Everyman Theatre Announces New Virtual Field Trip Program For Schools

Everyman Theatre has launched a new initiative in response to the COVID pandemic with its Virtual Field Trip Program. This initiative bridges the need for compelling and essential stories with the new reality of digital classrooms.

Invigorating the learning environment with live theatre for middle school, high school, and college students, the Virtual Field Trip Program supports necessary curricular work, while ensuring a holistic experience of the play itself. Teachers and school leadership can create a custom field trip with pre-show workshops preparing students for the play and live or pre-recorded post-show discussions with production artists to accompany the filmed stage production. Everyman is committed to removing obstacles to engagement with flexible and customizable pricing options built into the design of the program.

According to Brianna McCoy, Everyman Theatre's Director of Education and Community Engagement, "Teachers can curate their own Virtual Field Trip with workshops, performances, live post-show discussions, and access to artists. We've sweetened the pot for educators with interactive play guides and other bonus "goodies" so they feel empowered in connecting students to a shared humanity through theatre. Most importantly, this gives students something to look forward to and lights a fire of excitement around the yet-unexplored world of a play!"

Themes of race, class, culture, living and studying abroad, coming-of-age, and life's transitions, are just some of what's explored in the Queens Girl Trilogy of plays, while themes such as mythology, parenthood, personal responsibilities, and history are explored in Cry It Out and Berta, Berta, the two other plays from Everyman Theatre offered as part of the Virtual Field Trip program this winter. All educational enrichment-- pre-show workshops and post-show discussion are $100, and streaming performance packages start at $149 per classroom. Pricing is tailored to each individual school depending upon their interests, need, and capacity to fund this type of programming.

Andrew S., a teacher at the DC International School, reflects on his student's experience, "Seeing Queens Girl in the World gives my students the chance to see a story about someone close to their age, but set in a turbulent time different from our own very turbulent moment. At a time when we have not been able to meet in person at all this school year, giving them all the chance to watch this play "together," though online, gave them a shared cultural experience that we connected over to help build a stronger classroom community."

In response to the COVID pandemic, regional theatres across the country look to new and original ways to engage all their stakeholders, from donors and subscribers to partners and members of our extended Baltimore community.

Marissa LaRose, Everyman Theatre's Managing Director thinks, "When presented with challenges, we have the opportunity to rise. Theatres and artists have had to be nimble and creative to find new ways to connect in a remote environment. Teachers have had to rebuild online or blended curriculums for their students and keeping an online classroom engaging for hours each week is an astronomical task. My hope is that we can make it a little easier for teachers and administrators to keep the arts in schools with this program. Connecting students with live art during this time will have a lasting impact and I am extraordinarily proud of the team at Everyman for finding a path to this vital connection."

For more information on Everyman Theatre's Virtual Field Trip program, please visit https://everymantheatre.org/virtual-field-trips-0 or reach the Education Department at Education@EverymanTheatre.org or 443-776-8580. And, for direct access to the Virtual Field Trip school form, visit https://forms.gle/QZ9rh4W8jT9ixesD7.

For more information on the 30th anniversary season, the organization's COVID safety plan, Frequently Asked Questions about returning to live theatre, or other Education and Community classes and events, call 410.752.2208 or visit everymantheatre.org.