TEMPLE, Texas — The Sampson-Howard Elementary School Cougar Curtain Call theatre arts club transported audiences to a world of pure imagination this week as the group performed the school’s first musical production.
Sampson-Howard’s theatre club presented three performances of the musical “Willy Wonka Kids” which is based on the Roald Dahl book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” that inspired the 1971 movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”. A cast and crew of 36 students representing all grades on campus, from kindergarten to fifth grade, took part in the production. Sampson-Howard Elementary is Temple ISD’s newest school and is the only elementary Fine Arts Academy in Central Texas. Sampson-Howard is also the only elementary school in TISD to offer theatre. The group performed two matinee performances for students and staff before closing out the three-show run with a Friday night show for parents, friends, and the community.
“It is an opportunity that will leave an impression for them because it gives them a sense not only of what professional theater can be, but also the sense of community, friendship, and ensemble,” said Juanita Herrera Frederick, theatre arts teacher at Sampson-Howard Elementary. “I am so impressed and amazed with all of these kids. I have seen them grow so much during the year. Supporting young people in theater is a must because it can provide so many life lessons they might not get anywhere else. This teaches empathy, compassion, expression of feelings, and is a wonderful all-around experience.”
Students spent eight weeks rehearsing and preparing for the production. There were two-hour after school practices four days a week, as well as four-hour Saturday rehearsals. But the cast members say all of that hard work was worth it when they saw the audience’s reaction to the performance.
“It was amazing, I made a lot of new friends and met a lot of new people, and I have just loved being in this show with other people,” Haleigh Chavira, a fourth grader who played Ms. Teavee, said. “I think the audiences were very excited and really enjoyed the show.”
“At the beginning, I was kind of scared, but now I have seen how the show can bring people happiness and it makes me feel great to see that, so that was amazing,” said Deeanna Gonzalez, a fifth grader who played Veruca Salt.
“I pulled as much theater magic as I could out there,” added Bonnie Lewis, a kindergartner who played an Oompa-Loompa. “Mt favorite part was the fizzy lifting drink scene.”
“My favorite part was also the fizzy lifting drink scene,” Joseph Arias, a fourth grader who played Grandpa Joe, said. “I was really excited to perform, and it felt wonderful to see the reaction after two months of practicing for this show.”
The spring musical production will become an annual event at Sampson-Howard Elementary School and is underwritten by the Glenn A. Johnson Fine Arts Endowment. This was only the second production overall for the Sampson-Howard Curtain Call Club. The group performed “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” during the fall semester.