Gifts at Work: Matinees Expose Students to Magic of Theatre
Local students enjoy a matinee performance of “Annie” at Cape Cod Theatre Company in Harwich (Courtesy of Cape Cod Theatre Company)
School matinees are a difficult business model. But they are extremely valuable which is why Cape Cod Theatre Company Producing Artistic Director Jenn Pina jumped at the opportunity to bring them back last year.
“It’s in the pocket of our mission which is to be a community theatre to educate and inspire through the magic of theatre,” she said.
That is why she was so grateful to the Arts Foundation which provided an $8,000 grant last year that allowed the Harwich nonprofit to give nearly 875 students from eight different schools on the Cape a chance to experience that magic for a few hours last fall.
“The grant made this possible,” Pina said. “We could not have done this without the Arts Foundation’s support.”
While there are a number of hurdles to offering weekly matinees for local students — like having the entire cast and crew available for mid-day performances — the biggest one is funding to cover production costs.
Annie’s dog Sandy was a hit among students who attended performances of the popular musical at Cape Cod Theatre Company at the end of last year. (Courtesy of Cape Cod Theatre Company)
Thanks to the Arts Foundation’s grant, Cape Cod Theatre Company was able to offer two matinees of “Clue” for three Cape schools (221 students) and four matinees of “Annie” for five schools (652 students). Students ran the gamut, from elementary school to high school, and were from a mix of Cape towns, covering Provincetown to Barnstable.
There was a brief pre-show talk where students learned what it means to be a quiet, but engaged audience. And following the performance, they were able to engage with cast and crew to ask questions about everything from acting to creating sets and costumes.
Long after they had attended, Pina said the experience stayed with many students who continued to talk about it and were singing songs from the shows in their classrooms and hallways.
While the majority of the Arts Foundation funding was expended last year, the theatre plans on continuing these offerings this year as it embarks on its 75th season. “It’s been incredible,” she said of the theatre’s return to matinees. “Students and teachers have been so eager to come. Many of them have never been to a movie never mind live theatre. For every student who has attended, it’s been such a positive and for some it has been transformative.”
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