Established in 2003, the Penguin Project of McLean County helps individuals with mental or physical disabilities perform in a musical.
Not only can people with disabilities perform, but the Penguin Project also gather local thespians and volunteers to mentor.
These mentors work one-on-one with the artists, helping them to learn lines and choreography as well as to form lifelong friendships.
“Most of our pairings are one-on-one, so they are with one person for the entire season, and they’re able to grow that friendship [with the artist],” West special education teacher and current Penguin Project volunteer, Emma Barth, explained.
This year, the crew will perform The Addams Family JR on June 5 and 6 at 7 p.m. and on June 7 at 2 p.m. at University High School Stroud Auditorium.
There will also be a “pay what you can” show on June 4.
To prepare for the performances, the cast meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:15 p.m.
One key thing that the group strives for is to get the cast ready for the lengthy shows. To prepare for this, they add 15 minutes to each rehearsal until they go until 9:30 p.m. This prepares the cast for the lengh of the performances.
Barth, a stage manager and a producer for the performance, needed a task to fill her time after she finished the musical in the fall.
“I found out about the Penguin Project, and I decided that I was going to join and be a mentor,” Barth noted.
After becoming a mentor, she moved up to production assistant, mentor coordinator, and then to producer and stage manager.
The Penguin Project has changed Barth’s life for the better.
“Being a mentor is one of the most rewarding things that I’ve ever done,” Barth stated.
Typically, performing arts aren’t always accessible to those with disabilities; however, the Penguin Project provides “a spot for kids to feel included where they’re not really included anywhere else,” Barth stated.
Overall, the Penguin Project strives to be a positive environment where anyone is welcome.
“The ‘Penguin world’ is a spot that is just so different from anywhere else. You could walk into [rehearsal] having the worst day of your life and walk out with a smile on your face because the kids work so hard and you see just how happy this place makes them,” Barth explained.
The Penguin Project is completely funded by community donations, and no participants are required to pay a fee for being involved.
“Special needs families tend to have a lot more financial obligations with their children because of the nature of whatever their disability might be, so we try to make it one less thing for them to pay for,” Barth said.
Addison Vincent is a senior at Normal West and has been a part of the Penguin Project for five seasons.
“I help them learn the choreography and do the musical,” Vincent, a current peer mentor added.
Vincent’s favorite musical she has worked on is Newsies.
“Going to Steak ‘n Shake after show nights and seeing the group be a mix of mentors and artists, but just seeing the friendships we all gain,” Vincent said of her favorite memory.
Like Barth Vincent has gained a lot more than she originally thought she would by being apart of the productions.
“I joined the Penguin Project because growing up I’d go to the shows to see a fellow wildcat perform and fell in love with the concept,” Vincent noted.
To learn more about the Penguin Project, learn more about their upcoming performance, and to make a donation to the cause, head to the https://www.penguinprojectmclean.org/donate.
