Jonathan Mirin of the Piti Theatre Company teaches third graders of Munger Hill School about the water cycle.
(MARC ST. ONGE/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
Classmates watch as Munger Hill School third graders perform “The Weather Heroes.” (MARC ST. ONGE/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
WESTFIELD – Shelburne Falls’ Piti Theatre Company and Munger Hill Elementary School brought their theatre residency to a close on Friday for three Munger Hill third grade classes with a culminating performance of Piti’s musical “The Weather Heroes.”
Children invented their own weather-inspired superheroes and portrayed a group of hero-friends who respond to various weather emergencies around the world.
Piti Theatre’s Jonathan Mirin, who wrote the book and lyrics, began rehearsing with students in November and the performance actually happened twice, once with “A Week” students and once with “B Week” students, the current hybrid rotation due to COVID-19. Northampton singer-songwriter Carrie Ferguson wrote the music and performed with the students. The students created the choreography in collaboration with Piti’s Godeliève Richard.
“This was our first time working with a Westfield school and it has been a great experience. The students are enthusiastic, the staff are engaged and I think this has been a nice team-building and ‘arts break’ during challenging times” says Mirin.
Although families were not able to attend the performance due to COVID restrictions, first and second graders were able to attend as audience members. Second graders described the show as “cool” and “funny.” During a Q & A after the performance, one second grader asked why they did the musical. One third grader responded “so the audience could learn about weather” and another added “and for fun.”
The residency was made possible by a STARS grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council which funds residencies with cultural partners in schools across the state as well as the Westfield Cultural Council.
Third grader Mabyn Shrestha rehearses with her classmates for Friday’s presentation on emergency weather preparedness at Munger Elementary School. (MARC ST. ONGE/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
“Nothing can quite replace experiential learning activities like these for kids, particularly during a pandemic when opportunities like this are scarce. With every exposure to artistic creation and performance, we have a better shot at cultivating a love of theater than we do by simply reading or studying about it. Huge thanks to Jonathan Mirin for his enthusiasm and also for his help with the grant,” said Munger HIll Principal Salvatore Friere.
“The Weather Heroes” was originally scheduled for last spring and now Munger Hill has applied again for STARS funding to bring Piti back in May for a “Poetry in Motion” residency with the first and second grades. Piti is also hoping to bring their touring performance “To Bee or Not to Bee” for an outdoor performance at Munger Hill in June with the support of the Westfield Cultural Council.
More about Piti’s residencies, the Mass Cultural Council and Carrie Ferguson may be found at ptco.org/residencies, massculturalcouncil.org and carriefergusonmusic.com.
