>> THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 20, THE PITY THEATER COMPANY PRESENTS AN
ART FESTIVAL, AT THE PITI THEATER, AND WE SIT DOWN WITH
WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED AT THE PITI FESTIVAL.
>> IT STARTS WITH A HORSE AND CART RIDES, AND WE HAVE NEVER
HAD THAT BEFORE.
WE HAVE TWO PERFORMANCES WITH THE HISTORICAL THEME SO MY WIFE
AND PRODUCTION PARTNER WAS INSISTENT ON THE HORSE RIDE.
>> SYRUP IS THE CENTERPIECE, MAPLE SYRUP IS ONE OF THE GREAT
PRODUCTS OF NEW ENGLAND, EACH WINTER AND THE SPRING, AND TALK
ABOUT THAT.
KIND OF A CENTERPIECE FOR THE EVENT?
>> SYRUP SEASON AND MAPLE SUGARING IS A BIG PART OF THIS
REGIONAL ECONOMY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND WE THOUGHT THAT HAVING
AN EVENT WHERE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING OUT ANYWAY, TO GO TO THE
SUGAR HOUSES, WE HAVE ONE RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD, AND THE SUGAR
HOUSE ON ROUTE 2 AND OTHER SUGAR HOUSES IN THE REGION.
>> SO, WE, ACTUALLY, HIGHLIGHT A LOCAL SYRUP-MAKER WHO WILL BE
DOING SYRUP TASTING AT THE FESTIVAL.
>> AND THE FESTIVAL WILL FEATURE, A WORLD PREMIERE
PERFORMANCE, OF OLD COAL RAIN, MUSICAL HILLTOWN HISTORY, AND I
KNOW THAT YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THAT, AND YOUR
BACKGROUND IS IN HISTORY, AMERICAN STUDIES, AND TEACHING
MANY YEARS AT HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE AND TALK ABOUT GETTING THE WORK
TOGETHER, THE RESEARCH TO CREATE THIS KIND OF A PERFORMANCE.
>> I'M A 19th CENTURY HISTORIAN.
AND I KNEW WHAT, WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN TERMS OF THE
WOMEN'S LIVES AND LABOR AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT I DIDN'T
KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING TO BE HAPPENING IN COLERAINE, SO I
WAS AIDED BY GOING TO THE DEGREES WALD MEMORIAL LIBRARY,
AND I READ THE DOCUMENTS THERE, AND I READ SOME -- A HISTORY OF
THE TOWN, BY SOMEBODY NAMED PITI, AND I DISCOVERED THIS
AMAZING MASTER SEASON BY A STUDENT FROM CLARK UNIVERSITY,
AND NAMED KATHLEEN, WHO HAD, IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT DOCUMENT, ONE
SHEET THAT HAD A LIST OF CHILDREN WHO WORKED IN THE
DEGREES WALD -- GRIDWALD MILLS, AND ON ONE COLUMN THERE WAS THE
CHILDREN'S NAMES AND IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN THEIR AGE AND THE
LAST COLUMN WHAT THEY DID, SO WE KNEW THAT AT THAT MOMENT, IT WAS
A SINGLE DOCUMENT THAT OPENED THE WHOLE PROJECT, AND SO, AT
THAT MOMENT THEN, I KNEW THAT, I SAID OKAY, JONATHAN, YOU KNOW, I
CAN TELL YOU WHAT THE PROCESS IS, WE KNOW WHAT THE STUDENT,
WHAT THE KIDS ARE DOING, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WE WERE QUESTIONING, SOMEBODY SAID THERE IS NO CHILD LABOR IN
MASSACHUSETTS, IN THE 19th CENTURY, AND WE SAID OH, YES,
THERE IS, AND WHAT I HAD TO UNDERSTAND COMING IN WITH MY
20th CENTURY BIO, WAS THAT ALL CHILDREN IN THE 19th CENTURY
WORKED.
THEY EITHER WORKED ON THEIR FARMS FROM A VERY EARLY AGE, OR
THEY WORKED IN THESE FACTORIES, AND MANY OF THE CHILDREN WHO
WORKED THERE WERE PEOPLE FROM THE FARM, BUT THEN ANOTHER WHOLE
GROUP CAME FROM QUEBEC.
>> WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM?
WHAT AN AMAZING IDEA TO DO A MUSICAL HISTORY OF THE AREA.
>> ACTUALLY, IT WAS A REQUEST BY A THIRD GREAT TEACHER FROM
COLERAINE SCHOOL, TWO YEARS AGO, OR SHE STARTED THREE YEARS AGO,
AND WE DID SERVE A, SORT OF A PROTOTYPE VERSION OF THIS SHOW,
JUST IN THE CONTEXT OF HER THIRD GRADE CLASS FOR THAT SCHOOL, AND
WE LIKED THE MATERIAL SO MUCH IS, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH A
GREAT SINGER AND SONGWRITER, CARRIE FERGUSON FROM NORTHAMPTON
WHO I GIVE HER THE LYRICS AND SHE TURNS THEM INTO SONGS, AND
IT WAS JUST -- WE HAVE DONE THIS A BUNCH, YOU KNOW, WITH
DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN THE AREA ON DIFFERENT SUBJECTS THAT ARE
REQUESTED.
THIS WAS SORT OF OUR FAVORITE LITTLE GROUP OF SONGS, AND SORT
OF A MINI SHOW THAT WE THOUGHT, LET'S ASK MATTHEW TO MAKE IT
INTO A REAL FULL FLEDGED PREMIERE PRODUCTION FOR THE
PUBLIC.
AND THEY SAID YES.
>> WE SHOULD PROBABLY MENTION, THE FOUNDATION FOR HUMANITY, IS
STRONGLY BEHIND YOU ON THIS?
>> YES, THEY SUPPORTED BOTH THE, THE PROTOTYPE VERSION AND THE
EXPANDED VERSION.
>> THEY HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH.
>> 15 SECONDS OF OUR TIME LEFT, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AND ALL
IS SAID AND DONE, AND WHAT'S THE OBJECTIVITY OF THE SYRUP
FESTIVAL?
>> WE HOPE THAT THE FAMILIES OF PEOPLE OF ALL AGES REALLY,
ADULTS WHO COME, ALSO, COME AND HAVE A MEMORABLE DAY WHERE THEY
SEE SOME THINGS, AND A KIND OF THEATER AND A KIND OF LIVE
ENTERTAINMENT THAT THEY WILL REMEMBER, AND THAT WILL NOURISH
THEM AS SYRUP ALSO NOURISHES.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN.
HAVE A GREAT DAY, MARCH 20th.
>> THANK YOU.