JMG Traveling Theater
2022 - 2025
Through the Jeanette M Gould Traveling Theater, University of Central Florida students bring creative drama and theatre performances to pediatric hospital patients. Its purpose is to promote joy through the power of theatre to young people facing longterm sicknesses or injuries. The JMG Traveling Theater is a partnership between Theatre UCF and the UCF College of Nursing, made possible through the generosity of the Gould Family. I served as its program director from its genesis in 2022 to 2025 during my tenure at UCF.
Press
"Philanthropy Helps Innovative Program Bring Joy to Hospitalized Children." UCF Foundation. 2022.
"UCF theatre program takes children's hospital patients on a trip through the looking glass." Click Orlando. 2023.
"The Best Medicine: UCF Traveling Troupe Brings Joy (and Healing) to Kids in Care." Artistry. 2024.
"Serious Play: Promoting joy and healing through bedside pediatric theatre." TYA Today. 2025.
"UCF theatre program takes children's hospital patients on a trip through the looking glass." Click Orlando. 2023.
"The Best Medicine: UCF Traveling Troupe Brings Joy (and Healing) to Kids in Care." Artistry. 2024.
"Serious Play: Promoting joy and healing through bedside pediatric theatre." TYA Today. 2025.
impact
History
In its inaugural 2022-2023 year, the JMG Traveling Theater presented WONDERLAND, a series of drama-based programming inspired by the Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland series. Youth engaged through our creative drama workshops, scavenger hunt, takeaway tea party activity kit, and interactive performances. Activities were offered in a multiple modes, including virtually and one-on-one, to meet the varying needs of the youth we serve. The year culminated with a touring production of a new play, Alice and the Wonderland Parties, written by UCF alum Sage Tokach and inspired by youth responses gathered during our creative drama activities.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the JMG Traveling Theater presented creative drama workshops about discovering a person's Super Hero Strength; "Unlocking Atlantis," a game-based interactive experience for teens. The program also commissioned the play Let's Go Camping! an interactive bedside performance for 2-5 year olds, written by Nicole B. Adkins and Elizabeth Brendel Horn, lyrics by Nicole B. Adkins, music and design by Scottie Rowell, with puppetry and set fabrication by Teller Productions.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the JMG Traveling Theater presented creative drama workshops about discovering a person's Super Hero Strength; "Unlocking Atlantis," a game-based interactive experience for teens. The program also commissioned the play Let's Go Camping! an interactive bedside performance for 2-5 year olds, written by Nicole B. Adkins and Elizabeth Brendel Horn, lyrics by Nicole B. Adkins, music and design by Scottie Rowell, with puppetry and set fabrication by Teller Productions.
This audio version of Let's Go Camping! allows children to relive the adventure, and provides a theatre-based performance to patients in isolation. Based on the play 'Let's Go Camping!' Written by Nicole B. Adkins & Elizabeth Brendel Horn, Lyrics by Nicole B. Adkins, Music by Scottie Rowell. Adapted, Engineered, and Performed by Scottie Rowell. Sound Effects by Pixabay. Learn more about Let's Go Camping!
in development
Next up, the Jeanette M Gould Traveling Theater is developing its next bedside play, Color Quest. Designed for 5-8 year olds, Color Quest will explore the intersections of visual arts and emotion, providing patients the opportunity to get creative, expression themselves, and make a bit of a mess!
Color Quest collaborators Nicole B. Adkins and Scottie Rowell visited UCF's Fall 2024 Creative Drama course to explore the themes of the play through devised theatre, visual art, storytelling, and dialogue. As a part of this development process, Creative Drama students engaged in dramaturgy with young people at UCF's Creative School for Students. Color Quest is tentatively scheduled to premiere in Spring 2026.
Color Quest collaborators Nicole B. Adkins and Scottie Rowell visited UCF's Fall 2024 Creative Drama course to explore the themes of the play through devised theatre, visual art, storytelling, and dialogue. As a part of this development process, Creative Drama students engaged in dramaturgy with young people at UCF's Creative School for Students. Color Quest is tentatively scheduled to premiere in Spring 2026.