Rea Elementary students hit the stage with help from Disney

Elementary school performers focused on their stage direction while belting out the words to “Ev’rybody Wants to be a Cat” on Tuesday as part of a new theater program sparked by a $100,000 grant.

A widespread decline in theater education among elementary school-age children wasn’t evident among these eager young thespians at Rea Elementary School in Costa Mesa.

Only 4% of elementary school students in the country have access to theater education in school, according to a 2012 U.S. Department of Education Report. Amid a national focus on test scores, experts say that theater and arts programs suffer.

But Rea Elementary is one of four schools in Orange County that are growing their own theater programs — with a leg up from Disney and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Theentertainment giant awarded the Segerstrom Center atwo-year, $100,000 grant last year to help producethe musicals. The Segerstrom Center selected Rea and three other schools in a competitive process last year. The idea is to promote sustainable arts education in schools.

Now the students, 46 third- through sixth-graders in all, are preparing for the staging of their first Disney production — “The Aristocats” — in March.

It “closes the opportunity gap,” explained Principal Kalim Rayburn. Arts enrichment outside of school is generally beyond the reach of most Rea families. All students at Rea qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program, considered an indicator of poverty.

The 17-week program is free to participating schools, and Disney provides scripts and musical scores. The Segerstrom Center assigned “teaching artists” to provide initial training to the teachers who will eventually run the productions.

“It’s the ‘teach them to fish’ philosophy,” said Lauren Chapman, who is with the Disney Theatrical Group, which produces Broadway musicals like “The Lion King.”

Standing on stage, sixth-grader Vanessa Cornejo practiced singing her part. She plays Duchess, the elegant Angora cat voiced by Eva Gabor in the 1970 animated feature “The Aristocats.”

Vanessa said she was hooked on theater after a class field trip to see a production about Junie B. Jones, a popular character in a book series.

And Cornejo loves cats. “I used to have my own, but it ran away,” the 12-year-old said.

After weeks of rehearsals, second-grade teacher Jessica DeLloyd said she has seen students gain confidence and exhibit leadership skills and teamwork. DeLloyd is one of the teachers who will ultimately take over the program once her training is complete.

She said that many of the young performers come from homes where Spanish is the primary language spoken. Performing has improved the students’ fluency in English and expression, she said.

But 11-year-old Gustavo Lugo said performing, while “awesome,” is just a hobby. He has other career aspirations — big ones.

“I want to be working for the governor,” Gustavo said.

The Rea student performance of “The Aristocats” is scheduled for March 18 and 19.