PREPARING YOUR STUDENTS
Please prepare
your group for being courteous audience members. Remind the students that
they are seeing a live production with real actors. Movement and voices
in the audience can distract the performers, and other audience members. Since
theatre is not like a DVD that can be played back, audience members
must be free from distractions in order to understand all parts of the story. Patrons are, of
course, encouraged to laugh when they find it funny and clap at the end of
the play to show the actors they enjoyed the performance and appreciate the
actors'
efforts.
Make sure your
group is aware that theatre etiquette includes absolutely no eating,
drinking, gum, or candy in the theatre. These regulations exist both to respect
the theatre space and to reduce distractions to the other patrons. Of
course, theatre etiquette also includes turning watches, pagers, and
cell phones
to silent; photography and recording devices are strictly prohibited.
STUDY GUIDES FOR 2011 - 2012 SEASON
Because CTC has, since its inception,
been focused on educating and expanding the creative outlets of youth, we provide
custom, in-depth study guides to help parents, teachers, and students connect
their theatre experience with their studies in reading, language arts,
science, history, geography, and more for all of our touring plays. Use
these educational tools to show your students (and administrators) how the performance
children see relates to their studies!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
(FAQs)
Q. How
long is the performance?
A. All California
Theatre Center performances run approximately one hour.
Q. How
early should we plan to arrive at the theatre?
A. We strongly
recommend arriving at the theatre 20 to 30 minutes before the start of
the show. Why? See below.
Q. How
do we get good seats?
A. For all performances,
we fill the theatre from front to back as groups arrive and
are complete. Groups are seated together, although we cannot hold seats
for latecomers--they will be seated separately. This prevents latecomers
from disrupting the show for others, and ensures that all seats may be filled
if the show sells out. Therefore, the best way to get seats near the front
is to have your whole group arrive early and together, and have them line up
outside the theatre door in the order in which you
would like them to sit.
EXCEPTION: Select theatres
do require a seating chart, in which case your group will be assigned a section
in advance.
Q. How
can I best prepare my students for seeing a CTC production?
A. There are several
ways to help your students get the most out of their theatre experience
with us.
1. Read our
Audience Preparation section at the top of this page.
2. Read the original
version of the story/fairytale with your group and discuss.
3. Study guides are available
for some CTC productions which offer topics for study, projects, and discussion
that may help students apply their theatre experience to
their life and studies. Study guides may be found by clicking on the
buttons at the bottom of this page.
Q. What
if I'm not sure yet exactly how many tickets I need?
A. No problem! When
you place your order, make as close an estimate as possible (including parents
and teachers). To hold the reservation, you only need to pay a 20% deposit
within 30 days of placing the order. You may then call us to adjust
your numbers up or down until you make the final balance payment a month
before
the performance.
Q. How
do I order tickets for a play?
A. There are several
convenient ways to order tickets from California Theatre Center.
In
the Santa Clara Valley Area:
Order Online: Click
here: Buy Tickets
Now!
Order By Mail: If
you already have one of our brochures, simply fill out the attached order
form completely and mail it to our office at P.O. Box 2007, Sunnyvale,
CA 94087.
Order By Fax: If
you have one of our brochures, fill out the attached order form completely
and fax it to 408-245-0235.
Order By Phone: Just
call our Sunnyvale Box Office at 408-245-2978.
Outside
of the Santa Clara Valley, CA Area:
Order Online: Click
here: Buy Tickets
Now!
Order By Mail: If
you already have one of our brochures, simply fill out the attached order
form completely and mail it to CTC at P.O.Box 2007, Sunnyvale, CA
94087.
Order By Fax: If
you have one of our brochures, fill out the attached order form completely
and fax it to 408-245-0235.
Order By Phone: Just
call toll-free 1-800-606-0424.
Q. What
forms of payment does CTC accept?
A. CTC accepts check,
money order, VISA, MasterCard, and school district purchase orders
(as a "promise" to pay).
Q. Where
do I send my payment?
A. Please send
all payments to:
California Theatre
Center
P.O. Box 2007
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Please make sure you indicate
the school name and contact person for the order, and the play for which
you are
paying. Purchase orders may also be faxed to us at 408-245-0235.
Q. How
do I get directions to the theatre?
A. Maps and directions
to our local venues (in the Santa Clara Valley) are available below.
IN THE SANTA CLARA VALLEY AREA
Venue Information (including maps and
directions)
