From the reaction of our audience, I believe wholeheartedly that they understood the major achievement that was happening on our stage.
Meet Dr. Andrew “Andy” Morgan—the heartbeat of The Penguin Project. As our founder and CEO, he brought together two of his greatest passions: medicine and musical theater. A Professor Emeritus of Clinical Pediatrics and longtime champion for children with developmental disabilities, Dr. Morgan has been a guiding light for over 35 years.
Even after retiring from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, he hasn’t slowed down—consulting with schools and orgs, and continuing his work as an educator, advocate, and community voice. His deep love for community theater (over 30 years as a director and performer!) gave life to an idea: what if children with disabilities had their moment in the spotlight? And just like that, The Penguin Project was born—and has been soaring ever since.
