Exceptional Actors Present and Exceptional “Cinderella” at the Michael-Ann Russell JCC

Jan. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- The young actors of the Or Gadol Department and the Exceptional Theatre Company will present a very special production of the beloved fairytale “Cinderella” at the Michael-Ann Russell JCC, on Wednesday, January 27, at 7pm.

Directed by Barbara Marcus and Debbie Rivera, under the leadership of Debbie Lombard-Director of The Exceptional Theatre Company, this performance will be presented by the students from the Special Needs Department of the
MAR-JCC.

Originally introduced to the MAR-JCC by one of the student’s parents, The Exceptional Theatre Company Program and its participants performed “Beauty and the Beast” last year with outstanding reviews for both performance and what the program brought to challenged children and young people. This year’s production of “Cinderella” has a cast of ten, including Brittany Freedline as Cinderella, Jonathan Roth as the Prince, Tyler Arvon as the King, Alexandra Wilk as the Fairy Godmother, Cole Clancy as the Duke, Daniela Boruchin and Mayva Chiche as the Wicked Step-Sisters, and Jesse Gotlieb, Ross Adams, and Axel Serrano as the three mice.

“We have a great opening act” explained Abel Garza, MAR-JCC’s Special Needs Coordinator, “Eric Cajas will be singing his rendition of  “Hey There Delilah” before the play begins.”  Abel also mentioned “Once the play begins, you’ll see that it is a re-write of the traditional “Cinderella” as this show was written for the requirements of kids with special needs by having staff members and volunteers shadow each actor throughout the play, helping them with their lines.”

In this program the participants learn social skills and improve their interaction with their peers while working in small groups and have been rehearsing for the play since September. “They’ve learned to understand how a script works, how to smile on stage and show expression,” Abel continued. “They’ve become more vocal and shown improvement with communication at home and make friends more easily because they learn to trust other people. Although this is a class, we want to make it fun for them and for us. It’s been an absolute joy to see how far they’ve come, and I’m looking forward to opening night when they can show everyone else how amazing they are, and what this program and the JCC has done for them.”

Tickets are only $5 and additional donations are welcome. For more information about this play and others being performed by the Or Gadol Department at the MAR-JCC, please call 305-932-4200 x135/147.

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The Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center/Sanford L. Ziff Campus is dedicated to the enrichment of Jewish life and fosters the emotional, physical, and intellectual development of its individual members through all of life’s stages and circumstances. The MAR-JCC represents a model of acceptance, understanding and diversity. As such, people look at the MAR-JCC as a center of excellence that epitomizes how shared Jewish values support a vibrant and evolving constituency. The MAR-JCC is a beneficiary agency of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the United Way of Miami-Dade County, and a member of the Jewish Community Center Association of North America.