Young actors in the “3-2-1 You’re On!” program practice for the upcoming performance of “Mary Poppins Jr.” (Photo by Ruby Kreuscher)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

MARBLEHEAD – Playmakers Civic Theatre’s “3-2-1 You’re On!” educational program has helped dozens of children learn the art of theater performance, but this year, it offered something different. The program bypassed the classes and dove straight into preparing for a show. The 27 young performers of “3-2-1 You’re On!” will present “Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins Jr.” on May 29 at 7 p.m. and May 30 and 31 at 2 p.m. at Danbury Braithwaite Auditorium.

“We’re just doing the show this year,” said Director Beth Kreuscher. “They are learning by doing.”

The program was open to area students in grades three through eight and attracted youths from across Ottawa County and beyond, including kids from Bellevue, Sandusky, and Norwalk. The program offered a wide-scope education of theater that included lessons on acting, singing, dancing, and more.

“It’s just like any Playmakers performance. I had help from an assistant director, a choreographer, a music director, and a costumer,” Kreuscher said. “They learned about costuming and the way you can take modern things and make them appropriate for the show.”

The performance will not be held at Playmaker’s Civic Theatre. Instead, “Mary Poppins, Jr.” will be performed at Danbury Braithwaite Auditorium, located at 9451 E Harbor Rd. in Marblehead.

“We plan to make this an annual thing, and we’ll continue to do it at Danbury. They are happy to have us,” Kreuscher said. “The auditorium gives us access to LED lighting and a projector, and it gives us more space for the large amount of kids we have.”

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids. For tickets or more information, visit www.pcplaymakers.org or call 419-734-5044. Tickets are also available at the Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce.