Anything is possible

It has been difficult to resist the urge to sing and dance whenever entering the middle school lately. For the past two months, the members of the Jordan Small Middle School Drama Club have been filling the school with musical delight as they have been learning the songs and dances that will enliven the stage and entertain their guests when they perform their rendition of “Seussical Jr.” this weekend.

The Drama Club consists of 64 on-stage and back-stage students, a remarkably high percentage of the school’s population. The students rehearse daily under the leadership of directors Marilee Dunklee, Mary Thornton and Patricia Feeney. The group has worked diligently on what may be their most difficult production yet, a show that has twice as many songs as last year’s “Oklahoma.” Countless hours have been spent working and reworking the scenes but each time I witnessed these rehearsals, the kids were laughing and having a great time despite the hard work.

In addition to the efforts made by the actors on stage, a very dedicated and talented stage crew has worked tirelessly doing anything and everything required from building sets to painting props. Parents and members of the community have also provided support by sewing costumes, playing in the orchestra, producing programs, hanging posters, providing snacks and meals and taking care of countless other details. I am always overwhelmed with the spirit displayed in Raymond and how many people become engaged in each of the many projects happening here in this town.

“Seussical Jr.” is a story of imagination, hope, devotion and friendship. A combination of several of Dr. Seuss stories, the play begins with a red and white striped hat sitting on the stage. A boy enters the scene and is drawn toward the magical hat. He begins imagining what type of wonderful person would wear such a hat, and several Seuss characters suddenly materialize. The boy continues to imagine the many possibilities that one hat could bring. Meanwhile the citizens of Whoville are crying for help as their little planet, the size of a speck of dust, floats aimlessly through the air. Horton the elephant, whose large ears allow him to hear the Whos, vows at once to help them despite being teased and accused of being crazy. The boy and the elephant discover their similar imaginations and become friends. The story continues with adventure, frustration, fear, and determination by all the characters and culminates with the formation of deep friendships and the belief and proof that anything is indeed possible.

Dr. Seuss wrote more than 50 books that have not only entertained children for decades but also provided life lessons far beyond counting colored fish. His book “Oh, the Things You Can Think,” originally written as a commencement speech in 1975, continuously hits the best seller list each June and is a very popular graduation gift. In his magical way with words, Seuss insists that our dreams can and do come true, we just need to make them happen. With its message of imagination and possibility, “Seussical Jr.” defines his philosophy perfectly.

This is a play that will delight the young and old and is not to be missed. Shows will be held at the Jordan Small Middle School on Friday and Saturday nights, April 4 and 5, at 7 p.m.

Call of the diamond

As the temperatures begin to rise and the snow slowly disappears, everyone seems to be experiencing spring fever in full force. The Red Sox have kicked off their season, albeit in another country, and so shall the games begin here.

A group of women have been itching to play softball and after years of talking about it, they are ready to make it happen. They hope to find enough like minded players interested in getting together once a week to play the fast pitch, leading, stealing, and sliding game which promises to be fun and entertaining. Lisa Friedlander is coordinating this effort and hopes to field a couple of teams.

In describing the type of woman who may be interested in playing, she recently quipped, “slightly coordinated women, held back from their full potential by the fact that not all of them can see their feet and that some have arthritis, but who know exactly what they need to do to play and can remember the days they were in shape enough to do it. These women are competitive, but with a sense of humor and respect for the reality of their bodies. These women use teamwork and brains to play the game, knowing that brute strength has nothing on wisdom!”

Don’t miss this excellent opportunity to get outside and play softball in a fun and quite possibly, comical environment. A meeting will be held at the Jordan Small Middle School on Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. to discuss the formation of the league and to choose team colors. If you have the interest and courage to play, please attend the meeting or contact Friedlander at 655-5076 or [email protected].

New Books for Children

The young readers in town will be delighted to see 65 new books when they next visit the Raymond Village Library. The library was fortunate to receive a grant worth more than $1,0006 for these books through the Books for Children Program. This program is sponsored by the Libri Foundation of Eugene, Ore., and is a nationwide nonprofit organization that donates new, quality children’s books to small, rural public libraries.

This is a 2-to-1 matching grant, and the library used money donated in memory of Henry Beaumier as its matching portion. The new selection includes both fiction and non-fiction titles, from board books for toddlers to books for young adults. Stop by the library on Sunday, Monday or Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7p.m. to check out the new selection.