Stoddert Elementary Alumnus Returns to Inspire Students with Story Pirates

Sam Reiff-Pasarew has not been a student at Stoddert Elementary since 1990, but this week he returned to the school to collaborate with second grade students for a production by his organization, Story Pirates. The original story created by Stoddert students, "The Golden Apples: Ninja Steve and his Commander vs. the Selfish Mischievous Monkeys," will be part of a musical sketch comedy show Saturday at 2 p.m. at the school. Tickets are $10 for Stoddert families and $20 for everyone else.

Reiff-Pasarew, whose parents still live around the corner from his former elementary school, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis where he studied acting and theater. In 2003 he founded Story Pirates in New York, NY as an innovative approach to teaching children the art of storytelling through theater and improv. Now the organization has over 100 actors and comedians working in New York, Los Angeles and occasionally traveling, like this week.

Education and the arts are a "natural fit" said the Story Pirates founder. A group of six actors (plus a piano player) bring to life between eight and 10 stories in each performance, at least one story is written by students. The short session at Stoddert lasted about half an hour during a normal school day, but Story Pirates often partner with schools in NY for a series of story development sessions over a longer period of time.

Reiff-Pasarew said he sees the students as his collaborators who are "just as important as the professional actors" who put on the productions. The mission for Story Pirate, he said, is to "celebrate the words and ideas of young people."

Stop by Stoddert Saturday at 2 p.m. to see sketches performed live by the Story Pirates, including one written by second graders with characters like Ninja Steve and Count Dorkula (the dog of course).