An Academic Adventure Awaits
Since the Discovery Series debuted in 1991, over 1 million students have experienced the power of arts education in their academic journey. This season, students and educators alike are in for an adventure! The carefully selected shows enhance Ohio state academic standards throughout multiple subject areas. Performing Arts field trips have a real impact on a student’s reading and language skills, mathematics skills, thinking skills, social skills, and motivation to learn. When you add a Discovery Series experience to your academic calendar, you are inspiring new pathways for achievement both inside and outside of the classroom for your students.
We invite you to download ALL the free Resource Guides created specifically for each production whether you attend that show or not. The Resource Guides are full of practical information and grade-specific activities for you and your students - plus the worksheets are printer-friendly! We have even listed the Ohio state standards we believe the activities address in a particular subject.
This season, Discovery Series performances are taking place in two of Dayton Live’s theatre spaces –the Victoria Theatre and the PNC Arts Annex. Each venue offers a unique and magical space for your students to engage with the performing arts.
Thank you for attending the Discovery Series and making the Arts a priority in the academic lives of our young people. We’ll see you at the theatre!
The Education & Engagement Team of Dayton Live
Gary Minyard Chief Creative Officer
Taylor Benjamin ManagerMVHSTA
Stephanie Radord DirectorEducation
How to Order
You will receive an email confirming your purchase. Please let us know if you DO NOT RECEIVE confirmation.
ALL BALANCES AND FINAL NUMBERS ARE DUE FIVE WEEKS prior to your performance. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
You will be contacted by Dayton Live’s Education & Engagement team for payment.
/DISCOVERY
Dayton Live reserves the right to require a non-refundable deposit for ticket orders from schools/others that have an outstanding balance from a previous season. Click the ORDER NOW! button on each show in this brochure, on the website, or visit
If you do not submit full payment at the time of your reservation, your payment must be paid in full five weeks prior to performance date.
Payments can be made in the form of ONE check (school or personal), MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover. Purchase orders are due five weeks prior to the performance for processing. P.O.s are not considered payment.
If invoice(s) are not paid in full FIVE weeks prior to the performance, please contact us at 937-637-8267.
Schools booking multiple performances MAY be required to submit a deposit to complete an order.
CHAPERONE TICKETS
For every 10 seats purchased, one adult chaperone may attend free of charge. Additional seats for schools and home schools may be purchased at the student rate of $5 to accommodate the chaperone requirements of your school. Scholarship prices do not apply to adult chaperone tickets. They must pay the full $5 ticket price. This applies to schools and home schools. Questions? Email discovery@daytonlive.org or call 937-637-8267
Personalized
Add a customized Discovery Workshop to your field trip! Each workshop will be created to suit your classroom needs, and we can even come to you! Call 937-637-8267 to book your workshop today. Below are a few examples of specialized creative drama workshops Dayton Live professionally delivers to you and your students.
PAST WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:
Creating Theatre Masks: Your Inner Character
Unleash your creativity and transform into your favorite character with our mask-making workshop. During this workshop, students will be introduced to different types of theatre masks from all over the world such as character masks, animal masks, and abstract masks. They will then create their own masks using a variety of materials, including paper, cardboard, and plastic. Then, using their imagination, students will bring their masks to life! Come explore the world of theatre masks and unleash your inner character.
Poetry In Motion
This workshop combines the art of poetry & spoken word with the performing arts! Students will be guided through a creative process to write their own poetry- and then bring it to life! Finding inspiration in the world around you is key as students combine their own creative writing with bringing those words to life. This workshop is best for students in grades 3-8.
The Creative Method: Where Science Meets Storytelling
Do you love writing stories and want to learn how to use the scientific method to make them even better? Then this workshop is for you! This fun and exciting workshop combines the art of storytelling with the scientific method. Students will learn how to approach writing scientifically by developing a hypothesis, testing it through experimentation, and analyzing the results to refine their writing. Let’s explore together the creative possibilities of science and storytelling!
Stay for Lunch!
Want to stay for lunch? We have several studio spaces that can be reserved after a Discovery performance. Select on your order form, Yes, I would like to be contacted about reserving a studio for lunch or call 937-637-8267 to arrange a reservation.
All young people should experience live theatre. Thanks to our generous sponsors and donors, we are pleased to offer scholarships to help you and your students visit our theatre. Whether you are a group of five or 205, there is an option for you.
Scholarships are awarded to schools in the form of discounted ticket prices in the amounts of $4, $3, or $2, based on each school’s free and reduced lunch percentage.
Scholarships are awarded as requests are received UNTIL ALL
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS HAVE BEEN DEPLETED.
The earlier you apply, the more likely you will be awarded a scholarship.
Complete the SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION ON THE ORDER FORM at daytonlive.org/discovery, supplying all required information. Incomplete scholarship applications will not be processed.
ALL BALANCES AND NUMBER OF ATTENDEES ARE DUE FIVE WEEKS prior to your performance. 1 6 5 4 3 2
Dayton Live MUST RECEIVE your scholarship application by Thursday, December 19, 2024 for the entire school year of ordered shows.
You will receive notification of the amount of scholarship awarded one week after we receive your application. Please call 937-637-8267 if you do not hear about your scholarship request.
Your order will AUTOMATICALLY BE PLACED, applying the awarded scholarship, unless you cancel the order.
You will receive arrival instructions one week prior to the performance.
Fueling Education
Need Transportation Assistance?
Through the generous support of Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, Dayton Live is proud to offer Fueling Education to help get you and your students to the theatre for our engaging programs.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS FOR SCHOOLS LOCATED ON OR WITHIN A QUARTER MILE OF AN RTA ROUTE: YOU MUST SUBMIT AN APPLICATION which can be filled out at the address below. RTA will notify you if they are available to pick up your students, take them to the performance, and return them following the performance FREE OF CHARGE. This service is offered on a limited basis, and is dependent upon the daily availability of buses and operators. Teachers may request one Fueling Education voucher per season. All requests require RTA and your school district’s approval, so PLAN EARLY!
Schools must be in the Montgomery County and they must all be able to get to a bus stop to be picked up. Groups must be 25 riders or more. Groups of less than 25 will not be considered.
When you click “submit” on the online form, a copy will automatically be sent to Dayton Live and the RTA. You will receive a confirmation from the RTA no later than two weeks before your scheduled performance. If your school is located outside the RTA route or you do not meet the number requirement, there may be additional scholarships and resources available to provide transportation to and from your performance. Please email discovery@daytonlive.org for more information. SUBMIT
Visiting the Theatres
Ohio 45402
FAQs
SEATING ACCOMMODATIONS
ORDER ADJUSTMENTS
Please indicate special accommodations for your group on the order form, including the number of wheelchairs, service animals, or limited mobility access. Sign interpretation and audio description are AVAILABLE at the 11:30 a.m. performance of each show when requested. Contact the Education & Engagement Department to confirm accommodations by calling 937-637-8267.
Order adjustments may be made until five weeks prior to the performance date. Within the five-week window before a performance, additional seats may be added to your order if space permits. No credits or refunds will be issued for unused seats.
LATE RESERVATIONS
Dayton Live will accept reservations up to the day before a performance, based on availability. Full payment is required when placing an order less than five weeks before a show.
ARRIVAL
Plan your arrival at least 30 minutes before the scheduled performance time. Additional information will be sent to you in advance of the show, describing parking and dismissal procedures.
INCLEMENT WEATHER AND EMERGENCIES
If your school is closed or delayed due to inclement weather on the day of a scheduled performance, please notify us before show time that you will not be attending. You will have the opportunity to attend another performance (pending availability) or to receive a full refund. A decision must be made within 30 days of affected performance to be honored. In the event of a closing or other emergency the day of your scheduled performance, call 937-637-8267 before the day of the performance or 937-228-3630 on the day of the performance.
Thank you for being part of the Discovery Series!
DIRECTIONS &
Thursday, October 10, 2024
9:30 & 11:30 am • Victoria Theatre
Grades K to 5th (ages 5 & up)
CHARLOTTE’S WEB | Adapted by Joseph Robinette from the book by E.B. White | Produced by Theatreworks USA
Back by popular demand, E.B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte comes to life in CHARLOTTE’S WEB. Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up in the slaughterhouse. Enter Charlotte, a fine writer and a true friend, who assures Wilbur she will save him. Charlotte hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman – she will create a “miracle.” Spinning the words “Some Pig” in her web, Charlotte weaves a solution which not only makes Wilbur a prize pig but ensures his place on the farm forever. This treasured tale, featuring mad-cap and endearing farm animals, explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship.
Wednesday, October 23 & Thursday, October 24, 2024
9:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. • PNC Arts Annex
Grades
3rd to 8th (ages 8 & up)
STARR CHIEF EAGLE | Created and performed by Starr Chief Eagle
STARR CHIEF EAGLE will provide an interactive and educational dive into Lakota Culture that will explore the language, art, and knowledge of the Lakota people. During her presentation she will perform the rare tradition of Hoop Dancing in which she uses 22 hoops to create several designs, shapes, and creatures to tell a story. Audience members may be invited to participate in hands-on activities with the hoops.
PNC Arts Annex
Thursday, January 23, Friday, January 24, 2025
9:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. • PNC Arts Annex
Grades Pre-K to 3rd (ages 4 & up) INTERNATIONAL TOUR
SOMEBODY LOVES YOU, MR. HATCH | Produced by Axis Theatre Company Adapted by Chris McGregor from the novel by Eileen Spinelli
Mr. Hatch lives a colorless, ordered life. He goes to work at the shoelace factory, eats his lunch alone, reads the paper and then goes to bed… early. Until, one Valentine’s Day he receives the biggest surprise of his life, a candy-filled heart with a note that whispers “Somebody loves you”. Mr. Hatch’s world is turned upside down and he begins to make friends and enjoy all the fun parts of life that he once ignored. SOMEBODY LOVES YOU, MR. HATCH is a heartwarming puppet play that examines the effect that kindness can have on a dreary existence.
PNC Arts Annex
Friday, February 14, 2025
9:30 & 11:30 a.m. • Victoria Theatre
Grades Pre-K to 5th (ages 4 & up)
A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD | Music by Robert Reale | Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale
Based on the books by Arnold Lobel | Produced by Wishing Star Productions
This whimsical musical follows two great friends -- the cheerful, popular Frog and the curmudgeonly Toad -- through four, fun-filled seasons, meeting new friends like Man Bird and Lady Bird; Father, Mother and Young Frog; Turtle; Squirrel and many more along the way. Waking from hibernation in the Spring, Frog and Toad plant gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding, and learn life lessons along the way. The two best friends celebrate and rejoice in their differences that make them unique and special. Part vaudeville, part make believe, all charm, A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD tells the story of a friendship that endures, weathering all seasons.
Friday, February 21, 2025
9:30 & 11:30am • Victoria Theatre
Grades Pre-K to 3rd (ages 4 & up) INTERNATIONAL TOUR
THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD | A musical adaptation of the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Produced by Tall Stories
The Gruffalo said that no Gruffalo should ever set foot in the deep dark wood…One wild and windy night THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD ignores her father’s warnings about the Big Bad Mouse and tiptoes out into the night. She follows snowy tracks and encounters all sorts of woodland creatures, including a debonair snake, eccentric owl, and a cunning fox. But the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist, does he? And what will THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD do when she finds him? Join THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD on her brave adventure and let your imagination run wild with songs, laughs and scary fun for everyone!
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
9:30 & 11:30 am • Victoria Theatre
Grades 2nd to 8th (ages 7 & up)
MISTER C LIVE VOL. 1- AIR IS EVERYWHERE | Conceived and performed by Kevin Cornell
Conceived & Performed by Kevin Cornell
Are you ready for some hair-raising science, toe-tapping music, and mind-blowing media? Join Mister C for an amazing day of learning in the lab as he explores all things air! Mister C is no stranger to finding exciting and engaging ways to explore STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in our everyday lives. Liquid Nitrogen, t-shirt cannons, toilet paper and ping pong ball launchers plus much more in this STEAM powered show!
Mister C is a 20+ year educator whose sole mission is to transform how everyone feels and thinks about learning. Students and teachers will be amazed with this fun and educational series as Mister C uses humor, media, and the engineering design process to make the ordinary EXTRAordinary!
Mister C Live
Air is Everwhere - Resource Guide
Friday, March 14, 2025
9:30 & 11:30 am • Victoria Theatre
Grades K to 3rd (ages 5 & up)
ALICE IN WONDERLAND | Adapted by Kathryn Schultz Miller from the book by Lewis Carroll Produced by Lexington Children’s Theatre
Welcome to Wonderland where everything is curiouser and curiouser! All the famous characters are here, so follow Alice down the rabbit hole in this exciting adventure full of strange and fantastic adventures. As Alice makes her way through Tulgey Wood, she quickly meets characters such as the White Rabbit and Queen of Hearts. So don’t be late! Come join Alice and her friends for a fun-filled journey through Wonderland.
Friday, March 28, 2025
9:30 & 11:30 am • Victoria Theatre
Grades Pre-K to 4th (ages 4 & up) INTERNATIONAL TOUR
GOODNIGHT MOON & THE RUNAWAY BUNNY | Created by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia
Based on the books by Margaret Wise Brown
GOODNIGHT MOON is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while THE RUNAWAY BUNNY’s pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both feature endearing rabbit characters, and the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security. Mermaid’s staged adaptation brings a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations.
Thursday, April 10, 2025
9:30 & 11:30 a.m. • PNC Arts Annex
Grades Pre-K to 4th (ages 4 & up)
JACQUELINE AND THE BEANSTALK | Produced by TCT on Tour
Girls are so often stereotyped, but Jacqueline will climb to great lengths to prove them all wrong! One upon a time, Jacqueline had a brother named Jack. The entire village thought Jack was so smart, strong, and witty, but when the family ran out of money it was Jacqueline who used her brain to get them out of trouble. Follow Jackie up the beanstalk as she shatters stigma to discover it wasn’t because she was less capable, but because she was made to believe so. Now, she has the chance to prove her worth.
PNC Arts Annex
THE MAYHEM POETS
Thursday, April 17, 2025
9:30 & 11:30 am • Victoria Theatre
Grades 4th to 12th (ages 9 & up)
THE MAYHEM POETS | The Mayhem Poets are Scottt Raven, Mason Granger, Mikumari Caiyhe, and Kyle Rapps
“Let’s go see a poetry show.” That is a sentence rarely proclaimed and usually responded to with cringes and excuses. THE MAYHEM POETS are on a mission to change that. Having been dubbed “an amazing ride” by the New York Times, this mindboggling performance has been described as “The Simpsons meets Malcolm X at a Notorious B.I.G. concert”. These theatre trained, comedically gifted, lyrical virtuosos seamlessly blend raw elements of hip hop, theatre, improv and stand-up comedy to tell gut wrenching truths that leave audiences forever changed.
THE MAYHEM POETS’ unique approach to spoken word has landed them feature spots on the Today Show after winning first place and a grant for 100k in the Microsoft Idea Wins Challenge in 2006. Since then, they’ve been touring internationally and spreading their mission to reshape society’s view of poetry.
Friday, May 2, 2025
9:30 & 11:30 am • Victoria Theatre
Grades Pre-K to 6th (ages 4 & up)
AROUND THE AMERICAS WITH 1 2 3 ANDRÉS | Andrés and Christina are the GRAMMY and Latin-Grammy award winning music duo 1 2 3 Andrés.
Andrés can’t find his friend Juana, and our only clue is that she’s somewhere in the Americas. Travel with song and dance through a lesson in geography that incorporates an introduction to a variety of musical instruments as well as Latin language, culture, and music. This student performance introduces musical styles and instruments along with geography, social studies, and Spanish language curriculum connections.
Teachers Lounge
Teachers and administrators, we know how important it is that you get out every now and then to take some time to celebrate YOU! That’s why we created the Teacher’s Lounge – a place where educators can come together and enjoy a night out at the Schuster Center.
Scheduled throughout the year, the Teacher’s Lounge features special discounted tickets to our Broadway in Dayton performances. As your host, we will provide you with some delicious snacks and one free beverage before the show. VIP access to this experience is given to our Discovery Series Teachers. Stay up to date for the next upcoming event and join our mailing list! Call 937-637-8267 today!
Sensory PerformancesFriendly
Dayton Live is committed to making sure everyone in our community can enjoy live performances in our theatres. One of the important initiatives in that commitment is providing sensory-friendly performances.
These productions are specifically designed for children and adults with an autism spectrum disorder, other sensory processing diagnoses, and other special needs. You can expect a reduction of loud or jarring sounds, the absence of flashing or strobe lighting on stage, modification of house lights during the performance, Quiet Rooms to take a break, and a judgement-free environment where all patrons can feel free to vocalize or move around the theatre if they need to. On the day of show, additional resources have been created to help make your theatre-going experience exceptional. Check out our “Meet Your Seat” Videos to help prepare for your visit!
A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD SENSORY
Sunday, February 16, 2025, 2:00 pm | Victoria Theatre
THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD
Sunday, February 23, 2025, 2:00 pm | Victoria Theatre
GOODNIGHT MOON & THE RUNAWAY BUNNY
Sunday, March 30, 2025, 2:00 pm | Victoria Theatre
Discovery Sponsors
The Education & Engagement programs of Dayton Live are made possible through the support and commitment of the following sponsors and donors whose generosity has opened the door of live theatre to the students of the Miami Valley:
GIVE THANKS!
PROGRAM SPONSORS
Berry Family Foundation
Mathile Family Foundation
CareSource Foundation
Robert H. Reakirt Foundation
All schools and homeschools are encouraged to create thank-you letters or cards for our sponsors.
DISCOVERY Sponsors
c/o Dayton Live
138 North Main Street Dayton, OH 45402