Penguin Project helps all kids shine in the spotlight

The Lincoln Community Playhouse has whats called the Penguin Project. It’s an entire play put on by children with disabilities and each one is partnered with a mentor.

“My mentor holds up props and stuff and helps you remember your lines,” artist, Maggie Landreth said. “They are basically your guardian angel and I think that’s really amazing.”

Maggie’s mentor says they have been rehearsing since February and are getting close to practicing on the main stage, her favorite part.

“Everything starts to come together, we start running like the first show where it’s like one act at a time so you can see things coming together, and you can see how hard everyone worked and how amazing everyone is and how talented everyone really is,” mentor, Tabitha Heftie said.

The Lincoln Community Playhouse Director brought the Penguin Project to Lincoln in 2014.

“These kids sometimes go into a room and no one looks at them, no one talks to them and so when they come here and everyone is talking to them, everyone is interacting with them, everybody is full of happiness here,” Lincoln Community Playhouse Executive Director, Morrie Enders said.

This year’s play is the Wizard of Oz and Esther Robinson scored one of the main leads, Dorothy.

“It’s good for me because of my ADHD, I have trouble focusing and stuff and I have an awesome mentor who really helps,” Robinson said.

The theater program has seen kids non verbal come in and sing throughout the entire rehearsal.

“When you are a kid the first words after you learn mom and dad is probably no and they say no, don’t go near the staircase, don’t go near that hot stove so a lot of these kids have a lot of no in their lives,” Enders said. “They come here and we say yes.”

Many children said this theater program is one unlike any other they have experienced.

“I’ve been in a couple of special needs programs myself over the years and sometimes I didn’t really like how they treated them like not lower but kind of like condescending but it’s nice seeing everyone happy here, it just makes my heart sing,” Landreth said.

Performances are June 7-9 and 14-16 (7:30 p.m. Fridays/Saturdays, 2:00 p.m. Sundays). Tickets are on sale to the public May 28. A free performance for Exceptional Families is offered June 6 at 7:30 p.m. (reservations required).

For more information on the Penguin Project, click here.