Flat Rock Playhouse Receives $20,000 Grant From Community Foundation Of Henderson County

Flat Rock Playhouse was awarded a $20,000 grant by the Community Foundation of Henderson County for their Playhouse Jr. initiative. The Playhouse launched Playhouse Jr. Productions in 2019 with Letterland Alive! The Musical developed in partnership with Letterland, a phonics program for K-3rd grade students, and writer/composer Ethan Andersen, who most recently wrote Rootabaga Express! a musical inspired by the works of Carl Sandburg and performed in the summers by Flat Rock Playhouse apprentices at the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site. The grant will be used to develop a new production centered around North Carolina history inspired by the statewide curriculum for fourth graders.

Playhouse Jr. Productions are touring, mini-musicals that bring literacy, history, and other content to life through song and dance. For the fall of 2021, Flat Rock Playhouse and Henderson County Public Schools will develop a Playhouse Jr. production that explores the required North Carolina history studied by all fourth-grade students in the state.

"We're grateful that the Community Foundation sees and values the vision behind Playhouse Jr.," said Artistic Director, Lisa K. Bryant. "Letterland Alive! allowed us to visit over 3,000 Henderson County students and bring their reading pedagogy to life through song and dance. It was powerful and motivating watching the students joyfully react to the characters they'd been studying in the classroom suddenly now performing live in front of them! We can hardly wait to do the same for North Carolina History. Our long-term goal is to build such projects, first and always for our Henderson County students and families, and then to honor our moniker as the State Theatre of North Carolina and bring these special projects to students statewide. That the Community Foundation had the foresight to recognize the value of this work while it was in its infancy speaks to their vision and courage, and we're honored for their belief in the potential for the scalability and positive impact of this medium and partnership."

Flat Rock Playhouse and Henderson County Public Schools began conversations in summer 2020 to discuss content following the success of Letterland Alive! The Musical. Flat Rock Playhouse will continue to work with Henderson County Public Schools to develop content and a performance schedule in addition to providing teachers with ancillary academic resources. Ethan Andersen will play a large role in the development of the show as he returns to the role of writer and composer. Flat Rock Playhouse plans to bring the new production to Henderson County Public Schools students either live or virtually this fall.

"FRP brought phonics instruction to life for our youngest learners when they created Letterland Alive! for all of HCPS based on our district-wide phonics program, Letterland," said Shannon Marlowe, Director of Elementary Education & Title 1 for Henderson County Public Schools. "This partnership is extended by bringing the past into the future and providing our fourth graders with an up close musical theater experience based on the history of North Carolina, establishing both relevance and engagement for students as they learn. This opportunity for Henderson County students from FRP, made possible in part through the contribution and continued support from the Henderson County Community Foundation, highlights the value and impact strong community partnerships can provide for our students." Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Jan King added, "Not only are young people exposed to lesson aligned, high-quality, compelling content, but they also get to experience professional, live theater, often for the first time. We are grateful for the partnership with FRP and appreciate the Community Foundation's support of this important endeavor."

As the Playhouse continues the development of this project, they're looking to the community for support. On February 2, the Playhouse announced their capital campaign "Rock Solid" with the goal of raising $1.5 million. The funds will be used for ongoing operations, Studio 52 offerings, facilities maintenance and upgrades, and the development of projects like this Playhouse Jr. production.

Community Foundation of Henderson County, founded in 1982, supports charitable programs in the greater Henderson County area.

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