San Jose Rep On Tour

San Jose Rep on Tour is an ambitious and exciting new education program whose mission is to bring high quality professional productions of relevant, curriculum-based plays from the dramatic and literary canon to area schools.

In the fall of 2011, San Jose Rep on Tour will present the American classic, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. This moving tale of two friends in search of the American dream during the time of the Great Depression illuminates the history of migrant farmworkers in the Salinas Valley. It is a story of compassion and companionship amidst a life of dreams that remain just out of reach. It is a staple of the American literary canon, and part of the California state curriculum. Through San Jose Rep on Tour, this text will come alive, and provide students with access to the material in a meaningful and memorable way.

Download our printable one-page fact sheet.

For more information, or to book a performance for your school, please contact Karen Altree Piemme, Director of Outreach at 408.367.7291 or karenp@sjrep.com.

 

San Jose Rep on Tour features the talents of some of the nest professional artists from the Bay Area, bringing live theatre to Middle and High Schools throughout Santa Clara County and beyond. As a result of the current economic crisis and the scal emergency in the state of California, funding for arts curriculum in area schools has been severely cut or eliminated. To provide area students with at least some exposure to the arts, schools have relied on arts institutions such as San Jose Rep to fill this void. It is with an eye to serving this urgent need for arts programming in schools that we have established San Jose Rep on Tour.

Performances of each classic play tour 15-25 schools. The performances are supported with co-curricular activities, including study guides, workshops and post-performance discussions. By bringing professional plays into schools and continually challenging students to re-examine texts and re-evaluate current events, students become actively engaged in the learning of literature and political a,airs. This program brings the best of history and literature into classrooms. By combining academic excellence with professional theatre, students become excited about the possibilities that come with live theatrical experiences.

Logistically, the process includes setting up at the school auditorium (or cafeteria or equivalent space) over the course of approximately 75 minutes. The play takes place over 80-90 minutes, with a question & answer session with the actors following the performance. Workshops that coincide with the performance are also available to the schools. San Jose Rep on Tour is easy for the schools, exciting, entertaining, and educational. San Jose Rep has a proven track record of providing extremely successful outreach and education programs to our community. San Jose Rep on Tour augments our other existing programs and, by doing so, provides arts education to the broadest possible cross-section of our community.