in
teaching it seems to affect everyone in a positive way it certainly did that for
a positive way it certainly did that for
a positive way it certainly did that for me I knew once I started working on this
me I knew once I started working on this
me I knew once I started working on this project that it was going to be the
project that it was going to be the
project that it was going to be the thing that I cared about most going
thing that I cared about most going
thing that I cared about most going forward I’ve been doing theater for
forward I’ve been doing theater for
forward I’ve been doing theater for 20-plus years in my life and this has
20-plus years in my life and this has
20-plus years in my life and this has been the most satisfying work that I
been the most satisfying work that I
been the most satisfying work that I have ever done
I feel like we’re creating a ripple
I feel like we’re creating a ripple effect in our in our community that more
effect in our in our community that more
effect in our in our community that more and more people who are part of this
and more people who are part of this
and more people who are part of this program and their families and the
program and their families and the
program and their families and the audience members are going to go out
audience members are going to go out
audience members are going to go out into their own communities and be more
into their own communities and be more
into their own communities and be more accepting of people with disabilities
accepting of people with disabilities
accepting of people with disabilities everybody’s normal and everybody’s
everybody’s normal and everybody’s
everybody’s normal and everybody’s special and no matter what type of
special and no matter what type of
special and no matter what type of ability you have you are the same as
ability you have you are the same as
ability you have you are the same as everybody else
everybody else
everybody else you just said what I was exactly
you just said what I was exactly
you just said what I was exactly thinking
I think this model is a huge opportunity
I think this model is a huge opportunity to offer peer mentoring programs in
to offer peer mentoring programs in
to offer peer mentoring programs in schools in churches and eventually in
schools in churches and eventually in
schools in churches and eventually in workplaces there is a need in our
workplaces there is a need in our
workplaces there is a need in our communities for kids who age out of high
communities for kids who age out of high
communities for kids who age out of high school that have special needs and still
school that have special needs and still
school that have special needs and still need a social network or opportunities
need a social network or opportunities
need a social network or opportunities outside of the school systems and what I
outside of the school systems and what I
outside of the school systems and what I think we’re doing here is is building
think we’re doing here is is building
think we’re doing here is is building stronger communities by being inclusive
stronger communities by being inclusive
stronger communities by being inclusive to everyone because of the penguin
to everyone because of the penguin
to everyone because of the penguin project being in this community year
project being in this community year
project being in this community year after year it’s going to make Lincoln an
after year it’s going to make Lincoln an
after year it’s going to make Lincoln an exponentially better place for people
exponentially better place for people
exponentially better place for people with disabilities to live and grow and
with disabilities to live and grow and
with disabilities to live and grow and thrive
thrive
thrive [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
”
Be First to Comment