Hamden Hall Parent Pens Colorful Script for First-Graders

In what proved to be quite the colorful stage production, Hamden Hall first-graders recently performed a homegrown play that was the brainchild of parent Rachel Cohen. 

Titled How Rainbows Are Made, the play was written and directed by Cohen and included apropos musical selections, such as The Rainbow Connection and Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and vibrant sing-song words and phrases.

“Purple is perfect. Red really rocks. Blue is beautiful. Green is groovy,” rang out colorfully clad groups of students. After some mild competition among the various colors that included individual songs about the varied hues, the colors learned that when they worked together, the clouds dissipated. Thus a rainbow ensued.

Lower School Director Andrew Niblock accompanied the first-graders on banjo when they sang the song, The Rainbow Connection. He noted in his post-performance remarks that Hamden Hall is a “family school” and as such, allows this type of parental partnership.    

According to first-grade teacher Terry Porto, the partnership was a natural one because of Cohen’s talents.

“As the year progressed, we learned that Rachel is or has been involved in the theatre and that she is very talented as well as creative. She said that she would love to write a play for the first-graders to do as an assembly. The first-graders were delighted with the fact that Ellie’s mom was the ‘director’ and really enjoyed the experience,” said Porto.

Cohen said she was inspired by her own second-grade teacher who used to write plays for her students. After writing the play itself, she worked with the students for nearly two weeks on their speaking, singing and movement.

“The most important thing is to be involved in my daughter’s classes and her education,” she said. “”I think all of the students performed wonderfully.”