‘Annie Jr.’ set to take stage at Maxey Center

When Taylor Mezime participated in last year’s Arts After 5 summer musical, she was nervous, shy and quiet. This year, she feels more confident.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Mezime said. “I’m not really that nervous this time. I think I’m going to do great.”

Mezime is just one of dozens of children participating in the Arts After 5 program’s performance of “Annie Jr.” at 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, and Saturday, July 28, at the Maxey Community Center, 830 Klondike St., Winter Garden. Tickets are $2 and can be purchased at bit.ly/2vSSDyV. 

The production was organized by St. Luke’s United Methodist Church as part of the church’s community outreach efforts and presented by the East Winter Garden Neighborhood Alliance in partnership with the Arts After 5 program in East Winter Garden. 

St. Luke’s Associate Director of Neighborhood Ministries Ruth Berlus described how Mezime’s confidence is reflected by her demeanor and work ethic.

“In the beginning of the auditions for this year, she came in ready (and) ready to go,” Berlus said. “She’s one of our hardest workers, one of our hardest actors, and she’s not one of the main actors — but she works so hard. She comes in every day (and) she helps encourage the kids.”

Mezime will be playing the role of Pepper. She said she chose that role because she relates to the character and added her favorite part of the the role is “being the boss of everybody.”

“I like being the boss sometimes,” She said.

Berlus said the children only had about six weeks to prepare the production.

“We have to pack in as much as we can,” Berlus said. “It’s a long process, and there’s not much time to do it.”

She added some of the children were new to theater. Although the production came with its challenges, ultimately, the goal is to enrich children’s lives, Berlus said.

“The most important part is making sure that they come and they have fun and that they’re exposed to everything that we do,” she said. “It’s about them. It’s about making sure that they have this opportunity …(and) that they’re happy and having fun.”

The drama production also helps the children avoid the “summer slide,” defined by The Brookings Institution as a tendency for some students to lose a level of a academic gains they made during the school year while on summer vacation.

Berlus said the program helps continue the children’s education during the summer by having fun.

“Reading in the summer (is something) kids don’t really like to do, but when they come to the production … we make them read,” Berlus said, adding children also are exposed to math and science techniques.

“They actually (make) the production pieces,” Berlus said. “They get to paint, they get to measure the dimensions, so there’s mathematics involved. There’s science involved. Like, how much weight can go on this (piece)?”

St. Luke’s Director of Neighborhood Ministries Adam Hartnett said “Annie Jr.” is just one way that the Arts After 5 program benefits the East Winter Garden community. He added the program is “more than just a summer musical.” 

“We provide arts- and tech-based classes throughout the school year, as well,” he said. “It’s specifically called ‘Arts after 5’ because we wanted to expand the hours that kids were receiving positive, edifying activities outside of the school day. And we noticed — in this neighborhood especially — all of the community centers and opportunities for kids to engage in activities, they end at 5 p.m.”

Hartnett said in addition to giving the children fun things to do outside of the school day, the program also gives them a positive, safe and supervised place to be.

“The effect it has on the community has been incredible to see,” he said. “This is a community that has — historically — been characterized by disenfranchisement, oppression (and) exclusion. … Good things can still happen here, and good things are going to continue to happen here.”