Reviewed by Christine Van Bremen
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Grace for President at Virginia Rep Center for Arts and Education with my daughter Norah, who is eight, my nephew James, age seven, and my mom (Gram). The musical was perfectly timed after recently having a lengthy discussion with Norah about the two presidential candidates for the upcoming election. When Norah read the description for the play, she was immediately intrigued.
And wow, did this show deliver! It opens with the students attending a history lesson by their teacher Mrs. Barrington, where they are learning about America’s presidents. Grace (played by Ariana Silva) immediately observes an obvious trend in all forty-six past US presidents: All are men. Motivated to buck the trend, Grace declares she would like to run for president, and her teacher declares a school election for student body president.
Any good election requires at least two candidates! Mrs. Barrington recommends another student step up to run, but the others are too shy. Thankfully, Mr. Waller’s class recruits another candidate, and naturally it’s a boy (Thomas, played by Cameron Caple), with a seemingly very impressive resume.
Once the candidates are officially determined, the students deliver a terrific musical number with memorable lyrics about how democracy works, emphasizing “Of the people, by the people, for the people!”
Virginia Rep’s Grace for President Plays at Virginia Rep Center through Nov 3
While I like to think I remember a decent amount from my American history classes to facilitate a discussion on democracy, this play was a helpful refresher for me, and it certainly enlightened the children to civics and the electoral process.
Based on the book of the same name by Kelly S. DiPucchio, the finely tuned script delves into Americans’ right to vote. Next, Mrs. Barrington transitions into the second determination of the Presidential election: the Electoral College. She clearly explains that it is not necessarily the geographic size of the state but the number of people within the state that determines how many electoral votes each state receives, in addition to every state being represented by two senators. She provides examples of larger states receiving three votes (e.g. Wyoming) compared to Illinois, which receives nineteen votes because of its highly-populated city, Chicago, despite its smaller size. It’s a terrific math and civics lesson for the audience.
After learning the nuts and bolts of how the President of the United States is elected, it’s time for the candidates to campaign for votes! Initially, it is quite apparent that the girls will side with Grace and the boys will side with Thomas. But as Grace wisely polls her fellow students on matters that are important to them to build her platform, Thomas simply listens in and tries to one-up her with outrageous claims of bigger change. And while some students are swayed by Thomas, others take a minute to reflect on the kindness Grace shows to everyone she encounters, proving her actions speak just as loudly as her words in how she would represent the student body.
Grace starts to second-guess herself once she learns of Thomas’ lengthy list of extra-curriculars, but Mrs. Barrington delivers a heart-warming speech about how important it is for a leader to be a good listener and true to oneself, and how those beliefs will shine through to the people.
Interactive and High-Energy Civics Lesson in Grace for President
Virginia Rep does a fantastic job of engaging the audience at student body election time, as the candidates take to the crowd with their campaign signs. Both Norah and Jay were chanting loudly, “Grace! Grace! Grace for President!” And Norah was thrilled when she got to hold a campaign sign.
The show concludes with a close call, but it is obvious to all that the best candidate for the job wins, and the loser is gracious with a willingness to collaborate going forward – clearly excellent life lessons!
Grace for President is recommended for first through third graders, but I would say it is entertaining and educational for kids ages six to twelve, especially during this election season. The Electoral College explanation is a bit lengthy and might go over the heads of younger audience members, but it will resonate with students and adults who have some awareness of that process already. The show runs a solid hour with no intermission, so it’s definitely helpful to eat a good meal and hit the restroom prior to taking your seats.
Grace for President runs through November 3 at Jessie Bogese Theatre at Virginia Rep Center for Arts and Education. A terrific segue to explaining the race for the presidency, it will make the next few weeks before Election Day even more exciting for your family!
For showtimes and tickets, visit virginiarep.org
