POP Tour 2020 at La Jolla Playhouse

As a history-obsessed 12-year-old, Emily Driver uses her YouTube channel to celebrate landmark moments of activism and change. So when her request for a needed wheelchair is denied, she takes matters into her own hands and launches into a time-travelling trip across the country where she meets trailblazing leaders from the past who have fought for equal rights. On the journey, she learns the power of speaking up, and how one voice can inspire others to create a more accessible world. In partnership with the National Disability Theatre, a team of actors, writers, and designers with disabilities brings this inventive and original story to life.What is the POP tour?The Performance Outreach Program (POP) Tour is an annual world-premiere, Playhouse-commissioned production that brings the magic of theatre to more than 20,000 students per year. Introduced in 1987, this travelling, fully-staged performance is created for students grades 3-6, touring San Diego county schools, libraries and community centers. Prior to each performance, a Playhouse teaching artist visits each school to engage students in an interactive workshop to explore issues and themes at the core of the play. The Playhouse also provides schools with a standards-based engagement guide that enables educators to integrate the play into their existing curriculum. After each performance, the cast and crew conduct a question and answer session with the audience.What is POP Tour 2020 about?National Disability Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse are partnering to create a touring production for young audiences that will explore disability culture. When Emilys family is denied funding to replace her broken wheelchair, Emilys mom works to scrape together money to buy a new one but is unsuccessful. Emily takes matters into her own hands and gains inspiration from leaders who have blazed trails before her as she embarks on a cross-country trip of advocacy for the rights of all individuals with disabilities.Who would enjoy the POP Tour?POP Tour is a Theatre for Youth play aimed at serving 3rd through 6th grade audiences. While its not inappropriate for younger audiences, just that it is written with this age group in mind! This play is by design 100% sensory friendly, and we invite and welcome ALL audiences (yes, that means YOU!) to be a part of the 2020 POP Tour.