Friedman’s fellow ensemble member James Rebhorn concurs. “I loved the student matinees. And I particularly loved it when the students were integrated with the older theatergoers, who are always courteous but can be a bit staid sometimes. The students are more genuine but not always appropriate, so they learn from each other.” One reason for Roundabout’s success with students is that the Theatre Access program begins before the students arrive in the lobby. Roundabout offers teachers and teaching artists lesson plans, preview performances, and preshow workshops. Every student can receive a copy of
improvisations based on the themes of the show or have kids perform scene excerpts from the script. Both students and actors particularly enjoy the post-show talk backs. Portia, for one, so loved meeting the kids that she agreed to provide an entire afternoon acting workshop for one school. “The students loved it,” she reports. “They dove into it like a big fat pizza.” Portia was overwhelmed by how much she loved it. “There’s nothing like the embrace of a child,” she says. “No acting award in the world could ever top that for me.”
More than 11,000 students from 167 schools, many participating in Page to Stage or Producing Partners, attended Roundabout shows, cheering as each Juror changed his vote to “not guilty” during Twelve Angry Men or hissing when Stanley slaps Stella in Streetcar. Upstage, a magazine produced by Roundabout’s education department, that includes artist interviews, background material, and suggested activities for each show. In addition, teaching artists help prep the students for the experience. One group might take a scene or theme from the play and create a "Postcard Production", a miniproduction conceived, designed, built, staged and performed in three hours. Others might create
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