Thousands Experience the Joy of Live Stories

four scenes in a collage from 'Let's do Munsch' showTo the thrill of 5400 schoolchildren, the Foundation for Education, by way of the volunteer-based theatre company McGregor & Friends, presented ‘Let’s Do Munsch’ adapted for the stage from the stories of Robert Munsch.

From April 18-29, 2016 the new stage adaptation of 5 of Robert Munsch’s stories was presented at the Blyth Memorial Hall for school matinee audiences. The producer/director was Duncan McGregor who has presented young audience productions for the Foundation before including ‘Charlotte’s Web’ (2015), ‘Peter And The Wolf” (2014) and ‘A Bunch of Munsch’ (2013). Those performances were attended by over 15,000 schoolchildren and their teachers.

This year’s play brought to life five of children’s author Robert Munsch’s unforgettable stories:?Murmel, Murmel, Murmel the tale of a mysterious hole leading to a surprise adoption; 50 Below Zero, a tale about braving the cold; Mud Puddle, the story about an anthropomorphic mud puddle that makes children dirty; Millicent and the Wind, a tale about a little girl and her relationship with the wind and Mortimer, an ultimately relatable tale for children who don’t like to go to bed.

Thirteen production members and nine actors (including young people from local schools) volunteered their time to tell these well-loved stories.

The production began development last Fall and clocked 94 hours of rehearsal time in total.

The company included:
Ross Barnett, Caitlin Carr, Steve Cook, Arlene Darnbrough, Curran Forster, Suzanne MacVicar, Duncan McGregor, Sherri Milburn, Caileigh Russelo, Dave Siebert, Izzy Siebert, Jane Smyth, Leigh Anne Van Aaken, Nigel Van Aaken, Isaac Van Aaken, Scott Ramsay, Adam Smyth, Chris Armour, George Blackwell, Dana Phillips and Lynda McGregor.

“We sincerely thank the company for giving of their time and, in some cases, even their vacation days,” states Foundation Executive Director Wes MacVicar. “They, like us, know without a doubt that there is growing-power for a child through experiences like this – beyond the classroom and in the company of peers.”

Please see a gallery of pictures from the production.

‘Let’s Do Munsch’, like all McGregor & Friends shows over the past 4 years, was produced in support of student enrichment through the Foundation for Education Huron Perth.

An example of what the proceeds will go toward can be seen in the following 2-minute video: