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 and the opportunity to stay for a talkback hosted by an Education Staff member.

Student Matinee Policies and Pricing Information

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Quixote Nuevo

By Octavio Solis

Directed by KJ Sanchez

A reimagining of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Recommended for 10th grade and up

Quixote Nuevo is set in the fictional modern-day border town of La Plancha, Texas, where Don Quixote loses himself in stories of chivalrous escapades and embarks upon a quest of imagination, adventure, and Tejano music. Along the way he recruits a hapless but trusty sidekick in his search for lost love. As the community wrestles with containing Quixote’s fantasies, he, his family and friends discover the joys and perils of being the hero of your own story.

Themes & Topics for discussion: Immigration, the aging process, hope, love, belief in something greater than ourselves, the resilience of purpose, adaptation of literature.

Please note: Contains disturbing fantastical images and mature themes  (including a scene depicting child abuse).

Performance Date, 10:30 am

• Thursday, October 3, 2019

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!

Themes & Topics for discussion: Dickens, adaptation of literature, Industrial Revolution, greed and generosity, responsibility to others.

Please note: Contains spooky characters and images that may be frightening for some audience members.

Performance Dates (all performances 10:30 am)

Jane Eyre

By Charlotte Brontë

Adapted and Directed by Elizabeth Williamson

Recommended for 9th grade and up

Brontë’s beloved tale of courage, sacrifice and self-respect features one of literature’s greatest heroines. Orphaned as a child, Jane takes a position working as governess at Thornfield Hall for the brooding Edward Rochester. The strong-willed Jane falls in love with her mysterious employer, but the discovery of a dark secret and its devastating aftermath forces the young governess to make a heart-wrenching decision that changes their lives forever. Williamson’s adaptation will be intimate and intense, focusing on Jane’s integrity and inner strength.

Themes & Topics for discussion: Search for belonging, autonomy and self-reliance, gender equality, integrity, adaptation of literature, Feminist studies, 19^th century studies.

Performance Dates, 10:30 am

• Wednesday, March 4, 2020
• Thursday, March 12, 2020

The King’s Speech

Written by David Seidler

Directed by Michael Wilson

Recommended for 9th grade and up

With international war looming, England’s King George V dies, leaving the Crown and the crisis to his youngest son Bertie. Shy, fragile and afflicted with a profound stammer, Bertie is ill-equipped to inspire and lead a people now instantaneously informed by a new invention: the wireless radio. He seeks help from Harley Street doctor, Lionel Logue, and finds an unexpected friendship. But can Logue help the King find his voice? Their success or failure as therapist and patient will seal their destiny, the destiny of England and, perhaps, the world. The King’s Speech premiered at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in the UK before debuting on the West End. The film that followed the play won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay for David Seidler.

Themes & Topics for discussion:  The British monarchy, World War II, unlikely friendships, self-confidence, the constraints and respect of tradition, homeland and identity,  speech impairments, social anxiety.

Please note: Contains strong language.

Performance Dates, 10:30 am

• Tuesday, April 7, 2020