The joy in the room is palpable when the cast of "Aladdin Jr." closes out its performance by singing the "Glee" version of "Don't Stop Believin'."
The song isn't even part of the show, but it's the traditional show-closer for Penguin Project performances, which pair kids with special needs (known in the program as "actors") with theater kids ("mentors") to put on a show and, hopefully, foster some new friendships.
"I think that the goal is that they build their own community," said Ian Mairs, director of Apex Theatre Studio, the organization that is bringing the national Penguin Project to St. Augustine. “Some of these kids were not even talking for the first two weeks. The difference is amazing.”
Read the rest of this story at WJCT News partner The Florida Times-Union.