Student Matinees at Proctors
Students experience live theatre while engaging with curriculum-based programming at one of our historic venues: Proctors, Capital Repertory Theatre, and Universal Preservation Hall.
At Proctors, students attend professional productions during the school day — combining live performance with an unforgettable field trip to a magnificent historic theater. Whether in the MainStage or the GE Theatre, students experience the beauty and history of downtown Schenectady.
“Northeast Ballet’s Annual Nutcracker”
Northeast Ballet’s Annual “Nutcracker” is a dreamland for every young person to explore. Elaborate costumes create a story about Clara’s dream during holiday time, inspired by a gift from her uncle Drosselmeyer — a NUTCRACKER! Complete with a growing tree, magical dolls, nasty rats fighting with diligent soldiers led by her savior, the Nutcracker, and a scary rat queen, she journeys through a snow squall to learn about dances of the world until she finds her special sugar plum, and all is well in the world.
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11
Location: MainStage at Proctors
Price: $10
Grade level: 4+
Length: 60 minutes
CC: Music, Dance, Storytelling
“Cirque Kalabanté : Afrique en Cirque”
“Afrique en Cirque” is a show by Yamoussa Bangoura, inspired by daily life in Guinea. This performance shares the beauty, youth, and artistry of African culture. A colorful show beyond its scenery, costumes, and staging, it makes any theatre vibrate with energy and represents the strength, agility, and life’s joys of young Africans. The audience will see acrobats execute gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, accompanied by the contemporary sounds of live Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora. Welcome to the universe of Kalabanté Productions and prepare for an unforgettable journey.
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 25
Location: MainStage at Proctors
Price: $10
Grade level: K-8
Length: 50 minutes
CC: Music, Dance, Culture
“The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon”
One evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight. So, begins “The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon,” the first of seven delightful picture books by Crockett Johnson, following the zany adventures of an inventive young boy. As it turned out, there wasn’t any moon that night, nor was there a path to walk on, so Harold simply drew them. And thus, his journey began. Resourceful and brave, Harold creates the world he wants to explore, using nothing more than a big purple crayon and his sky’s-the-limit imagination.
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 4
Location: MainStage at Proctors
Price: $10
Grade level: Pre-K-5
Length: 60 minutes
CC: ELA, Storytelling, Music
“Petticoats of Steel”
By Carolyn Anderson and Jill Rafferty-Weinisch
Celebrate the 19th Amendment: Women’s Right to Vote! This powerful production allows students to experience the battles fought — and ultimately won — for women’s suffrage told in the voices of the brave warriors who fought them, as well as those who fought — and still are fighting — for civil rights for all. “Petticoats of Steel” uses primary sources to tell the true stories of the women, specifically those of New York State, including Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton — and the roles they played in gaining voting rights for women in the United States.
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 10
Location: GE Theatre at Proctors
Price: $9
Grade level: 5+
Length: 45 minutes, with a 15-minute talkback
CC: American History, Social Studies, ELA, Women’s History
“The Cat in the Hat”
This multimedia show for young audiences incorporates Kaki King’s signature guitar projection mapping and drum-triggered effects into a fun-filled story of bugs, beetles, critters, and all things sugar. BUGS is engaging and interactive, encouraging audiences to participate and dance along. They are invited to shout out their favorite bug, dance like one of the insect characters jiggling around on the guitar, and feel the freedom to interact with Kaki and glow in their own discovery processes.
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. Thursday, March 25
Location: MainStage at Proctors
Price: $12
Grade level: 3+
Length: 60 minutes
CC: Literature, ELA
Bill Blagg’s “Magic in Motion”
Bill Blagg’s “Magic in Motion” melds the fascination of magic with the wonders of physical science to create an unbelievable educational experience! In this highly visual, interactive show, students will be on the edge of their seats as they explore how science creates magic right before their very eyes! Their jaws will drop in amazement as ordinary objects come to life, while others defy gravity with a simple clap of the hands and so much more! Students will learn first-hand how to create illusions using core scientific principles such as force, energy, friction, motion, and more.
Date: 10 a.m. Thursday, April 15
Location: MainStage at Proctors
Price: $10
Grade level: K-5
Length: 60 minutes
CC: Science, Gravity, States of Matter, Problem Solving
“Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live”
65 million years in the making! Erth’s “Dinosaur Zoo Live” guides your family on a breath-taking tour that begins in pre-historic Australia. You’ll observe, meet, and interact with an eye-popping collection of amazing life-like dinosaurs and other creatures in a theatrical performance that thrills and entertains kids while stimulating their imaginations in ways that forever connect them to their world. Brought to life by a team of skilled puppeteers, “Dinosaur Zoo” is so extraordinarily real you may want to run and hide — but don’t!
Show Details:
Date: 10 a.m. Thursday, April 29
Location: MainStage at Proctors
Price: $12
Grade level: K-5
Length: 60 minutes
CC: Life Science, Natural History, Paleontology
Important information:
Personal Responsibility Statement: Proctors prides itself on offering a diverse selection of arts entertainment. Not all productions may appeal or be appropriate for every person or all ages. Patrons are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the shows we offer, in order to make informed decisions prior to purchasing tickets.