Cranston #MathMatters Ends
on a Fun Musical Twist

Beauty and the Beast’s “Be Our Guest” echoed through the halls at Cranston High School East on a recent Thursday evening, as middle school students presented the intersection of theater and math, thanks to a summer program in conjunction with the Cranston YMCA.

The Backstage Pass program, which ran out of Hugh B. Bain Middle School this summer, challenged students to learn math concepts through play production. In addition to singing and dancing, the students honed their understanding of mathematical concepts across budget management, set design and construction, and costume measurements.

According to program coordinators, the summer math programs provided kids with an important space. The production of Beauty and the Beast involved about 38 students. “It gave the kids a safe place to be in the summer months,” Anthony Gibney, the executive director of the Cranston YMCA said. “It gave them a place to learn and grow and have fun while learning math.”

And after four weeks of preparation and discovering math concepts along the way, opening night arrived.

The students hit the stage twice in front of audiences that included parents, staff, and community leaders. Gibney said about 200 people attended opening night. According to him, Assistant Superintendent of Cranston Schools Norma Cole, Jan Mermin, of the Rhode Island Department of Education, and Cranston School Committee Chair Domenic Fusco Jr., were among those in attendance.

He said he was surprised by the level of dedication and courage from the middle school students.

“They looked at it as more than just an end goal for the summer,” Gibney said. “They focused on putting together the best production they could.”

Katie Karikas was the theater director for the summer program, and she said it was incredible how the kids showed up every day ready to go. According to her, the kids would also practice their lines and choreography on their own at home.

From building the sets and props to learning the dance to one of the film’s beloved songs “Be Our Guest”, Karikas said it was the students’ hard work and drive to succeed that made the show possible.

"I can’t stress how inspirational it was working with them,” Karikas said. “I feel like this experience was impactful for everyone involved, engaged and learning in the community. I am very hopeful that we can bring this back and make this bigger so it can reach more students."

Gibney said if the funding is available again next year, they would work with the city to apply for it.

Across the city, more than 100 students from elementary and middle school participated in the Math Enrichment and Backstage Pass programs through the Cranston branch of the GPYMCA.

The Backstage Pass program was funded through a component of Gov. Dan McKee’s Learn365RI initiative called Math Matters RI, it is a collaboration by the governor’s office, the GPYMCA and the City of Cranston.