Student Matinees

Student Performance Series

Bring your students to see a play at Hartford Stage! Each Student Performance Series ticket includes access to our online study guides, curriculum guides and the opportunity to stay for a talkback hosted by an Education Staff member.

Student Matinee Policies and Pricing Information

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A Midsummer Night's Dream

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Darko Tresnjak

Recommended for 9th grade and up

“Lord, what fools these mortals be!”

Shakespeare’s most perfect comedy captivates with its intertwined stories of four impulsive, lovestruck teenagers; a Duke and his wedding plans; a hysterically incompetent troupe of actors; and the breathtaking, supernatural dreamland of the fairies. Lust, folly, madness—and even true love—hide in the shimmering lights of the enchanted forest in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Performance Dates (all performances are at 10:30 am)

Wed. 9/27/17
Thu. 9/28/17
Tue. 10/3/17
Wed. 10/4/17
Thu. 10/5/17

A Christmas Carol:
A Ghost Story of Christmas

By Charles Dickens

Adapted and originally directed by Michael Wilson

Directed by Rachel Alderman

Recommended for 4th grade and up

The magic of Charles Dickens’ heart-warming classic returns for its 19th season. Come see Connecticut’s favorite family holiday tradition and spend some time with Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they bring A Christmas Carol to life on stage. It’s perfect holiday entertainment!

Performance Dates (all performances are at 10:30 am)

Tue. 11/28/17
Wed. 11/29/17
Thu. 11/30/17
Fri. 12/1/17
Tue. 12/5/17
Wed. 12/6/17
Thu. 12/7/17
Fri. 12/8/17
Tue. 12/12/17
Wed. 12/13/17
Thu. 12/14/17
Tue. 12/19/17
Wed. 12/20/17
Thu. 12/21/17

Feeding the Dragon

Written and Performed by Sharon Washington
Directed by Maria Mileaf
A Co-Production with Primary Stages

Recommended for 9th grade and up

The little girl who lived in the library

Sharon Washington plays nearly 20 characters in her own true story of growing up in the custodial apartment of a Manhattan library, where her father toils night and day to load the fiery furnace with coal, or in the eyes of a fanciful little bookworm, to feed the dragon. Shrouded in family mystery, Sharon’s story boldly examines how both the power of forgiveness and her lifelong love for the written word have helped her battle dragons of all forms.

Performance Dates (all performances are at 10:30 am)

Wed. 1/31/18
Thu. 2/1/18

The McCarter Theatre Production of

Agatha Christie's
Murder on the Orient Express

Adapted for the Stage by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Emily Mann

Recommended for 7th grade and up

Eight Suspects, One Thrilling Ride

The exotic Orient Express is about to go off the rails! With a locomotive full of suspects and an alibi for each one, it’s the perfect mystery for detective Hercule Poirot, n’est-ce pas? Wax your mustache and hold on to your passport—adapted from Agatha Christie’s masterpiece, two-time Tony-nominated playwright Ken Ludwig and multi-award-winning director Emily Mann will take you on a suspenseful, thrilling ride aboard the legendary Orient Express.

Performance Dates (all performances are at 10:30 am)

Thu. 3/8/18
Wed. 3/14/18

The Age of Innocence

By Edith Wharton
Adapted for the Stage by Douglas McGrath
Directed by Doug Hughes

Recommended for 9th grade and up

The Gilded Age of the 1870s.

New York City society at its most cultivated, wealthy and rigid—an elite class of people who dreaded scandal more than disease. In her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Edith Wharton introduces us to the courtly young gentleman lawyer Newland Archer; his traditional and demure fiancé May; and the free-spirited Countess Olenska, who has come home from Europe, tainted by scandal. From the moment Newland meets the Countess, he is torn between virtue and desire, and all three are forced to make the agonizing choice, ever old and ever new, between love and honor.

Performance Dates (all performances are at 10:30 am)

Thu. 4/26/18
Wed. 5/2/18

Pre- and Post-Show Workshops

Already bringing your class to Hartford Stage? Now bring Hartford Stage to your class! A Hartford Stage Teaching Arist will visit your school to lead your class in an interactive workshop connected to the play. Preshow workshops focus on preparing students to see the play by introducing major characters, thematic elements, and/or historical context. Post-show workshops provide an opportunity for students to interpret what they have experienced at the theatre and relate it back to their in-class work. Each workshop runs one 45-60 minute class period for a fee of $100.

InterACT

InterACT exposes hundreds of underserved students in grades 9-12 to professional theatre by inviting them to participate in the Student Performance Series, Hartford Stage’s student matinee program, free of charge.  Teachers may apply for participation of one or two classes.  All InterACT students experience a series of in-school, pre- and post-show workshops that explore themes related to the productions.  InterACT is subsidized through Hartford Stage corporate and foundation funding. Download the Application

Goals

Through InterACT, Hartford Stage aims to

  • Expose students to a wide range of genres of dramatic literature and performance styles reflecting the diversity of performing arts practitioners, our audience, and our community.
  • Develop critical skills related to drama and language arts.
  • Strengthen the relationship between students and Hartford Stage by cultivating students’ identities as scholars, critics, and fans of live theatre.

For more information about InterACT or pre- and post-show workshops, contact  Erin Rose, 860-520-7244, or erose@hartfordstage.org