School Groups - Shaw Festival Theatre

Enhance your Shaw experience!

These activities are available with the purchase of group theatre tickets. Prices are per person. Book with Group Sales at 1-800-511-7429.

Backstage Tours
An hour-long tour of the Festival Theatre reveals the secrets that bring our work to the stage. $5/$3 per student

Pre-show Talks
Learn more about the production you are attending with one of our company members. $5/$3 per student

Post-show Chats
Book a Q&A with members of the Ensemble, to take place after the matinee performance (except those marked P & OC). $5/$3 per student

Continue the Conversation – Moderated discussions
Following Tuesday, Friday and Saturday matinees and all The Russian Play performances (except those marked P and OC), join fellow patrons for an engaging discussion. Free to all.

The Horse and His Boy Workshop
Prior to all performances of The Horse and His Boy. Fun for people of all ages. $5 with a ticket to the play.

Hands-on Workshops

Let the magic of the theatre capture your students’ creativity in these high-energy workshops. Discover acting, voice, movement and characterization skills for the stage.

An hour-long session with Shaw professionals. We will gladly tailor the following workshops to the production you are seeing. Book at 1-800-511-7429. $5 per student

• Acting – using tools from the actors’ toolkit, breathe life into characters for the stage
• Musical Theatre – learn a dance routine from Brigadoon
• The Actor’s Angle – delve into scene work from one of our 2019 plays
• Accents – experience how accents can help define a character
• Voice and Speech – voice and the spoken word through fun, practical activities
• Stage Combat – the basics, how to do it safely, believably, and bump-free!
• Stage Pratfalls – trips, falls, spit-takes, and more. Serious work with hilarious results!
• Theatre Makeup – transform yourself! Learn make-up application for the stage
• Costume Design – using simple materials and your imagination, design a theatre costume
• Stage Management – see the stage from the other side

Planning a class trip and wondering what’s suitable for your students?

Here are our age recommendations for the 2019 Season plays.

Festival Theatre

The Horse and His Boy – Grade 1+
Brigadoon – Grade 4+
The Ladykillers – Grade 7+
Man and Superman with Don Juan in Hell – Grade 9+

Royal George Theatre

Rope – Grade 9+
Getting Married – Grade 9+
The Russian Play – Grade 9+
Cyrano de Bergerac – Grade 9+

Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre

The Glass Menagerie – Grade 9+
Sex – Grade 9+
Victory – Grade 12+

Holiday Season

A Christmas Carol – Grade 1+
Holiday Inn – Grade 4+

Students are some of our most enthusiastic audience members and we want to ensure their visit is memorable.

To that end, please take the time to review these theatre etiquette tips with your students:

• • Stash your coats and backpacks at Coat Check on your way into the theatre.
  • Be nice to the ushers; they may be famous one day. And besides, it’s good karma!
  • Impress everyone around you before the show by reading the house programme and saying loudly “So good to see Deb Hay back at The Shaw”.
  • We invite you to take photos when the house lights are on – pre-show, at intermission and post-show –please share your experience by tagging ShawFestival or using #shawfestival
  • During the performance, out of respect and for the safety of our performers, we ask that you turn off your cell phones.
  • Laugh, cry, sigh – you hear the actors and they hear you. The actors feed off your energy, so if you enjoy their performance, please let them know by responding!
  • Actors get hungry too – they will hear if you’re eating, unwrapping candy, or sharing gum. Wait until intermission or after the show to unwrap candy and merchandise.
  • Love the show? Want to share with your friends? Tweet @Shawtheatre, follow shawfestival on Instagram, comment on our Facebook page or subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Tips for Teachers

• • Arrive at least 20 minutes early.
  • Assign one chaperone for every fifteen students.
  • Remind students to use washrooms before the show and during intermission.

We want to extend our most sincere thanks to all teachers who bring their students to the Shaw Festival, and for supporting theatre and arts education!

$25 Student Group Tickets

Student groups can book $25 tickets in any seating location at Special Matinee performances, marked SM on the calendar.

Students can also see great theatre for $30 in balcony Blue seating for any Festival Theatre regularly-priced performance. Valid student ID required. Price does not include applicable taxes.

Contact our Box Office at 1-800-511-7429 to book.

Need help getting here?

School groups booking tickets to Shaw Festival productions may receive a subsidy toward the cost of bus transportation. Call us at 1-800-511-7429 for details.

The Bus Subsidy Program is supported by Niagara Airbus.