Oh The Places You'll Go

In the fall of 2013, the Gordon College Office of Community Engagement approached Professor Norman Jones, Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts, about the possibility of participating in a project connected to the Lynn elementary schools. The idea was to create an opportunity for elementary aged children to experience a day at Gordon College. The targeted group were children from socially and financially challenged situations who would not normally have college as a goal. The theme for the day was centered on the Dr. Seuss book entitled Oh The Places You’ll Go.

Norm Jones then spoke to two junior Theatre Arts majors who are interested in children’s theatre to gauge their interest level. They were both enthusiastic about the project and its intended mission. They received approval to take on the project as Independent Studies for the spring semester 2014. Thus, they were able to devote time to the project and receive academic credit for their work. The two students, Sarah Hand and Amelia Haas, met weekly with Norm Jones to adapt the book into a script, and begin the detailed plans for staging a production. By the end of the semester, the script was finished, the play was cast, the music was chosen, and the rehearsals schedule was set for an expected performance date on campus of October 24, 2014.

Unfortunately, the on-campus event had to be canceled because of unforeseen circumstances. It appeared that the performance of the play would not take place. Once the fall semester began, Professor Norm Jones met with Sarah and Amelia. They decided to pursue other avenues of performance for the play. Their continuing mission for the play was to bring it to children who would otherwise not experience the nurturing and transforming power of theatre. They contacted the Gordon Education Department and inquired about an elementary school they might be familiar with that would be a school that children would have little or no experience of seeing a play.

With the knowledgeable and enthusiastic assistance of Professor Priscilla Nelson from the Education Department, Sarah and Amelia contacted Barbara Kelley, Principal of the Paul Revere Innovation School, a public elementary school in the socially and economically deprived city of Revere, Massachusetts. Principal Kelly gave her full support to the project and worked closely with Sarah, Amelia, and others on the production staff for the play. Val Buchannan, from Gordon's Office of Community Engagement also became involved by bringing copies of the book, posters, banners, pins and other support materials to the school. This provided each student the opportunity to hear or read the book prior to the performance as well as participate in class discussions before and after the performance.

Once the arrangements were made, rehearsals with the cast of six students and one faculty member began. Sarah Hand directed the play, two student stage managers provided organizational oversight and staff member Matt Schwabauer, the Theatre Department Technical Director, added his professional support.

On December 5, 2014, the cast and crew went to the Revere Innovation School for two performances of the play. With the assistance of the staff at the school, preparations were made in the gymnasium because the school lacks a performance space. The first performance was for all the kindergarten, first grade, and second grade classes. The children were thrilled. They sat in a circle around a open space in the middle of the gym, and enthusiastically responded to each part of the performance.

The second performance was for the third, fourth and fifth grade classes. Prior to the performance, Principal Barbara Kelley asked the children to raise their hand if this was the first play they had ever seen. Nearly every hand in the room went up. The performance was once again enthusiastically received. The older children were nuanced in their response as they followed the journey of the lead character. They seemed to fully understand the struggles the lead character faced, and enthusiastically applauded when he overcame the obstacles he faced.

After the second performance, the children asked questions of the cast. Their questions were thoughtful and moving. One child asked with a look of wonder, “What is it like to be in a play?” This and other questions created a delightful dialogue between the college students and the children. Once the children had returned to their classrooms, Principal Kelley said to the cast and crew, “Thank you for performing for my kids. There were children at the performance that I have never seen smile. Today, I saw them smile."

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