How Jerry’s Habima Theatre at MJCCA helps transform lives

Note: The 3 p.m. shows on Feb. 28 and March 6 are sold out. Tickets are still available for other shows.

On a recent afternoon, Robbie Grollman stands tall on stage, points toward a dragon covered in pink and purple sequins, and without hesitation, speaks his line:

She really gets mad none of us made it through.

Grollman, who is 35 and has Fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition that causes intellectual disability and behavioral and learning challenges, is a knight and a guard in “Shrek the Musical JR.” at Jerry’s Habima Theatre, Georgia’s only theatrical company directed and produced by professionals, featuring actors with special needs.

This year marks the 23rd season for Jerry's Habima Theatre. Year after year, actors with disabilities who often struggle fitting into mainstream society present a musical theatrical production to sell-out audiences and receive standing ovations night after night. Grollman has been in every one of the shows for the past 15 years. Grollman's favorite roles include being a duckling in "Honk," a tough guy in "Footloose," and James Dean in "Happy Days."

And little by little, Grollman, who once held his head low and mumbled his lines at auditions, has built confidence that transcends the stage and overflows into his everyday life.

“At those first auditions, I remember thinking this is a very shy young man who is going to need a lot of encouragement,” said Susie Davidow, director of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s Blonder Family Department for Special Needs (of which Jerry’s Habima Theatre is a program). “He was polite and wanting to be part of the group, but he was a little outside the group.”

Grollman gradually grew more comfortable being part of a large-scale production. He enjoyed the camaraderie of the cast, even looking forward to three-months-long intensive rehearsals. And the young man who struggled to communicate, either closing his eyes or turning to the side to avert eye contact, improved his social skills.

“It was hard in the beginning. My head was down a lot,” Grollman said. “Learning all the lines and all that stuff and going through a tech rehearsal was hard, but it’s now smooth sailing.”

By the time auditions for “Grease” rolled around three years ago, Grollman not only memorized lines of the show, but showed up in character as a greaser, complete with his black hair slicked back.

“He is now front and center and his eyes twinkle,” said Davidow, a longtime special education teacher, who joined Habima about 15 years ago.

Grollman was born in 1980. From an early age, doctors knew he had an "undiagnosed disability." Grollman didn't start walking until he was 2 1/2 years old; he didn't start talking until close to 3 years old. But it wasn't until the early 1990s when scientists identified the FMR1 gene that causes Fragile X syndrome, and accurate DNA testing became available, that Grollman was diagnosed with Fragile X.

He developed an affinity for sports, playing basketball and participating in the Special Olympics. He graduated from Roswell High School in 2002.

When Jerry’s Habima Theatre first started 23 years ago, the lead parts all went to professional actors, and the actors with special needs were given help during the actual show remembering their lines. But today, the majority of the lead roles go to actors with special needs, actors who excel on stage — singing, dancing and mastering their lines.

Maureen Wales, one of Grollman’s special education teachers at Roswell High School, attends the show every year. Last year, Wales, who is currently a special education teacher at Alpharetta Elementary, was joined by 40 of her friends — many of them also special education teachers.

“Every year, my friends, who are all teachers, can’t wait for the show. They just love it. We all work with children with special needs so we appreciate how hard the actors and actresses work to make this stage production a success,” Wales said in an email. “The show is such an awesome confidence builder for these actors and actresses. … To see Robbie stand out in front of the audience and say his lines is just incredible.”

Today, Grollman works part time in the mailroom at Cox Enterprises, parent company of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

About a year and a half ago, Grollman moved out of his family’s home to live independently. He has a roommate, and a part-time caregiver.

And as the musical “Shrek the Musical JR.” takes center stage, this delightful show will challenge perceptions of true beauty and romance. And Grollman and other members of the cast will also challenge perceptions of disability.