Spring 2025 Tour Offerings

Acting It Out: Dramatic Workshops for the Non-Theatre Classroom

Seven workshops for teachers to choose from that infuse the instruction of curriculum standards with dramatic arts. Each workshop is 45 minutes long and designed to be presented in classrooms. Topics include English, Math, Science, and Social Emotional Learning.

Always Keep Your Lion on A Leash: A Unique Piece of West Virginia History

This play with music was created to share the unique true story of French, the Alderson Lion, who lived in Anderson, West Virginia in the 1890s before traveling with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. His entertaining story encourages audiences to embrace what makes them different and roar through life’s challenges to greatness. This 30-minute performance is appropriate for all ages! The 2 person cast, simple set and costumes allows for this show to be performed in a library, gymnasium, auditorium, or cafeteria space.

How It Works:

  • Choose the combination of workshops and performances that best suits your school’s needs.

  • Two professional teaching artists will travel from the Greenbrier Valley Theatre to your school with all of the materials they will need to present the workshops and production.

  • These opportunities come at no cost to your school due to the support of the US Department of Education.

Booking is OPEN NOW!

Spring dates are January 27 - April 25, 2025!

For more information and to book, contact Monique at edtour@gvtheatre.org

Greenbrier Valley Theatre, the State Professional Theatre of West Virginia is further expanding its education programming from within the walls of the theatre to classrooms around the state. The goal of these workshops is to allow for a variety of hands-on experiences designed to supplement the instruction of curriculum standards utilizing dramatic arts.

The goal of this program is to increase arts access to students throughout the state. By aligning theatre programming with state-mandated educational goals, GVT aims to be a resource for teachers to help foster creativity, critical thinking, and social-emotional learning, to help students excel academically and personally. We believe that the arts are instrumental in forming identities, both shared and within the self. Exploring these topics through an artistic lens, led by teaching artists, encourages students to develop increased social engagement, improved civic discourse, and to reduce other-regarding behavior.

General Workshop Details

  • Each workshop is 45 minutes long.

  • Designed to be performed in classroom or library spaces.

  • A maximum class size of 25 students per workshop helps to ensure a quality learning experience.

  • Some workshops may require access to a screen for showing videos or visuals, any other materials will be provided by GVT.

  • Teacher presence and participation in the classroom during your Acting It Out workshop is required.

  • After your workshop, a postmortem survey will be emailed out about your Acting It Out workshop experience.

Workshop Offerings

English

K-2: Dramatic Adventures: Exploring Creative Storytelling

Students will explore Language and emotion recognition through the body.

3-4: Building a Story…And Robots?

Students will explore the components that make up a story and create their own stories in groups.

Math

K-2: Shapes, Patterns and Moving our Bodies

Students will explore shapes, patterns, and rhythms through moving their bodies.

3-5: Pirate Adventure! A Story Problem Tale

Focusing on Place Values (ones, tens, hundreds, thousands), students will work through story problems to help find the pirates’ stolen treasure.

Science

K-2: Weather! Plants! Animals! Oh My!

Students will explore different environments using their imaginations and their bodies.

3-5: The Human Rube Goldberg Machine

While exploring the simple and complex machines of their bodies, students will create a human Rube Goldberg Machine to accomplish tasks and strengthen their teamwork skills.

Social Emotional Learning

All Grades: Puppet Palooza! Respect, Empathy, and Anti-Bullying

Through puppets, students will learn more about respect, empathy, and anti-bullying to empower each other.

Always Keep Your Lion on A Leash: A Unique Piece of West Virginia History

You’ve probably heard of many famous lions, like the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz, Simba from Disney’s The Lion King, but have you heard about the famous lion from West Virginia? That’s right! In the 1890s, a lion cub was raised by a local resident of Alderson, West Virginia after she found him near the river. He was a friendly neighbor in town, but as he grew into his full size, the town became nervous about having a lion roam freely. So, the town council declared that any lion would have to be on a leash. The rest is history…

From quiet beginnings in Alderson, West Virginia to the famous tents of the Barnum and Bailey Circus, this unique piece of West Virginia history will remind us all to embrace where we come from and roar through the challenges we may face so that we can embrace our destiny of greatness.

This 30-minute performance is appropriate for all ages!

This production is performed by two professional Teaching Artists from Greenbrier Valley Theatre. The simple set and costumes allows for this show to be performed in a library, gymnasium, auditorium, or cafeteria space. Other requirements for this performance are: access to the space at least 1 hour before the performance for load-in and set up, access to outlets for lighting and sound equipment, a secure and private space for the actors to prepare for the show.

For more information and to book, contact Monique at edtour@gvtheatre.org