UNION, NJ — Premiere Stages, the professional theater company in residence at Kean University, has returned to the Rahway School District in 2024, with a playwriting residency at Roosevelt Elementary School, funded by the Northfield Bank Foundation.
Through the course of seven weeks, 18 sixth-grade students at the Roosevelt Elementary School have learned the basics of playwriting and worked collaboratively to write original short plays for the stage. Premiere Stages teaching artists used the novel “Blended,” by Sharon Draper, which the students were reading in class, as a launching pad to explore themes of identity and authenticity and ultimately guided students through writing about friendships and overcoming conflicts. The residency culminated in a schoolwide assembly of the student-written monologues and scenes, performed by professional actors.
“Northfield Bank Foundation is proud to support the arts program at Kean University,” said Diane Senerchia, executive director of Northfield Bank Foundation. “Northfield believes that the arts foster innovation and are crucial elements to our communities and we salute the work and dedication of Premiere Stages and Kean University’s arts programming.”
The mission of the Northfield Bank Foundation is to support not-for-profit groups, institutions, schools or other organizations operating in the communities in which Northfield Bank does business – specifically Staten Island, Brooklyn and Central New Jersey. The foundation focuses its efforts on projects to support education, health and human services, youth programs and other types of community organizations or civic-minded projects that improve the quality of life around us. The foundation has given to date in excess of $10 million.
Premiere Stages’ education programs, through the umbrella of the Premiere Play Factory, have introduced theater to thousands of children across New Jersey, particularly those children in underserved and underfunded school districts. Through playwriting residencies, Play Factory Performance Series of professional theater for young audiences and Camp Premiere for middle and high school students, they introduce students to theater with an eye toward increasing literacy, supporting English language learners, modeling the collaborative process and encouraging self-expression.
“The partnership between Premiere Stages and the Northfield Bank Foundation continues to be an extremely vital and important collaboration,” said John J. Wooten, producing artistic director of Premiere Stages. “Support from the foundation has been instrumental in expanding the arts in Rahway’s public schools and providing the participating students with an essential outlet for creative expression.”
Sixth-grade language arts teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School Jennifer Cirillo was asked her thoughts about this play residency.
“I am fortunate to have another opportunity to work along with (lead teaching Artist) Mr. Drew Hirschfield. It’s an incredible opportunity to watch the growth of students who had no previous knowledge of play writing, to have their written scripts acted out by professional actors. This awe-inspiring program enabled students to develop their own characters and to see them come to life,” Cirillo said. “It was amazing for students to see that what started out as a small idea, developed into an entire play. When the students were able to watch and listen to professionals read and act out their work, the expressions on their faces were priceless.”
Photo Courtesy of Ian Alfano