The Penguin Project
BY EMMA TAYLOR
The Manatee Performing Arts Center has teamed up with several local organizations to embark on a new program that opens the curtain to performers with special needs. The Penguin Project is a nationwide initiative that was started in 2004 by Dr. Andrew Morgan and his wife, Kathy, to help make the theater arts more accessible to people with disabilities. Dr. Morgan is professor emeritus of clinical pediatrics and the former head of the Division of Child Development at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.
Manatee County’s program chapter will feature two branches. The Penguin Project lends itself to performers ages 8-22, and The Penguin Players to those 23 and up.
“We’re one of the few projects in the country to offer the Penguin Players. The Penguin Project and The Penguin Foundation are primarily geared toward the 8-22 range, but because of the nature of our community, we saw a need for older artists who would benefit,” said Dan Yonko, Director of Communications for the Florida Cultural Group.
“It’s open to anyone with any kind of disability and all roles are performed by someone with a disability. There is no previous experience required.”
The initiative’s aim is to provide performance opportunities and important resources to people with all kinds of special needs — whether they be physical, emotional, medical, learning-based, or any other uniqueness in ability that may benefit from special care in the theater space. Volunteer peer mentors serve as aids for any actors who may require assistance while performing.
Bringing the benefits of The Penguin Foundation to Manatee County is now the realization of a longtime dream. Producing Artistic Director and former President of The American Association of Community Theaters Rick Kirby had heard about and seen the success of other chapters, but it took some time for the stars to align for a Manatee County branch.
“Bradenton Kiwanis came in and said, ‘we will help, and we will support this program.’ Manatee Community Foundation, Easter Seals of Southwest Florida, the Early Learning Coalition, and Southeastern Guide Dogs, along with other nonprofits and organizations, have also connected to offer support and help us fund the program, because there is no charge for participation. That’s one of the things we wanted to ensure, that there’d be no barrier for anyone,” Yonko said.
In addition to the generous support of several sponsors, Manatee’s Penguins found another integral piece to the program’s success in Show Director and Lead Choreographer Melissa Wilson Jones. Wilson Jones boasts a uniquely appropriate background with a degree in Dance and Special Education. She was living in Mozambique for four years doing mission work prior to coming on board with MPAC.
“I can’t say enough about, not only the energy she brings, the positivity, the professionalism — she’s just a gem!” Yonko said through emerging joyful tears.
The Manatee Performing Arts Center itself is also a prime location to offer such a program. Not only is the community need present, but the theater is one of few in the country that is entirely accessible to persons with disabilities. From an advanced translation machine that can help bridge language barriers to a lighting catwalk that’s wheelchair accessible, the facility provides an environment of inclusion that echoes the very mission of The Penguin Project it supports.
This is the first time that many of the Penguins have had an opportunity to participate in a theater production, let alone hold a starring role. In addition to hurdles posed by their disabilities, several participants are homeschooled and/or in the foster system, making extracurricular activities less abundantly accessible. Surmounting adversity is a central theme of the project, as well as the recurring mantra, “Penguins may not be able to fly, but they can soar!”
“There’s more happening than just learning the show,” choreographer Wilson Jones said emotionally. “The kids are building relationships with people and mentors who maybe wouldn’t have had a relationship with persons with disabilities, especially children — with the bullying and things like that that can happen. So, these are relationships that can hopefully last a lifetime and they’re going to change the community and people’s lives long term.”
There are currently three groups rehearsing “Annie Jr.,” an abridged version of the hit musical that will have run May14-17. For most of the stars, this will mark their stage debut and they couldn’t be more excited.
One Penguin Project participant, Magnolia, who is playing the role of Annie, also has five siblings in the show. She is excited for people to come and watch, but also about getting to work with Pyper, a canine volunteer from Southeastern Guide Dogs who will play the role of Annie’s dog.
For some of the adult participants in The Penguin Players, this feels like a long-awaited opportunity. One of the performers playing Ms. Hannigan, Julie, said, “I’m just so incredibly grateful to be a part of this program. I’ve had cerebral palsy all my life and I’ve basically forced myself into situations of inclusion and I’ve always been a part of mainstream society, telling others ‘cerebral palsy is just something I have to overcome and it’s fine, it’s not really an issue.’ Well, the older I get, that’s kind of not the case anymore. You get discrimination in employment and a lot of different areas and I didn’t know kind of where I fit in.
“I have a degree in teaching, so I thought about helping with the kids program, but more importantly, I haven’t had anything for myself to make me feel truly happy and like I fit in,” Julie continued. “Whatever your ability is, it will be adapted through The Penguin Program. Whereas, if I auditioned for a regular show, I can only walk with a walker. In a regular production, Ms. Hannigan with a walker is not going to happen — even at a high school or a community theater, anywhere except for at The Penguin Program. I’m happier than I’ve been in so long. I see myself um, well, we call it soaring.” The Penguin Project and The Penguin Players are now set up to put on one production each spring, but there’s room for growth and more performances in the future.
