Will Guilford is approaching 40 years of teaching drama in the San Lorenzo Valley.
Guilford, who shares his talents with both middle and high schoolers in the district, founded the drama program at San Lorenzo Valley Middle School in 1988, and he hasn’t stopped imbuing his students with the love of theater since. He retired briefly in 2020, but returned to teaching English and drama part-time in 2023.
When determining which productions to introduce to middle school students, there are considerations at hand: Is it age appropriate? Will it keep the kids’ interests, or potentially excite them about performing? What lessons will they take away from the show, and what will the message to the audience be? These and other questions have found a resounding answer in Guilford’s latest production, “Schoolhouse Rock Live! JR.,” being performed May 7-10.
The animated commercials with catchy, memorable tunes that taught government and civics to children were a staple during Saturday morning cartoons in the ’70s, and Guilford is excited to bring these educational CliffsNotes of democracy to the San Lorenzo Valley Performing Arts Center located on the high school campus.
The premise of the production is this, as published on stageagent.com: Tom is a nervous school teacher about to start his first day of teaching. He tries to relax with a little TV when various characters representing facets of his personality materialize from the television set. Tom is hesitant at first to accept their help, but with a little friendly prodding, they help Tom see how great a teacher he has been all along.
The middle schoolers participating in Guilford’s show sense the importance of the musical and are determined to make the educational nature of the production exciting for all ages by performing such memorable songs as “Just A Bill,” “Conjunction Junction” and “3 Is A Magic Number.”
In the early 1970s, amid a climate of mounting concern over violence and lack of good content in children’s television programming, “Schoolhouse Rock!” brought an element of education to Saturday morning cartoons, teaching American children about history, math, science and grammar. Introducing the dancing Constitution to today’s youth seems especially pertinent given the heightened political discourse taking place.
Seventh-grader Emma B. said, “I hope this production helps both us and the audience to see that even when you are scared or nervous for an important thing like a test, a big performance or a meeting that really matters, you should always find a cool way to make it fun like Tom does by singing with his (imaginary) friends in ‘Schoolhouse Rock! JR.’”
Selena H. chimed in: “I am very glad to be in ‘Schoolhouse Rock! JR.’ because it’s a fun play and has a lot of fun characters with a sense of humor. I think that students and the audience should learn that ‘learning is knowledge.’”
The enthusiasm for the engaging musical is evident in Madi P.’s statement. “I hope that audiences develop an understanding of learning that’s more than just six hours at a school. ‘Schoolhouse Rock! JR.’ shows that learning, even in a school setting, can be fun if you make it. With some imagination, you can make learning anything that you want it to be!”
Director Guilford is in agreement with them all.
“The kids should have fun while learning—after all, we teachers believe the best learning comes while having fun, and embracing challenges especially as a team is so rewarding for young adolescents,” Guilford said. “Assembling 29 sixth graders and watching them enjoy themselves while learning not just how to sing and dance but how to work together for a common goal is incredibly rewarding. Self-esteem and self-confidence are the keys to developing adolescents and our Valley kids are so fortunate to have a district and community that truly supports the Performing Arts. Not all students participate in sports, thus, theater grants so many opportunities for our youth to grow and mature. I’m looking forward to how the adults respond as perhaps hearing the songs will rekindle fond memories of their youth.”
Despite having returned part-time to teach three years ago, 2026 is the final curtain call for Guilford’s career, as a full-time teacher will take over his schedule of classes in the fall.
“I’ll miss my kiddos the most,” he said. “I love being there, helping them grow and mature.”
“Schoolhouse Rock! JR.” will be held at the San Lorenzo Valley High School Performing Arts Center at 7105 Highway 9 in Felton. The musical has two casts performing: the Adjective Cast performs on May 7 and 9 at 7pm, and the Conjunction Cast performs May 8 at 7pm and May 10 at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at slvhs.seatyourself.biz.
