The Matthews has a children’s theater called the Peanut Butter & Jelly Players. Traditionally, this group provides a summer theater camp to children of the area for a month, culminating in a 3-day production of a play. Children learn the art of performing, backstage tasks, blocking, set building…the whole package! Due to a very generous anonymous donor, this month-long summer program is FREE to all the children. We do require a small deposit for each child, that is refunded after the child’s completion of the summer program.
AGE RANGE: The youngest age group of children must be entering 3rd grade in the Fall of 2018 (no exceptions) and the oldest is 18 years of age or entering their senior year of high school. Maximum of 2 children per family allowed to register. All children must be current on vaccinations.
2018: Our 11th season takes us to Under the Sea!
The 2018 Peanut Butter and Jelly production is “Little Mermaid, Jr.*” Performances will be June 22-24, 2018. Ann Froelich directs the play. Thirty children are to be cast in this production. *Due to production issues, the original play planned, “Peter Pan, Jr,” has been replaced with “Little Mermaid, Jr.”
Registration April 3-May 15, 2018*. CLICK HERE to learn about the play and get your registration packet.
Some PB&J History
The Matthews has been home to our children’s theater since 2008 with the production of “101 Dalmatians.”
The plays throughout the years have been:
2008: 101 Dalmatians
2009: Sleeping Beauty
2010: Jungle Book
2011: Willa Wonka
2012: Aladdin, Jr.
2013: Little Mermaid, Jr.
2014: Beauty and the Beast, Jr.
2015: My Son Pinocchio, Jr.
2016: Alice in Wonderland, Jr.
2017: High School Musical, Jr.
2018: Little Mermaid, Jr.
All of the shows have been KIDS versions except Willy Wonka. “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “My Son Pinocchio, Jr., and High School Musical, Jr.” are Broadway Junior versions of these shows.
Play materials are ordered from Music Theatre in New York. These materials include a script which has the lyrics and the score of every song as they appear in the musical. The cast and crew get to keep these scripts, along with the rehearsal CD of all the music in the show.
The casts and crews of each production are also children. They design and create everything from costumes to set and props and lighting. Also, this program has had many dedicated, talented adults who use the power tools and all kinds of equipment and expertise that is needed to perform a fabulous show.
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