Frankfort Elementary School is taking center stage at the Garden Theater.
The school doesn’t have their own theater program, but through an arts program there was enough funding to make it happen.
The Frankfort Elementary fourth and fifth graders are putting on a musical. Archibald Jones and The Mysterious, Very Good, Not So Rotten, Frankfort Elementary School Field Trip. Imogen Jones is the fifth grader playing the lead.
“It’s been amazing. Just like the magic that happens here,” says Imogen, “I’m Archibald Jones. He’s the man who pulled the plug on Crystal Lake, AKA draining it all into Lake Michigan... I think he’s kind of a little. He lacks self-confidence. I’m trying to make him kind of some sort of character. You would think, oh, jeez, that guy needs a little bit of help.”
The students started from nothing using their creativity to make this musical come to life.
“So, the plot, the script, the songs, the music, the set, the poster, the costumes, literally everything the students have done,” explains Grace Andreasen, Director, “So the musical itself was pretty much written completely by the students. All the lyrics, all the music, the script, everything. We helped them, but it was their idea. It was their beautiful creativity that created this original musical completely from scratch.”
“The story is, these students are going to the Benzie Historical Society for their last field trip of the year,” shares Imogen, “The only way to earn their end of the year reward, a pizza party. They encounter Archibald Jones when they are told to stay in line, but they decide to go have some fun. And John finds the attic. Archibald Jones is trapped in the world because he never got over the failure in life because he drained Crystal Lake, essentially.”
Frankfort Elementary School doesn’t have a theater program, but through the Jewell Arts Program, a private art foundation, there was enough funding to make it happen.
“I think it’s been pretty amazing,” explains Imogen, “I’ve always wanted to be in some sort of musical. I was in the holiday gala, and I really enjoyed that. And it was just very, very fun.”
And now students are able to stand in the spotlight.
“I was worried that some of them were going to have stage fright, but they all just want to be right in the middle of it, right on stage saying their lines, singing, like doing everything,” explains Andreasen,” So just seeing them really open up, who maybe didn’t do theater before... seeing them kind of catch that theater bug. And I can see their wheels turning in their head and getting really excited about it.”
The show will be held at the Garden Theater, and it is free for everyone. Andreasen says the best part of the show is watching the students find their passion.
“All of these students doing it this year have absolutely loved it. And they’re so excited and they’re already asking about doing it next year. So, I think just with that passion and that drive that the students have, and the instructors have, I think this is going to grow into something even bigger and could maybe even turn into a theater program at the school.”
Imogen says she is doing something she has always wanted to do and hopes others take a leap too.
“Follow your dreams, that they can lead you to do something amazing.”