Think back on your favorite subject in school – the one that gave you the ability to tolerate the courses that you struggled with and gave you your voice and the energy to make it through the day. Now imagine your teacher pulling you out of that class because you were not “good enough,” and that instead of letting it defeat you, you were able to build your own community where you thrived. That’s kind of what happened to Troy Butler many years ago when he was a freshman at Neuqua Valley High School.
Troy’s mother Cheryl wasted no time helping her son, who has Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), gain confidence in doing what he loves to do: sing.
On the school’s recommendation, she hired a vocal instructor and soon recruited other students with IDD and their peers to hone their skills in the performance arena. Troy’s brother, Sean, came on board with his friends, and what emerged was a place, A Special Place (ASP), where kids could find an outlet that would enable them to blossom.
Since its launch in 2010, ASP has hosted annual musical productions featuring its participants who eagerly perform and shine in the spotlight. It’s a labor of love for the cast and crew who bring the show to life.
Weekly rehearsals begin in August and run through February, giving everyone in the ensemble a chance to make friends and expand their horizons. Seasoned volunteers, including a professional costume designer and a set artist, add the finishing touches that elevate the plays to new heights, engaging and astonishing attendees.
This year, 40 stars between the ages of 8 and 32 are prepped and ready to take the stage for ASP’s production of The SpongeBob Musical at Alleluia Lutheran Church, Door #4, 4055 Book Road, beginning at 6PM Fri., March 6, and at 3PM Sat., March 7.
Tickets are $35 and are available at asp4us.org/tickets.
And, just as SpongeBob embodies core values of trust, collaboration, and belief in one another, it parallels the lessons that the audience learns and the actors experience: that power grows from teamwork, conviction and community; and on this stage, every young artist gets to shine exactly as they are.
For more information about the initiatives of A Special Place, visit ASP4us.org.
