The gymnasium of William A. Diggs Elementary School was transformed into the Pride Lands last week as students performed Disney’s “The Lion King Jr.”

Students worked with staff of Calvert Theatrics, a group that collaborates with schools and children’s theater programs to offer shows, workshops and other opportunities that promote the arts. The show hosted four shows — two evening performances for the community and two matinees held during the school day for Diggs students.

With professional theater lighting, sound, sets and costumes provided by Calvert Theatrics, the result was a school play that leaned more Broadway than playground. Auditions were open to students in third through fifth grades. The young students would be responsible for knowing their lines, song lyrics and choreography, and others would oversee the technical aspects of the production such as sound and lighting. The commitment fostered teamwork, professionalism and personal responsibility.

“This was one of the most beautiful surprises of the entire process,” said Brittnee Hajallie, a music teacher who splits her time at Diggs, J.C. Parks and Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer elementary schools. Hajallie co-directed the show with Sandee Bowles, an instructional resource teacher. “Our cast wasn’t made up solely of the ‘usual’ drama club students. We had athletes, introverts, students who had never sung a note or stepped on stage before,” Hajallie said. 

“This project opened the door wide, and they walked through with courage and curiosity,” Hajallie said.

The students rehearsed for five months ahead of the June shows including before school on Tuesdays. As they inched closer to opening, four Saturday rehearsals were added. The kids came to understand the importance of rehearsal and accepting feedback. “Always keep true to your word that you’re always going to come to rehearsals,” AJ Arthur Reed, a fifth-grade student who played Timon the wisecracking meerkat, said. “It’s like getting a job. You have to make sure you come every day you can and learn everything you can.”

It was after a field trip to see St. Charles High School students perform “Shrek: The Musical,” in April, that Diggs staff saw a marked difference in the cast and crew. “We saw an instant shift in motivation,” Gabriel Gray, Diggs music teacher and the show’s music director, said. “For many of the students, that was their first time seeing a musical. With a new understanding of their responsibilities as cast and crew, every role on stage and backstage was handled with focus, care and pride.”

Bowles has been involved in musical theater for more than 30 years. “I witnessed firsthand how transformative it can be for individuals and communities,” she said. Bowles wanted to bring the experience of staging a show to Diggs. “I believe musical theater fosters creativity, confidence and collaboration in people of all ages,” she said. 

Bowles called on Dave Walton, founder of Calvert Theatrics. The two have known each other for years and Calvert Theatrics stages shows at schools throughout Calvert County. “I wanted to bring that same magic to Diggs — to enrich our community through the power of theater,” Bowles said.

Walton’s group works with elementary and high schools in Calvert and is often called in by theater groups to offer technical advice. Throughout the years, the program has expanded and added elements that enhance productions. “Everything we do is about making kids look good on stage,” Walton said. “And when that’s your goal, you keep trying to make it better.”

Bowles would like to continue offering opportunities at Diggs for students to perform and work behind the scenes. “I find great joy in nurturing young minds and participating in musical theater,” she said. “It’s a perfect blend of creativity and connection.”

The show had other effects outside of entertainment. Staff members saw students take on and excel at responsibilities that could be advanced for kids who are between the ages of 8 to 11 — running the lights, testing the mics, learning lines while juggling schoolwork and other extracurriculars. 

“The transformation in my students has been astounding,” Hajallie said. “Watching my students step into their characters and roles [behind the scenes] was like watching them step into a fuller version of themselves.”

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 28,162 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.  CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).