CTC Teacher Information

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 2013 - 2014 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!

Charlotte's Web
The Elves and the Shoemaker

More study guides will become available throughout the summer.

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)

TEACHER INFORMATION

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