School Day Performances: Education, Art Converge On Westhampton Beach Stage

Since its founding in 1997, the mission of the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center has been to bring high-quality musical and theatrical performances to East End audiences.

That objective applies to the youngest theatergoers as well.

This year, WHBPAC is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and in addition to the many shows geared toward adults that have been offered on its stage over the last two decades, also integral to the theater’s programming practically since its inception are the popular School Day Performances. This annual collection of about a dozen shows is offered to school-age children across the region and presented by some of the top traveling theater outfits in North America and beyond.

“1998 was the first year for the program,” explained Julienne Penza-Boone, the director of arts education, during a recent interview at the center. “We get 10,000 students a year at all grade levels, starting with pre-K. We draw from Montauk and Orient on the East End, and as far west as Nassau County. We also get a lot of homeschoolers.

“I love the kids’ reactions,” she added. “They talk about the shows beforehand, and they’ll come to the theater dressed up. They always comment on how beautiful it is. When the kids who are students in our performing arts programs come with their schools, they say, ‘I’m going to be performing here.’ They’re so excited to show off for their classmates.”

From the beginning, Ms. Penza-Boone noted that it was vital to WHBPAC’s educational staff that School Day Performances be educational as well as entertaining. For that reason, each show selected ties directly into what the students are learning or reading in the classroom.

“It’s not just art for art’s sake. We want it to be curriculum connected but beautiful, magical and exciting,” said Ms. Penza-Boone, who, along with Education Manager Marissa Russo, spends a good part of the year searching out just the right programming for the School Day Performances, which run from November to May.

With so many shows coming to WHBPAC each year, booking companies can be a bit of a challenge at times, especially given the distance some of the groups travel. Next May, for example, Cahoots NI, a theater troupe from Northern Ireland, will come to Westhampton Beach to perform “Shh! We Have a Plan,” a show featuring puppets, magic and music for the youngest students.

“Fortunately, we have wonderful relationships with several agents. We also go to conferences to see work,” Ms. Penza-Boone said. “It’s a real love.”

On Wednesday, November 8, WHBPAC kicks off its 2017-18 series of School Day Performances with a puppetry presentation by the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Based on the books of Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram, this first production, “Guess How Much I Love You” and “I Love My Little Storybook,” is for students from prekindergarten to second grade. Next up, on November 15, Austin-based Lionheart Youth Theatre will present “Petra in the Wolf,” a modern twist on Prokiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” for grades two through six.

Though these first two shows are geared toward younger children, more challenging works will be coming to the theater in the months ahead for older students. In addition to “Slam Poetry,” a late-November performance by The Mayhem Poets of New York for grades eight through 12, also coming up is Virginia Repertory Theater’s “I Have a Dream,” a piece about Martin Luther King Jr. for grades 3 through 8, which will be offered in February. Then, in March, WHBPAC will present “Freedom Train,” from New York City’s Theatreworks USA, a show that tells the story of Harriet Tubman using 19th century dance, music and dialogue.

“Back in ’98, we brought in a lot more literature-based work. But since the shift to Common Core, we also have started including nonfiction work,” Ms. Penza-Boone explained. “All these performances are curricula-based. We have an advisory council, and we talk to teachers, homeschooling parents and administrators.”

Organizers try each year to offer performances that will promote critical thinking and launch discussions, she said, noting that every School Day Performance includes a talkback with the audience afterward. And prior to the shows, WHBPAC distributes study guides that educators can work through with their students so they come to the theater prepared and aware of the subject matter.

This year, she is particularly excited about “Jabber,” an offering from Geordie Productions out of Montreal, which comes to the WHBPAC stage in early February. Designed for students in grades 8 through 12, “Jabber” tells the story of Fatima, a 16-year-old Muslim refugee who has been bullied out of her old school and is looking for a fresh start. However, she finds that the hijab she wears makes her a target for abuse, and after transferring to a new school the bullying begins again.

Then she meets Jorah, a boy who is neither Muslim nor a refugee, but like her, is an outsider and the two form an unlikely bond—one that pits Fatima’s culture and the beliefs of her strict father against the West’s societal norms and expectations.

“The show is interesting. It’s not preachy and the actors are believable as teenagers,” said Ms. Penza-Boone, who finds the piece timely as it deals with issues of bullying, immigration and racial stereotypes. “The girl struggles herself with her father, who wants her to wear the hijab, and she wonders what it means to her to wear it.

“There are a lot of angles to it and it forces kids to think critically. In this climate it’s important to present material like that.”

Ms. Penza-Boone said she and Ms. Russo discovered “Jabber” while attending a conference in Montreal. It’s a discovery that illustrates how relationships forged with trusted agents lead to finding just the right programming for School Day Performances, a proposition that can be difficult at times due to the size limitations of the theater.

“We only have 425 seats, and a lot of the companies perform for theaters with 2,000 seats or more,” Ms. Penza Boone said.

Fortunately, the East End’s close proximity to New York City can be helpful in attracting theater companies interested in booking shows at other venues in the metropolitan area while they are here.

But the complications of producing a season aside, Ms. Penza-Boone said that the one thing that remains consistent with the School Day Performances is the ticket price—set at $12 across the board. She pointed out that individual schools decide how to pay for tickets, which are eligible for aid through the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services.

“Teachers can apply to be reimbursed,” she said. “But the heavy lifting on the fundraising front is here and we work really hard to be able to keep the ticket prices low. We have a policy that we don’t turn away kids, so we also have scholarship tickets.”

Ultimately, Ms. Penza-Boone firmly believes that regardless of socioeconomic background, all students deserve the opportunity to come to WHBPAC and see puppeteers from Nova Scotia or actors from Northern Ireland, gaining new world views and perspectives along the way.

“We hope kids come and have this experience. It’s all different schools and so far reaching,” Ms. Penza-Boone said. “I think it’s important that we bring in a diverse population to see these shows, including children who don’t have access to see a Broadway production but can come see a high quality show on our stage.

“We want teachers to use our stage as an extension of their classroom.”

For the full schedule, video clips, study guides and information on the theatrical troupes visit whbpac.org. All School Day Performances are $12 and offered at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. For tickets and information contact Allison Frost at 631-288-2350, extension 102. Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center is located at 76 Main Street in Westhampton Beach.