Delawareans with intellectual and physical disabilities will stage an original musical Saturday with the VSA of Delaware, which creates learning opportunities through the arts.
The performance is the culminating event of a performing arts residency for transitional-aged students and starring the Transitional Players, students from John S. Charlton School and Kent County Community School Transitional Program. The inclusive residency program allowed students to develop a variety of skills along with theater and performing arts competency.
VSA of Delaware creates learning opportunities through the arts for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Saturday, the Transitional Players, students and staff from the John S. Charlton School Transitional Programs and the Kent County Community School Transitional Program will stage an original musical on the campus of Delaware State University.
It’s the culminating performance of a project the groups have been working on since January.
Jennifer Gunther, Executive Director at VSA arts of Delaware says the show is much more than a performance for the participants as well as their families and teachers.
“I always think this project is about that process. The confidence of being on stage, the rehearsing the lines, learning the music, learning the choreography; that is so meaningful," said Gunther. "The performance is icing, it's their chance to shine but the really hard work has taken place over the past five months leading up to this.”
Gunther adds the program offers an opportunity to see how the arts are essential learning tools.
“And to really embrace the opportunity that everyone regardless of ability can succeed in the arts and can be on stage and perform and it's magical; it really is, there’s never a dry eye in the theater at the end of it,” said Gunther.
VSA’s original musical, “Around the World: The Great Race”will be staged Saturday at 2:00pm at the DSU Theater in Dover.
This piece is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.