By: Matthew Seeger, Talon Staff
It seems like every day, there’s some new concept that drives a wedge between baby boomers and millennials. But against all odds, there’s still one common thread that connects our warring generations: Schoolhouse Rock.
This series of educational animated shorts debuted in the early 70s, with a 10-year break between 1984 and 1994 and a mini-revival in the form of direct-to-DVD shorts released in 2009. The series spanned generations, teaching children of all ages about… well, things. Just, things, no matter how grand or mundane, from science and technology, to the process a bill goes through to become a law, to how taxes and checks and the stock market all work.
And while Tallahassee Community College’s Director of Theater Eva Nielsen-Parks says she never got to watch them as a kid, she still sees their importance, so much so she wanted to bring Schoolhouse Rock Live to the stage of Theater TCC.
“I think it instills a love of learning. Especially with young kids, (learning) can become kind of tedious, especially with homework,” Nielsen-Parks said. “Also, what I hope is that we’ll capture some students in the audience who might be in a theater for the first time, and walking away saying, ‘wow, this is something I wanna do! Theater is fun!’”
This isn’t the first time Theater TCC has performed shows for kids, or even the first time they’ve staged Schoolhouse Rock Live. The show had its first run back in 2001, well before Nielsen-Parks was even a faculty member. She notes a few key differences between that show and this one.
“(One of the differences) that I know of is the addition of the ensemble, because the show was written to be performed by six actors,” Nielsen-Parks said, “so our director, Derek Nieves, decided to add six ensemble members, which is nice because it provides more opportunities for our students.”
One of those students is Madison Metcalf, a TCC freshman who plays a character named Dina. Metcalf says this show presents some new and interesting challenges compared to things she’s done in the past.
“This is my first show as a lead role, so it’s a bit of a change from high school,” Metcalf said. “It’s also my first show with a live band instead of a simple karaoke track. This show has been a huge learning experience and I’m so humbled to be a part of it.”
Schoolhouse Rock Live premiers soon, and will have its first run Thursday, April 5 – 6 at 8 pm, and on April 7 at 2 pm. For additional showtimes and dates, visit the TCC events calendar.
*Photos courtesy of Melina Myers.
