Education and Outreach Programs History

GableStage is proud of its continued involvement in educational and outreach programs, reaching new audiences that may not have had the opportunity to experience the power and richness that is live theatre.

NOTE: Study guides are available for select productions in the FOR TEACHERS section of the website

2020-2021

          Page to Stage School Tour — In 2021, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM will be adapted and directed by Florida International University (FIU) Associate Professor, Shakespeare scholar, and Producing Director of What If Works, Phillip Church. The script will be edited to run under an hour, in order to be presented within a single class period, and a group of 7 professional actors will portray principal characters, sometimes in dual roles. The play will be set in a contemporary setting, allowing for the director, dramaturg, and actors to find moments within the text to connect to the audience of students through relevant interactions such as props, added or adlibbed text, or visual representations. Due to the ongoing restriction on live performances, the 2021 iteration of the Tour will be presented in a virtual format to Miami-Dade County Public School students. Each performance will be followed by a Q & A session with the cast, focusing on the themes discussed in the play as well as theatre in general and careers in the arts. Additionally, a visual study guide will be created to accompany the production. The study guide ties Shakespeare, specifically A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, to various subjects in order to give educators of various courses the flexibility to use the guide in conjunction with their classroom curriculum. The guide also focuses on highlighting the relevant and contemporary themes of the play as they relate to students today.

Some of the adaptations and highlights of this years’ virtual tour include:
• Selected scenes will be recorded remotely by actors sheltering place
• Actors will provide live interventions with students between the scenes and participate in live Q & A following the performance

• Scenes will be edited with virtual backgrounds, video, and music
• Location settings: Miami/Wynwood and Everglades. Urban meets Rural. The Lovers get lost in our own Everglades – which possess many local dangers e.g.: crocodiles, pythons, mosquitoes and tropical storms etc.

2019-2020

          Page to Stage School Tour — The 2020 Page-to-Stage School Tour presented an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello to thousands of Miami-Dade County Public School Students, scheduled to reach over 20 schools and over 8,000 students.  The abridged production ran one hour and was adapted and directed by FIU Associate Professor, Phillip Church, in partnership with his production company, What if Works. The play featured 5 performers, of whom 4 who were all graduates of the FIU theatre program. The tour came to an abrupt end on March 13, 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools and theatres. To date of cancellation, the tour visited 15 schools and played to over 4,500 students.

2018-2019

          Page to Stage School Tour — The 2019 Page-to-Stage School Tour presented an adapted version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, titled AKA Hamlet to thousands of Miami-Dade County Public School Students reaching 18 schools and over 8,000 students.  The abridged production ran one hour and was adapted and directed by FIU Associate Professor, Phillip Church, in partnership with his production company, What if Works. The play featured 4 performers who were all graduates of the FIU theatre program.

2017-2018

          Page to Stage School Tour — The Page-to-Stage School Tour of Shakespeare’s The Tempest was presented to thousands of Miami-Dade County Public School Students reaching 25 schools.  The abridged production ran one hour and was adapted and directed by FIU Associate Professor, Phillip Church, in partnership with his production company, What if Works. The play featured 7 performers who were all graduates of the FIU theatre program.

2016-2017

Page to Stage School Tour — The Page-to-Stage School Tour of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew was presented to thousands of Miami-Dade County Public School Students reaching 25 schools. A sensory-friendly performance was held at the Joseph Caleb Auditorium in partnership with Miami-Dade County’s All Kids Included Program. It played free for the community at the Sandrell Rivers Theatre in Liberty City and The Seminole Theatre in Homestead. The abridged production ran one hour and was adapted and directed by FIU Associate Professor, Phillip Church, in partnership with his production company, What if Works. The play featured 7 performers who were all graduates of the FIU theatre program.

Comments from Teachers:

“I am a firm believer in how the theater may impact a child’s life. All my students had a wonderful time and, I must say, for many of them this was the first time in their lives that they attended a function in a theater. It’s an impression they won’t forget and will want to repeat. Thanks for this opportunity.”

“Everyone loved the performance and wanted more! The kids were extremely engaged and felt that had the wrong idea about Shakespeare. They want to see more and some of them want to be a part of a show! Thank you for such a wonderful experience!”

“Excellent performance, the students were so engaged, you could hear a pin drop. They loved it! The actors were very professional and full of positive energy!”

2015-2016

Page to Stage School Tour — The Page-to-Stage School Tour of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar was presented to thousands of Miami-Dade County Public School Students from 15 schools. It played free for the community at GableStage and the Miami-Dade County Downtown Library for hundreds of adults. The abridged production ran one hour and was adapted and directed by FIU Associate Professor, Phillip Church, and was presented in partnership with his production company, WhatifWorks. The play featured 7 dynamic performers that were all recent graduates of the FIU theatre program.

Comments from Teachers:

“Students sought me out to thank me for the experience. They so loved the play! The lively and academically meaningful discussion was wonderful. The actors were thoughtful and intelligent in their responses, which encouraged students to think deeply about acting, research, and Roman history.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. I look forward to more in the future. The students need to see live Theatre!”

2014-2015

Main Stage Productions — Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney performed for 4000 students from 50 Miami Dade County Public Schools at the Joseph Caleb Auditorium in Liberty City at free morning performances. Additionally, free community performances were held at the Historic Lyric Theater in Overtown and reached 1050 people. It received tremendous responses.

Comments from Teachers:

One teacher from Law Enforcement High School wrote to us specifically “I just wanted to thank you for inviting us to see Choir Boy. It was absolutely wonderful and my students loved it! Please continue to provide high quality performances such as these and make them available to students through the Cultural Passport. For many of my students, this was the first time they ever saw live theatre and would have never experienced it otherwise. The only way to gain an appreciation for live arts is to be exposed, and for many of my students I could tell from their faces today that a little bit of my love for the arts was instilled in them.”

2013-2014

Main Stage Productions — Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare, edited by 2013 MacArthur Fellow, Tarell Alvin McCraney performed in collaboration with The Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK and The Public Theater in NY. This radical new version was set in Haiti during the Revolution making it relevant for today’s audience. It was performed at The Colony Theater on Miami Beach for thousands of Miami-Dade County Public School students from over 40 schools free of charge over the course of four weeks. Study guide provided.

2012-2013

Main Stage Productions — Hamlet by William Shakespeare, edited by Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bijan Sheibani. This 90 minute adaptation performed for 10,000 students from 55 Miami-Dade County Public Schools at the Joseph Caleb Auditorium in Liberty City and the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay. Study guide and post-show discussions held.

2011-2012

Main Stage Productions — Red by John Logan held at GableStage for special 10 am performances for Miami-Dade County Public High School students. Study guide and post-show discussions with the cast held.

Page to Stage School Tour — Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare directed by Arturo Fernandez, Founder of Ground Up & Rising. 50 performances were held directly at Miami-Dade County schools.

Community Outreach — Yo Solo Chaz Mena’s one-man show about the historical figure from the American Revolutionary War, Don Bernado de Galvez was presented for three free performances at Hialeah High School Auditorium

Community Outreach — The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin McCraney was performed for three special performances at Florida Memorial University’s Lou Rawls Theater.

2010-2011

Main Stage Productions — The Quarrel by David Brandes & Joseph Telushkin, based on the Yiddish story “My Quarrel with Hersh Rasseyner” by Chaim Grade. Discounted and complimentary tickets were offered to students. This play introduced young people to such thought-provoking subjects as the Holocaust and the nature of religious faith.

Page to Stage School Tour — Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, adapted and directed by Arturo Fernandez, Founder of Ground Up & Rising. In addition to the school tour, 6 special performances were held at the Joseph Caleb Auditorium for thousands of Miami-Dade County public school students. Study guide and post-show discussion were held.

Community Outreach — No Child by Nilaja Sun, featuring award-winning actress Lela Elam was presented for encore performances for the community. In addition to this, special performances of a play about Cuban poet Jose Marti, was developed and performed by Chaz Mena.

2009-2010

Main Stage Productions — No Child by Nilaja Sun performed for thousands of Miami-Dade County public school students at over twenty special morning performances. The play shines a light on the struggles – and miracles – of America’s public schools, proving that one passionate teacher can still make a difference. Study guide and post-show discussions were held.

Page to Stage School Tour — As You Like It by William Shakespeare, adapted by Paul Tei, Founder & Artistic Director of Mad Cat Theatre Company, and Pete Rogan. Study Guide and post-show discussions were held.

2008-2009

Page to Stage School Tour — Macbeth by William Shakespeare, adapted and directed by Paul Tei, Founder & Artistic Director of Mad Cat Theatre Company. It was performed over four weeks reaching over 10,000 Miami-Dade County middle and high school students.

2007-2008

Main Stage Productions — In the Continuum by Nikkole Salter and Danai Gurira was presented to thousands of Miami-Dade County Public middle and high school students at special morning performances. Study guide and post-show discussions were held.

Page to Stage School Tour — Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, directed by Paul Tei, Founder & Artistic Director of Mad Cat Theatre Company. It was performed over 80 times in public schools across Miami-Dade County.

2006-2007

Main Stage Productions — Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was presented for thousands of Miami-Dade County middle and high school students. The study guide provided and post-show discussions focused on the many important issues presented, including First Amendment rights and censorship.

Page to Stage School Tour — Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare, adapted and directed by Paul Tei, Founder & Artistic Director of Mad Cat Theatre Company. It was performed over 40 times in public schools across Miami-Dade County.

2005-2006

Main Stage Productions — Address Unknown by Frank Dunlop, from Katherine Kressman Taylor’s novella. A play told through letter correspondence about the demise of a friendship between a Jewish art dealer and his former business partner who returns to Germany when the Nazi Party comes to power. The play was performed for thousands of Miami-Dade County Public middle and high school students. The study guide and post-show discussions focused on the environment in which bigotry is allowed to flourish and the destructiveness this atmosphere creates.

Page to Stage School Tour — Hamlet by William Shakespeare adapted to a one-hour version focusing on the action of the main characters. Performed for thousands of Miami-Dade County public schools.

2004-2005

Main Stage Productions — The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien. One actress plays 28 characters in a deeply evocative play about two families, one black – one white, across four generations from the early apartheid era to the present. This production was performed for 6 weeks for Miami-Dade County Public middle and high school students. Post-show discussions were held.

Page to Stage School Tour — Shakespeare’s Sonnets, a presentation of the works of the world’s most outstanding playwright and poet, directed by Deborah Mello. The tour performed in 42 public schools throughout Miami-Dade County with 84 performances. Additionally, there were two free performances for the general public at Performance Arts Network in North Miami and at Sanctuary at ArtSouth in Homestead. This production was performed for approximately 40,000 students.

2003-2004

Main Stage Production — Master Harold…and the Boys, the award-winning play by Athol Fugard. Christine Dolen of the Miami Herald wrote: GableStage “is offering the play to both the company’s regular audiences and to groups of high schools students, who arrive by bus weekday mornings for eloquent lessons in respect and ingrained prejudice.” A quote by Tony Guzman in the SunPost reads “…in terms of both message and as an introduction to the power of theater, it’s a marvelous choice as this year’s GableStage production for special presentation to Miami-Dade School students. They can’t help but fall under the spell of this Master Harold, and we hope – in this time of war and carnage of innocents – that they absorb its message as well: that oppression and inhumanity are always a lose-lose proposition”

Page to Stage School Tour — Best of the Bard was toured to 42 Miami-Dade County schools and held 84 performances. Free performances were held at the Miami Children’s Museum and at the Alper JCC. Approximately 40,000 students were reached with the tour and the mainstage programming.

2002-2003

Main Stage Production — The Diary of Anne Frank was presented to thousands of Miami-Dade Public school students at morning performances at GableStage.

Page to Stage School Tour — As You Like It by William Shakespeare held over 80 performances at Miami-Dade County public schools. In addition, there were free performances at the African Cultural Heritage Theatre in Liberty City and the Goodlet Theatre in Hialeah.

2001-2002

Main Stage Production — A Lesson Before Dying by Romulus Linney, based on the novel by Ernest J. Gaines, one of our most important African-American writers. This production was performed for thousands of Miami-Dade County public school students.

Page to Stage School Tour — Lend Us Your Ears: Great Scenes from Shakespeare’s Plays was performed for approximately 40,000 middle and high school students. Free performances were also held at the Joseph Caleb Auditorium and the Shores Performing Arts Theatre

2000-2001

Main Stage Production — Citizen Tom Paine by Howard Fast played to approximately 6000 Miami-Dade County high school and middle school students who attended morning performances in our theatre. The play’s large cast brought to life the exciting times of the brilliant firebrand and pamphleteer whose words and passion inspired the American Revolution. Other historical figures portrayed included: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Monroe, Napoleon Bonaparte and Robespierre.

Page to Stage School Tour — The Origins of Happiness in Latin reached an estimated 26,000 students. Four performances were held at the Manuel Artime Theater in Little Havana and two performances at GableStage, all of which were free to the public. This one-man show follows the path of a young man growing up in a Cuban-American family in Miami. Directed by Ellen Davis and written and performed by Felix Pire who attended Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

1999-2000

Main Stage Production — Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw was presented to approximately 6000 middle and high school students at free morning performances at GableStage.

Page to Stage School Tour — The Meeting by Jeff Stetson was performed for an estimated 26,000 students at Miami-Dade County public schools. This powerful and thought-provoking play presents a fictional meeting between Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Two of South Florida’s most renowned actors, John Archie and Paul Bodie portrayed these historic figures, with direction by award-winning Director/Actor, Robert Macbeth. This play was also performed at the then newly renovated Lyric Theatre in Overtown, thereby meeting the need for top-quality live theatre geared to the culturally underserved neighborhoods of our community.