Photo Flash: Des Moines Community Playhouse's MISS NELSON IS MISSING

The Des Moines Community Playhouse presents, "Miss Nelson is Missing!," May 6-22, 2011. Tickets may be purchased online at dmplayhouse.com; by phone at 515-277-6261 ; and at the Playhouse ticket office, 831 42nd St. "Miss Nelson is Missing!" is sponsored by friends of Lynn M. Graves, honoring her service as Playhouse president.

The students of Room 207 have no respect for their caring teacher, Miss Nelson. They throw spitballs during story-time and refuse to sit in their seats during math. Miss Nelson has had enough and one day she "disappears." The students now have to deal with a substitute teacher, Miss Viola Swap.

The unruly ways of the students are no match for the hard-as-nails, homework-assigning, detention-loving, recess-canceling Miss Swamp. Little do the students know that Miss Swamp is actually Miss Nelson in disguise! The students come to realize that Miss Nelson was not so bad after all. In the end, the students write a letter of apology to Miss Nelson and she "returns" to find a classroom of well-behaved students.

"Miss Nelson is Missing!" is based on the 1977 book series by Harry Allard and James Marshall. The Playhouse cast of nine features Jodi Stanfield as Miss Nelson/Viola Swamp, along with Mike Howland, Julia Kern, Elsa Klein, Samuel Maude, Grace Mumm, Maddy Swaim, Mark Toebben, and Roan Withers. The show is directed by Kathy Pingel, with music direction by Brenton Brown and choreography by Alison Shafer.

The Playhouse is Iowa's oldest and largest producing theatre. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage.

For more information about the Playhouse and "Miss Nelson is Missing!," contact the Playhouse ticket office at 515-277-6261 .

Photo Credit: Steve Gibbons