Alley Theatre
Alley Theatre, acknowledged leader in American theatre, holds Applied Theatre, integrating drama in education, community, or therapeutic contexts, among its core values. The Alley Character Education Series (ACES) presents interactive touring assemblies for K-5th grade students. Delightfully wacky, the 'Oskar' plays are described as 'vaudevillian—SNL for K-5th graders,' and teach important life skills such as becoming an upstander against bullies, understanding the importance of diversity, social-emotional competence, resiliency, and coping with trauma. Comments such as 'The kids were super excited from our last show and this show lived up to the hype!' 'I loved the English/Spanish captions,' 'The music and special effects made a big impact!' 'Resilience was taught in a way the students could relate,' and 'The presentation kept the students engaged the whole time,' are common. With small casts, a portable, easy-to-assemble set, and an interactive digital guide, plays are designed for school auditoriums, gymnasiums, and multipurpose rooms. They provide a framework for post-performance discussions in the classroom and beyond. The Alley is also available to visit classrooms and community centers with programs like Staging STEM, First Draft personal narrative, SLAM Poetry, and Playwriting, as well as evidence-based professional development programs for teachers. Photo by Rachel Wagner.
contact
Elena Valladolid-Rivera
615 Texas Ave.
Houston, TX 77002
phone 713-315-5424
phone#2 713-315-5423
e-mail elenavr@alleytheatre.org
public performance/concert $433 - $595
school performance $433 - $595
workshop fees $150 - $3,000
travel/per diem/lodging $0 - $2,000
website https://www.alleytheatre.org/education
Brave Little Company
Brave Little Company is theater for everyone. Since 2013, they’ve been creating original plays about, with, and for kids and their grown-ups. They create theater the way kids play. When children engage in unstructured, imaginative exploration, their creativity is at full power, and they are at the center of the story. BLC's plays may include found object puppetry, sensory storytelling, and a meaningful role for the audience in making the story happen. Committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion as limitless as Texas, they bring bilingual performances and workshops to schools, libraries, and community venues. Their current productions include the bilingual play First Day, Nueva Escuela, about a girl who overcomes her fear of reading by writing herself into stories; and Wooden O, a sensory Shakespeare adventure for ages 3-5. BLC offers theater workshops for everyone, including creative collaborations with students with learning differences. BLC also facilitates THE BIG “US” PROJECT, a community-driven theatre piece led by 100 members of Texas’s refugee communities, now in its second year. They’re proud to tour Texas-wide through Young Audiences of Houston. Bookings include extension activities for teachers to implement in their classrooms. Visit www.brave-little.com for upcoming productions. Photo by Alan Nguyen.
contact
Martha Diaz
675 Bering Dr., Suite 300
Houston, TX 77057
phone 713-520-9267
phone#2 713-520-9264
e-mail scheduling@yahouston.org
public performance/concert $195 - $500
school performance $195 - $500
workshop fees $120 - $250
travel/per diem/lodging $50 - $200
website http://www.brave-little.com
Casa Manana Theatre
Casa Manana is a professional theater located in Fort Worth. They have been operating since 1958. Over the past 10 years, they have toured throughout the US and Texas with such shows as Frog & Toad, Junie B. Jones, Mr. Popper's Penguins, and more. They currently have a tour scheduled to go out in October of 2020 entitled Grace for President. Photo by Casa Manana.
contact
Brad Simon
2 Klarides Village Dr #337
Seymour, CT 06483
phone 212-730-2132
phone#2
e-mail brad@bsoinc.com
public performance/concert $6,000 - $9,000
school performance $3,500 - $6,000
travel/per diem/lodging $750
website http://www.casamanana.org/
Creative Action
The plays were amazing! My students were totally engaged,' Ms. Ortiz, Ridgetop Elementary. 'It’s really cool how we talked to the characters and got to act,' 7th grader, Ojeda Middle School. Since 1997, Creative Action has delivered Interactive theater programs for preK-7th grade that offer an immersive classroom experience through role play, characters, puppets, song and movement. Through engaging, multi-day residencies performed by professional actor-teachers, students develop age-appropriate academic, social, and emotional learning skills, including conflict resolution, bullying prevention, leadership, and empathy. Annually, they visit 500+ central Texas classrooms and engage 10,000+ youth. Each grade-level specific performance unfolds over four consecutive days, with a fifth follow-up session 3-6 weeks later. Examples: The Heroes/Los Heroés (1st) is a bilingual performance in which students take a journey from Barton Springs to Costa Rica to Mt. Kilimanjaro to discover the four steps to peace; The Courage to Stand (4th) explores historical acts of courage from the Civil Rights Era and the Holocaust as students become courageous bystanders; Crossing the Line (6th-7th) addresses consent as characters navigate social media bullying and harassment. They also provide extension activities, parent workshops, professional development, and community events to deepen program impact and build inclusive school communities. Photo by Creative Action.
contact
Lynn Hoare
1023 Springdale Road, Bldg. 3, Suite A
Austin, TX 78721
phone 512-442-8773 Ext. 122
phone#2 512-442-8773 x128
e-mail schoolbased@creativeaction.org
school performance $300 - $600
workshop fees $60 - $720
travel/per diem/lodging $0 - $600
website https://creativeaction.org/programs/school-based/brave-schools/
The Ensemble Theatre
The Ensemble Theatre (TET) was founded in 1976 to preserve African-American artistic expression. TET produces a main stage season of six contemporary and classical works devoted to the portrayal of the African-American experience by local and national playwrights and artists. Theater programs benefit a multicultural audience that is diverse in age, income, ethnicity, and culture. The Ensemble's touring program provides live performances for students in schools, churches, and community organizations. Curriculum materials are designed to enhance the impact of the program and link plays to specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and STEAM. Touring performances include Uncle Remus’ Br’er Rabbit, adapted by TET founder George Hawkins, a fun-packed story of African-American folklore and American popular culture. I, Barbara Jordan, by Celeste Bedford Walker, explores Jordan’s journey to greatness and those who inspired her. Additional touring offerings are developed yearly and may be derived from social-emotional learning concepts, standard children’s literature, national celebrations, or historical events. (See website for additional plays and season information.) Photo by David Bray.
contact
Tour Coordinator
3535 Main Street
Houston , TX 77002
phone 713-807-4317
phone#2 713-520-0055
e-mail toured@ensemblehouston.com
public performance/concert $1,200 - $15,000
school performance $800 - $950
travel/per diem/lodging $325 - $4,000
website https://www.ensemblehouston.com
The Grand Ol' Production Company
The Grand Ol’ Production Company provides true-blue, all-American, always Texan musical variety shows with original scripts that will have audiences laughing, crying, singing along, and coming back year after year. Each show draws the audience in with its unique 'progressive nostalgia,' capturing Baby Boomers and Millennials alike with tunes and laughs that revive personal experiences and memories at every stop. The performances combine musical genres across opera, Americana, blues, jazz, gospel, and country, to name a few. In 2019, the Grand Ol’ Production Company toured nine cities across Texas with two dozen shows between The Grand Ol’ American Radio Show and The Grand Ol’ Christmas Show. In 2021 they will premiere The Grand Ol' Texas Show and The Grand Ol' Halloween Show to audiences across our great state. Additionally, the Grand Ol' Production Company produces customized shows for municipalities to celebrate historical milestones, anniversaries, and festivals. Photo provided by artists.
contact
William Hearn
1630 Bayram Drive
Houston, TX 77055
phone 979-373-1009
phone#2 979-583-2221
e-mail will@goshowproductions.com
public performance/concert $13,500 - $20,000
school performance $12,000 - $15,000
travel/per diem/lodging $2,000 - $3,000
website https://www.goshowproductions.com
Kids Who Care Musical Theatre
Since 1989, Kids Who Care's resident company has performed its original musicals around the globe, reaching over 40,000 annually. Young actors (1st through 12th grades) deliver polished high-energy performances that create a feeling of empowerment at schools, theaters, afterschool programs, corporate events, galas, and community festivals. Kids Who Care musicals, with literary contributions from our kids and a collection of Texas playwrights, poets, and songwriters, bring a message of positive change about issues that matter. From global warming, refugee freedom and over-testing in schools to musicals about our Texas heritage, this company brings visibility to things that matter with a voice that can't be ignored. The resident company tours original works from October to May under the direction of Executive Director and Founder, Deborah Jung. Photo by Zuilma Gonzalez.
contact
Pam Adair
1300 Gendy Street
Fort Worth, TX 76107
phone 817-737-5437
phone#2 682-465-2869
e-mail pam@kidswhocare.org
public performance/concert $500 - $3,000
school performance $500 - $3,000
workshop fees $500 - $1,500
travel/per diem/lodging $1,000 - $10,000
website https://www.kidswhocare.org
Laughter League
The Laughter League produces hundreds of shows annually throughout Texas and beyond. School assembly programs: Science of the Circus utilizes skills seen at the circus such as juggling, balancing and dance to teach laws of motion, simple machines and other science concepts; Count on Comedy Math Show shows audiences how math is everywhere; and The Magic Storybook introduces children to the elements of stories, such as characters, settings, costumes, music, and structure. Libraries book the summer reading show year after year, which aims to excite young children about reading and learning to use their imagination. All school and library shows are presented by a team of gifted physical actors who utilize comedy as a tool for inspiring laughter and engaging their audience. Laughter League presents large scale theatrical presentations, which take audiences on a journey through the Golden Age of Comedy by combining the dazzling excitement of Cirque du Soleil with the madcap mirth of Saturday Night Live, featuring a talented ensemble of musicians, comedians, and cirque artists. They create memorable shows filled with stunning feats of daring and purely magical moments that have been performed around the world, from China to the Middle East and even Paris, Texas. Photo by Lennie Duensing.
contact
Tiffany Riley
410 S. Windomere
Dallas, TX 75208
phone 972-258-6313
phone#2 917-861-5030
e-mail tiffany@laughterleague.org
public performance/concert $600 - $3,000
school performance $600 - $2,000
workshop fees $500 - $1,000
travel/per diem/lodging $300 - $2,000
website https://www.laughterleague.org
The Magik Theatre
Find out what over two million children and their families have discovered: fun, interactive performances where books come to life on stage! For more than 25 years, the Magik Theatre has delighted young audiences and families with literature-based productions that are engaging, educational, and fun. Magik On The Road is their touring troupe, producing such wonderful plays as 'Dr. Krashundbang,' 'The Kingdom of Texas,' 'Jack and the Beanstalk,' and other family-friendly productions based on beloved fairy tales and children's books. Each production comes with a Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills study guide for pre-K through 6th grades, and educators can easily integrate these theatrical experiences into their curriculum. The host only needs to provide an empty space, and Magik On The Road will fill that space with laughter, wonder, and imagination. Magik On The Road will bring all of their own equipment and can perform in a variety of venues, from classrooms to cafeterias and from libraries to performing arts centers. Photo by Megan Coy.
contact
Adriana Gonzales
420 S. Alamo St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
phone 210-227-2751
phone#2
e-mail info@magiktheatre.org
public performance/concert $400 - $20,000
school performance $400 - $12,000
travel/per diem/lodging $100 - $1,500
website https://www.magiktheatre.org/
Main Street Theater
Main Street Theater is Houston’s oldest and largest theater for youth, reaching over 130,000 children each season through performances at the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH) and through statewide touring. Recognized by American Theatre Magazine as one of the top 20 theaters for young audiences in the country, they present a repertory based on the most relevant and challenging literature for youth. Main Street Theater began touring decades ago to reach schools that could not travel to them. They regularly tour to Abilene, Bryan, Yoakum, Bastrop, College Station, Austin, and many more. Each season they tour a new title appropriate for elementary age children. Recent tours have offered 'Schoolhouse Rock, Live!' 'The Magic School Bus,' and 'Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat.' All performances include a short talkback with students and photo opportunities afterward, and each school receives free education materials to supplement the learning experience. They also offer 45-minute character visits in which a title character from one of their production presents a mini-interactive performance, followed by a talkback and a photo opportunity. Photo by RicOrnelProductions.
contact
Amanda Arnold
3400 Main Street Suite 283
Houston, TX 77002
phone 713-524-9196
phone#2 option 2
e-mail aarnold@mainstreettheater.com
public performance/concert $600 - $800
school performance $200 - $800
travel/per diem/lodging $20 - $2,000
website https://mainstreettheater.com/book-a-tour/
Storybook Theatre of Texas
Recognized as edutainers (educational entertainers), the award-winning traveling troupe Storybook Theatre of Texas (SBT) has provided family-friendly entertainment for literally millions of children in theaters, schools, and libraries since 1991. A recipient of the 2014 China Children’s Theatre Festival Excellent Play Award and named an NEA American Masterpiece artist in 2009, SBT travels nationally from New Braunfels, Texas. SBT’s interactive 30-45 minute programs are available year-round. Programs include: Two Pigs and T.H.E. Wolf, The New Little Red Riding Hood, Doing What’s Right Can Never Be Wrong, Cooking Up Fun with Idioms, Country Mouse, City Mouse, Goldifox and the Two Hares, Allie In Historyland, and Country Mouse, City Mouse World Tour. New in 2020 is the community parent-night personality-based program, Who’s Living Under Your Roof? Each program offers different themes, highlighting bullying, character traits, making wise choices, friendship building, idiom phrases, good nutrition, environment, nursery rhymes, diversity, and history. In addition, their singing, puppetry, interactive participation, and use of sign language has won rave reviews. Storybook Theatre’s goal is to promote literacy and help children and families grow stronger together, become confident, courageous, and positive influencers in their communities. Extension lessons/Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills are online at www.sbtheatre.com. Photo by Steve Slate of Captured Keepsakes.
contact
Lynn Draper
10415 Teich Loop
New Braunfels, TX 78132
phone 210-658-6450
phone#2 830-214-7136
e-mail sbtheatretx@gmail.com
public performance/concert $1,000 - $3,000
school performance $600 - $2,400
workshop fees $600 - $2,000
travel/per diem/lodging $200 - $2,000
website http://www.sbtheatre.com
Texas Shakespeare Festival's Roadshow
The Texas Shakespeare Festival has been providing high caliber professional theater to the east Texas region for over three decades. It has produced 254 productions for over 280,000 people. The festival has been featured in the New York Times, Nation Magazine, hundreds of newspapers and magazines in Texas, and the Austin American-Statesman named it 'indisputably the best Shakespeare Festival in Texas.' The Texas Shakespeare Festival's Roadshow brings abridged productions of Shakespeare into schools and communities throughout the state. Since it began in 2016, the tour has reached over 24,000 students, traveling as far as 600 miles from the Festival's home in Kilgore, Texas. The TSF Roadshow has been honored with numerous grant awards from Texas Commission on the Arts, Humanities Texas, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Production offerings change every season with multiple productions available for students from middle school to high school. Photo by John Dodd.
contact
Matthew Simpson
1100 Broadway
Kilgore, TX 75662
phone 903-983-8610
phone#2
e-mail Msimpson@texasshakespeare.com
public performance/concert $1,000 - $2,500
school performance $1,000 - $2,500
workshop fees $500 - $1,000
travel/per diem/lodging $25 - $100
website http://www.texasshakespeare.com