Greenwood Elementary students got a treat last Friday as they took a field trip to Winman Junior High to watch 30 of their fellow students perform.

The play, titled “Out of the Box,” took viewers along on a museum tour looking at some of history’s greatest innovators, such as Vincent van Gogh, Walt Disney and The Beatles.

The play was an interdisciplinary, collaborative project put on by Dawn Romans, the physical education teacher at Greenwood, and Naomi Messier, the art teacher. Students in grades kindergarten through 6th could sign up for the after school program that stayed an hour later on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The program began meeting in February, coming up with ideas for the short play, and researching the famous historical characters. Students were broken up into groups based on their interests, whether acting, stage crew or set design. The ideas for the plot, costumes and set came from students’ ideas and research, which the two teachers compiled together to create the final product.

“Out of the Box” is about a young student who can’t think of an idea for an original and creative school project.

The student goes to a museum where a very animated and excited tour guide walks the student through history, explaining some of the world’s greatest innovators, the challenges they met and how they finally came to overcome them.

For each innovator the students created a set and little dance exemplifying the work of the individual. For example, for the Wright Brothers students danced around with cardboard airplanes, and for Vincent van Gogh students dressed in aprons with palettes with a recreated “Starry Night” in the background.

By the end the student has an idea for a fashion line using geometric shapes, but to everyone’s surprise she wakes up to see the bus is still en route to the museum and she had dreamt the whole thing.

Romans said she had done this project previously when she taught at Aldrich Junior High but has really enjoyed doing a similar performance with elementary students the past three years she has been at Greenwood Elementary. When Romans first started the program, she wanted to introduce the children to the visual arts.

“Kids need to express themselves, and this really enhances their education in every aspect,” Romans said.

Students are active in every aspect of putting on a performance from writing, making props and lighting.

She said for the students, being a part of “Out of the Box” could really help enhance students’ education in every aspect.

Several students said they wanted to be actors when they grow up and others said they wanted to make new friends when joining. The younger students said they liked dancing and dressing up.

Ashley Price said she really enjoyed seeing everything it takes to put on a show and imagining if it was close to the actors she sees on her favorite television shows.

Shaelin Donovan, who was cast as the tour guide, said she had been a part of last year’s program, but wanted to try for a speaking part this year.

“The best part was when my named got called to be the tour guide; I was so happy,” she said.

All the students said they would be a part of the program again.

Romans said, “They take a lot of ownership over this play. They are proud and I am too. They worked really hard.”