962 Mount Adams Circle
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Playhouse School Outreach Tour
The Playhouse toured four fully-staged adaptations of THE JUNGLE BOOK, CYRANO, and FIVE LITTLE MONKEYS to schools throughout the Greater Cincinnati/Tristate region from September 2018 through June 2019.
The plays, all adapted from cherished works of literature, brought professional-quality and age-appropriate theatrical productions to demonstrably underserved schools across our region. All plays were performed by professional actors and feature full sets, costumes, sound effects, and music. To maximize impact, all schools wereoffered a pre- or post-performance workshop and/or Q&A session with the actors as well as comprehensive study guides.
The School Outreach Tour traveled to 62 schools and gave 89 performances across the region. The program served 20,105 students and 1,388 teachers with quality children's theatre. Full or partial subsidies were provided to 55 of the 62 schools on the tour, with 24 disadvantaged schools receiving full subsidy. 63% of schools visited had a student population with 70% or more eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program. Over 52% of students reached came from racially/ethnically diverse backgrounds.
As projected, 100% of participating teachers received useful supplemental education materials and activities for core curriculum connections and educational advancement.
100% of students were offered a post-performance question-and-answer session with the actors and/or a free Class Act! in-class workshop to help them make connections between core curriculum studies and the theatre experience. Around 27% of schools participated in Class Act! workshops, and an estimated 90% participated in question-and-answer sessions with the actors.
Some comments from surveys:
"The group was fantastic! We could not ask for a nicer or more professional group. The students enjoyed so much. I appreciate having the opportunity for [the tour] to perform for smaller group, which only happened because the price of show was reduced. The students were engaged and willing to go on whatever journey you took them (and were devastated that Cyrano died!) THANK YOU! You made a difference in my students lives!"
"Being that our students come from many walks of life, being able to see something they could relate to and see people of color will hold students interest as well as the experiences with the fairytales you all bring."
"Thank you so much for giving our students the opportunity to experience live theatre!"
"This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of my students. You have instilled an invaluable memory into their lives. Thank you!"
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