The Theatre Department at Melody Lane Performing Arts Center’s mission is to educate young people in not only acting, singing, and dancing, but confidence, self-expression, empathy, ensemble learning skills, public speaking, and other vital life skills. We strive to accomplish this through the production of major musicals and skills classes.   Since 2017, we have produced over two dozen youth musicals, including three pilot productions for Disney. Through audition, education, and performance opportunities, students gain acting, singing, dancing, and ensemble skills as well as create art. In addition to putting on major musical productions like Disney’s Lion King JR, Finding Nemo JR, Frozen JR, Into the Woods JR, as well as our Teen Productions: Les Miserables School Edition and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Melody Lane Theatre Dept. earned the highest honor of “Outstanding Performance” at the January 2019 Junior Theater Festival Awards in Atlanta, GA, winning overall in the age category of 8th and below and “Outstanding Production” in grades 12 and below in JTF TX 2021 for Matilda. In 2020, our JTF Team earned the award of “Excellence in Ensemble Work” for their set of Mary Poppins, and Miss Dana won the Freddie G Teacher Fellowship Award. In 2022, our students earned “Excellence in Acting” and also performed a New Works Showcase of “The Big One-Oh JR” in front of 5500 people on the mainstage.  We have also had students win top awards from JTF and other festivals.