Susan Schlesinger as Maisie and Jim Nielsen as Horton delighted the audience at the March 26 performance.

This was the fifth year that Roger Edmonds has rounded up a cast, rehearsed and toured a play meant for area grade schools as a Sun Lakes Community Theatre (SLCT) educational outreach project.

The troupe, consisting of about 18 cast members (some playing multiple roles), and four or five crew members, presented a 45-minute performance of the Dr. Seuss story Horton Hatches the Egg at 20 area grade schools. The show was seen by about 4,000 students, primarily kindergarteners and first graders. In previous years, The Fisherman and His Wife and Horton Hears a Who were presented, both produced by Edmonds.

Last year the productions took a giant leap forward in terms of audience appeal with the addition of the work of John and Irene Blakely. Irene, an SLCT costumer, made some fantastic, imaginative costumes for the play’s creatures while John designed and made backdrops and set pieces.

As a finale for the year’s productions, the theater group blocked off Brentwood Street in front of the tennis courts on Saturday, March 26 and following the golf cart parade, the show went on!

Parents, grandparents and children of all ages enjoyed the “street” play as part of their Easter celebration.

The productions are a project of Sun Lakes Community Theatre (SLCT) in support of their 501(c)(3).