The Lehigh Valley Charter HS for the Arts' annual senior theater project is usually a blend of showmanship and professionalism as students both perform and learn how to run a theater troupe. This year's weeklong program's audience necessitated special consideration both in expectation and educational value as youngsters from numerous local elementary schools came to watch performances in the school's Black Box Theater.

The project involved producing, writing, directing and designing and building sets for the show, said teacher Ashley Weller. The seniors chose Shel Silverstein's childrens' books "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and "The Giving Tree" as the basis for their work, and developed a show that focused on easy-to-understand life lessons about altruism and responsibility.

Kids from Bushkill and Nazareth elementary schools – and a group who walked across the street from the YMCA daycare – attended the Nov. 14 performance. Though they were unfortunately forced to evacuate the building for a fire alarm a half-hour into the show, they were quickly reseated once the fire department gave the "all-clear."

Though that was probably not what Weller meant when she said the performance would give the kids a taste of live theater, it did help underscore the old adage, "The show must go on."