Theater group brings performances to kids
Plymouth State University’s TIGER (Theatre Integrating Guidance, Education and Responsibility) theater company celebrates 20 years of bringing social-emotional educational performances to K-through-8 schools across the state. Artistic director Trish Lindberg leads the troupe, which consists of graduate students and professional actors.
What has TIGER been up to recently?
During Covid, most schools weren’t allowing any assembly programs, so we created an online series called Tiger Time, just to keep some content going to the schools during a difficult time. … We started touring again last year. The schools really missed us and were so excited to have us back. We’ve had a lot of bookings. I think, with the pandemic, people realized so much more the value of live theater. That face-to-face connection where an actor is looking right at the eyes of a child is very powerful. … Oh! And we won an Emmy!
Who are the actors?
They are all professional actors. Emily Shafritz is a performer and graduate of the University of New Hampshire from Vermont, Matthew Murray is an actor and theater major from Maryland, Olivia Etchings is a singer and graduate of Manhattanville College from New Hampshire, Kellen Schult is an actor and graduate of Southern Connecticut State University from New York, and K. Bernice is an actor and music director from New Jersey. The TIGER performers are a dedicated breed that care about children and care about helping them overcome difficult social issues that they face. They are the heart of TIGER and deserve all the credit.
What performances are you doing this season?
We’re doing a very exciting collaboration with an international organization called the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement. It was founded by Scarlett Lewis, mother of Jesse Lewis, a child who was killed at the mass shooting at Sandy Hook in Connecticut 10 years ago. … The themes in that show are the themes of Choose Love, which are Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness and Compassion in Action. I also wrote another show that’s sort of a compilation of a lot of TIGER material that’s been developed over the years. … The themes are what TIGER stands for: Team up together, Inspire greatness, Give of yourself, Empathy and compassion, Respect yourself and others. …I took some of our many songs and put them together with a few new pieces of music. We’re touring those two shows all over New England now. In addition to the two performances, we’ve also offered workshops for children and teachers.
How did you end up collaborating with Choose Love?
I met Scarlett … after she was doing an event at Plymouth State. We started talking about TIGER’s message and how it’s very similar to the message of Choose Love. They were doing a statewide tour … and invited TIGER to be part of that tour … and perform as part of those events. We really clicked as a group. Then, I asked Scarlett, ‘Would you be open to me creating an original musical based on the tenets of Choose Love?’ … She said, ‘That sounds wonderful.’
How does it feel to be celebrating 20 years of TIGER?
This project has impacted the lives of over a half million children in the 20 years we’ve been around. I thank the schools — the school counselors, the educators and teachers and administrators — that believe in the magic of TIGER and hire us year after year to bring TIGER to their schools.
TIGER still has a limited number of bookings available for schools for spring 2023. Schools interested in having TIGER perform can contact tour manager Pamela Irish at 535-2647 or tiger-psu@plymouth.edu.
Featured photo: TIGER 2022-2023 cast members (from left) Emily Shafritz, Matthew Murray, Olivia Etchings, Kellen Schult and K. Bernice. Courtesy photo.