First Theater Experiences
Being literate means knowing how to read and write; however, knowing where stories come from and how they can be told through music, dance, and live performance is another important piece of literacy. Exposure to different experiences, stories, and forms of literature aids in building background knowledge of the world and it fosters comprehension.
Our First Theater Experiences programming aims to introduce young children to the joys and benefits of attending plays, music, dance, storytelling, and other performances presented by expert artists. In cooperation with community partners, our First Theater Experiences programs:
- Provide a diversity of cultural literacy experiences for young children
- Develop familiarity for the story portrayed and help increase comprehension
- Foster an understanding of and appreciation for various art forms
- Help develop the attention span of young audiences
- Build expectation for how to behave at live theater performances
- Provide free opportunities for families to introduce children to a form of performance art
Are you planning to take your child to see a live theater performance? Here are some helpful tips and benefits.
Helpful Resources
- What to expect when you see a play (for children)
- Theater tips (for teens)
- "Learning from Live Theater" from EducationNext (Winter 2015)
- "Why Children’s Theater Matters" from Education.com (June 1, 2014)
We partner with Constellation Stage & Screen, Bloomington's professional theater company, to produce study guides for educational use. Here is a sampling of the guides:
- Charlotte's Web Study Guide (2019)
- Flat Stanley Study Guide (2019)
- Beauty and the Beast Study Guide (2018)
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Study Guide (2018)
- Robin Hood Study Guide (2018)
- Garfield: The Musical with Cattitude Study Guide (2017)
- A Year with Frog and Toad Study Guide (2017)
- Oliver! Study Guide (2016)
- Elephant and Piggie Study Guide (2016)
Local Theater-Related Organizations
Constellation Stage & Screen | |
Forgotten Clefs Renaissance Wind Ensemble | |
Reimagining Opera for Kids | |
Stages Bloomington |