Greenbelt’s Creative Kids have made their 2024 stage debut with a little history, a little mystery and no shortage of catchy tunes.
Two performances of The Cookie Caper, an original musical by Greenbelt Performing Arts Coordinator Chris Cherry, marked the end of the first session of the 2024 Creative Kids Camp at the Community Center on Friday, June 28. A musical exploration of the Greenbelt community, the charming and self-referential production weaves the various activities housed in the Community Center with reflections on the history and values of the city.
The Cookie Caper opens with a crime: on the last day of the Creative Kids camp, nine dozen freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies are reported missing without a trace. Deducing that one of the staff members must be responsible, the campers take it upon themselves to solve the mystery of the missing desserts.
A series of clues steers the campers through various areas of the Community Center. They visit the pottery studio, the nursery school, the photography darkroom, the art room and the Greenbelt News Review office, each location featuring a song and dance by a different group of children.
A faction of the campers, who decide to lead their own independent investigation in search of the cookies, uncovers another mystery in the process: they stumble upon an old diary that had been hidden by one of Greenbelt’s first schoolchildren.
The diary describes daily life in 1930s Greenbelt from the eyes of a child: rollerskating with friends in their new hometown, visiting the student-led “Gumdrop Co-op” store and admiring the bas relief panels depicting the preamble to the U.S. Constitution that adorn the school and community center. Details in the diary also prompt the campers to dig deeper into the city’s history of racial segregation.
To find out how the mysteries of the diary and the missing cookies are solved, you’ll have to catch the show yourself – and you might even get to sample the titular treats at the end of the hour.
The Cookie Caper is one of a varied collection of musicals Chris Cherry has written for the Creative Kids Camp over his 26-year tenure. Last performed in 2017, this particular show is a fun way to help the children learn and engage with the history of the community, Cherry said.
And while Greenbelt’s history of cooperation is certainly reflected in the message of the show, the children also learned about cooperation through the process of putting the production together.
“Being in a musical show is a real lesson in cooperation because the sum is greater than the parts,” said Cherry. “Everybody has a role to play, and they have to work together, and so it’s a great way for them to learn to build community, be a part of something bigger than themselves and support one another.”
There are six more opportunities to see The Cookie Caper this summer, at the conclusion of the second, third and fourth sessions of the 2024 Creative Kids Camp. Both morning and afternoon performances will take place on Fridays July 12, July 26 and August 9. Free tickets can be reserved in person at the Community Center business office or over the phone by calling 301-397-2208.
