Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association

Piti Theatre, a touring troupe based not far from Deerfield, has been a frequent collaborator of PVMA in recent years. We would like them to adapt their "Your Town" program to address a new aspect of our work on local history. Specifically, we would like them to investigate people and places in Franklin County contemporary to Dexter Marsh (1806 - 1853) who is the inspiration behind our annual Great Greenfield DinoFest. Marsh, a citizen scientist, discovered dinosaur tracks in Greenfield before the word dinosaur had been invented. Last year, Piti created a film adaptation of their musical "Dexter and the Dinosaurs." This year we are asking them to look at free African-Americans in Colrain who were part of the underground railroad and played a role in hiding a free black girl who had a narrow escape from slave catchers; Lorenzo Langstroth, a Greenfield minister known as the father of American beekeeping, and Emily Dickinson. Piti's "digital theatre" piece will premiere at Dinofest 2022.