Performance Riverside presents JACKIE ROBINSON: MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Performance Riverside is proud to present the latest in the Target Family Series of productions especially for young people, Jackie Robinson: Most Valuable Player. Performed by the award-winning California Theatre Center, Jackie Robinson: Most Valuable Player celebrates the life of Jackie Robinson, an extraordinary man who fights against prejudices prevalent in American society through his strong passion for baseball and a burning desire to overcome the odds. Jackie’s outstanding athletic ability and determination eventually pay off when he is noticed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. However, Jackie learns that the road to success is full of twists and turns. Strengthened by a network of supportive friends and family, Jackie faces bitter confrontations as well as one of his greatest moments of triumph – being named Most Valuable Player in 1949. The unrelenting tenacity and visionary dreams of Jackie Robinson open the gates for tolerance and acceptance.
Jackie Robinson: Most Valuable Player will be presented to public, private, and home school groups at specially priced “Discovery Theatre” weekday performances on February 26 and 27 at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. The performance also will be presented to general audiences on Saturday, February 28, 2009, at 2:00 p.m., in the Landis Performing Arts Center, as part of the Target Family Series, a collaborative program with the Riverside County Philharmonic that also includes “Arabian Nights and a Little Jazz” on January 25, “Surprise Party” on April 5, and “The Ugly Duckling” on May 16, 2009. This show is recommended for children grades 3 and up.
Jackie Robinson: Most Valuable Player presents the subject of racial prejudice in an honest and straightforward manner for a young audience. On a few occasions in the play, the “n-word” is spoken by characters who are prejudiced against Jackie Robinson. The story is told in historical context, and the use of the word is representative of the prejudice Mr. Robinson experienced. It is not meant to offend the audience in any way, nor is it meant to suggest to children that using the word is permissible. California Theatre Center advises using the opportunity to discuss with your students how those types of words, and the unfair treatment that Mr. Robinson faced, are unacceptable in our society. A study guide for the show may be downloaded here:
School groups may arrange for reservations and the accompanying curriculum guide for this and other “Discovery Theatre” weekday morning performances by calling (951) 222-8372. Ticketing and general information about public performances may be obtained by calling the Landis Performing Arts Center Box Office at (951) 222-8100 or online at
www.performanceriverside.org .
