In this delightful children’s play, “Junie B. Jones is NOT a Crook”, the spunky and outspoken kindergartener faces a dilemma when her favorite furry black mittens go missing. After she believes a wily crook is responsible for the theft, she embarks on a mission to solve the mystery. Along the way, Junie learns some important lessons about honesty, friendship, and how to deal with situations when things don’t go as planned. With her trademark “nutball” humor and bold personality, Junie B. turns this adventure into a fun and engaging story that teaches kids the value of understanding and making things right!

Being in the cast—particularly as Junie’s slightly irked teacher, Mrs.—one of the most amazing parts of this experience was feeling the immediate connection with the audience. Children, students and adults alike burst out laughing at Junie B.’s witty one-liners, and you could feel the energy in the room as they cheered—whether for Lucille’s self-proclaimed attitude, Meanie Jim’s vengeful comebacks or Grace’s speedy runarounds. The moments of laughter were balanced with heartwarming lessons, and it was a joy to see how the kids in the audience connected with the characters.

Just before the Sunday performance, we invited a large group of young children to participate in an activity with the cast titled “Jammin’ With Junie!” We taught them a song, played a round of Mad Libs and then had a game of freeze dance. It was so fun to see the kids open up, have fun with each other and meet the cast while getting a taste of Junie B.’s energy.

This show will forever hold a place in my heart as one of the most fun experiences I’ve had as a member of the RMHS Theatre community, and I am honored to present the upcoming musical “Once Upon a Mattress” as your student director! Auditions will be held Feb. 18-21. Please consider joining this whimsical musical, and if you’d prefer to watch, keep a lookout this spring!