Letter To The Editor: How Restoring A Pair Of Reading Specialists Will Change How Belmont Schools Support Literacy Growth

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Photo: A reading specialist’s job

Seventeen.

That is the number of students who, out of the roughly 1,400 children between grades 5-8 in Chenery Middle School, were able to receive in-school reading support prior to January 31st, 2022. That is the date that funding took effect to create two dedicated Reading Specialist positions for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year, fundamentally changing how the school has been able to support the literacy growth of its students.

We are writing this letter to the decision-makers of this town because these positions have been eliminated for the 2022-23 school year, and the time to act to restore them is now – before we leave more of our neediest students behind.

Since their transition to this role in January, the impact that Jen Mathews and Taylor Moroso – our two trained and certified Reading Specialists – have had on growing the reading skills of our students has been profound, and we would be failing some of our highest-need students to not have these positions continue into next year.

Due to their other job requirements prior to the funding taking effect, Jen and Taylor were previously able to spend only one 47-minute block per day offering Reading Enrichment classes to students identified as most needing this extra support during the school day. Since being able to pivot to working with students as full-time Reading Specialists in January, Jen and Taylor have been able to focus entirely on supporting students as they strive to achieve their literacy goals, not only through facilitating the small Reading Enrichment groups but also by supporting students in their ELA classrooms – something that was previously not possible.

Since these positions were added, the following positive impacts have been observed:

  • The amount of students being able to receive regular reading intervention services increased from 17 to 59. That is 42 students who were screened and identified as requiring additional support to reach grade-level reading goals but that previously received no reading intervention beyond what was offered in the classroom.
  • Students who receive reading support have also been able to be supported in their ELA classrooms on a regular basis – this helps the teachers and specialists observe how they work not only in small groups, but also support the development of bespoke interventions that can be applied in the classroom for each student individually. In the 14 ELA classrooms the Reading Specialists have been able to support, they have been able to work with students from a variety of skill levels to help lift the confidence and skill levels of all students through their classroom work. Further, this work has enabled the specialists to identify students who may benefit from additional reading support.
  • Some of our highest need students, including those from diverse racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, have been able to be supported in the classroom in ways that were previously not possible. Further, students whose literacy skills atrophied due to COVID and remote-related challenges have been able to experience success while supported by these interventions.

The proposed 2022-23 budget eliminates both of these positions, and as a result eliminates every single one of these benefits.

We implore the decision-makers of the town: the School Committee, Select/Planning Boards, and the citizens of Belmont, to not accept the fact that our school of 1,400 students will only have seventeen students receive small group reading instruction. To, rather than perpetuate a problem that has existed for years where we underserve these students, take a step toward a solution.

To make the decision to support all students, including our highest-need students still reeling from pandemic setbacks, in building their literacy skills. All it will cost to restore all of these crucial supports for many of our most vulnerable students is the 1.6 teacher positions that were added for the second half of this school year.

We are of the belief that there are not many ways to spend the town’s resources more effectively than this. If you agree that there are more than 17 students out of the 1,400 children in Chenery Middle School that need reading support, then you need to raise your voice, be heard, and restore these positions immediately for the 2022-23 school year and beyond.

Alex Goldsmith and Caitlin Corrieri

English/Language Arts Teachers

Chenery Middle School

Ten Belmont Students Graduate From Minuteman High

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Photo: Minuteman High seniors of the class of 2022 preparing for their graduation at Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

Ten Belmont students were part of the 121 graduates of the Minuteman High School Class of 2022 which bid a spirited goodbye and looked forward with anticipation to the next phase of their lives at the school’s commencement ceremony on Friday, June 3 at Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

The Class of 2022 experienced the thrill of being in the new, state-of-the-art Minuteman building which opened in 2019. Then, just five months later, they abruptly transitioned to learning remotely when schools closed statewide for the rest of the academic year due to the pandemic. “We got through it,” said valedictorian Trinity Choroszej, a Biotechnology major from Arlington, in her remarks, “and that’s all that matters.”

The occasion marked a significant milestone for Superintendent-Director Edward Bouquillon, who is retiring after 15 years as the leader of Minuteman. His tenure was distinguished by achievements such as the construction of the new Minuteman facility, and the school receiving National Blue Ribbon Award by the U.S. Department of Education in 2018.

Minuteman graduates will be attending Tufts University, Arizona State University, Bentley University, Clemson University, Colorado State, Emerson College, Johnson & Wales, Merrimack College, Regis College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Texas A&M, Wheaton College, and numerous others, including various University of Massachusetts and state university campuses, along with community colleges and trade schools.
 
Many students are going directly into the workforce to pursue their career trade of study, with numerous graduates gaining apprenticeships in the electrical, carpentry, plumbing, and welding trades with local unions or contracting companies.

BELMONT

  • Michael Carracini, Horticulture and Plant Science. Carracini will attend University of Massachusetts Amherst to study turf grass management. Carracini received three industry-recognized credentials: OSHA-10 Construction Safety and Health, American Red Cross First Aid, and Red Cross CPR/AED.
  • Taien Gorman, Culinary Arts and Horticulture. Gorman received the Ryan Eaton Memorial Scholarship, Gourmet Club Award, and Digital Credit Union Scholarship, along with three industry-recognized credentials: OSHA-10 General Safety and Health, ServSafe Food Handler, and American Heart Association CPR and Heart Saver First Aid.
  • Matthew Mancini, Health Assisting. Mancini received six industry-recognized credentials: OSHA-10 General Safety and Health, American Heart Association CPR and Heart Saver First Aid/AED and First Aid, CMS Dementia Care, ACS Stop the Bleed, and Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology Mastery.
  • Daryin Medrano Jimenez, Design and Visual Communications. Jimenez will attend School of Fashion Design in Boston and working part-time as a graphic designer at a clothing apparel company. Jimenez received the Digital Credit Union Scholarship and industry-recognized credentials in OSHA-10 General Safety and Health and CareerSafe Cyber Safety.
  • Alex Muriel, Electrical Wiring. Muriel received the Digital Credit Union and Friends of Minuteman awards, along with three industry-recognized credentials: OSHA-10 Construction Safety and Health, HILTI Tool Usage, and American Red Cross CPR/AED.
  • Patrick Murphy, Plumbing and Heating. Murphy is working as a plumber apprentice for Dan-Cel Plumbing of Woburn. Murphy received three industry-recognized credentials: OSHA-10 Construction Safety and Health, Plumbing License Certificate, and Hot Work Safety.
  • John Sacca, Environmental Science. Sacca received four industry-recognized credentials, including OSHA-40 Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standards Certification, OSHA-10 General Safety and Health.
  • Carine Valery, Culinary Arts and Hospitality. Valery will attend Johnson & Wales University. Valery received the Margaret Rosselli Memorial Scholarship, the Digital Credit Union Scholarship, and two industry-recognized credentials: OSHA-10 General Safety and Health and American Heart Association CPR and Heart Saver First Aid.
  • William Oulton, Horticulture and Plant Science. Oulton will attend Berklee College of Music. Oulton received the Digital Credit Union, Jed Dowd, and Scott Pisano Memorial scholarships, along with three industry-recognized credentials: OSHA-10 Construction Safety and Health, and American Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED.
  • Brooke Vaughan, Health Assisting. Vaughan will attend Regis College and was accepted to two additional universities. Vaughan received a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate and seven industry-recognized credentials, including NHA Phlebotomy Certification, CMS Dementia Care, Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology Mastery, and OSHA-10 General Safety and Health.

Educators Union Continues Push For Contract As First Group Reach Agreement With School Committee

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Photo: Belmont teachers rally for new three-year contract

Before a sea of red-clad co-workers last week, Bethany Fitzsimmons put forth what most people are not willing to reveal to the public.

“I’m a 20-year employee,” said Fitzsimmons, a professional aide at Winn Brook Elementary. “And I made $29,000. Twenty years in Belmont. $29,000. OK, I am sorry, that’s embarrassing,” she told more than 100 members of the Belmont Education Association who gathered along Concord Avenue adjacent to the new Belmont High School.

With contract negotiations stalled after nearly a year of negotiations, members of the Belmont Education Association have stepped up public events and direct action to push the Belmont School Committee towards what they believe is a reasonable offer to help fairly compensate members for several years of stagnate wages which assisted the town and school committee in balancing past budgets.

BREAKING: The first group of Belmont educators have reached an agreement during the current negotiations with the School Committee on Monday, June 6. The agreement between members of Unit B – made up of assistant principals and system wide directors – and the committee has yet to be announced although it appears the group has agreed to a 80/20 split to its insurance policy over the next three years. More to come.

Described as one of the “the connective tissue that holds the Beaumont public school system together” by her “comrade in arms” Burbank teacher and Unit A’s Clifford Gallant, Fitzsimmons noted during the current talks to produce the next three year contract, Unit D personnel – which includes aides, paraprofessionals, administrative and classroom assistants – are being offering a 50 cents an hour increase.

Her dedication to the profession requires Fitzsimmons and many of her fellow Unit D colleagues to work multiple part-time jobs to continue to do the work they love.

“We qualify for fuel assistance. We qualify for food stamps. We are insured through the Affordable Care Health Insurance because the insurance the town is offering is too expensive. I am a 50-year-old woman and I live at home with my father because I cannot afford my own [place],” Fitzsimmons said.

“So how is it possible that in a town like Belmont, you have employees that qualify for federal and state assistance? That is embarrassing and that should not be happening,” she said to the cheers of members and residents.

Speaking before the membership, BEA official and Belmont High teacher Marc Lefebvre said time has run out for nothing short of a new contract.

“Why now? Why this time? Don’t we deserve a modest cost of living? Why don’t we deserve to keep our benefits stable? Why don’t we deserve a little more time for professional learning and collaboration? Why does [the school committee] seem more interested in power then smoothing he extraordinarily difficult task of educating the children of this town. I think I can tell you why. Because they believe they’ve got us into a corner and they hope we’ll think we’re out of options.

“But we are here today to say we are done, done with protracted negotiations, done with hoping they’ll respect what we’ve been through these past few years,” said Lefebvre. “We’re sending a very clear message that the time to settle is now, time for them to be responsible is now and it’s time for a fair contract.”

“At a time when educator morale is low, when the hiring season is busier than I had ever seen, and experienced candidates are scarce, we need this contract settled and you need it settled now,” said Elizabeth Baker, a Unit B representative and district director of science, health and tech education.

Supporters of the union cause came out to voice their concerns. Resident, parent of two students and Town Meeting member PJ Looney said fairness transcends political differences as teachers should be treated as the valued members of the community they are.

BHS senior Angus Abercrombie who graduated Saturday pointed to his teachers who taught him not just about facts and data but about the world around him.

“Your job is not just to create the next generation of workers, it is to create the next generation of voters. You taught me about my history, about my country and about the power and responsibility that I have to change it. And knowing that is the real reason I’m here because there is nothing else I can morally be doing on a Wednesday evening than standing here and supporting you,” Abercrombie said.

339 Earn Diplomas At Belmont High School 2022 Graduation Exercises

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Photo: Caps into the air at the conclusion of the Belmont High School 2022 Graduation exercises.

Belmont High’s Vice Principal Dan O’Brien looked around to see just that type of unexpected episode someone running a big event doesn’t want to encounter.

Just as the long scarlet line of Belmont High seniors where to start their slow walk from the school to Harris Field for the graduation celebration, their classmate Lamique Neal arrived, running a little late with his graduating cap and gown still in the plastic bag.

Wondering for a second if he should get in line with his classmates without being dressed up, O’Brien told Neal that “now” was the time to hurry into his robe and join his class.

“You earned this!” said O’Brien finding Neal’s assigned spot. ”He’s not missing it,” O’Brien said later.

On Saturday, June 4, Neal and more than 339 students did earn their high school diploma after four years of hard work and accomplishments to become graduates of the Belmont High Class of 2022.

Under a brilliant morning sunshine, the ceremony began with Belmont High Principal Isaac Taylor speaking how society is beset with hardening divisions, ”this is the time in the world when compromise is not just a nice thing to have, it is essential.”

“When I graduated from high school almost 30 years ago, there was a sense of predictability in the world that does not exist today. In 2022, it is clear that humanity will need to find consensus on many important things that affects the infrastructure of our planet,” said Taylor, noting that requires an acceptance of people of all cultures and ethnicities.

“We live in a world of computers, algorithms and machines. Be we require more than fuel to power us and we need more than information to learn. We are people and people do our best work when we have time, space, love, understanding, acceptance and respect. It is hard to give to other people when we withhold from ourselves.”

Senior Class President Hamza Masoud ranked the important lessons each senior should have learned at their time at Belmont High: First, don’t fear rejection (Masoud told of being rejected by two classmates from going to the prom with the second time he didn’t even ask the person); the second, via ”honorary doctor, philanthropist and sometime musician Taylor Swift,” is to ”shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake” those who doubt you “off,” and the third is “how imperative it is that we don’t become haters ourselves.”

“Overtime, each of us has learned that being jealous of one another only prevents us from appreciating just how amazing we all are,” said Masoud.

Katherine Arkin, who was presented with one of the two School Committee Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship – Derek Chen was attending a national biology competition – spoke how her classmates navigated from a typical school experience to one of uncertainty in which a worldwide pandemic required an entirely different approach to learning.

Arkin, who will matriculate at Georgetown in the fall, said despite the experience, ”people all over the world regardless of their circumstances are taking action today in hopes of creating a better tomorrow” whether it is by initiating actions such as organizing walkouts or just by checking in with people when they feel line they’re having a rough day.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but we don’t want to be in the position where we regret not being a part of something not standing up for what we believe in and not helping to make the world a better place.”

The graduating class included Molly Babcock who attended with her service dog, Enzo, who was wearing his own cap and gown. A varsity swimmer, Babcock said Enzo has been with her for the past two years and holds the distinction of being the first daily service animal at the high school.

In a quick hour and 40 minutes, the newly-minted graduates were launching their caps skyward at the end of the ceremony.

”They can’t take this from me,” said one enthusiastic graduate holding his diploma. ”It’s mine now.”

Sunnyside Up And Running: Chenery Solar Panels Officially Turned On

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Photo: Chenery Middle School Principal Karla Koza at the ribbon cutting for the solar array at the school

In the end of a week when the news about schools was dark, Chenery Middle School Principal Karla Koza said Friday, May 27, that she was happy to have some good vibes coming from her school.

“This is pretty cool being the first school to have this type of ribbon cutting,” said Koza as sixth grade students town and school officials and representatives of Belmont Light gathered in the school to cut the ribbon for the official start of the solar array located on the south facing side of the school.

While the solar panels – the first to be placed on a municipal building in Belmont – have been permitted and energized since January, the newly operational video information screen located near the school’s Main Office will show through charts and real-time data the amount of energy being produced by the panels. For sixth grade students now and in the future, monitoring the level of energy produced by the array will become a part of their science curriculum targeting the use of carbon-free sources to reduce the town’s fossil fuel usage to avoid the dangers of climate change.

The day’s event came about through the efforts of past and present students, residents and the town to place the solar panels at the Chenery. James Booth, a member of the town’s Energy Committee, said a $29,000 donation from the solar installer who worked with Belmont Goes Solar along with $15,000 from an anonymous donor and matching funds paid for the array set up. The installation required the collaborative effort of Belmont Light, town departments, the school district and committee and the firm Sunbug Solar.

The panels will produce 35,000 kilowatts, which will only put a small dent in the 1 million kilowatts the school uses each year. But as Belmont Light’s General Manager Craig Spinale said, ”the town has spoken by passing the Belmont [Climate Action Roadmap adopted by Town Meeting in 2019] on what they want so we will be offering our services to meet those initiatives.”

The array is expected to save the town $130,000 in utility costs over its lifetime.

With Concerns Heightened, Belmont School Committee Will Host Community Safety Forum Tuesday, May 31

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Photo: The Belmont School Committee will host a virtual community safety forum on Tuesday, May 31

After a pair of alarming incidents directed at and in Belmont schools and the recent mass murder of students and teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the Belmont School Committee will host a virtual community safety forum on Tuesday, May 31, at 6:30 p.m., according to an email from Belmont Superintendent John Phelan.

  • To join the Zoom video meeting, click this link:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83217919060 Webinar ID: 832 1791 9060
  • To join by telephone:Call: (929) 205-6099 and enter this PIN: 83217919060# To ask a question or raise your hand, enter *9 on your phone.
  • The meeting will be cablecast live on channel 8 (Comcast) and channel 28 and 2130 (Verizon) and online at belmontmedia.org/govtv

The meeting comes after a bomb threat on May 11 was directed at Belmont High School and “concerning” social media messages accompanied photos of the interior of the Chenery Middle School has raised tensions among residents and parents of school-age students.

The meeting, which will be attended by Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac, Fire Chief David Destefano and Facilities Director David Blazon, will be an opportunity for public safety and town officials “to update on our protocols and to listen to concerns and feedback,” said Phelan.

“As most of our students have exposure to technology, news media, and social media, many of them have likely heard about the tragedy in Uvalde,” said Phelan.

“This topic will no doubt be top-of-mind among families throughout the nation for days to come. Our staff and counselors are available for students in school as needed. Please reach out to one of your child’s teachers, counselor, or principal if you feel your child needs specific support in processing this incident.”

Get Tix Now For Performing Arts Company’s Spring Improv Show On Friday, May 27

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Photo: Poster for the Spring Improv Show

It’s fun, it’s spontaneous and it sells out each year.

Belmont High School Performing Arts Company is presenting its final production of the school year, the annual Spring Improv Show, on Friday, May 27 at 7 p.m. in the school’s Black Box Admission: 

The Improv Show is a high-energy performance, made up on the spot from audience suggestions. This week’s show will feature a set of musical improv games, with made-up-on-the-spot songs!

One of the most popular productions of the year, advance ticket purchase is encouraged. The show is free for the school’s staff and students and $5 for everyone else.

Ticket sales and more info at bhs-pac.org  

Belmont Schools ‘Strongly Recommend’ Masks for Students, Visitors For Indoor Activities

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Photo: Masks are being strongly recommended when visiting or attending Belmont Public Schools

With increasing positive cases of Covid-19 within Belmont schools and after the CDC declared Middlesex county’s community level of Covid cases to be “high”, the Belmont School District is following the lead of the town’s Health Department to ”strongly recommend” everyone wear a mask regardless of vaccination status when indoors at the district’s six public schools.

“We ask for your continued support in this effort, particularly at times like this when we experience increasing cases,” said Belmont Superintendent John Phelan in an email released on Monday, May 24.

While many mandated mitigations have been lifted and as COVID cases continue to rise, Phelan said parents and students should consider the following recommendations as an added layer of protection:

  • Consider having students wear a mask while in school. “We are not mandating but strongly recommend this added layer of protection,” said Phelan.
  • Wear a mask if any symptoms are present, even if antigen tests remain negative.
  • Wear a mask for 10 days if you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19  regardless of your vaccination status. This includes cases within the home. (Per CDC guidance.)
  • Parents, guardians, and family members are strongly encouraged to wear a mask when visiting Belmont public schools. Masks will be made available at all schools.

“With the end of school comes important milestones for many students, whether it is graduation, a moving up ceremony, classroom showcase, performing arts program, or school event; please help us hold these special events without disruption and as safely as possible,” said Phelan.

‘Disney’s Little Mermaid’ (The Junior Version)On Stage At Chenery Middle School, May 19-21

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Photo: The poster to the show this weekend.

The Chenery Middle School Theater will present its production of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR.”

Journey “under the sea” with Ariel and her aquatic friends in this production adapted from Disney’s Broadway production and the motion picture featuring the enormously popular Academy Award-winning music and delightfully charming book and lyrics. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories, Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR. is an enchanting look at the sacrifices we all make for love and acceptance.

In a magical underwater kingdom, the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home — and her fins — behind and live in the world above. But first, she’ll have to defy her father, King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she’s the girl whose enchanting voice he’s been seeking.

Shows are:

  • Thursday, May 19 at 7 p.m.
  • Friday, May 20 at 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 21 at 2 p.m.

The shows will take place at the Chenery Middle School auditorium.

TICKET INFO: ADULTS: $10, STUDENTS/CHILDREN: $5

TICKETS AND INFORMATION AT bhs-pac.org/cms

Performing Arts Company’s One Act Festival Returns With Pirates, Baggage, And A Dead Butler

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Photo: Lincoln Crockett directing the world premier of “The Butler is Dead” at the One Act Festival at Belmont High School.

The sad tales of unclaimed luggage, a murder mystery in which the butler didn’t do it and a verbally gifted pirate in search of a special someone.

These are just a few of the productions presented this week with the return of the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s Student Directed One Act Play Festival taking place this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 12-14 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont High School Black Box Theater.

Tickets can be purchased online here. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

The annual production is back on stage after a two-year Covid hiatus with a mix of comedy, drama and everything in between.

”One Act is a form of theater that tries to condense a message that could be conveyed in a two hour straight play or musical into 10 minutes,” said senior Lincoln Crockett who is directing the world premier of “The Butler is Dead,” by Eli Barnes, a Belmont High graduate (2019) who wrote the work to be performed in 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic.

See the accompanying video as Crockett goes prepares his cast for the production.

For two BHS PAC veterans who have taken up the mantel of senior director, the return to One Acts now brings new outlook to the theatrical process.

Leeza Pesok is co-directing with Giulia VecchiI “Emotional Baggage,” a one act about suitcases stuck at an airport’s unclaimed baggage counter and all the trauma and problems they go through while complaining about their lives.

“Yeah, it’s a comedy,” Pesok said.

Pesok’s fellow senior, Katie Shea, is directing “Jolly Jack Junior: The Buccaneer’s Bairn” with Talia Fiore, the tale about a pirate named Willie who has been on the hunt for someone special.

Q: What’s it like to be involved with the return of one acts after two years away?

Pesok: “My freshman year in 2019, I was in a One Act as an actor. Three years go by and, out of the blue, I’m now directing one. Seeing the production from the inside-out has given me a truly unique perspective on building a show from the bottom up as a director.

Shea: I was also in one acts my freshman year and being able to direct them now has been such a rewarding experience to see a side of production of theater that I’m not normally on.”

Leeza Pesok and Katie Shea

Q: Why did you select the plays you’re directing?

Pesok: “I just spend a couple of weeks reading different plays. And then this one just sort of jumped off the page. I could really visualize it. And I still can’t forget the moment in auditions when I heard people reading the lines for the first time after reading it for so long by myself. And it was then I just knew I made the right choice. Seeing it in rehearsals and working through it, I’m just so excited for audiences to see it.”

Shea: “When [Fiore and I] found Jolly Junior, we read the script to each other in these ridiculous British accents and we couldn’t stop laughing. We knew that this play would be so fun to produce.”

Q: Unlike a standard play or musical, one acts are known for having fairly sparse staging. How do you compensate for these limitation?

Pesok: “We don’t actually have talking suitcases on stage. The script provides a little brief description for each character – a threadbare Valise from the South or a drug smuggler’s duffel bag – and then we sort of take that and incorporate some character choices and that gives the actors a chance to make the stage come alive.”

Shea: “We were lucky enough to have plenty of pirate costumes left over from “Spongebob” [BHS PACs spring musical produced last month] so that actually worked out pretty well for us. And while we did create a minimalist pirate ship, you’ll definitely get the feel that it is one.

Q: What do you want the audience to take away from your one act?

Pesok: “When you when you go through an airport, you never really think about the experiences that their bags are going through and how it must feel being carried around through your whole life. It’s cool to see all the actors connecting with different aspects of each bags life; how one was meant to go to a Realtor’s convention in Florida but got left behind and she’s so upset about it. It’s a really fun perspective to have when you just are a person and not a suitcase.”

Shea: “We’re just looking for people to have a good time and sit there and laugh for a little bit. The plot of our show is ridiculous: there’s so many made-up words in the dialogue that are supposed to be ‘pirate’ language. The actors have done an amazing job of really bringing it to life on stage. So we just hope people have fun.”

The plays include:

SURPRISE By Mark Harvey Levine
Directed by Grace Sattler
Peter’s psychic abilities are driving his date, Whitney, slowly insane.

JOLLY JACK JUNIOR: THE BUCCANEER’S BAIRN By Jeff Goode
Directed by Katie Shea and Talia Fiore
Looking for revenge, pirate Willy boards a pirate ship and demands an audience with the captain… but instead finds a secret to his past.

ALIEN MONSTER BOWLING LEAGUE By Matthew Lopez
Directed by Emily Kaiser
The arrival of Aliens is threatening Hubbard’s long reign as Bowling League Champion.

HE’S REALLY A GREAT GUY By Rory Leahy
Directed by Chris Jorgenson
Matt wants his friend Dan to get out more and meet someone special, so he sets up a double date with Heather and Annie, but Dan’s secret inner life could be a deal breaker.

1-900-DESPERATE By Christopher Durang
Directed by Claire Svetkey
Gretchen, alone on a Saturday night, impulsively calls 1-900-DESPERATE, a hotline for desperate single people. But you never know who you’ll meet on an open phone line.

EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE By Nina Shengold
Directed by Leeza Pesok and Giulia Vecchi
It’s hard to be a suitcase at the Unclaimed Baggage counter.

THE FIRST NIGHT OF CHANUKAH By Sheri Wilner
Directed by Naomi Stephenson
David Schwartz is the only jew stranded in the Devil’s Lake, North Dakota airport on the first night of Chanukah – until he encounters another traveler with a link to the (historically real) turn of the century Jewish homesteaders in North Dakota.

THE BUTLER IS DEAD By Eli Barnes (World Premier)
Directed by Lincoln Crockett
Several important guests show up to a business meeting at a fancy manor, only to find that murder occurs. *gasp* The butler must have done it…. But…. The butler is dead!