Allan Appel Photo
As the national touring company of the latest Broadway production of Matilda forms up for its debut at the Shubert Theatre this spring, the talented second-graders at the Worthington Hooker School on Canner Street made their own contribution, a Matilda spin-off production.
A variety show of songs and evocative staged reading of scenes from the book were the centerpiece of a little Matilda-fest that Hannah Guo (in the middle in purple shirt) and 50 of her fellow second-grade thespians performed Thursday morning at the school.
Last year some of the kids, along with their parents, read the Roald Dahl novel, about a brilliant, mischievous, and misunderstood girl whose idiotic parents send her to a school ruled by a very strict and possibly psychotic headmistress. When they heard the Shubert was bringing the show to town, they and the school approached the theater, and a partnership was made that is benefitting kids citywide.
The kindergartners and first graders comprised the admiring audience.
As part of its educational outreach, the Shubert distributed copies of the book not only to every second grader at Worthington Hooker, but to two full classes of second graders at the Fair Haven School. They’re making more copies available to all the libraries in New Haven’s K‑8 schools and are initiating programs in Matilda-based reading and arts.
Themes in shows taking place at the Shubert have been part of the theater’s education outreach for years. But this is the first time that a show affords an opportunity for this kind of book-in-hand permeation of the school system.
“It’s a good fit,” said John Fisher, the Shubert’s executive director, who was in the admiring audience.
Nora Cheng as Miss Honey and Sebastien Halpern as Trunchbull consult about promoting Matilda.
Having read and discussed the book, the second graders in Tim Short’s and Christina Priekulaj’s classes devised a series of songs and readings that did a good job of getting to the heart of Matilda’s behavior.
After singing the little girl’s praises, they enumerate her nasty, sometimes harmful practical jokes, separated by the refrain. Why is she “pouring super glue into your father’s hat?” the songsters asked.
And why does she start fights at school? Why does she dye her father’s hair from black to blonde?
In short, Matilda, “Why are you you?”
In a post-production interview with the press, Hannah Guo and Oscar Monohan (pictured) drilled a little deeper. Hannah said Matilda’s behavior was totally justified. “If her parents are beastly to her, she plays a little joke. The father is actually a crook. Matilda leaves her mom alone and lives with Miss Honey,” she said.
Oscar Monahan reflected on the Matilda he met in the book — and the one the kids all will see in the musical when the classes go to the Shubert in May — and said he was most impressed with Matilda’s telekinesis, her ability to move objects with her eyes. With that skill she performs her deeds of humorous if painful retribution at home and at school.
Does he prefer Worthington Hooker or the school run by the hammer-throwing battle axe of a principal, Miss Trunchbull? Oscar had no reservations: definitely Worthington Hooker.
Even the funder, First Niagara’s Regional Head of Commercial Banking David Cantor (pictured), had read the book and was on hand to compliment the kids on their performance. He commented that a good many of the adults in the book — including Matilda’s dad, who cheats the public selling used cars — are not the greatest of role models.
He cautioned the kids not to emulate Matilda all that much, though: “I hope you enjoy the book. Just don’t go too far in her direction. No superglue for your teachers.”
Art projects for third to fifth graders based on Matilda will begin at the main branch of the New Haven Public Library every Saturday from Mar. 28 and run through May 9.