Not a grumpy Earth Day

Marisa O’Neil

When it comes to the rainforest, don’t be a grump.

California Elementary School second- and third-graders turned

Forrest Grump, not to be confused with Forrest Gump, from a

mean-spirited litterbug into an environmental activist during a

Thursday assembly. The students performed the musical “Forrest Grump”

to highlight an appropriate message for Earth Day.

“This [performance] was special because it’s about saving the

environment,” writer and director Kathleen Chapman said.

Elaborate trees and greenery, made from colored paper, framed the

stage in the multipurpose room and paper monkeys, birds and a snake

completed the decorations. Children in the musical wore smocks, each

decorated with a different flower, animal or plant.

They told the story of the rainforest and a Grumpy Gus named

Forrest who disrespected it and even burned it down with a careless

toss of a match.

“When he ran away, we knew he was a creepy jerk,” 9-year-old Ben

Beck’s character said.

But, the characters realize, Forrest Grump doesn’t know that

littering is bad. With a little education on the subject, as well as

about endangered species and water conservation, he goes from a

Forrest Grump to a Forrest Friend.

“Sometimes you see trash and stuff around,” 8-year-old Ilene

Umansky said after the show. “We want to teach people to pick up.”

The children in the play are part of an after-school drama club

with Chapman. They have practiced every Tuesday for the past 14 weeks

to get ready for their performance for two groups of students and an

evening show for parents and community members.

Scheduling the show for Earth Day gave Chapman a chance to teach

the students about the rainforest and environment in general as they

rehearsed their roles.

“If you keep cutting down plants and trees it won’t be how it was

before,” 9-year-old Chad Fackler said. “It leaves a big hole.”

The actors also learned how to make a difference closer to home.

“Pick up trash and pull weeds and plant new seeds,” Ilene

suggested.

Earth Day has added significance for Ben -- it’s also his

birthday.

“We don’t want anybody to step on plants or anything,” he said.

“If you don’t have trees, you don’t have oxygen.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.