{"id":76133,"date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/uncategorized\/uri-theatres-full-stage-production-of-miss-nelson-is-missing-to-be-streamed-by-hundreds-of-r-i-classrooms\/"},"modified":"2021-04-14T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T00:00:00","slug":"uri-theatres-full-stage-production-of-miss-nelson-is-missing-to-be-streamed-by-hundreds-of-r-i-classrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2021\/04\/uri-theatres-full-stage-production-of-miss-nelson-is-missing-to-be-streamed-by-hundreds-of-r-i-classrooms\/","title":{"rendered":"溏心vlog免费B站 Theatre\u2019s full stage production of \u2018Miss Nelson is Missing!\u2019 to be streamed by hundreds of R.I. classrooms"},"content":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 April 14, 2021 \u2013 The 溏心vlog免费B站 Theatre Department\u2019s first full stage production in more than a year will be getting a fitting audience. With live audiences still unsafe during the pandemic, the children\u2019s play \u201cMiss Nelson is Missing!\u201d was recorded and will be streamed to hundreds of elementary and junior high school classrooms around the state.<\/p>\n

A total of 470 teachers have signed up to show the play in their classrooms, receiving free access to the play between April 26 and April 30 through the theater website Broadway on Demand. The play is also available to the public for a $5 streaming charge between April 25 and 30 by signing up for a free account at Broadway on Demand<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe response has been absolutely amazing,\u201d said Paula McGlasson, theater professor and production manager for the play. \u201cWe thought maybe a hundred teachers would reply. When we shut down registration, we had 470 teachers who wanted to view the play in their classes. I think most of these classrooms have about 20 students. That\u2019s an amazing audience that we’re going to reach with this production.\u201d<\/p>\n

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UNDERCOVER OPERATION: Miss Nelson\u2019s students, from right, Phoebe (Mary Mullane), Kimberly (Lauren Jannetti) and Mouse (Omar Laguerre-Lewis) on the hunt to find their missing teacher.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cFor years, we\u2019ve had a robust student matinee program. So, the idea of theater offerings for the school community is always part of our season planning. This year is just a little different,\u201d said David Howard, chair of the Theatre Department. \u201cWe see that theater tradition to be an important aspect for young people. They are our future students and patrons.\u201d<\/p>\n

The play\u2019s director, Rachel Walshe, an assistant professor of acting and directing, came up with the idea of recording a full-length play to stream to a young audience, especially at a time when they\u2019re lacking such opportunities. She chose \u201cMiss Nelson is Missing!\u201d as a perfect vehicle.<\/p>\n

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DO THE MATH: From left, George (Emma Freel), Lavita (Edhaya T) and Mouse (Omar Laguerre-Lewis) work at the blackboard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the popular children\u2019s book by Harry Allard Jr., the play is about a rambunctious class that terrorizes its very sweet teacher, Miss Nelson. When Miss Nelson suddenly goes missing, she is replaced by the uber-strict Viola Swamp. Now terrorized themselves, the students unite in a zany hunt to find and bring Miss Nelson back. Because of the pandemic, the actors wear masks and physically distance from each other on stage, mirroring the experience children are seeing in their own classrooms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a mother of three kids who are all distance learning and I know there\u2019s a real deficit in the arts experiences because they can\u2019t take any field trips,\u201d said Walshe. \u201cI thought if we offered a show for young audiences that animated their classroom experiences with kids in masks and socially distanced that would resonate with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because performing the play in front of a live audience wasn\u2019t possible, Walshe suggested doing a cinematic capture of the play. Videographer Jesse Dufault filmed the play with his brother and fellow 溏心vlog免费B站 alumnus Jamie Dufault, and edited and prepared the play for streaming.<\/p>\n

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ON THE CASE: Detective McSmogg (Liam Roberts) is enlisted to find Miss Nelson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe knew we were going to have to get creative with what kind of production we did this semester,\u201d Walshe said. \u201cOne of the genres that is pretty popular is the idea of a live capture. It\u2019s something that I wanted our students to have exposure to. We can\u2019t have a live audience, but we still can put on a play and give our students the experience of producing a live play together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like theaters around the country, the Theatre Department was forced to cancel its regular mainstage productions since last spring. Students have instead taken part in smaller productions \u2013 such as audio and Zoom plays \u2013 that allowed for little physical interaction.<\/p>\n

So, the students were excited to get a chance to participate in a full production, one that allowed them to act on stage together, with costumes, a full set, music and lighting.<\/p>\n

Liam Roberts, a first-year student from Warwick<\/strong>, plays Detective McSmogg, who the students enlist to\u00a0find Miss Nelson. Roberts has done most of his acting solely with his voice this year, including performing in two \u201cradio plays.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe audio-only format was super interesting to play with, but at the end of the day I think theater is best when one sees the action in front of them,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is what \u2018Miss Nelson is Missing!\u2019 delivers to an audience that has been missing that for some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the department first announced that we were doing a play for the spring, I was so excited, never mind that this is a gem of a play,\u201d added Alana Parrott, a junior from Webster, Massachusetts<\/strong>, who plays both Miss Nelson and Viola Swamp. \u201cI am so grateful to be making art now when some theaters aren\u2019t even open.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rehearsals and the play followed COVID-19 health guidelines. Besides masks and physical distancing, the students were tested for the virus weekly, filled out the University\u2019s daily health self-assessment, and had their temperatures taken before rehearsals.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring rehearsals, our COVID-19 compliance officer and I had to constantly monitor how close actors would get to each other,\u201d said Allison Marchetti, of Cranston<\/strong>, a senior and production stage manager. \u201cAt the end of each rehearsal, my management team would wipe down all props and commonly touched surfaces. There was also just this sense of what if someone got exposed or caught the virus during the production, which was something I had to be prepared for if we needed an understudy or if members of our team would need to quarantine.\u201d<\/p>\n

All the precautions were worth it, though.<\/p>\n

Senior Mary Mullane, who plays Phoebe, one of Miss Nelson\u2019s students, is excited for the students and teachers to see the play. \u201cThis pandemic has been hard on everyone,\u201d said the Warwick<\/strong> resident, \u201cbut I cannot imagine how children must be feeling. I work as a nanny back home when I\u2019m not in school. Throughout this process, I have kept thinking about how the little boy I nanny would be absolutely thrilled if he could see something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with the team it\u2019s taken to stage and record the play, it also has taken a team to reach out to schools around the state and deal with post-production duties.<\/p>\n

McGlasson worked with assistant production manager Emma Becker, a senior from Tiverton<\/strong>, and administrative assistants Bonnie Bosworth and Sil DelSignore to contact every school in the state, emailing invitations to teachers, principals and other educators to sign up for the play.<\/p>\n

Along with the free access to the play, teachers around the state are receiving web links to recorded post-show conversations among actors, Walshe, student assistant director Erin Haas, a senior from Providence<\/strong>, and musical director Maria Day Hyde. Also, teachers will receive a study guide put together by Sarah Taylor, a sophomore, who was a first-time dramaturg for the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe study guide in total is 41 pages long. It includes information about the book, the authors, playwright, our director, and our production,\u201d said the North Providence<\/strong> resident. \u201cIt also includes questions and activities to help the teachers create lessons based on the show and its contents. I made it as detailed as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

McGlasson said the play has broken new ground for the Theatre Department in a lot of ways, and hopes what has been learned from the production will not be lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there are opportunities here to reach audiences we normally wouldn’t reach in any other manner,\u201d said McGlasson, former chair of the department. \u201cRachel and I are both hoping that in some fashion some components of this finds itself in our future seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Main Cast
\n<\/strong>Character, actor, hometown<\/em><\/p>\n

Miss Nelson\/Swamp:<\/strong> Alana Parrott, Webster, Massachusetts
\nPrincipal Humleker: <\/strong>Ryan Alexander, Portsmouth
\nDetective McSmogg:<\/strong> Liam Roberts, Warwick
\nRaymond:<\/strong> Owen Gilmartin, Wakefield
\nPhoebe:<\/strong> Mary Mullane, Warwick
\nElvis:<\/strong> Matthew Oxley, Narragansett
\nGeorge:<\/strong> Emma Freel, Barrington
\nLavita:<\/strong> Edhaya T, North Andover, Massachusetts
\nKimberly:<\/strong> Lauren Jannetti, Lincoln
\nMouse:<\/strong> Omar Laguerre-Lewis, Litchfield Park, Arizona<\/p>\n

Understudy Cast
\n<\/strong>Character, actor, hometown<\/em><\/p>\n

Miss Nelson\/Swamp:<\/strong> Erin McGowan, Narragansett
\nPrincipal Humleker:<\/strong> Jenna Wentworth, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
\nDetective McSmogg:<\/strong> Ben Pereira, Danbury, Connecticut
\nRaymond:<\/strong> David Weber, Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
\nPhoebe:<\/strong> Mackenzie Blake, Cranston
\nElvis:<\/strong> Alexander Linn, Hanover, Massachusetts
\nGeorge:<\/strong> Riley Nedder, Attleboro, Massachusetts
\nLavita:<\/strong> Carleigh Boyle, Hillsdale, New Jersey
\nKimberly:<\/strong> Darby Wilson, Newton, Massachusetts
\nMouse:<\/strong> Zoe Pepin, Maynard, Massachusetts<\/p>\n

Also heading up production: <\/strong>Costume design: senior Kate Dyson. Scenic design: Lecturer Max Ponticelli. Lighting and projection design: Assistant Professor James Horban. Sound design: guest artist Michael Hyde. Properties design: junior Melie Hayes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 April 14, 2021 \u2013 The 溏心vlog免费B站 Theatre Department\u2019s first full stage production in more than a year will be getting a fitting audience. With live audiences still unsafe during the pandemic, the children\u2019s play \u201cMiss Nelson is Missing!\u201d was recorded and will be streamed to hundreds of elementary and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[12],"class_list":["post-76133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-college-of-arts-and-sciences"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76133\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}