Performances Plus! welcomes Sheila the Great -- a familiar character to parents, educators and elementary-aged students. ArtsPower, one of America's most respected producers of theatre for family audiences, brings Judy Blume's popular book about the irrepressible Sheila Tubman alive in musical form on Tuesday, February 27 at 10am as part of the Performances Plus! school audiences series.

In this adaptation of Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, our protagonist must face a great number of fears -- dogs, spiders, noises in the night, the dark, thunder, and being afraid of being afraid! Sheila tries to cover up her fears by acting brave, but when she must pass a swimming test she realizes she can no longer pretend. With the help of her friend Mouse, Sheila learns that it's okay to have fears and to admit that you don't know something. Sheila discovers that she can work to face her fears and still be Sheila the Great.

While Performances Plus! is geared toward school groups, individual reservations are welcome. All tickets are just $5 with a complimentary chaperone ticket for every 15 students. No ticket sales are available at the door; Advanced reservations are required. Please call Performances Plus! at (413) 545-0190 for reservations. This program is eligible for Pass Grant funding. For more information about Sheila the Great and ArtsPower try these websites: www.judyblume.com and www.artspower.org