The cast of the TheatreWorks USA production of “Junie B.’s Essential Guide to School Survival” included 2022 Fredonia graduate Alissa Rojas (second from left).
When Theatre Works USA brought its production of “Junie B.’s Essential Guide to School Survival” to SUNY Fredonia in January, it was a homecoming for one of the cast members.
Alissa Rojas, who played the role of Lucille/Mother in the production, is a 2022 Fredonia graduate. After a stint with the Cortland Repertory Theatre, Rojas was cast in TheatreWorks’ touring production of “Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School.”
“When I saw the very first stop was Fredonia, I couldn’t believe it,” Rojas said. “I had so many amazing experiences here.”
“When I saw the very first stop was Fredonia, I couldn’t believe it, I had so many amazing experiences here.” - Fredonia alumna Alissa Rojas
As a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre major, Rojas was quite familiar with the stage of Marvel Theatre. She was a cast member for the Walter Gloor Mainstage Series production of “The Wild Party” in the fall of 2021. Her other Fredonia credits included “Sweet Charity” and “Songs For a New World.”
The TheatreWorks USA production ran for four performances on Jan. 18 and 19 as part of Rockefeller Arts Center’s On Stage For Youth Series. It was one of three productions the Rockefeller Arts Center presented in 2022-23. The other were the interactive “Let’s Go Science Show” and The Pushcart Players with the classic tale “The Velveteen Rabbit.”
The goal of On Stage For Youth is to make the very best of the performing arts available to area students and to showcase these performances in a professional theater setting. The series is designed to encourage thinking, creativity and fun while complementing school lessons.
More than 3,200 students and school staff from 13 different schools in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties attended performances in 2022-23.
