Maria Pedro has been acting since a very young age. She was inspired to act when she saw her first Broadway play, “Beauty and the Beast,” at age 7 and was hooked. Now, she stars as Junie B. Jones in “Junie B. Jones’s Essential Survival Guide to School.”
The last show of the touring production was on Saturday, Dec. 5. It was a five-person play. Each actor played multiple parts, primarily Junie B’s classmates. Many of the actors had never read a Junie B. Jones book before the play. Some favorites are “Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy” and, of course, “Junie B. Jones’s Essential Survival Guide to School.”
A great comedy adaptation of the book by Barbara Parks, it was so very captivating that you were glued to your seat. Meghan Miles played May, El Toro Fabuloso and Mrs. Weller; Maria Pedro played Junie B. Jones; Scott Montgomery played Herb, the father, the principal and Mr. Scary; Brandi Porter played Lucille, the mother and the janitor; David Artavia played Sheldon, Mrs. Gutsman and Junie B.’s grandfather.
All five actors did an excellent job of carrying out all of the different roles they played. They had to practice for two weeks before their first performance. The play had the audience laughing for the most of the play but ended with some important lessons. Junie B. learned about being herself. In the end, Junie B. made a new friend and solved a large conflict between May and herself.
It was a challenge to play characters so much younger than themselves and as Meghan Miles (May) said: “You have to promise yourself to be open and present.”
Favorite parts of the play range from when Junie B. dumps a bowl of spaghetti on May’s head because it “matches her outfit” to Junie B.’s excuses to her school escapades and notes from her teacher.
The play was wonderful and well planned. You could tell the actors really worked hard and loved their parts. It was a joy to be in the audience laughing along with the funny parts and sometimes connecting Junie B.’s adventures with their own lives. This was a great play for people who love Barbara Park’s books and humor.
Daphne Keyes is a fifth grader and attends Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School.
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