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The Troup Tigers have a jam-packed weekend planned filled with art, literacy and of course, James and the famous peach.

Beginning on Friday at 7 p.m., performers at Troup High will bring to life the Roald Dahl classic, “James and the Giant Peach.”

Noel Jordan, THS theatre head, said the play is a part of a theatre for youth series, aimed at promoting literacy in local elementary schools.

She said tickets for the show are $5 for students and seniors and $8 for adults.

“Every year I try to create a show that would fit into a literacy category — something that is targeted for school groups, families, material that teachers can reference and tell their students, ‘That’s a book Roald Dahl wrote and he also wrote Matilda’ and tag literacy to seeing a play,” Jordan said.

Jordan said shows within the series typically bring in roughly 2,000 to 3,000 kids, who will come see the show during their school day. She said in the past classes from West Point Elementary, Pike County, Meriwether County and schools in Alabama have driven over to see a show.

“This year we were able to get 1,200 copies of ‘James and the Giant Peach’ that we’re going to be able to give out to kids,” Jordan said. “Some of those schools already have them and they’re doing, ‘one book, one school reading’ where the whole school is reading the book before they come see the show — I know West Point Elementary is doing that.”

As the show gears up to take the stage, it will be the last for some performers as high schoolers. 

“Graci Adams and Marshall Coker are two seniors who will be graduating this year. Marshall started in the program last year actually and has just blossomed in such a good leader. He worked so hard and helped build the sets,” Jordan said. “Graci has been in the program a little longer than Marshall has and was so quiet and timid when we first started theater with her. She has come out of her shell and to play an evil aunt on the stage, it’s so funny to watch, because of all her growth as an actor.”

Jordan said Adams will attend Columbus State University where she’ll be working toward becoming a theatre teacher.

The full show times for ‘James and the Giant Peach’ are May 12 and 13 at 7 p.m.  and May 14 at 2:30 p.m.

On Saturday, the department will host its third annual We Heart the Arts Festival at the school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jordan said the festival will welcome roughly 40 vendors ranging from local artisans, business owners and even student businesses. 

She said the entrance fee will be $1 and booths cost $15.  There will be many activities, including a student-led game area, a car show, food trucks and more, Jordan said.

“It will be a fun and relaxing day. We want to bring our community together, where we can see who in our community is making, building and creating things,” Jordan said.