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Partnership Program

What is it?
First Stage’s School Partnership Program is a a unique, comprehensive arts-in-education program that strives to integrate theater and education into the classroom. First Stage’s Education Department “partners” with individual schools for an entire school year—ensuring that every teacher and student is affected by, and learns from, First Stage Children’s Theater’s educational programming on an ongoing basis.

By participating in the Partnership Program, schools receive over a 25% discount on all First Stage programming. The cost of the School Partnership Program for each student is $17.25.

What are the benefits?
Benefits to the School Partnership Program include:

Tickets to First Stage Children's Theater
  • Partnership classroom teachers receive first priority in booking tickets for their school group to  any First Stage performance throughout the season.
  • The cost of tickets for each student is included in the Partnership Program package.
  • Partnership school groups receive one additional chaperone ticket for each 10 students attending a school group show.
  • Enrichment Guides integrating age-appropriate curricular connections for each production are distributed to classroom teachers.

Setting the Stage Pre-Show Workshops

  • Each Partnership classroom receives a 45-minute workshop lead by a First Stage teaching artist prior to seeing a production at First Stage.
  • These unified lessons combine discussions of production elements with active participation in dramatic activities related thematically to the play.
  • This involvement prepares students for the production, as well as deepens their understanding and personal connection to the themes and issues explored throughout the play.

Curtain Call Post-Show Workshops

  • Each Partnership classroom receives a 45-minute workshop lead by a First Stage teaching artist after seeing a production at First Stage.
  • This participatory workshop continues the development of students’ understanding and connections to themes and issues presented in the show.
  • Students are challenged to think beyond what they saw on stage by continuing their exploration of themes and character relationships, and how they relate to their world.

 
Specially designed art and music projects

  • Our Education Department works individually with Partnership school art and music teachers to incorporate dramatic themes and music from First Stage productions into their existing curriculum.
  • Partnership schools receive first priority in displaying student artwork relating to First Stage productions in the lobby of the Todd Wehr Theater.

T3—Teaching Through Theater Workshops

  • Each Partnership classroom receives one T3 workshop, which they may choose from a preexisting list of over ten T3 workshops.
  • These innovative, week-long programs use drama as an educational tool within the classroom by developing dramatic situations based on pre-selected, age-appropriate curricular subjects.
  • By using dramatic activities as the foundation of these sessions, First Stage teaching artists are able to teach throughout the curriculum, and reach a larger number of different learners by using a variety of different teaching techniques.

Signing Up
If you are interested in become a Partnership School, please contact the Education Department at (414) 267-2970.

*There is an additional charge of $1.25 per student for those teachers who choose our Holiday production as performance for their classrooms to attend. Schools outside of Milwaukee County will be charged an additional fee of 44.5 cents a mile for programming that takes place at their schools (including Setting the Stage and Curtain Call Workshops and T3 Programs).


Photo by Maureen Hartjes


Copyright 2006 First Stage Children's Theater. All rights reserved.