Theatre Residencies for Elementary Schools
We believe participation in the performing arts enlarges young people's repertoire as learners, team members and leaders.
We work with teachers and administrators to custom-fit our programs to complement what's happening in the classroom. All residencies are adjustable in length and numbers of participants. Funding has come from schools/PTO's, local cultural council grants, the Mass Cultural Council STARS program, the Community Foundation of Western MA, Mass Humanities and other sources. New England residencies outside of MA are eligible for NEST funds from the New England Foundation for the Arts.
"Jon and Godeliève have worked in my classroom for the past two years. Their work with my students has been exceptional. They are patient, enthusiastic, prepared and dedicated to the work. Each year they have helped my students to incorporate the dramatic arts into our classwork. I know students looked forward to every visit and it left them more engaged and eager for the rest of our day."
- Margaret Betts, 1st grade teacher, Maple School, Easthampton MA
"This company has developed a proven and innovative way to capture the talents of students of young ages for on-stage participation in musical theater pieces written to address cutting edge issues presented with original scores and beautiful mobile sets and costumes."
- Aranka Matolcsy, Executive Director, Mahoosuc Arts Council
{Read their full recommendation letter}
Sample Residencies
We also welcome teacher requests for new topics
Inclusion Improv
"One participant, a fourth grader . . .when asked to tell us what the most important thing she learned [said] 'how to be friends and not always get what I want. I loved it!' Her learning experience with cooperation and teamwork was exactly what we hoped our students would gain through the program." - Wendy Somes, New Hingham Elementary School
"Another moment that stands out involved a spectator from our culminating event. A second grader, who was too young to be in the program, told his teacher excitedly "I want to do Improv next year!" This student is one who struggles socially and is not quick to have positive peer relationships. The social skills and confidence embedded in the program would be ideal for this student in future years." - Wendy Somes, New Hingham Elementary School
Inclusion Improv can be adapted for all grades. Students learn improvisation, public speaking, creativity and teamwork skills.
Your Town, The Musical
During our successful residency/performance "Mill, Mountain, River: A Child's Eye View of Olde Coleraine" in 2012 with Colrain Central School in Colrain, MA, we developed a dramatic framework and songs that can be adapted to the history of any mill town. Since then, we have continued to develop local history inspired performances for towns around New England that are performed in school and for the public.
“We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication by our students, staff, and the Piti Theatre Company. Opportunities like this help our students learn about the community in a fun and creative way. The creative arts, and plays like this, help to build confidence in our students. I want to extend my sincerest appreciation to everyone who helped support this program -- with their time, commitment, and donations.”
- Lindsay Rodriguez, Hawlemont Regional School principal.
The Weather Friends
A group of weather superheroes (ie, your 3rd or 4th graders) respond to weather situations around the globe. This musical performance is appropriate for the whole school to come and watch and fits well with the current science standards.
Listen to a song from "The Weather Friends"
The Bald Eagle Story
Created in 2016 in response to a teacher's request for a new musical theatre performance about endangered species, the Bald Eagle Story synthesizes 50 years of American natural history through the lens of the bald eagle's decline and dramatic recovery. This residency fits very well with the new Massachusetts science standards by tracking the real evolution of biologists and conservationists work to determine the cause of and remedy for the population decline between the 1940's and 1970's.
"The show was great! I love the songs and the way all the kids were involved in the whole play in multiple roles/parts. The food chain song and the way the kids acted out the parts was great. Thank you so much for all your work."
- Mary Sumner, Heath Elementary School PTP on "The Bald Eagle Story"
To Bee or Not to Bee
" . . . an amazing job magically drawing in even the most reluctant learners teaching the process of theatrical production and helping us learn more about bees and the role they play in a healthy environment . . . It was genius how Jonathan and Laura organized the play into three acts to accommodate the entire second grade." - Susan Pelis, Sheffield Elementary
During this residency, students are incorporated into our internationally acclaimed touring production "To Bee or Not to Bee" as bees, farmhands, and townspeople. They sing, dance and act alongside Piti's professional actors while getting a deeper understanding of bees, pollination and the challenges bees are facing in the age of industrial agriculture. This residency can be expanded into a "Bee Week" involving the whole community, opening up the possibility for bee-keeper visits, planting bee gardens, etc. Learn more about "To Bee or Not to Bee" by clicking here.
Dexter and the Dinosaurs
Developed in collaboration with Deerfield’s Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, the performance is inspired by the life of Greenfield’s Dexter Marsh who discovered dinosaur tracks before the word dinosaur had been invented in 1835 while laying the sidewalk outside Greenfield’s Town Hall. Mr. Marsh subsequently led a distinguished dual life as a man of all trades and collector of fossils up and down the Connecticut River, eventually establishing one of the world’s first “dinosaur museums” in Greenfield. Students take turns playing Dexter and the people and beings from his world: Edward and Orra White Hitchcock, Dr. James Deane, students from a local school, animals along the Connecticut River, townspeople, and of course . . . dinosaurs.
Rehearsal track from Dexter and the Dinosaurs, "Giant Birds of Greenfield" by Mirin/Ferguson
This is Your Rock
"This is Your Rock" was designed specifically for residencies in elementary schools in response to a 2013 request from 3rd grade teachers for a show about rocks, minerals and geology. Students learn singing and dancing skills while deepening their understanding of the life science curriculum. The show is inspired by the 1950's television show "This is Your Life" and features a television host interviewing Jeff the Rock about his mysterious past punctuated by musical numbers.
Poetry in Motion
This residency combines poems written by students, small groups and classes with movement. Students learn how words suggest movement and vice-versa - they also learn to write inspired by watching their classmates' choreography. Developed with the support of the Easthampton Learning Foundation, "Poetry in Motion" has culminated with the production of a DVD for each student to take home be shown on "All School Theme Night" at the end of the year at Maple Elementary in Easthampton.
Go with the Flow
Combining dance, music and poetry, Go with the Flow was commissioned in 2012 by the Deerfield River Watershed Association. It celebrates the Deerfield River (but can adapted to any river) through a series of simple to moderately complex dance pieces perfect for young people and adults who love to move.
The River Plays
Piti Theatre's first plays designed for the participation of large groups of children and commissioned by the Deerfield River Watershed Association in 2009 and 2010 for Riverfest in Shelburne Falls. These productions explore the natural history and geology of the Connecticut River Watershed through stories, acting and song.
Other school residencies include:
- Acting/Improvisation
- Choreography
- Clowning/Comic Performance
- Dance (Modern, Ballet)
- Soapstone carving
- Storytelling/Solo Performance
- Playwriting & Screenwriting
- Writing Funny
- Writing the 10-Minute Play
What about performances without a residency?
We currently offer "To Bee or Not to Bee" and "Sammy and Le Grand Buffet" and Once Upon a . . ." (starting in Spring, 2023 and paired with Inclusion Improv) as stand-alone shows with curriculum tie-ins for teachers.
THANK YOU RESIDENCY FUNDERS!
Art Angels of Western MA
Community Foundation of Western MA
Greenfield Education Foundation
Easthampton Learning Foundation
Local Cultural Councils
Massachusetts Cultural Council, STARS Program
Mass Humanities
New England Foundation for the Arts: New England States Touring Program
PTO's
Xeric Foundation
Looking for an encore?
Where We've Offered Programming
ELEMENTARY
Alice B. Beal Magnet School, Springfield MA
Brightwood Elementary, Springfield MA
Buckland Shelburne Elementary, MA
Colrain Central School, MA
Crescent Park Elementary, ME
Guilford Central School, VT
R.K. Finn Ryan Road Elementary School, Florence MA
Sanderson Academy, Ashfield MA
Jackson Street School, Northampton, MA
Mary Walsh Elementary, Springfield MA
MIDDLE
Brattleboro Area Middle School, VT
Greenfield Middle School, MA
HIGH SCHOOL
Austine School for the Deaf, Brattleboro, VT
Boston Arts Academy, MA
Mohawk Trail Regional High School, Shelburne, MA
UNIVERSITY/GRADUATE/OTHER
Boston University
Blazing Star Herbal School, Ashfield, MA
Harvard Business School, Cambridge MA
Karen's Dance Studio, Greenfield, MA
Northampton Center for the Arts, MA
New York University Stern School of Management, NYC
UMASS Amherst