Class Acts Education Series
Welcome!
We look forward to providing your students with unique opportunities to experience professional performing arts performances that complement their classroom learning and expand their cultural horizons! Let us help you enrich your school day and plan your perfect educational field trip! Use our online reservation form above, or if you need help, please call us at 270.450.4444
Our Class Acts Education Series offers professional theater performances and experiences that complement and reinforce core curriculum connections while entertaining and delighting students in Preschool through 12th grade. Performances are offered during the school day. Lunch can be arranged inside or on our lawn, weather permitting. Workshops and masterclasses to complete your learning experience may also be available. Let us help shape your perfect field trip! Please email us at boxoffice@thecarsoncenter.org
NOTE - Homeschools and Groups of fewer than ten persons WILL NOT receive an invoice for their order. Please call us to secure your seats with payment at 270-450-4444 NO LATER THAN 3 weeks before the performance.
DON'T MISS THE SHOW! CHECK OUT THIS GRANT OPPORTUNITY:
The Kentucky Arts Council’s TranspARTation Grant offers KY teachers and schools funding to attend high-quality arts programming at participating venues such as The Carson Center! Schools may apply for a grant based on the roundtrip mileage from their building to the facility and the number of buses necessary.
Application Deadline: November 1, 2024
Grant Amount: Funds are distributed on a reimbursement basis using the following formula: Roundtrip mileage from school to facility x $2 x number of buses = reimbursement amount (e.g., 55 miles roundtrip x $2 x 3 buses = $330).
Usage: For Field Trips between January 1, 2025 and May 15, 2025
Reservations
Make reservations for any Class Acts Education Series performances:
The 2024-2025 Class Acts Season
THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS
Friday, October 25, 2024 - 10:00 AM
Recommended for Grades K-5
When the class gets lost on the way to the planetarium, Ms. Frizzle saves the day by blasting into outer space for an epic interplanetary field trip! But when rivalries both old and new threaten to tear the students apart, our young heroes must learn to pull together or risk getting forever lost in the solar system. Hop on the Magic School Bus for a ride in this new musical adaptation based on the original book series published by Scholastic.
FRINDLE
Thursday, November 7, 2024 - Two Performances - 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM
Recommended for Grades 3-7
Nicholas Allen has plenty of ideas. When he ends up in Mrs. Granger's language arts class, he has the best idea ever. He decides to make his own word... FRINDLE! Before long, Nick's word creates a buzz in his school and his town, and then, to his surprise, it is spread all around the country, and a power struggle erupts with the strict Mrs. Granger. Will the word "Frindle" win? Based on the multiple award-winning novel by Andrew Clements, this quirky, imaginative tale about creative thought and the power of words will have your young audience inventing their own words.
Curriculum Connections: Language Arts, Literature, Vocabulary, Spelling, Creative Writing
GOODNIGHT MOON & THE RUNAWAY BUNNY
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - 10:00 AM
Recommended for Grades Pre-K-3
Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny’s pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both feature endearing rabbit characters, and the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security. Mermaid Theater’s staged adaptation brings a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations.
Curriculum Connections: Visual Art, Literature
GRAND SHANGHAI CIRCUS
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - 10:00 AM
Recommended for Grades 1-5
Grand Shanghai Acrobats deliver an all-new, higher level of entertainment with authentic costumes, dance, music, and scenery. The show honors the essence of the old, historic Shanghai Culture through the dynamic artists’ dazzling performances, which include breathtaking acrobatics, colorful dance, comedy, mystifying magic, and numerous aerial feats of strength. The Shanghai Acrobats will deliver a higher level of entertainment by combining stage LED technological innovations with exceptional artistic performances.
Curriculum Connections: Culture, Dance, Visual Arts, Communication Skills
CREOLE4KIDS
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - 10:00 AM
Recommended for Grades K-5
The Zydeco Experience is centered on the history and evolution of this unique American roots genre. Zydeco is the traditional indigenous music of black and mixed-race, French-speaking Creoles of south Louisiana. Simien not only entertains but also helps to raise the cultural IQ of his youth, students, and family audiences. He has led the charge of educating student audiences about Creole culture and Zydeco music. Come celebrate Black History Month and Mardi Gras with us and laissez les bons temps rouler!
Curriculum Connections: Music, Social Studies, Language Arts, World Culture
ROMEO AND JULIET
Thursday, February 27, 2025 - 10:00 AM
Recommended for Grades 9-12
Join Atlanta Shakespeare Company’s artists as they bring their 22nd Anniversary tour of Shakespeare’s works across the country. This small cast adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet condenses Bard's famous tale of star-crossed lovers into sixty minutes of romance, poetry, humor, swordplay, and tragedy, all while keeping the plot intact. This touring show features a cast of six actors playing multiple roles in a fast-paced, high-energy performance.
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 - 10:00 AM
Recommended for Grades K-4
The Remember Balloons is a heartwarming intergenerational tale that embraces the beauty of sharing memories while delicately addressing memory loss. James’s Grandpa treasures his balloons, each representing cherished memories—his wedding day with Grandma and a fishing trip with James. When the balloons begin to drift away, James is devastated until he discovers he can share them one by one.
DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! THE MUSICAL!
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 - 10:00 AM
Recommended for Grades Pre-K-2
Whatever you do, don’t let the Pigeon star in his own musical production! It’s not easy being the Pigeon—you never get to do ANYTHING! But when the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers (gasp!) late, maybe that wily bird CAN do something. Starring an innovative mix of actors, puppets, songs, and feathers, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical) is sure to get everyone’s wings flapping.
BLACK VIOLIN
Friday, May 2, 2025 - 11:00 AM
Recommended for Grades 3-12
Join us to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Black Violin, the duo that has captivated global audiences by harmoniously merging classical melodies with hip-hop rhythms. Witness the evolution of Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste from humble beginnings to widespread acclaim, accompanied by Nat Stokes on drums, DJ SPS on turntables, and Liston Gregory on keys. Their performance promises to inspire you, energize you, and uplift you as they blend classical strings with hip-hop beats, defying expectations and redefining genres.
Curriculum Connections: Music, Culture, Communication
DOG MAN THE MUSICAL
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 - 10:00 AM
Recommended for Grades 1-5
Based on the worldwide bestselling hit series by Dav Pilkey, Dog Man: The Musical is a hilarious and heartwarming production following the chronicles of Dog Man, who, with the head of a dog and the body of a policeman, loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture. But while trying his best to be a good boy, can he save the city from Flippy, the cyborg fish, and his army of Beasty Buildings? Can he catch Petey, the world’s most evil cat, who has cloned himself to exact revenge on the doggy do-gooder? And will George and Harold finish their show before lunchtime?? Find out in this epic musical adventure featuring the hilarity and heart of beloved characters from Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants.