At Artwalk, Oompa Loompas No. 8 and 9 Dish Candy Scoop

How were those lollipops? And what flavors were they?

Those were my burning questions after watching middle- and elementary schoolers from Edgewood Magnet School​’s Edgewood Afterschool Drama Club perform from a stage in Edgewood Park Sunday as part of Westville’s 28th Annual Artwalk.

The upper section of the annual Artwalk festival was packed with vendors, artist open studios, and a DJ setup. The lower section, set in Edgewood Park, opened up into a world of face-painting, tie-dying, food trucks, and outdoor acts, including the Edgewood students’ performance of select numbers from Willy Wonka Jr., this year’s sweet-toothed musical.

Bright orange, blue, and green orbs popped up around the stage like confetti as the performers began their second song, ​“The Candy Man.” The young thespians unwrapped lollipops and proceeded to eat their tasty props in between lines. The leads told us — in song — all about the Golden Age of Chocolate. It was the Oompa Loompas who had answers to my burning questions about the lollipops.

“We did it!” the kids screamed to each other as soon as they made it safely offstage, jumping around on the Edgewood Park grass. Their big moment in the spotlight was over, and they were now free to rush into their proud parents’ arms, enjoy the other sets, and leap through the bubbles in constant flow from a machine near the stage. I caught up with some of the cast after, happily finishing their on-stage treats.

According to 11-year-old Elliot, who played Oompa Loompa No. 8, the lollipops ranked up high as one of the best parts of the performance. The rented stage, outside breeze, and drama club T‑shirts in lieu of costumes didn’t throw this fifth-grader off. ​“It felt kind of the same as when we did it for the show,” Elliot said, proudly holding a grape-flavored confection.

Elliot informed me there were nine Oompa Loompas in total for the club’s production of Willy Wonka Jr., so you can imagine my delight when I met Oompa Loompa No. 9. I found Teddy, the fifth-grader behind that role, milling about in the May sunshine after the show.

“I liked it,” Teddy said of the afternoon’s performance.

As for the lollipop? ​“I thought someone took a bite out of it,” he said, noting that a small chunk of the candy was missing. I assured him sometimes that happens in the manufacturing process, though I couldn’t promise a mischievous squirrel hadn’t gotten its hands on it first. Teddy’s lollipop was bubblegum-flavored, and he enjoyed it all the way through ​“The Candy Man” and his favorite part, the showy finale.

For some of Westville’s longtime residents, this year’s Willy Wonka Jr. mini-show at the Artwalk stage might have brought back fond memories. Fourteen years ago, several Westville artists took over an empty space next to Manjares Café to make sets and props for the same musical, at the same drama club, run by the same director: Edgewood Afterschool Drama Club’s founder Jaime Kane.

“She pours her heart into it,” said educator Hillyn Natter, who led the music for this year’s production, of Kane and her dedication to the program. Kane was quick to also shout out the hard work of parent volunteers and the students themselves, who honed their skills through weekly practice.

Like one of Wonka’s famous Fizzy-Lifting drinks, the kids’ voices lifted spirits and charmed hearts. A job well done is its own reward, but I’m happy to know that for a show as sweet as this one, rewards also come in bubblegum and grape.

Edgewood Afterschool Drama Club’s shows are open to the public, with one production per year. This year’s run has already ended; next up, the club will perform the kids’ version of Shrek: The Musical for 2026.