The Judy Blume classic Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great comes to life in this poignant musical by ArtsPower at The Ridgefield Playhouse on January 27th
Being a 10-year-old kid is kind of a pain. Having an older sister is really a pain. Being afraid of everything is… well, just plain painful! Judy Blume’s classic young adult novel about facing your fears has been adapted for the stage.
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, will be performed live on stage at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Saturday, January 27th at 11am and 2pm as part of the Ridgefield Academy Family Series and partially underwritten by Books on the Common, with support from the Ridgefield Library.
Sheila Tubman, otherwise known as Sheila the Great, comes of age in ArtsPower’s lively and poignant musical, based on Blume’s popular novel about facing your fears and discovering the person within. Is Sheila Tubman the outgoing, witty, and capable Sheila the Great? Or is she the secret Sheila, afraid of the dark, dogs, and swimming? Maybe this summer she'll find out the truth! Read the book and see the show! Make it a great day out with the family - visit Dimitri’s Diner before or after the show and enjoy 10% off your bill when you show your tickets! Media partners for the event are Danbury’s 98Q 98.3fm, Danbury’s Hit Music Station and Macaroni Kid a national weekly newsletter of kid-friendly events.
One summer, Mr. and Mrs. Tubman take their two daughters out of New York City to live in a friend’s house in the country. Ten-year-old Sheila is excited about her vacation until she finds out that the house comes with a dog. Sheila is scared of dogs. She is also scared of noises in the night, spiders, the dark, thunder - in fact, she is even afraid of being afraid. So, she acts as if she is brave. Her older sister, Libby, calls her a chicken, but Sheila is sure no one else knows how frightened she is. After all, she always pretends that she’s brave and that she can do all the things that everyone else can. Unfortunately, she can’t pretend that she knows how to swim because Marty, her swimming instructor, says she has to pass a test by the end of the summer. Sheila’s new friend, a girl nicknamed Mouse, helps Sheila understand that it’s okay to have fears and to admit that you don’t know something. Sheila discovers that she can work to face her fears and still be Sheila the Great.
Union Savings Bank Foundation’s Arts for Everyone recipient for this show is the Hispanic Center. The Ridgefield Playhouse Arts for Everyone program helps make the performing arts available to economically disadvantaged residents of Fairfield County who cannot afford the cost of admission, even at reduced rates. The Playhouse was founded in the belief that arts can and do make a difference in the lives of people, and that accessibility to the arts should not be limited by one’s ability to pay. Arts for Everyone works with a wide range of non-profit organizations including ABC, Ability Beyond Disability, Danbury Youth Services, Family and Children’s Aid, Grassroots Tennis, Mental Health Associates of CT and the Out and About Club. Arts for Everyone helps provide tickets and transportation to The Playhouse.