JUNIE B.’s ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL OPENS ON DCT’S STAGE LATE SEPTEMBER
(DALLAS, TX) – Dallas Children’s Theater (DCT) opens its 2022-2023 season with JUNIE B.’s ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL, running from September 24 – October 30, 2022 at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts. Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones books have been a staple on family shelves for years, but this family musical was made to appeal to both fans of Junie B. and newcomers alike.
IN JUNIE B’s ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL, Junie B. has some advice to give…eventually. It was her brilliant idea to put together a survival guide for next year’s students, but now she’s at a total loss for what to add to it! It doesn’t help that all her friends are full of cool ideas and dance numbers. How’s a girl supposed to deal with all this competition? Hilariously, of course! In this musical extravaganza great for back-to-school time, Junie B. Jones learns some important lessons about school, patience, and personal growth.
Nancy Schaeffer, Artistic Director, is no stranger to the world of Junie B., having previously directed three other shows starring the titular grade-schooler: JUNIE B. JONES IS NOT A CROOK, JUNIE B. IN JINGLE BELLS, BATMAN SMELLS, and JUNIE B. JONES & A LITTLE MONKEY BUSINESS.
“I keep coming back, because it’s always fun to get the Junie B. take on the world,” says Schaeffer. “That girl is one of a kind, and her stories have this blunt, honest charm to them that just draws people in. In JUNIE B’s ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL, we get to see a whole new side of her as she struggles to learn how to tame her own temper, and manage jealousy. For an outspoken first grader like her, this is quite possibly the greatest challenge in the world.”
Schaeffer adds, “Junie B.’s a piece of work in this one, but who isn’t at that age? I like to think she speaks to the messy work-in-progress kid in all of us. There’s always a new lesson to learn alongside her, and it’s so fun to experience it with an audience full of families navigating the same complicated waters. Then, of course, there’s the music – and to be sure, music makes everything more fun – so I know the audience will love that aspect as well.”
Tickets on sale now at dct.org/plays.
JUNIE B.’s ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL
Book & Lyrics by Marcy Heisler, Music by Zina Goldrich
Adapted from the Junie B. Jones series of books by Barbara Park
Directed by Nancy Schaeffer
September 24 – October 30
Recommended for ages 5 and up
Cast:
Thi Le – Junie B. Jones
Gustavo Perez Diaz – Herb/Daddy/Matador
Ania Lyons* – May/Mrs. Weller/Matador
Madison Polozola – Lucille/Mother/Gus Vallony
Michael Alonzo – Sheldon Potts/Mrs. Gutzman/Matador
Karl Schaeffer* – Mr. Scary/Grandpa Miller/Principal/Matador
Production Team:
Nancy Schaeffer – Director
Adam Wright – Music Director
Natalie Rose Mabry – Scenic/Video Designer
Troy Carrico – Lighting Designer
Marco Salinas – Sound Designer
Sally Fiorello – Props Designer
Lyle Huchton – Costume Designer
Emily Haueisen – Scenic Artist
Eva Chastain* – Stage Manager
Maddie Collins – Deck Crew Head
Alaina Galasso, Carolina Gutierrez – Production Apprentice
Jeremy Claycamp, Ziggy Renner – Carpenters
*Denotes member of Actors Equity Association.
Performance Dates and Times:
– Saturday, September 24, 1:30PM – Opening
– Sunday, September 25, 1:30PM
– Sunday, September 25, 4:30PM
– Saturday, October 1, 1:30PM
– Saturday, October 1, 4:30PM
– Sunday, October 2, 1:30PM
– Sunday, October 2, 4:30PM (ASL)
– Saturday, October 8, 1:30PM (Sensory)
– Saturday, October 8, 4:30PM
– Sunday, October 9, 1:30PM
– Saturday, October 15, 1:30PM
– Sunday, October 16, 1:30PM
– Sunday, October 16, 4:30PM
– Saturday, October 22, 1:30PM
– Sunday, October 23, 1:30PM
– Saturday, October 29, 1:30PM
– Sunday, October 30, 1:30PM – Closing
Ticket Prices:
$17-$30 for single tickets. Prices subject to change. Group rates available for parties of 10 or more. Phone reservations required for Sensory-Friendly performances which are $5 per person. Call the Box Office for details, 214-740-0051. General tickets are available online at dct.org
Weekday Student Matinee shows also available Tuesdays through Fridays. Call Dallas Children’s Theater at 214-978-0120 or visit dct.org/fieldtrips
Photo by Karen Almond
Photo Models areJori Jackson, Mary Lee, Will Carleton
2022-23 Season Sponsors are: Texas Instruments, City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, March Family Foundation, The Carlson Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, TACA, and CARES Act/American Rescue Plan. General Sponsors Include: Hearst Foundations, The Rosewood Corporation, The Holloway Family Foundation, The M.R. and Evelyn Hudson Foundation, The Theodore and Beulah Beasley Foundation, Inc., Harold Simmons Foundation, Sharron Hunt, Lara and Stephen Harrison, and the Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation. Additional Support is Provided By: Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, TXU Energy, Frost Bank, Joan Becker, Capital for Kids, Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, The Koz Foundation, Stephen M. Seay Foundation, Margot B. Perot, Maintenance Inc., Central Market, and Green Mountain Energy, DCT’s official renewable energy partner. Sensory-Friendly Sponsors Include: Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust. Building Fund Supported By: The Carlson Foundation, The March Family Foundation, Laurie Sands Harrison, The Rosewood Corporation, Anonymous Family, Elizabeth & Bart Showalter, Karen & Ken Travis, The Hersh Foundation, and Everett & Becky Spaeth.
Dallas Children’s Theater
Rosewood Center for Family Arts
5938 Skillman Street
Dallas, Texas 75231
About Dallas Children’s Theater
Dallas Children’s Theater features professional actors performing for an annual audience of 250,000 young people and their families through mainstage productions and an arts-in-education program. As the only major organization in Dallas focusing solely on youth and family theater, DCT builds bridges of understanding between generations and cultures, instilling an early appreciation of literature, art, and the performing arts in tomorrow’s artists and patrons.
Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School by Barbara Park is published by Random House Books for Young Readers. Used with Permission. Copyright ©2009 by Barbara Park. Shana Corey, play creative consultant. Originally produced by Theaterworks USA.
For more about the Junie B. Jones books, visit or a bookstore near you!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
