The State Theatre’s school-day matinees are a great introduction to the performing arts and an effective, creative way to explore a variety of curriculum areas. They help students meet the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards—not only in the arts, but in the other content areas as well. To help connect the performance to your classroom activities, we provide specially-designed Keynotes, a study guide containing background on the performance and artists; classroom activities that engage students in reading, writing, listening, analyzing, and creating; resources for further study; and information for students about their roles and responsibilities as members of the audience.
The Iliad
Sleeping Beauty—On Ice!
Mayhem Poets
Graham Lustig's The Nutcracker
Bob the Builder™ Live!
STREB Extreme Action
500 Clown Frankenstein
Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny
DrumLine Live
Bing! Bang! Boom!
National Acrobats of China
The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley
The Ant and the Elephant
Shakespeare's King Henry V
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The Iliad |
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 Aquila Theatre CompanyTuesday, November 18, 2008, 10:30am Venue: State Theatre Program Length: 90 minutes For Students in Grades: 6-12 All Seats:$12 Described by The New York Times as “a performance of staggering power,” Aquila Theatre Company’s staging of Homer’s Iliad creates a “stunning, stirring, and memorable” theatrical experience. The action-packed production tells the essential parts of Homer’s Trojan War epic through superb acting, dynamic movement, and original music. Inspired by Stanley Lombardo’s acclaimed English translation, the production transposes the visual setting to World War II to emphasize the timeless relevance of “the greatest story ever told.”
  Curriculum connections: social studies, language arts, drama |
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Sleeping Beauty—On Ice! |
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 St. Petersburg Ice BalletFriday, December 05, 2008, 10:30am Venue: State Theatre Program Length: 2 hours For Students in Grades: 2-8 All Seats:$15 This enchanting production of the classic children’s fairytale combines the opulent music of Tchaikovsky, gorgeous costumes and lighting, elegant ballet-inspired choreography, and the Russian Stars—an award-winning ensemble of 35 top-ranked ice skaters. They glide, leap, and spin across the stage in a dazzling retelling of the familiar story of Princess Aurora and the handsome prince whose kiss frees her from an evil spell. This full-length ice ballet makes classical dance and music an unforgettable experience for students of all ages.
 Curriculum connections: dance, language arts, music |
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Mayhem Poets |
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 State Theatre@CrossroadsMonday, December 08, 2008, 10:00am & 12:00pm Tuesday, December 09, 2008, 10:00am & 12:00pm Venue: Crossroads Theatre Program Length: 1 hour For Students in Grades: 7-12 All Seats:$8 With words, humor, and extreme hip-hop energy, the Mayhem Poets raise poetry to a playful and powerful new level. Witty and wise, they boldly engage the audience with the issues that rock our world—from Dr. Seuss to school to fast food. Their clever, eclectic riffs are as much Mad Magazine and the Simpsons as Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou. Home-grown in New Jersey but rapidly gaining international recognition, these beat-boxing bards keep the rapid-fire rhythms flying in a clever concert of words that will inspire students with the power of poetic/theatrical expression.
*The Tuesday, December 9th performance at 12pm is SOLD OUT.
Curriculum connections: language arts, social studies, drama |
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Graham Lustig's The Nutcracker |
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 American Repertory BalletFriday, December 19, 2008, 10:30am Venue: State Theatre Program Length: 90 minutes For Students in Grades: 3-12 All Seats:$12 In this classic holiday ballet, the gift of a beautiful nutcracker brings young Marie astonishing dreams of battling mice, enchanted forests, and the exotic Land of Sweets. Set to Tchaikovsky’s glittering score, The Nutcracker boasts spectacular costumes and scenic effects, inventive choreography, and a cast of more than one hundred performers! The American Repertory Ballet’s full-length production is a perfect introduction to the beauty and eloquence of dance.
Curriculum connections: dance, music, language arts, visual arts |
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Bob the Builder™ Live! |
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 Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 9:30am & 12:30pmVenue: State Theatre Program Length: 75 minutes For Students in Grades: Pre-K-2 All Seats:$12 Everyone’s favorite fix-it guy is steaming into the State Theatre—and bringing along his lovable friends. In Spud’s Big Mess, Bob and his hardworking team take on an eco-friendly building project in Sunflower Valley. But when things and people start to go missing, the project is in danger of falling behind schedule. Can Bob fix it? Yes he can! Children will love singing along with Bob, Wendy, Scoop, Dizzy, Scrambler, and the rest of the gang as they learn important lessons about caring for the environment, recycling, and teamwork.
Curriculum connections: science, interpersonal skills, drama, music |
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STREB Extreme Action |
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 Thursday, February 05, 2009, 10:30amVenue: State Theatre Program Length: 75 minutes For Students in Grades: 3-12 All Seats:$9 Choreographer Elizabeth Streb has been called “the Evel Knievel of dance.” Her work declares all-out war on gravity, combining dance, gymnastics, circus skills, and stunt-work with high-tech, cutting-edge set design to redefine the possibilities of movement. Powerful bodies fly in an artfully dangerous, action-packed program that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. “By exploring the frontiers of performance space, and creating works that reflect the spirit of our technological age, Ms. Streb is carrying dance into a new dimension.” —The New York Times
Curriculum connections: dance, science |
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500 Clown Frankenstein |
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 State Theatre@CrossroadsTuesday, February 10, 2009, 10:30am Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 10:30am Thursday, February 12, 2009, 10:30am Friday, February 13, 2009, 10:30am Venue: Crossroads Theatre Program Length: 70 minutes For Students in Grades: 7-12 All Seats:$8 Three clowns embark on a madcap journey to act out Mary Shelley’s classic tale, Frankenstein. Stymied by overly elaborate costumes, poor lighting, difficult language, and an ornery table, the hapless performers are propelled into acrobatic feats and other comic mayhem. The award-winning Chicago-based 500 Clown combines circus arts, improvisation, and action-based performance to create a creatively-charged environment that celebrates the unpredictable.
Curriculum connections: drama, language arts |
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Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny |
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 Mermaid Theatre of Nova ScotiaTuesday, February 17, 2009, 10:00am & 12:00pm Venue: State Theatre Program Length: 1 hour For Students in Grades: Pre-K-2 All Seats:$9 Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia returns to the State Theatre with a brand-new adaptation of two beloved “rabbit tales” by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd. Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny reassures young children that there’s no place like home. Whimsical puppetry and evocative original music bring a new sense of magic to stories that have delighted generations.
Curriculum connections: language arts, drama, music |
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DrumLine Live |
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 Friday, February 20, 2009, 10:30amVenue: State Theatre Program Length: 90 minutes For Students in Grades: 4-12 All Seats:$22 DrumLine Live brings to the stage a show-stopping marching band ensemble from America’s top historically black colleges and universities. Created by the musical team behind the hit movie, this showdown of rhythm and speed between the percussion “lines” features great music from past brass masters—such as Earth, Wind and Fire and Tower of Power—alongside the hottest contemporary hip-hop and R&B. Add the dynamic sound of trumpets and explosive choreography performed by the athletic “steppers” ... and dancers, and DrumLine Live is a spectacle of the highest magnitude.
Curriculum connections: music, dance, social studies |
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Bing! Bang! Boom! |
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 Ethos Percussion GroupMonday, March 16, 2009, 10:00am & 12:00pm Venue: State Theatre Program Length: 1 hour For Students in Grades: K-5 All Seats:$8 Bing! Bang! Boom! is a dynamic and fun introduction to the family of percussion instruments, the sounds they create, and how they are played. The members of New York’s World Beat perform on traditional percussion instruments such as snare drum, bass drum, and xylophone as well as world percussion instruments from Africa, India, and the Middle East. Using everyday objects, they also demonstrate that percussion instruments can be made from just about anything!
Curriculum connections: music, social studies |
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National Acrobats of China |
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 Monday, April 06, 2009, 10:30amVenue: State Theatre Program Length: 75 minutes For Students in Grades: Pre-K-6 All Seats:$12 The National Acrobats of China are the world’s premier practitioners of the 2,000-year-old tradition of Chinese circus arts. The award-winning ensemble of 35 thrills audiences with a mesmerizing, mystifying combination of martial arts, acrobatics, and illusion. This full-length program includes cycling stunts, plate-spinning, foot-juggling, aerial maneuvers, juggling, and more, set to traditional Chinese music.
Curriculum connections: social studies, dance, music |
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The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley |
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 Monday, April 20, 2009, 10:00am & 12:00pmVenue: State Theatre Program Length: 1 hour For Students in Grades: 1-4 All Seats:$10 Stanley Lambchop is your normal, everyday kid… until his bulletin board falls off the wall and presses Stanley flat. Really flat. Making the best of the situation, Stanley puts himself in a big envelope and travels the world—as a human letter! In this whirlwind musical travelogue, Stanley scours the globe for a solution to his unusual problem. Wherever he goes, he meets new friends, learns about different cultures, and comes closer to his goal of being a three-dimensional boy once more.
 For more information about this production:
Curriculum connections: social studies, language arts, music, drama, interpersonal skills |
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The Ant and the Elephant |
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 Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 10:00am & 12:00pmVenue: State Theatre Program Length: 1 hour For Students in Grades: Pre-K-2 All Seats:$9 This new musical adaptation of Bill Peet’s beloved children’s book teaches us about the power of “one good deed.” Based on one of Aesop’s fables, the story involves a kind elephant who is always ready to help even the grumpiest of animals. But who will help the elephant when he needs it? The colorful and tuneful production brings to life the unique vision of Bill Peet, one of Walt Disney’s great artists—the creative force behind such classics as Dumbo and 101 Dalmatians.
For more information about this production:
Curriculum connections: language arts, drama, music, interpersonal skills |
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Shakespeare's King Henry V |
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 The Acting CompanyThursday, April 23, 2009, 10:00am Venue: State Theatre Program Length: Approx. 2 hours For Students in Grades: 7-12 All Seats:$12 Young, restless, and ambitious, England’s King Henry V inherits a troubled crown and seeks to secure his position at home by turning the country’s attention abroad, launching a hasty invasion of France. Shakespeare’s epic drama follows Henry and his men through the brutality of warfare as the ragtag band confronts heavy opposition and their own destinies. The full-length performance is a co-production of Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater and The Acting Company, both Tony® Award-winning ensembles. “Anyone worried about the future of the theatre in America should see the Acting Company in action.” —The New York Times
Curriculum connections: drama, language arts, social studies |
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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee |
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 Friday, May 01, 2009, 10:30amVenue: State Theatre Program Length: Approx. 2 hours For Students in Grades: 9-12* All Seats:$15 Six young people in the throes of puberty learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. This Tony® Award-winning Broadway musical turns the spotlight on the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom a spelling bee is the one place they can stand out and fit in at the same time. Four audience members will have the chance to participate onstage as guest spellers!
*This show contains mature themes and language that may not be appropriate for all students.
Curriculum connections: drama, language arts |
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To order education events or for more information call 732-246-SHOW, ext. 545.
15 Livingston Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
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New Brunswick, NJ 08901
© 2008 StateTheatreNJ.org
All Rights Reserved. Use of this site is governed by our privacy policy.
