Local middle school stages heartwarming play about inclusion

The book has become required reading for many upper elementary students. The major motion picture stars A-listers Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.

So why would a middle school take on the challenge of telling the story of August Pullman?

“Wonder is truly the perfect middle school play,” said director Mary Beth Euker, who began pursuing the rights to the show as soon as she learned it would become available. “Middle schoolers know exactly how it feels to walk into a school knowing you’re different, and how it feels to be targeted and excluded for those differences,” she said. "The story of August Pullman helps them process those feelings. Creating theater together does for our cast, crew and audiences what it always does—builds empathy."

The students seem to take the challenge in stride.

“It’s been hard, but fun, to create Auggie for this play,” said LZMSN seventh grader Shane
Wysocki, who shares the lead role with another LZMSN seventh grader, Joey Richards. “It’s great experience because we both get to do two of the four shows, and we get to learn from each other,” said Richards. Both actors have had to find ways to communicate the character’s feelings of isolation as well as the warmth of the friendships he builds. A number of the lead parts were double-cast to give more of the students a chance at a part.

“It’s been so much fun to tell people about this play, because they’ll say, 'you mean the story in the book and the movie Wonder?' and I get to say YES!” said Ava Malin, an LZMSN eighth grader who plays Auggie’s friend Summer.

The school received the rights to put on the play for free through the Children’s Craniofacial Association (CCA), in return for hosting fundraising for the CCA, which raises awareness around the challenges faced by kids who are being treated for facial and cranial differences. Attendees at the show will be invited to contribute donations to the CCA.

Lake Zurich Middle School North presents Wonder [On Stage] from Wednesday through Saturday, April 10-13, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. nightly, at Lake Zurich Middle School North, 95 Hubbard Lane in Hawthorn Woods, IL 60047. Reserved tickets are $10 and general admission tickets are $8 and are available online at this link: at https://search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/accounts/lzmsnorth/buy-tix?d=0&...

For more information about the Children’s Craniofacial Association, visit https://ccakids.org/.