Thurston Middle School To Present “Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr.”

Teaching in 2021 meets the classic 1970’s educational cartoon “Schoolhouse Rock” when Thurston Middle School presents “Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr.” at 7 pm on June 15 through 19th. “[Schoolhouse Rock] is about how learning should be fun and creative. I saw a lot of parallels to hybrid [teaching] life and how teaching can change in an instant,” says director Gina Cosimini.

“Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr.” has Tom (Ava Blessing) preparing for their first day as a teacher. Tom recalls watching “Schoolhouse Rock” as a child.

The show will be streaming, and tickets can be bought on WestwoodStage.com. To prepare, the show was pre-recorded with remote rehearsals. On May 15, the dance numbers were filmed in the Westwood High School courtyard (with student performers masked). The performers wear Schoolhouse Rock t-shirts related to their scenes.

The student performers also were recorded separately in classrooms in Thurston for “Zoom-style” scenes.

“The show is going to be really good; the kids have been really good,” enthuses Cosimini. Tickets can be bought on WestwoodStage.com.