Middle School Students Take a Step Back Into History

eighth-graders will perform , a reenactment of the Second Continental Congress on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the .

The public is invited to attend this free performance.

The students began working with Trish Melehan and Lisa Kirk-Williams from Scotts Valley Performing Arts about five weeks ago to put together the show, which will be a dramatic reading.

“The kids have been really learning from this script about really important issues,” said Melehan, who put the script together based on the 1969 Broadway show, 1776 The Musical. “They are getting the real feeling that there would be no country without compromises being made.”

Students will take on the roles of characters such as John Adams, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington as they debate whether to become independent from Great Britain. Then, after deciding to do so, the strong personalities are shown as they begin to draft and adopt the Declaration of Independence.

“Most of it is real dialogue from history,” Melehan said. “The students have been really excited about it and are definitely learning in more detail than in history class.”

The Scotts Valley Community Center is at 360 Kings Village Rd. For more information, visit svpaa.org/productions/shows/1776.html.