Best Indie Narrative Feature
New York Neorealism Film Awards, 2021

Official Selection Film Fest International London, 2022
Finalist:
• Best Feature Film
• Best Actress (Miranda Jonté)
• Best Director (Jim Dalglish)
• Best Set
(Awards will be announced Feb. 16, 2022.)

Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll for the Cape Cod Times…

“What it’s about: A teacher in Minneapolis looks to Greek tragedies for lessons as she faces spring 2020 traumas alone — pandemic-separated from her class, her son (Marcus Coffey) and healthcare-worker mother (Nina Schuessler), and confronting repercussions from the murder of George Floyd.

“See it or not: Dalglish has created a powerful drama showing one heartbreaking perspective of what we all went through, and used impressive technical skills to make Zoom, texting, Facebook and video chats key parts of the riveting events.

“Highlight of the show: Miranda Jonté gives an extraordinary performance as dedicated teacher Annie, who tries to control increasingly impossible situations.

“Fun fact: The two-company collaboration was originally released in 12 short episodes, two per week, like a streaming service. The show can now be watched in one piece, and you’ll likely be glad not to have to wait to see what happens.

“Actors from around the Cape and country, including Bonnie Fairbanks, left, as Principal Edwards and Miranda Jonte as Annie, joined remotely to create the world-premiere video play "Teacher of the Year."

“Worth noting: The play was filmed during the pandemic, with a terrific group of adult and child actors from around Cape Cod, but also Washington, California and Minnesota. Dalglish pulled it all together with multiple technical tricks, and J Hagenbuckle’s haunting score.

“One more thing: Dalglish was at first inspired by a sixth-grade family member’s reaction to school closings, but when George Floyd was killed, knew that needed to be a key part of the story. Makes the story so much richer.

“So well done, given the need to present this play via ZOOM, amazing! The acting incredible, especially the actress in the role of Teacher! Marcus Coffey in a first time acting role was marvelous! His empathy, his love for his mother and father so believable! A reference to George Floyd (the name) would have been helpful, my husband and I got it after the fact! Bravo! so worth watching.”
- Pamela Chatterton-Purdy and Rev. Dr. David A. Purdy

“Powerful stuff! Miranda Jonté as Annie was amazing!”
- Laura Colby

“It addressed very important, current issues. It was very interesting and masterfully created.”
- Judith Partelow

“I loved the use of Zoom/ email/ Facebook. Very creative! I thought all the actors were well cast.”
- Carol Mammom

“What a beautiful, on point drama for our times. It really spoke to this past year.”
- Barbara Schweitzer

“I felt I was eavesdropping on Zoom sessions. It was true, and used the genre of Zoom brilliantly…. Honestly, the production was BEST all the way through: acting incredible, including the children!, music and sound superb, writing spectacular ... it is the best zoom theatre I saw in this pandemic era - any era.”
- Mary Beth

Annie – White, mid 30s, finalist for the Minnesota Outstanding Teacher Award
Akeem – Mixed ethnicity - Black/white, 6th grader, Annie’s son
Devon – Black, Akeem’s father, Annie’s ex-husband
Cass – White, Annie’s mother, late 50s, nurse
Principal Edwards – Could be played by actor of any gender or ethnicity - Annie’s supervisor
Shiela – Black, married to Devon, has two daughters from a previous relationship
9-11 Dispatcher - Could be played by someone of any gender or ethnicity (only heard)
Mrs. Gundersen – White, Britney’s mother, wealthy donor to the school where Annie teaches
Claire - Nurse, friend of Cass

Secondary Characters

Britney – White, wealthy 6th grade student of Annie
Keisha & Geeta - Shiela’s daughters - seen in photography
6th Grade Students - Annie’s students who are visible during Zoom sessions
School Board of Directors - Professional people on the board of the school who are visible during Zoom sessions
Hospital Security - Seen only in photography
Nurses and Doctors - Seen only in photography

 Setting 

Place - Minneapolis, Minnesota   

Starring
Miranda Jonté  - Annie

Featuring
Calvin M. Thompson - Devon
Bonnie Fairbanks - Principal Edwards
Darlene Van Alstyne - Shiela
Nina Schuessler - Cass
Sara Sneed - Mrs. Gundersen
Jess Wilson - 911 Operator
Cathy Ode - Claire
Wil Moser - Charlie Korsmo

Introducing
Marcus Coffey - Akeem

Annie’s Class
Sophia Sneed - Britney
Natalia Tsourides - Melody
Athan Tsourides - Trevor
Ari D’Schommer Grant - Yuri
Carly Silverman - Michelle  
Madison Solopoulos - Haley
Jake Murphy - Michael
Ella Meshoulam - Sky
Hanna Meshoulam - Chris
Jason Lewis - Jackson
Cole Pantaleo - Reggie
Asia Gaston - Lisa

The School Board
Joe Hickey
Natasha D’Schommer
Ian Ryan
Lynda Sturner
Bryan Green
Regine Vital
Jan Richmond
Jess Wilson
Karen McPherson
Stephanie Miele
Sarah McNulty

Written, Directed, Edited & Produced by
Jim Dalglish

Dramaturge
Regine Vital

Title Video and Poster Design by
Brian Fitzgibbons

Theme Music by
J Hagenbuckle

Properties Design & Construction by
Michelle Law

Co-Produced/Presented by
Cotuit Center for the Arts - David Kuehn & Jason Mellin
Eventide Theatre Company - Chris Edwards

Script Advisors
Robin Joyce Miller
James Walter Miller
Carl Lopes
Jess Foster
Rob Phelps
John Greiner-Ferris
Lynda Sturner
Laura Neubauer
BDP
Grant MacDermott
Candace Perry
Maureen Condon
Gloria Craig
Betsy Mangan
Jim Marlow
Lee Roscoe
Lisa Jo Rudy
Constance Wilkinson
Boston Accomplices
Playwrights, ETC

Special Thanks
Rob Phelps
The Dalglish Family
Cass Dalglish
Natasha D’Schommer
Lynda Sturner
Brian Kendall
Dan & Sheila Fitzgerald

Filmed Online Observing Social Distancing Guidelines by Using Screen/Audio Capture Technology

The Premise
During the Spring of 2020, it became apparent that there would be no way for theatre and film artists to collaborate in person to produce work. Most theaters accommodated this by using Zoom to present readings of established and new plays - plays that were intended to be performed on a set in front of a live audience with the actors interacting with each other in close contact. Theatre artists have been imaginative in the ways they have created these online broadcasts. Some have even presented new work that was written with the constraints of social distancing in mind.

Written to Accommodate Social Distancing
I decided to write a new play / screenplay that could be produced and shared in a way that could accommodate these constraints. But not only accommodate social distancing, but also use new media to explore how the pandemic has altered the way humans have adapted to connect with each other.

The Story
The story I chose to tell originated with my relatives in Minneapolis. During the bi-weekly Zoom sessions we held at the beginning of the pandemic, my cousin explained how her 6th-grade daughter was faring with online courses at the Montessori school she attended in South Minneapolis. The 6th graders were assigned to create online plays using common household objects as their characters. I thought the idea was hysterical and I started conceptualizing a play/screenplay from this tiny detail - a teacher who had to figure out how to reach her students under times of duress. As the pandemic worsened and George Floyd was murdered a short distance from where my cousin’s family resides, the story deepened into something with greater resonance. I knew that if I tackled this subject, I had to make sure I honored the people whose real-life stories touched on the narrative I was telling. I spent considerable effort reaching out to people in the theatre, literary, and arts communities - from all walks of life and ethnicities - to share my play and listen to their ideas and feelings about the story I was telling. I owe these people a great deal for their amazing insight. I hope the characters I have created and the events that are portrayed honor the people in Minneapolis and the hardships they have endured.

How To Pull It Off
How do you film a “Limited Series” broadcast online over twelve episodes and make sure that no one gets dangerously close to each other? How do you accommodate situations where people are supposed to look like they are in the same room, but are actually separated by thousands of miles? You use every bit of technology you can think of: multiple green screens; ring, box, and umbrella lights; body doubles; mobile phone and computer cameras; a high definition audio recorder; Camtasia and Quicktime Recorder for screen capture and video editing; and Zoom, Slack, FaceTime, and Google software for connectivity.

Virtual x 1000
Every recording session (we called them “shoots”) required jumping through a few dozen hoops - some of them on fire. I had never before converted one of my play scripts into a screenplay - an important first step. Nor had I created a shooting schedule or directed all aspects of video production before this project. Our first shoot - where I had one actor in Washington state and another in front of a green screen in Cotuit - was absolutely nerve-wracking for me. I had no idea if all the technology I had assembled would work, let alone if it would capture something broadcast worthy. I had directed and produced numerous plays before, but this was a whole new ballgame. Producing a play and producing a video/film are two VERY different unruly beasts. I’m lucky my actors were ready for the adventure. We all needed to be fearless. And we were. Miranda Jonté was extraordinary as my lead actress - as well as my remote location scout, set designer, and alternate camera operator. I was only able to meet online with Miranda and Calvin M. Thompson. The same is true for many of the actors portraying students and school board members. It seems insane to me that as a director I never met some of my lead actors in person. We made it work and I can’t thank all of my extraordinary actors enough for their trust and patience.

New Type of Beast
I don’t think I have ever seen anything quite like what we have put together for “Teacher of the Year.” I see it as unique as the year we have all endured.

Jim Dalglish - writer/producer/director