As a parent of a special needs child, life is different for us.
We have less free time than parents of independent children. We spend more resources administering day-to-day care and attending appointments with specialists. We take emotional rides along the sliding scale of optimism/pessimism when dealing with our child’s limitations, both real and possibly overcome-able. And we’re often surprised by which are which.
Wherever your child is on their journey, there’s a place for you within the Penguin Project—giving developmentally disabled children ages 10 to 21 the opportunity to perform in a modified Broadway show.
Founded in 2004 in Peoria, Ill., by “Dr. Andy” Morgan, an accomplished developmental pediatrician, the Penguin Project has hatched 53 local chapters in 22 states, with the Theatre Harrisburg chapter being one of its most recent.
The final goal of the Penguin Project may be to put on a great show, but its wings span so much further.
Executive Director Lorien Reese Mahay attests to the program’s impacts reaching beyond the stage to enhance young Penguins’ social interaction, self-esteem, communication skills and self-confidence. The program has become its own community for children whose social opportunities may have previously been limited and for whom participation in traditional performing arts formats would be too overstimulating.
As much as possible, the staff treats the Penguin Project experience like a mainstage production, but with a few gentle tweaks to create an inclusive, sensory-friendly space. To keep from overstimulating the Penguins, setting and props are minimal. Lighting, sound and costume fabrics are sensory friendly, with no quick costume changes.
For production Director Matt Spencer, some Penguins met him first at his day job as Doc Chocolate at Hershey’s Chocolate World, where there is now a special time slot for those with sensory issues. The Penguin Project model has challenged him to think about how we can all show up for people in better and stronger ways, especially in creating an inclusive rehearsal space. Spencer brings that same level of energy from the sweetest place on earth to the Penguins’ igloo with his wife Abby, who serves as Theatre Harrisburg’s production manager.
The program model uses the buddy system to keep the Penguins on track. Each Penguin is paired with a peer mentor who helps them learn lines, cues, choreography and blocking. Depending on the pairing, mentors may need to provide support with emotional management, push wheelchairs or keep Penguins focused.
“The peer mentors are a huge part of the model,” Mahay said. “The mentor’s job is different for each Penguin. Some Penguins won’t need a partner, but support is always there.”
“The partnership between the Penguin and their mentor is the hallmark of the program. It’s the secret sauce of the recipe,” Spencer said.
The Penguin Project’s mentor coordinator has a challenging assignment, finding the right matches between peer mentors and Penguins, monitoring those pairings, and shuffling during vacation season. During rehearsals, Andrew Vinton helps keep the energy high, the chaos low, and the mood playfully chipper. Vinton and Spencer gain compliance from the colony without even a touch of impatience.
Penguins don’t have to endure the stress of formal auditions, according to Vinton, although they do participate in a lighter version called a “reading workshop.” Then, as everyone gets to know each Penguin, the staff casts onstage roles.
Penguins benefit from a lighter than average rehearsal schedule, with sessions lasting only one hour a few times per week, stretched over four months.
“Bite-sized rehearsals give [Penguins] the needed repetition,” Spencer said. “Using the show’s adaptive version and hitting the highlights allow the kids to succeed.”
A trending behind-the-scenes role in theaters Mahay finds useful when applied to the Penguin Project model is “intimacy coordinator.”
“COVID may have opened this conversation about acceptable touching,” Mahay said. “We have children who don’t accept touch, so we ask before touching them. Is it OK to touch on the arm, shake hands, high-five, elbow bump? There’s something so beautiful about the respect shown.”
Inspired by the Penguin Project, staff will consider the consent of touching in future productions, responding to expectations in terms of consent culture.
Although the Penguin Project began as a professional endeavor, it became personal for Mahay.
“As a mom, many stories from parents touched me,” she said. “A daughter who previously had no friends and was never included is suddenly getting phone calls, getting invited to the mall. She has friends now.”
Being time-poor, we special needs parents would probably confess to feeling isolated, if we had time. During rehearsals, it’s common to hear parents exchanging ideas about schools, community workshops, and other goings-on in the disabilities world. Parents have formed a life-changing support group, cultivating a sense of belonging.
“This four-month Penguin Project gave these parents a community, something to form around—deep roots that form over time,” Mahay said.
Although “not a theater guy,” Ron Hooven, father of Tyler, returned after last summer’s production of “Annie Jr.” at Whitaker Center.
“I thought it would be awkward seeing the people onstage, but I was blown away. That’s why I came back,” he said. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house for ‘Annie.’ We were laughing so hard.”
Theater veteran and proud mom, Gerren Wagner, vouched for the catchy quality of the lyrics and choreography.
“He can’t dance, and there he was, dancing onstage [at ‘Annie Jr.’],” she said of her son, Owen. “You could see the parents in the back, dancing and singing along.”
With each rehearsal, adults talk about Penguins’ wins.
“As long as each kid has one win, that’s what matters,” Spencer said. “This gives kids something to talk to their parents about. And they’re going to have amazing memories.”
Come see Harrisburg’s local Penguin colony in “Madagascar – A Musical Adventure Jr.,” Aug. 17 at 4 p.m., and Aug. 18 at 2 p.m., at Whitaker Center, 222 Market St., Harrisburg.
For more information on the Penguin Project, visit www.penguinproject.org and www.theatreharrisburg.com/penguin-project.
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