By Shirlett Warren/nw news editor

NW Campus is reaching out to the community with Miss Nelson is Missing!, a play adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher based on the children’s book by Harry Allard and James Marshall.

The show will be performed Feb. 29-March 2 for visiting school children before performances for the general public March 3-4.

Director Josh Blann, NW drama associate professor, said the show is fun, theatrical and appealing to both elementary students and adults.

The story is about a kindly teacher who cannot control her irreverent students. She mysteriously disappears, and her replacement is a despicable substitute who delights in being feared and gleefully rattles off “F” grades for every little mistake the kids make. The students realize they want Miss Nelson back, and they hire a wacky detective to help find her.

The cast is a mixture of new and experienced performers who work hard and are enthusiastic, Blann said.

“Four hundred students from local elementary schools will be bused in for special matinee performances,” he said. “This will be the first time many kids will see a play. We want them to have a good experience.”

NW student Francis Garner, who plays Miss Nelson, said she relates with her role in many ways.

“I love children. I was going to be a school teacher,” she said. “But Miss Nelson has patience. I do not.”

NW student Anastasia Braswell plays Kimberly, one of the unruly class members. She said it would be a challenge for anyone to be patient with Miss Nelson’s class.

“They’re like a pack of wolves fighting for superiority,” she said. “I think kids will enjoy watching the characters.”

Blann said the performance style of the show is a little quirkier than the real world.

“It’s more fun, more colorful,” he said. “There are a couple of scenic surprises, and we’re incorporating video into the production as well.”