PUBLISHED ON May 3, 2008
Yakima Herald-Republic
Section: Main/Home Front
By ERIN SNELGROVE YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC
Gus commands attention without saying a word. He's blue. He's a cat. And he adorns his 7-foot frame with a top hat and bow tie. For 30 first-graders at Barge- Lincoln Elementary School, his looks make him a star.
"He's really crucial to the program," said Christina McCarthy, director of grants development for the Capitol Theatre. "There's not a kid who can ignore him. He hooks them, and that's the whole point."
Gus is a new component of the Capitol Theatre's Capitol Kids program, which began two years ago. His job is to travel to schools throughout the Yakima Valley to teach elementary and middle school students about theater etiquette and history.
He and theater educator Jackie Baker visited Barge- Lincoln on Wednesday, delighting the kids with costumes, props and musical demonstrations. Within minutes, the students erupted into giggles and were copying the cat's suave dance moves.
Thanks to Gus, Marco Pineda Enrique said he learned a lot of important theater do's and don'ts.
"Never bring candy to the theater, never chew gum, never use the cell phone," the 8-year-old recited, adding that he took a liking to Gus. "He's nice and he's funny."
Gus' existence was made possible by a $35,000 grant from the Yakima Valley Community Foundation last December, said program supervisor Gay Parker. Since his creation, he's visited 120 classrooms.
He's available, for free, for classes scheduled to attend a Capitol Kids show. In the days following the performance, he'll return to test students on what they've learned. As an added perk, students receive a pass entitling them to a free ticket to a future show -- when accompanied by a paying adult.
"The kids just love him," Parker said. "They're all giggling and acting. We've gotten just fabulous feedback."
Gus' antics work with middle school students as well. For those stops, he and another theater educator teach kids how shows are made and tell them about the different, behind-the-scenes jobs.
Through the program, Parker hopes children will feel welcomed at the theater and will behave appropriately.
"Not too many kids get to come to the Capitol Theatre," she said. "We're hoping to ignite their interest in the theater so they'll be lifelong theatergoers."
