La Jolla Reaches Over 14,500 Students with POP Tour

La Jolla Playhouse and Macy's have announced the results of the POP Tour Literacy Drive, a book drive benefiting San Diego's Monarch School. The drive ran concurrent with the run of La Jolla Playhouse's POP Tour show, Honey Bo and the Gold Mine, with each child who saw the show at his/her school or community center being given a bookmark that reminded them to donate a book at select Macy's locations.

"We reached over 14,500 students this year through the POP Tour," says Steve McCormick, the Playhouse's Director of Education and Outreach.  "And we able to donate a remarkable 450 books to the Monarch School. We are so proud to join Macy's in the fight against illiteracy."

During the POP Tour Literacy Drive, customers were invited to bring a new or gently-used book (suited to children ages 7-18) to the select Macy's locations (Bonita, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Fashion Valley, Grossmont, Horton Plaza and University Town Center).  All books will be donated to The Monarch School, an alternative school for homeless and at-risk children.  

Monarch School's mission is to provide an environment where homeless and at-risk youth can improve their lives through education. Monarch operates through a partnership between the San Diego County Office of Education, which provides the educational component, and the Monarch School Project, a non-profit formed to raise money for the non-traditional needs of Monarch's students, such as after-school programs, visual and performing arts, field trips, mentoring, tutoring, and post-graduation support, as well as, the basics of laundry facilities, food, clothing and personal hygiene items.   The school relies heavily on partnerships with the community and local businesses to break the cycle of poverty for its students.

"The POP Tour is an amazing opportunity for the Playhouse to expand its tradition of creating imaginative and original theatre experiences for young audiences," says McCormick. "Thanks to this grant from Macy's, San Diego County residents further the cause and encourage a love of the arts among students in San Diego."

Each year La Jolla Playhouse commissions a playwright to write a 50-minute play geared toward young audiences in second through sixth grades. This new work is developed, rehearsed and toured through schools and theatres in the community for six to eight weeks. Over the past 18 years, the POP Tour has brought highly entertaining, professional performances to hundreds of thousands of children in San Diego.

"Using the arts to support literacy is a creative process that will not only enhance students' daily curricula, but will also teach them about the importance of helping others and, at the same time, will provide a much-needed resource to underserved students," says Laura Heffron, Macy's Director of Community Relations.  "Macy's is proud to be a part of the San Diego community."

"This year's POP Tour production, Honey Bo and the Gold Mine, was commissioned from Will Power, an award-winning actor, rapper, playwright and educator, and is directed by Rebecca Lynn Brown.  It is the adventurous tale of a little girl who must save her neighborhood from destruction. Honey Bo rhymes, sings and dances her way into the Haunted Gold Mine, where she hopes to find enough money to buy her neighborhood before it's demolished by an unscrupulous developer. Once inside the mine, Honey learns that the 'gold' is not money, but rather the riches inside herself waiting to be discovered. Returning home, she utilizes her wits and courage to save the neighborhood," state press notes.

Honey Bo and the Gold Mine toured schools and community centers around San Diego County January 22 - March 11, 2007. 

Visit www.lajollaplayhouse.org for more information.