Host Speech, Student Matinees

California Shakespeare Theater

Student Matinee Rules and Procedures

CHAPERONE VERSION

Welcome to the California Shakespeare Theater! We have an incredible show planned for you, and we hope you are looking forward to the experience as much as we are. In order to ensure that you and your students have a safe and enjoyable day, please review the following rules and share them with your students. We rely on our teachers/chaperones to do the majority of the supervision while at the theater. Please note that we expect you to arrive at the theater with a ratio of 10 students to 1 chaperone. Should a problem arise with a student at any point during the day, we will ask the student to sit outside the theater with a chaperone until the conclusion of the performance. Please make every effort to see that students are attentive and respectful to the theater, the grounds, the actors, and our staff. Thanks so much, and we’ll see you soon!

Please note: The performance will run approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes (including one 10-minute intermission) and will be followed by a 15-minute Question and Answer Period. Please see a Cal Shakes staff member to arrange alternate seating for anyone who must leave before the end of the show.

BEFORE YOU ARRIVE: You are about to visit an outdoor theater, which means that the weather can be quite unpredictable! As we all know, the weather in one part of the Bay Area can be completely different from the weather in another part. Please urge your students to prepare for both hot and cold weather: bring sweaters, jackets, sunscreen, hats, plenty of water to drink, and some snacks. Bug spray is a good idea, too!

ARRIVING AT THE THEATER: Upon arrival, your group will be escorted from the parking lot up to the theater by ushers. If your group arrives before 10:20 a.m., our ushers will lead you to one of our beautiful eucalyptus groves to wait until we’re ready to lead you into the theater. You are welcome and encouraged to arrive anytime between 9:30-10:20 a.m. to picnic in our groves before the show! Please remain in the grove until your group is called to be seated in the theater. Please do not arrive any later than 10:20 a.m. so as to allow plenty of time to seat everyone before the pre-show.

ENTERING THE THEATER:Once the theater is opened, ushers will lead your group into the theater. As you enter, stand next to those you want to sit with. Once you are seated, do not change seats as this disrupts the flow of traffic for others being seated. Please sit in your assigned seating area only. Do not move to another area even if there are empty seats available—moving during the show is disruptive to the actors, and there may be other people assigned to those seats.
Chaperones: please sit with your students and space yourselves out among your students. We ask that chaperones supervise students at all times, before, during, and after the show.

RESPECT DURING THE PERFORMANCE: Out of respect for the actors and other audience members, once the performance has begun, students and chaperones may only leave the theater in case of emergency. Furthermore, actors often use the aisles during the performance, so aisles must be kept clear at all times. Students may not leave the theater during the performance unless accompanied by a chaperone. Once they leave, they will not be allowed back into the theater until an appropriate moment in the play. Students and chaperones must use the restroom before the play begins, during intermission, or at the end of the show.

FOOD: You may eat in the theater, but please unwrap anything that would make noise ahead of time. Please take all your trash & recyclables with you when you leave. There are bins outside the theater entrance. Chewing gum, bag candies or similar small, hard foods are discouraged in the theater.

WATER: Water fountains can be found in the main lobby near the road and behind the rear wall of the theater near the technical control booth.

BEACH CHAIRS: Some of you will be seated in portable beach chairs in the theater terrace. At the end of the performance, please return these chairs to the area just outside the top row of the seats as you leave the theater.

PHOTOGRAPHY of any kind is prohibited and illegal. This includes pictures taken with cell phones. Any cameras or camera phones will be confiscated.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES, including cell phones, Palm Pilots and laptops, may not be used during the performance. It is discourteous to the actors. If any are seen being used, they will be confiscated immediately.

SMOKING: Fire danger at our site is very high. No smoking is allowed anywhere. Anyone smoking will be asked to leave the theater.

WILDERNESS AREAS: NO off site exploration is allowed. Outside the theater, lobby and paths, this is a wilderness area, complete with rampant poison oak and many animals. We make every effort to reduce the yellow jacket population on our grounds, however, as the theater is surrounded by acres of wooded watershed, bees are almost always part of the experience. To keep the bees away, cover your food as much as possible. If a bee does come near you, keep calm and do not swat at it. If you do get stung, please see a Cal Shakes staff member.

EXITING THE THEATER: Once the show has ended, chaperones should assist students in picking up trash, folding up beach chairs and blankets (if applicable), and returning beach chairs and blankets to their designated areas. Chaperones should exit with students. Please use the footpath to return to the parking lot at the end of the show. DO NOT walk down the road as cars and the BART shuttle may be driving on the road.

Thank you and see you at the theater!