Sahara Lyon-Mundy
| Council on Culture & Arts
For many in the arts and culture sector, Tallahassee’s bicentennial has proved an opportunity to reflect on Tallahassee’s history, present, and future, paying tribute to this all-American city.
Over 200 years, Florida’s capital city has shaped into the tight-knit, diverse and beautiful community it is today.
For Mimi Shaw of Klown Kapers Inc., Tallahassee’s Bicentennial was a perfect canvas to enact a theater performance that centers on history, education, and wonder.
Shaw, a retired art educator and owner of BJ’s Party House, a visual and performing arts service, is the director and producer of a performance musical titled “Adventures in Florida.” Shaw’s idea for the musical was sparked when she saw a call for Bicentennial projects in a COCA newsletter.
She reached out to Diane Dupuy Whitney, her longtime friend, fellow educator, and creative partner, to write a musical about Tallahassee’s Bicentennial that could be shown to students in Leon County. Whitney is currently a humanities professor at Tallahassee State College and previously taught in Tallahassee for many years. She is also a church musician, making her the ideal person to write this musical.
Shaw, Whitney, and all the other cast and crew members are in rehearsal, preparing to tour the show to six elementary schools in Leon County over three days in September.
The plot of the musical centers around three tourists, played by Jordan Bauman, Howard Hardison, and Lukas McKinney. The tourists travel through the history of Florida, visiting various locations across the state before landing in Tallahassee. Songs accompany the different geographical and historical stops, the costume changes and choreography, and puppets were handmade for the show by puppeteers Kathryn Austin and Amanda Weems.
Slide projections accompany the musical, displaying different maps, images, historical figures, and graphics throughout the show. Most of the actors and crew involved in the musical have connections to Shaw and BJ’s Party House.
Bauman, a senior at SAIL High School, has on been in previous plays by BJ’s Party House, and he’s also enjoyed his time in this show. When asked how acting and the performing arts have positively impacted his life, Bauman said, “I’ve been able to engage with a bunch of communities, and it’s a lot of fun. I love being able to have a creative outlet where I can embody new characters who I’ve never played before.”
Adventures in Florida was a collaborative effort on all fronts. The Foundation for Leon County Schools (FLCS) funded the production after Shaw approached Eric Clark, Executive Director of FLCS, looking for financial support for the project. The Foundation’s funding has enabled the production to be performed for several different elementary schools in the county, impacting up to 1,600 students.
The musical is also a collaboration of various performers and artistic mediums. Songs by Whitney are coupled with choreography by Carri Britt of the Tallahassee Ballet, and audio meets visual for Vera McKinney, who runs projection simultaneously with the music. The collaborative performance creates an entertaining, stimulating, and educational viewing experience.
Learning about local history, especially during Tallahassee’s Bicentennial, is essential for Leon County students. A musical such as “Adventures in Florida” is an entertaining and comprehensive way to learn that history while exposing students to the visual and performing arts.
Reflecting on the show’s importance, Whitney said, “We’re hoping that with the geography they see on the slides and the history and characters coming to life, plus the fun of the music and dance, that they will come away with a complete experience and get interested in the history of Florida. I’m completely confident that students will love the show.”
This musical exemplifies the importance of offering engaging learning opportunities for students.
“It’s absolutely essential. It’s an experience you’re having with hundreds of different kids, it’s live artists and performers, and it’s a topic that affects us all,” Shaw said. “There’s nothing that can replace the arts.”
While “Adventures in Florida” will only be touring Leon County elementary schools (Ruediger and Sealey on Sept. 10, Oakridge and Pine View on Sept. 11 and Springwood and W.T. Moore on Sept. 12) for students to experience, you can learn more about Shaw and the work she and her BJ’s Party House ensemble do, at bjspartyhouse.com.
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Publish date : 2024-09-01 22:03:00
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