GL_031617

glenviewlantern.com life & arts
the glenview lantern | March 16, 2017 | 29
Special needs students take
pride in theater performance
Sarah Haider
Assistant Editor
Pride is the word that
sums up Special Gifts Theatre’s
production of “The
Lion King Jr.”
The show, which hit the
stage on March 4, 5, 11
and 12 at Skokie School in
Winnetka, is one of the theater’s
eight programs catered
toward special needs
students. Each show is designed
to help the students
find pride in their unique
abilities instead of being
separated by their differences.
“A group of lions is
called a pride, so that’s
kind of the theme of our
season,” said Jenni Von Tobel,
program director and
a Northbrook native. “The
students are learning what
it means to be a part of a
pride, especially because in
theater that is exactly what
they are. We are a family
and we talk about how
families can look different
and how it looks different
for us here on stage.”
The nonprofit serves as
both a theater company and
a special needs organization.
More than 250 children
with a range of more
than 50 diagnoses take part
in its performances every
year. Each student is paired
with a student-mentor of a
similar age who underwent
three weeks of training on
how to help with a large
range of special needs.
During performances, the
mentors take the stage with
their students, often helping
with forgotten lines and
stage fright.
The program also employs
30 part-time staff
Performers (from left to right) Jared Peterson, Leah Israel and Daniel Boi act out a
lion fight during Special Gifts Theatre’s production of “The Lion King Jr.” on March 8
at Skokie School in Winnetka. photos by Sarah Haider/22nd Century Media
members and hundreds of
volunteers who are certified
as physical, occupational,
movement and
speech therapists, as well
as special education teachers.
The ensemble works
together to create individualized
scripts and dances
that challenge the special
needs students to overcome
individual hurdles in their
diagnosis.
“It’s very unique in what
it does,” Von Tobel said.
“There are other theaters
for special needs, but none
with a therapeutic and educational
foundation where
the kids are not only performing
but also learning
and developing these skills
that are made to transfer
over into their lives.”
The cast of “The Lion
King Jr.” featuring students
from all over the North
Shore began preparing for
the show in September.
The first three months were
spent learning about the
concepts and storyline so
the students could better
understand their characters.
The special needs students
weren’t the only
ones who benefited from
the production. Glencoe
resident London McBride
served as a mentor, gaining
a new friend in Glenview
resident Sam Biancos, who
played Nola’s brother. Mc-
Bride joined the program to
combine her love for theater
and her love for volunteering.
“I wasn’t expecting to
become so close with everyone,”
McBride said.
“You get to makes friends
with everyone. I love how
you get to act and the performance
is so exciting. I
get to combine two thing
I really love. I love helping
people and it’s a really
unique experience.”
Mentor Sophie Lieberman
and actor Jared Peterson,
both seniors at New
Trier, have been close
friends since meeting in
the program four years ago.
Peterson, who previously
starred as Aladdin and appeared
in both “Peter Pan’
and “Shrek,” filled the role
of bad-guy Mufasa in “The
Lion King Jr.”
“What starts out as group
of students and peer mentors
becomes an ensemble
of friends,” Von Tobel said.
“There is no other place
where some of these kids
are put on stage, the audience
is filled with people,
the spotlight is shining on
them to celebrate them because
of their unique abilities,
not because they are
different but because they
are amazing and have these
great abilities.”
For more information
about Special Gifts Theatre,
including upcoming
events, visit www.specialgifts.org.
Actors perform a hula dance.
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