Madeline Bugeau-Heartt, filmmaker/host of ‘Neighborhood,’ to debut at 7 p.m. Thursday at no charge. / Photos courtesy Madeline Bugeau-Heartt
Local filmmaker Madeline Bugeau-Heartt describes her project ahead of its debut
UPDATED Aug. 9: Screening at no charge in Arlington for its international debut was “Neighborhood,” a reimagining of the beloved “Mister Rogers’” program. It is the latest project from the mind of local resident and filmmaker Madeline Bugeau-Heartt.
The famed preschool television series, which ran from 1968 through 2001, was widely cherished for promoting messages of love, kindness and acceptance.
According to the program’s website, the series aimed to teach its young audience that all feelings are natural — and how to best manage them. Fred Rogers, the show’s host, was an author, producer and a Presbyterian minister; he died in 2003.
“Fred has always meant a lot to me,” wrote Bugeau-Heartt in a recent email to YourArlington. “[He] was the closest thing to a saint that we had. He was always regarded as an authentic example of how to be good.”
This 35-minute pilot is the product of Bugeau-Heartt’s thesis project for her studies at Harvard Divinity School. In an interview with that institution’s newspaper, Bugeau-Heartt said she came to believe that there is not enough storytelling in the world currently that encourages the values Rogers’ program had — those being values of neighborhood, community and goodness.
“This screening is for anyone who loved the original Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. It’s also for anyone, both children and adults alike, looking for something beautiful and good amidst times that feel so broken and strained,” Bugeau-Heartt wrote to YourArlington.
Look for Spy Pond setting
The filmmaker says that the episode features roughly half a dozen actors, all adults from the Boston area. Audiences can anticipate scenes reminiscent of the original program, from “make-believe lands,” singing and explorations with guests to visits from recurring characters (including puppets, Bugeau-Heartt noted). 
Still from one of the scenes in ‘Neighborhood.’
“Where[as] the original program addressed children, Neighborhood addresses that spirit within each of us, adults and children alike, capable of great love and imagination,” she wrote.
Bugeau-Heartt is a Massachusetts local currently residing in Arlington. In 2013, she earned her BFA in acting from New York University’s Tisch School. Almost 10 years later, she returned to her home state to earn her Masters of Divinity from Harvard — while there, Bugeau-Heartt said she was also enrolled in theater classes at MIT.
Audiences can expect to see several New England spots, specifically some in town, during this screening. Bugeau-Heartt said to look out especially for scenes filmed at Spy Pond.
The filming occurred during two weekends in March, she said; location shoots also included Bugeau-Heartt’s Arlington apartment, The Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford and Tafetta Studios in Lowell.
“We had a cast and crew of more than 23 Boston locals working on this piece, and even more colleagues at Harvard Divinity School and the countless others who supported the work too. This piece truly took a village to make,” Bugeau-Heartt wrote.
While completing the project that emulates Rogers’ values of compassion, the filmmaker noticed these sentiments positively affecting the behind-the-scenes work.
“The set was such a special place to be on those two weekends we filmed. There was this spontaneous air of deep care in the room—for the work itself, and for one another,” she said.
This scene was shot in a church in nearby Medford.Reservations requested
Rogers was known for his unusual approach to spiritual leadership, choosing to practice through the mass media. Despite his never having served in the more traditional role of a pulpit pastor, many argue that his ministry was particularly effective because it reached millions, thanks to his television program.
“I am fascinated by what it means to bridge the spiritual to the non-religious, perhaps because I’m not particularly religious myself,” Bugeau-Heartt wrote. “I feel that there is such a deep longing in secular culture for meaning-making, community- building, existential wondering and exploration of love. Fred Rogers brought these spiritual gifts to television without ever once saying the word ‘God.’ ” She says she was inspired by Rogers’ ability to translate good values to his audiences without “imposing a specific tradition.”
The filmmaker continually refers to her new film as a pilot, as she hopes to create additional episodes and to develop this project into a full-length series.
“I hope there’s some solace to be found in the 35-minute creation that is this pilot,” Bugeau-Heartt wrote. “That this piece might serve as a reminder to folks, a kind of small awakening, back to the part of you that is capable of great kindness and wonder.”
The pilot’s premiere is scheduled to screen at The Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., at 7 p.m. Thursday; doors open at 6:30 p.m. According to the initial news release, this is a free event open to all. Walk-ins will be allowed entry into the event as space permits, but attendees are encouraged to please register in advance here >>
The filmmaker can be reached by email at madelinebugeauheartt@hds.harvard.edu.
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This news feature by YourArlington’s Assistant to the Editor Brynn O’Connor was published Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. It was updated Aug. 7 to include information about Bugeau-Heartt’s education and Aug. 9 to note that the screening took place.
