“BEST Children’s Program in Los Angeles!” L.A. PARENT, L.A. MAG, VARIETY, L.A. TIMES MAGAZINE
The Program
Student groups visit the Playhouse arts complex, see a professional production, participate in an interactive Q & A with cast and crew and take a backstage tour for an arts education experience that allows them to test new ideas, use their imagination and discover how to use the creative process to enhance such study and communication skills as teamwork, imaginative problem-solving, decision-making, leadership, conflict resolution, research, language arts and meta-cognition. Each theatre field trip also includes a digital activity booklet and certificate of participation, plus a special code for free tickets to a future performance for each student, as well as a teacher’s manual, and consultation on how to apply theatre skills across all curricular fields.
“Thank you so much for our great field trip today! The kids loved the show and the awesome actors. They really enjoyed the Q&A after, and even wish that part could have gone on longer! You will definitely be seeing us again.” Jaclyn Balderas, St Catherine La Boure School
“Thank You so much for the awesome field trip!!!! The children enjoyed it so very much.
For many it was the first time ever seeing a live play. You were all so very kind and welcoming.
Once again Thank you for everything!” Maria Ruiz, Mildred P Janson Elementary School
The Productions
More than critically hailed explorations of classic children's literature, more than internationally acclaimed musical comedies, these productions, each presented before more than 50,000 audience members to date, offer young audiences access to positive role models and social and personal values, as well as a wide variety of theatrical and musical genres, through the use of familiar stories, world-class performances, inspiring music and colorful word play. Mounted with authentic and professional costumes, props, sets, make-up, lighting and sound, the plays deal with contemporary issues in a theatrical manner, couched in a historical setting, and are presented by Actors' Repertory Theatre, Santa Monica's internationally acclaimed professional acting company.
“Thank you! We really enjoyed it. I loved the Q & A time. Your actors really explained all aspects of theatre!” Pamela Alch, Calvert Charter for Enriched Studies
“I want to share with you that as an artist and a teacher, I really appreciate the materials/resources provided. They are detailed and cover all areas needed for a deeper theatre experience for the children!” Judy Ngo, Immaculate Heart of Mary School
- Productions, discussions and consultations are presented by members of Actors’ Repertory Theatre, Santa Monica’s internationally acclaimed professional resident theatre company
- All Santa Monica Playhouse Educational Programming augments the State Standards and Common Core requirements in English, Theatre and Reading
- A Theatre Field Trip for your school is more than 50% subsidized by the corporate and private sector of the community and the Santa Monica Playhouse Arts-in-Education OutReach Project, so your school pays less than half of the total cost of the project
- Santa Monica Playhouse is one of only ten Santa Monica arts organizations recognized through the SMARTS Arts in Schools and Demonstration Project for California Arts Council as qualified and selected by a peer review process to teach arts in the SMMUSD
- The Santa Monica Playhouse Education Program is built upon forty years of experience with more than three-quarters of a million students and teachers
The Time, The Place, The Price
Productions are presented in one of two Santa Monica Playhouse performance auditoriums. You may book one or two performances of the same play on any week day beginning at 9am or later. Field Trips generally run two hours (includes a one hour and a half hour performance, with a short intermission, and a Q&A after the show.) Workshops following the performance are also available. Great news! We receive funding for a major portion of your Field Trip. The actual per show cost is $1575. Cost to your school is only $695 for one show or $975 for two shows on the same day. In some cases, further funding is available - please ask.
"Thank you so much!! It was a great show, the kids had a great time. It was a great experience for them!! We hope that we can come back again next year." Patricia Torres, Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School
List of Shows
Below is a list of currently available productions.
To find out what is playing when, please get in touch (email us!) Shows are available 52 weeks a year.
To find out what is playing when, please get in touch (email us!) Shows are available 52 weeks a year.
alice and the wonderful tea party
Alice returns to Wonderland at the invitation of her old friend, the Queen of Hearts. Once there, she finds that things are just as madcap and nonsensical as ever. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the world’s most famous enantiomorphs (and yes, the word is discussed and explained in a delightful musical number) have eaten all the food for the tea party, and the Queen is furious. Alice is put in charge of producing refreshments, and this takes her on a delightful excursion through the world of puns, word games and linguistic jokes that Lewis Carroll so intriguingly created. While attempting to fulfill her duties, Alice comes upon the Cards, who, of course, have planted roses of the wrong color. As they try to paint their way out of the corner, they sing a merry ode which introduces students to such varied artists as Escher, Van Gogh, Titian, El Greco, Grandma Moses and many more. The roses are still unfinished when the Mad Hatter arrives, saving the day with his supply of tea-“Prosperi-tea for the wealthy”, “nobili-tea for the Queen”, “mobili-tea for those who can’t sit still in their seats.” The golden afternoon ends with a special surprise un-birthday celebration for Alice, and the promise to meet again soon.
educational value
Lewis Carroll, famed mathematician and author of the classic “Alice” books, filled his stories with the most interesting of puns, word games and tricks with which to delight his young admirers. These have been faithfully transferred to the stage in Alice and the Wonderful Tea Party, allowing students to discover the joy of language and rhyme in a colorful and entertaining manner. Children will have the opportunity to stretch their imaginations, as well as compare the differences between fantasy and reality, fact and nonsense, and discover just how many similarities there actually are between these seemingly opposite aspects of thought.
educators say"Alice and the Wonderful Tea Party was absolutely delightful. The staff and students thoroughly enjoyed the play. Thank you for providing the students at Rio Vista Elementary with a wonderful theatre experience. I’m looking forward to having your group perform again." Lydia Wells, Principal - Rio Vista Elementary School
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critical acclaim“The quality of performance is so pure and bright that children are fascinated throughout, all the while being exposed to superior theater that does not pander to their young age. The entire cast is very strong. The music and lyrics by Evelyn Rudie are the magic of the show. They provide a style and energy that keeps the children glued to the action.” LA. Parent
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EVER AFTER TAKE TWO:
A Fantastical fairytale journey with Alice, Hansel & Gretel, Snowhite, M. Goose and their friends
An interactive musical where audiences get to help save the fairytale world as they follow the real-life adventures of Snowhite, Alice, Hansel and Gretel, Puss In Boots, the Frog Prince and a host of other beloved characters. Audience members say the magical words which are projected on the cyclorama as they are introduced to a variety of musical and story-telling styles. Commissioned to celebrate the return of the Santa Monica Playhouse Family Theatre Musical Matinee series, Ever After Take 2 features original music by award-winning theatre artists Evelyn Rudie and Chris DeCarlo and is performed by the internationally acclaimed Actors’ Repertory Theatre.
educational value
EVER AFTER TAKE TWO gives audiences the chance to explore a host of musical theatre genres, including Americana, Broadway musical, Gilbert and Sullivan-style patter songs, ballads, and everything in between in a theatrical presentation that is both familiar and challenging. Distinct cultural, historical, theatrical and musical content gives clarity to the 5 W’s, while thematic content evokes an immediate personal connection with the music and the fairytale characters. Audience participation provides students with the opportunity to have an impact on the development of the piece itself.
An exciting feature of this production is its flexibility in terms of grade level. The production was created for grades 6 through 12. Actors’ Repertory Theatre has created a special version for grades K – 5, however, which puts special focus on fairytales and story-telling. Take your pick...
An exciting feature of this production is its flexibility in terms of grade level. The production was created for grades 6 through 12. Actors’ Repertory Theatre has created a special version for grades K – 5, however, which puts special focus on fairytales and story-telling. Take your pick...
educators say"You are all such a pleasure to work with and your theater is just amazing. The children learn so much about literature, fairy tales, live theater, acting, audience behavior, play-writing…well, obviously I could go on and on. I feel like your unofficial biggest teacher fan!”
Nancy Levy, Juan Cabrillo Elementary School |
critical acclaim"You won’t find more professional theatre—for children or adults—anywhere in the Los Angeles area then at the Santa Monica Playhouse. Family theatre is but one facet of the Playhouse’s extensive repertoire, and its modernized musical version of Cinderella delivers fairytale enchantment, visual wonderment and flashing humor in a top-quality production.” Terry Fisher, Pony Ride
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a visit with sholom aleichem
A Visit with Sholom Aleichem introduces its audiences to one of the world’s greatest authors and humorists, Sholom Rabinowitz, aka Sholom Aleichem. It offers an enlightening view into American and European culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and gives a colorful, informative tangibility to the exciting heritage of the man whose works inspired “Fiddler on the Roof!” Known in literary circles as “the Yiddish Mark Twain” (Mark Twain himself is said to have introduced himself to the famous author as “The American Sholom Aleichem"), Sholom Aleichem was a storyteller whose tales of the human condition speak with universal appeal and appeal to all ages. “A Visit with Sholom Aleichem” is based on “Aleichem Sholom: the Wit and Wisdom of Sholom Aleichem,” which was in its third sell-out year when the pandemic began, and will re-open at the Playhouse to continue its run.
educational value
This delightful, poignant and informative musical is part of our on-going Jewish Heritage Program, whose mission is to introduce today’s Jewish and non-Jewish youth to the unique richness of Jewish literature and theatre, and to highlight the importance of Jewish culture and tradition in our world community by presenting educational, enriching and enlightening theatre based on the words and works of Jewish authors and playwrights.
educators say“Just plain brilliant!” playwright/performer/educator Wendy Michaels
“I loved the play. Such an amazing actors, beautiful voices, I was so moved by the history it represented. I laughed and I cried. And most of all, I learned.” Zaira Bueno, educator |
critical acclaim"Brilliantly performed! Aleichem Sholom is highly entertaining and is recommended to anyone who appreciates history, literature, comedy and philosophy.” The Tolucan Times
“Brilliant portrayals! You will be just as captivated as I was.” Broadwayworld.com
“A wonderfully written musical play, beautifully performed by DeCarlo and Rudie!” Carol Kaufman, Carol’s Culture Corner
“It’s grounding to see this part of our shared past re-created in sunny Santa Monica, whether or not we actually grew up on tales of shtetl life. These stories of inequity and triumph, love and laughter, family and religion are part of our heritage and identity, and connect us to a part of ourselves.” Wendy Paris, The Jewish Journal
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cinderella
"You won’t find more professional theatre—for children or adults—anywhere in the Los Angeles area then at the Santa Monica Playhouse. Family theatre is but one facet of the Playhouse’s extensive repertoire, and its modernized musical version of Cinderella delivers fairytale enchantment, visual wonderment and flashing humor in a top-quality production.
This Cinderella is a modern, independent miss who won’t allow the Prince to ‘look her over like a grocer’s tomato’. Cinderella’s witty sarcasm is lost on her stepmother and stepsisters, but not on the audience. The kids love it when Cinderella taps them on the head with her feather duster while she cleans the cottage.
The handsome, resplendent Prince disguises himself as a valet so that the kingdom’s maidens will like him for himself. He and Cinderella meet, fall in love and almost lose each other through a mix-up. However, all ends up happily, with the stepsisters repenting their ill treatment of Cinderella and the Prince’s father promising them other royal matches." (from Terry Fisher's LA PARENT Review)
This Cinderella is a modern, independent miss who won’t allow the Prince to ‘look her over like a grocer’s tomato’. Cinderella’s witty sarcasm is lost on her stepmother and stepsisters, but not on the audience. The kids love it when Cinderella taps them on the head with her feather duster while she cleans the cottage.
The handsome, resplendent Prince disguises himself as a valet so that the kingdom’s maidens will like him for himself. He and Cinderella meet, fall in love and almost lose each other through a mix-up. However, all ends up happily, with the stepsisters repenting their ill treatment of Cinderella and the Prince’s father promising them other royal matches." (from Terry Fisher's LA PARENT Review)
educational value
This charming musical comedy shows young people the importance of tolerance, and how to develop a positive self-image and interact successfully with others, both with their peer group and in the home, while discovering the dangers of stereotyping and the power of kindness and patience. The stepmother and stepsisters are portrayed as humorous rather than evil, serving to increase children’s awareness that “stepmothers are people, too”. As in the original story, this version offers the philosophy that “it is not your financial or social status, but who you are on the inside, that counts”. Perhaps today, more than ever, this is a necessary belief for our young people to own.
educators say"Our children enjoyed it immensely and it is always an educational tool
for our teachers to initiate a love of the arts in their students." Progress School "Students, teachers and parents raved about the play and found the cast delightful… wherever you perform the audience will leave satisfied they’ve seen quality on the stage." Emerson School |
critical acclaim"An Enchanting Cinderella!…captivates its young audience, highlighted by fast pacing, fancy costuming and a lovely, unweepy Cinderella."
Lynne Heffley, LA TIMES |
DOROTHY'S ADVENTURES IN OZ
“A return trip to the Emerald City in the Santa Monica Playhouse’s imaginative, colorful musical” (LA TIMES). A joyous family-friendly musical comedy, this hilarious and heart-warming internationally acclaimed reworking of the beloved story is filled with music and dance, fun special effects, laughter and love, as audiences follow Dorothy and her companions along the windy road to that mystical place where dreams really do come true and nothing is as it seems, doing battle with the vain but glorious Queen Coo-ee-oh, joining forces with a vagabond princess who is revolting (although she doesn’t look it), meeting a Patchwork Girl and a Rainbow Maiden, facing such looming monsters as war, drought and mortgages, learning a great deal about the world around them, and even a little bit about themselves.
“An educating as well as an entertaining experience…an event that all the members of the family can enjoy.” (Century City News)
“An educating as well as an entertaining experience…an event that all the members of the family can enjoy.” (Century City News)
educational value
The lessons learned in “Dorothy” are the simple ones. The importance of family, home, and never giving up – the power of the imagination, unconditional love, and hope – that with tolerance and communication, you can share and connect with anyone. “Dorothy” strives to instill social and personal values in audiences, nurturing youngsters away from narrow, stereotypical conclusions, and empowering them to make choices through the use of the imagination and direct experience. “So, I believe that dreams, day dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain-machinery whizzing, are likely to lead to the betterment of the world. The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most opt to create, to invent, and therefore to foster civilization.” L. Frank Baum
educators say“Our boys and girls grades K-5 truly enjoyed the outstanding performance. The teachers and students enjoyed the costumes, set, sound system and lighting effects of the play. The Actors did an excellent job. The program was superb.”
Arthur E. Fields, Ed. D., Principal, Horace Mann School |
critical acclaim“After it was over, we were wishing it could go on and on!”
WHAT’S HAPPENING “Very professional! – carried out with flair and enjoyment!” THE OUTLOOK |
