2015 education bro

ELEVEN PLAYS ON TWO STAGES PROSCENIUM STAGE Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue Of Mice and Men A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Snow Queen Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations The Diary of Anne Frank Love Person

ANDY BOSS THRUST STAGE My Children! My Africa!

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol Nina Simone: Four Women Romeo and Juliet

STUDENT SERIES

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

about Park Square Theatre...

My

students had SUCH a great time. The overall experience

is one they will not soon forget!

– Heidi Davis, Benson Public Schools

We have been to see plays at many theatres, and your staff treated our students the best by far. They

were polite to our kids and treated them like customers.

– Jeremy Stradling, Sanford Middle School My students were so totally engaged. They said the smaller space

made them feel like they were actually a part of the play.

– Katelyn Fuchs, Elmwood High School

SEPT 29 & 30, 2015

Recommended Grade Level: 10 –12

By QUIARA ALEGRÍA HUDES Directed by ROBERT ROSEN SETTING: Philadelphia, Vietnam, Korea and Iraq 1950, 1966 & 2003 SUGGESTED AREAS OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: Personal Accounts of War, Realities of War: Vietnam, Korea, and the Iraq War, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Latina Playwrights, The Effect of War on the Generations in a Family, Puerto Ricans in the US Military THE STORY: Explore this poetic new work about three generations of war Veterans in a Puerto Rican American family. Elliot, a soldier on leave from the Iraq War longs to connect with his father and grandfather to discuss their experiences in Korea and Vietnam to help him cope with the challenges of active duty. Each soldier reveals the story of his experience to the audience. Their poetic telling of the same tale from the point of view of three generations is moving and revelatory.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 80 Minutes (No Intermission) LOCATION: Park Square’s Proscenium Stage

Three Generations of a Puerto Rican Family Broken and Bound by War 2015 Student Matinee Performance Dates

Mid-morning matinees – call for times

SEPT

TUE

WED

29

30

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

Steinbeck’s Classic Crackles with Brilliant New Life

Michael Paul Levin* and E.J. Subkoviak*, photo by Petronella J. Ytsma

OCT 12– 30, 2015

Recommended Grade Level: 7 –12

By Pulitzer Prize Winner JOHN STEINBECK Directed by RICHARD COOK THE SETTING: Salinas Valley, California – 1930s SUGGESTED AREA OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: Latino Migrant Workers, The Novels of John Steinbeck: East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl; The Great Depression; The Homeless; Racism and Poverty in America THE STORY: Travel with George and Lennie, two of the most unforgettable characters in American Literature, through this beautiful tale of friendship, loneliness and the longing for home. Bound by a promise George made to care for the developmentally disabled Lennie, these oddly matched friends scratch out a living during the Great Depression by traveling from ranch to ranch as itinerant farm hands, sustained only by their dream of one day buying a ranch of their own.

Treat your students to this literary masterpiece by America’s renowned “Poet of the Dispossessed”. John Steinbeck’s passionate social realism illuminates current issues of unemployment, homelessness and poverty and will give you meaty material for classroom discussion.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 2 ½ hours (Including Intermission) LOCATION: Park Square’s Proscenium Stage

VIEW THE VIDEO TRAILER at parksquaretheatre.org Click on Education, Student Matinees, Of Mice and Men

OCT

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

12

13

14

19

20

21

22

23

26

27*

28

29

30**

2015 Student Matinee Performance Dates Mid-morning matinees – call for times *ASL Performance **must start no later than 10am

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

A Hilarious Romp Through Shakespeare’s Most Beloved Comedy

Terry Hempleman* and Courtney Peterson*, photo by Petronella J. Ytsma

NOV 9 – DEC 18, 2015

Recommended Grade Level: 7 –12

By WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE; Directed by JEF HALL-FLAVIN THE SETTING: Athens and the Surrounding Forest SUGGESTED AREAS OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: Shakespeare, English Literature, Verse Drama, Elizabethan England, Theatre THE STORY: Treat your students to this delightful and romantic romp through the forest with Titania, Oberon, Puck, the young lovers, and those crazy townspeople who are rehearsing a play. In this inventive version of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedy, nine actors play all the roles, transforming from lovers to fairies to mechanicals. Our student audiences have been delighted with this passionate, youthful, and accessible rendition of Shakespeare’s classic.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 2 ½ hours (Including Intermission) LOCATION: Park Square’s Proscenium Stage

VIEW THE VIDEO TRAILER at parksquaretheatre.org (Click on Education, Student Matinees, A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

2015 Student Matinee Performance Dates Mid-morning matinees – call for times *ASL Performance

NOV DEC

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

9

10

11

12

7

8*

9

10

11

14

15

16

17

18

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

NOV 17, 18, 19 & 24, 2015

An Honest and Unflinching Portrait of a Country on the Brink of Revolution

Recommended Grade Level: 9 –12

By ATHOL FUGARD Directed by JAMES A. WILLIAMS THE SETTING: South Africa, 1984 SUGGESTED AREA OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: Global Studies, Apartheid, South African History and Literature, The Plays of Athol Fugard, Educational Inequality, The Achievement Gap, Non-Violent vs Violent Activism, The Radicalization of Youth, Race and Education THE STORY: An idealistic teacher in a black South African township school seeks to provide a future for his gifted student, Thami, by pairing him with Isabel, a spirited student from the local white school to form a debate team. As Isabel and Thami practice for the State Literary Competition, quizzing each other on the works of Keats, Shelley, and Coleridge, they begin to form a deep intellectual bond that transcends the divisions of Apartheid. When Thami becomes radicalized by members of The Black Freedom Movement, and the group boycotts Mr. M’s school to protest the educational inequality mandated by apartheid law, Mr. M’s life is in danger and Thami must choose between his beloved teacher and a protest movement he believes in. Fugard uses the struggle between the passionate Thami, the intellectual Mr. M, and the compassionate Isabel to embody different ways to effect political change. Written in 1989 shortly before the end of apartheid, My Children! My Africa! presents an honest and unflinching portrait of a country on the brink of revolution and is a testament to the power and potential of youth, hope, and ideas.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 2 hours 15 minutes (Including Intermission) LOCATION: Park Square’s Andy Boss Thrust Stage sponsored by

2015 Student Matinee Performance Dates Mid-morning matinees – call for times

NOV

TUE

WED

THU

17

18

19

24

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

Jim Lichtscheidl*, photo by Petronella J. Ytsma

DEC 15, 16 & 17, 2015

Recommended Grade Level: 8 –12

By TOM MULA Directed by RICHARD COOK THE SETTING: Christmas Eve SUGGESTED AREAS OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: Novels of Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Adaptation, British Literature THE STORY: This clever re-imagining of the beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, will allow you and your students to explore the flip side of Dickens. We know what happens to Scrooge, but what about that penny-pincher Jacob Marley? Shackled and chained for his wretched ways, Marley is condemned to walk the earth for eternity never to find peace. And it doesn’t help that he’s got his own private hell-sprite who delights in torturing him. But Marley has one chance: he can save himself by saving Scrooge. From the Jaws of Death to the Gates of Hell, Marley and his little demon embark on a surprising, zany and ultimately touching journey for redemption.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 2 Hours (Including Intermission) LOCATION: Park Square’s Andy Boss Thrust Stage

A Delightful Take on Charles Dickens’ Immortal Tale TUE

DEC

15

WED THUR

16

17

2015 Student Matinee Performance Dates Mid-morning matinees – call for times

DEC 21 & 22, 2015

Recommended Grade Level: 7 –12

Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tale Adapted and Set to Music

by MICHAEL SMITH Directed by DOUG SCHOLZ-CARLSON THE SETTING: Copenhagen, Denmark SUGGESTED AREAS OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: Folk Tales, Female Heroines in Folk Tales, Hans Christian Andersen, Musical Theatre THE STORY: Kai and Gerda are summertime kids, but the Snow Queen brings a world of winter, piercing Kai’s eyes and heart with ice shards. Gerda must brave soldiers, bandits, witches, and the Queen’s arctic wrath to rescue her friend before they’re iced out of the goodness within their own hearts forever. Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fairy tale receives a deliciously simple and elegant musical treatment that reminds us of what’s beautiful in ourselves and in one another.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 2 ½ Hours (Including Intermission) LOCATION: Park Square’s Proscenium Stage

A Musical to Melt the Heart from Hans Christian Andersen’s Beloved Tale MON TUE

2015 Student Matinee Performance Dates Mid-morning matinees – call for times

DEC

21

22

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

JAN 26 – 27 & FEB 2 –3, 2016

A Riveting Tale of Class, Ambition and Love

Recommended Grade Level: 7 –12

Charles Dickens'

Based on the Novel by CHARLES DICKENS; Adapted and Directed by JOEL SASS THE SETTING: Victorian England SUGGESTED AREAS OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: Novels of Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Adaptation, British Literature, Victorian Art and Dickens, The Class Structure of Victorian England, Theatre, Ensemble Creation, Devised Work THE STORY: As a boy, Pip meets an escaped convict, a reclusive widow, and a feisty orphan, and the encounters will change his life in ways he can’t imagine. When he comes into unexpected riches, Pip begins the gentleman’s life he has always dreamed of; however, he soon realizes the price of his aspirations. This brand new adaptation of Dickens’ beloved novel is a thrilling combination of sound, music, and imagery that offer piercing observations of Dickens’ inimitable characters.

Following our 2011 season hit Oliver Twist, director Joel Sass brings his dynamic, visionary style to the bright and dark sides of ambition, class, and love. Treat your students to this glorious re-imagining of an important tale for a new generation.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 2 ½ Hours (Including Intermission) LOCATION: Park Square Proscenium Stage

sponsored by

2016 Student Matinee Performance Dates Mid-morning matinees – call for times

TUE

WED

JAN

26

27

FEB

2

3

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

The Inspiring Portrait of a Young Jewish Girl Who Refused to Be Silenced by Hatred

Kathryn Wind* and Peter Thomson*, photo by Petronella J. Ytsma

FEB 15 – APR 29, 2016

Recommended Grade Level: 7 –12

By FRANCES GOODRICH & ALBERT HACKETT THE SETTING: Amsterdam, Holland, 1942-1944 SUGGESTED AREAS OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: The Holocaust, World War II, Jewish Religion and Culture, German Language and Culture, Genocide in the 20th Century: Rwanda, Darfur – the First Genocide of the 21st Century THE STORY: In this account of eight Jews hiding in Nazi occupied Amsterdam, Anne Frank emerges from history as an inspiring and intensely gifted young woman. Your students are sure to be moved by this important story of a young woman whose imagination and whose hope would not be stifled by her confinement. The hiding and arrest of the Frank family will help bring the realities of the Holocaust more directly into your classroom.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 2 ½ hours (Including Intermission) LOCATION: Park Square Proscenium Stage VIEW THE VIDEO TRAILER at parksquaretheatre.org (Click on Education, Student Matinees, The Diary of Anne Frank)

FEB

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

15

16 23

17 24

18 25

19 26

1

2 30

3 31

4

22 29 MAR

2016 Student Matinee Performance Dates Most matinees 10 am – some later by arrangement

MON

APR

4 11 18 25

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

1 8

12

6 13*

7 14

15

19

20

21

22

26

27

28

29

*ASL Performance

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

A Passionately Youthful Rendition of Shakespeare’s Greatest Love Story

Aeysha Kinnunen and Michael Hanna, photo by Petronella J. Ytsma

FEB 4 – APR 29, 2016

Recommended Grade Level: 9 –12

By WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Adapted and Directed by DAVID MANN THE SETTING: Verona, Italy SUGGESTED AREAS OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: Shakespeare, Tragedy of Fate, Iambic Pentameter and Blank Verse, The Chemistry of the Teenage Brain, Images of Dark and Light, Symbolism, Rhetoric THE STORY: Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet meet and fall passionately in love. Children of mortal enemies, they marry in secret, hoping to convince their warring parents to yield to their powerful love and lay aside their hatred. In a terrible series of events, Juliet’s cousin kills Romeo’s dearest friend, Mercutio.

When Romeo avenges Mercutio by murdering Juliet’s closest cousin Tybalt, all hope for their love seems lost. This 90-minute adaptation staged in our 200-seat Thrust Stage will bring the passionate struggle and beautiful language of Shakespeare’s greatest love story vividly to life for your students.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 90 minutes (No Intermission) LOCATION: Park Square’s Andy Boss Thrust Stage Park Square Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest

VIEW THE VIDEO TRAILER at parksquaretheatre.org (Click on Education, Student Matinees, Romeo and Juliet)

MON TUE

WED THU

FEB

MON TUE

FRI

4

5

8

9

10

11

12

15

16

17

18

19

22

23*

24

25

MAR APR

2016 Student Matinee Performance Dates

14

WED THU

FRI

18

15

16

29

30

31

4

5

6

7

25

26

27

28

1 29

*ASL Performance

Most matinees 10 am – some later by arrangement

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

Regina Marie Williams*, photo by Tom Wallace

MAR 17 & 22, 2016

Recommended Grade Level: 1 0 –12

By CHRISTINA HAM Directed by FAYE PRICE THE SETTING: 1962 America SUGGESTED AREAS OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: The Life and Music of Nina Simone, Jazz, Blues,The Role of Music in the Civil Rights Movements THE STORY: One of America’s most prominent musicians and activists comes to life in this world premiere musical play. Born in the Jim Crow South, Nina Simone became one of the most vocal musicians of the Civil Rights Movement with her signature combination of classical jazz and social awareness. Regina Williams stars as the troubled and influential singer-songwriter who broke barriers and rules in this honest and heart-filled exploration of the life and music of Ms. Simone.

LOCATION: Park Square’s Andy Boss Thrust Stage PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 2 Hours 10 Minutes (Including Intermission)

The Life and Music of Songwriter, Feminist and Civil Rights Activist Nina Simone TUE

MAR

WED THUR

17 22

FRI

sponsored by

2016 Student Matinee Performance Dates Mid-morning matinees – call for times

MAR 29, 2016

Recommended Grade Level: 1 0 –12

Written and Directed by ADITI BRENNAN KAPIL THE SETTING: An American City, Present Day SUGGESTED AREAS OF STUDY AND DISCUSSION: American Sign Language, The Structure and Origin of Sanskrit and its Relationship to American Sign Language, Sanskrit Poetry, Communication, The Languages of Love THE STORY: Free ought to be devoted to her girlfriend Maggie, but she finds herself in a deceptive correspondence with her sister’s love interest, Ram. Free is deaf and Ram teaches Sanskrit, yet they discover a deep connection based on the mystical affinity between their languages. The mysteries of love and friendship are challenged in this bilingual romance, as four people struggle to communicate in a language they might all understand. The play is performed bilingually in ASL and English and is fully accessible to Deaf and Hearing audiences alike.

LOCATION: Park Square’s Proscenium Stage PERFORMANCE LENGTH: 2 Hours (Including Intermission)

A Bilingual Romance Steeped in American Sign Language & Sanskrit Poetry TUE

2016 Student Matinee Performance Dates Mid-morning matinee – call for time

MAR

WED

29

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

Deepen their learning with an IMMERSION DAY

Enrich Your Trip With One or More of These Experiences Added to the Show

BUILD A MOMENT

In this large group demonstration, students will witness theatrical moments come to life as the production team illustrates how the collaborative process works by showing scenes at different stages of production. This half-hour program combines presentation of design concepts, discussion with actors, and the performance of theatrical moments by cast members who reveal the secrets of the trade.

Cost: $400 minimum or $6 per student.

(We will work to find partner schools for smaller groups.)

TALK WITH THE ACTORS

After being ignited by a great show, your students will be ready to talk.

To keep them learning, book a post-show discussion with the actors.

Cost: $200 minimum or $1 per student.

Coming back to the classroom following the Immersion Day our students were ecstatic! They felt they had been part of something very magical.

—Linda Wallenberg, Teacher, Eden Prairie High School

SMALL GROUP THEATRE WORKSHOPS Unarmed Stage Combat Through a series of stretching and movement exercises, students will become tuned in to the body’s natural flow and use it to learn the techniques of stage combat.

Acting: Making the Invisible Visible Students will explore the invisible world of feelings and ideas through movement and acting. Through exercises in concentration, living sculpture and mime, students will literally be able to “see” as well as feel how action gives shape and power to the imagination.

Stage Makeup, Special Effects Students will learn to create illusions and special effects such as gashes, wounds and bruises with stage makeup from a professional makeup artist.

Improv! Improv! Improv!

Through games and exercises students learn to free up their instincts, take risks and be brave in the world of comedy improvisation. They’ll have fun working in the style of Brave New Workshop.

Acting Shakespeare Students will experiment with the tools actors use to explore and interpret Shakespeare’s verse. Then, performing short bits of text, students will lift the text off the page and bring it to life with conviction and relish.

The Actor’s Voice: Shakespearean Insults After learning how to warm up and stretch their voices, students will have a ball hurling Shakespeare’s colorful insults at each other.

Cost: $120 minimum or $6 per student

VIEW OUR IMMERSION DAY TRAILERS and get further information at parksquaretheatre.org (click on Education, Immersion Days)

Full Immersion Day Cost: Approximately $12 plus ticket per student

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

MORE THAN A FIELD TRIP

An Evening of Theatre During the Day We put our top talent on stage and treat your students with exceptional care, offering them the same amenities as our evening audiences.

From Literary Classics to Thought-provoking

New Plays – Get Them Talking Engage your students and open their minds to new ideas and contemporary culture with a range of powerful productions.

Unique Connections Between Students and Artists Our Immersion Day activities will ignite their love of theatre and literature, prompt deeper connections to the text, and invite richer classroom discussion.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS Phone 651.291.9196

Email education@parksquaretheatre.org

Online parksquaretheatre.org

(Click on Education, Student Matinees)

STUDENT TICKETS $14 / CHAPERONES FREE* / FREE BUS PARKING STUDY GUIDES FOR TEACHERS, BY TEACHERS Free classroom-ready materials from scenes to read aloud to primary source documents that illustrate cultural and literary context. (All shows except The Snow Queen, Nina Simone: Four Women and Love Person)

EASY PLANNING AND TRAVEL We help you with drop off, pick up and nearby lunch options. Bus greeters welcome your students and guide them to the theatre. We guarantee performance running times.

LARGE-GROUP LOGISTICS AND LAST-MINUTE SMALL GROUPS We customize your experience and anticipate your needs. *one per every 20 students, additional chaperones $14

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

MAR 29, 2016

LOVE PERSON

MAR 17 & 22, 2016

STUDENT SERIES

Cover Photo: Regina Marie Williams* as Nina Simone; photo by Tom Wallace *Member, Actors’ Equity Association | other photography by Petronella J. Ytsma & Terry Gydesen

These activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota.

Educational Programs at Park Square Theatre Are Funded in Part by: Fred C & Katherine B Anderson Foundation, Hugh J. Andersen Foundation, Aroha Philanthropies, Lady Slipper Chapter ABWA, Lillian Wright & C. Emil Berglund Foundation, Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts, Deluxe Corporation Foundation, Ecolab, Walter McCarthy and Clara Ueland (through the Greystone Foundation), Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation, Margaret H. and James E Kelley Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board*, RBC Wealth Management, Securian Foundation, Shakespeare for American Communities, Target Foundation, Travelers Foundation and Xcel Energy Foundation.

theatre for your students. ( yes yours. )

DEC 15, 16 & 17, 2015

JACOB MARLEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL

NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN

FEB 4 – APR 29, 2016

MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA!

NOV 17, 18, 19 & 24, 2015

ROMEO AND JULIET

NOV 9 – DEC 18, 2015

FEB 15 – APR 29, 2016

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

OCT 12 – 30, 2015

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

JAN 26 – 27 & FEB 2 – 3, 2016

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

DEC 21 & 22, 2015

THE SNOW QUEEN

OF MICE AND MEN

SEPT 29 & 30, 2015

ELLIOT, A SOLDIER’S FUGUE

2015–2016 STUDENT SEASON

Braille

Large Print

651.291.9196 | parksquaretheatre.org/education

408 St. Peter Street, Suite 110 Saint Paul, MN 55102