VAPA: Artistic Perception Creative Expressions Aesthetic Valuing

Connections, Relationships, Applications: Language Arts Social Studies Foreign Language (American Sign language) Music

The Performance

Based on the children's book by Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney, this touching new musical - performed simultaneously in spoken English and American Sign Language - is an important reminder that despite first impressions, nobody's perfect and that we are a lot more alike than we are different. The musical tells the story of Megan who finds it tough to be a fourth grader, but she is handling it well despite being the only deaf student in her class. After spending a year planning her "positively purple" birthday party, she finds herself at odds with a new student, Alexis. To Megan, Alexis has it all: beauty, brains, and athletics - she's practically perfect in every way. Though Megan tries to be nice to her, Alexis is anything but friendly, making Megan wonder, "Does she not like me because I'm deaf?" When they're forced to collaborate on a science project, Megan discovers Alexis's secret and inner challenge.