student matinees

Berkeley Rep’s Student Matinee Series makes the theatrical art form accessible and affordable to middle school and high school students. We have chosen four plays from Season 07/08 that we feel are particularly relevant to a student audience: after the quake, Argonautika, Taking Over and No Child…. These productions combine Berkeley Rep’s high level of artistic excellence with educational subject matter that meets curriculum standards. If you have specific content concerns, please contact us before purchasing tickets.

after the quake

based on “Honey Pie” and “Superfrog Saves Tokyo” / from the novel after the quake by Haruki Murakami / adapted for the stage and directed by Frank Galati / Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production / in association with La Jolla Playhouse / Thrust Stage / November 1 and 15, 2007 / NOON

“an elegant, economic, gently hypnotic piece of theater…all the elements reflect and satisfy a yearning for solace and safety.”—New York Times

Director Frank Galati won two Tony Awards for The Grapes of Wrath. Writer Haruki Murakami earned Japan’s equivalent of the Pulitzer. Now the two talents collide in after the quake, a simple, gentle tale of life in the wake of earth-shaking disaster. A timid man woos an old flame, enchanting her anxious daughter with whimsical bedtime stories of a six foot frog’s fight to save Tokyo. In this poignant new play, we see that a storyteller can’t dispel the world’s woes, but he can teach a child—and himself—how to face fear.

This show is appropriate for middle school and high school audiences and ties in well with classes focusing on Cultural Studies, English, Literature and Drama.

argonautika

written and directed by Mary Zimmerman / adapted from The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts / co-produced with McCarter Theatre Center and the Shakespeare Theatre Company / Roda Theatre / November 28, 2007 at NOON / December 13, 2007 at 2PM / west coast premiere

“A production of great beauty, wild imagination, goofy humor and emotional heat. The show is classic Zimmerman—a seamless meeting of actors, designers and episodic text…the crowning installment in a long series of her works.”—Chicago Sun-Times

Tony Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman returns to Berkeley Rep for the West Coast premiere of Argonautika. This time, Zimmerman joins Jason on his ancient quest for the Golden Fleece—an epic journey of love and loss, hubris and honor, danger and adventure. Jason confronts giants, kings, sirens, nymphs, centaurs, sea monsters and one heartsick sorceress. In her latest perilous voyage, Zimmerman shows us that love is the bane of all mankind—and yet it’s all that we know of heaven on this earth.

Argonautika is great for Language Arts classes as it focuses on an ancient Greek myth. Appropriate for ninth graders and older.

taking over

written and performed by Danny Hoch / directed by Tony Taccone / Thrust Stage / January 23 and 24, 2008 / NOON / World Premiere

“I think [Danny Hoch] is one of the best people I’ve ever seen do this kind of work. Ever.”—Sarah Jones, Tony Award-winning writer and actress

Danny Hoch has his pulse on the hip hop scene. He speaks to teenagers like few others can and makes them fall in love with live performance. Like Sarah Jones, Anna Deavere Smith and other solo performers who brought stunning shows to our stage, Danny Hoch took Berkeley Rep by storm with Jails, Hospitals & Hip Hop. Now Danny returns to unveil his latest work—a one-man tour de force that captures the indelible characters of his neighborhood, where the melting pot is boiling over with ethnic and economic tensions. Danny effortlessly transforms across the boundaries of race, age and gender, masterfully depicting a city in transition with compassionate and hilarious results. This highly anticipated world premiere is expertly staged by Artistic Director Tony Taccone.

This show is appropriate for ninth graders and older.

no child…

written and performed by Nilaja Sun / directed by Hal Brooks / Thrust Stage / May 14, 15 and 21, 2008 / NOON

“Like Lily Tomlin and Whoopi Goldberg in their early work, Sun brings us not her world but the world…An object lesson in what should not be missing from any life curriculum: hope.”—The New Yorker

With No Child…, Nilaja Sun shines a light on the struggles—and miracles—of America’s public schools. In an incredible solo show, she plays an entire classroom of children, their teachers, their parents, the principal, the janitor and even a security guard with a metal detector at the front door. Sun takes on 16 roles in 70 minutes, transforming her eight-year adventure as a teaching artist into a master class on heartbreak, humor and hope. No Child… proves one passionate person can still make a difference, and this off-Broadway show became the breakaway hit of the year. Critics gave it straight A’s, audiences cheered and Sun won every award you can name. It’s a class act, so don’t leave No Child… behind.

 

To receive more information about the Student Matinee Series or to schedule a group, please contact Amelia Bird, School Administrator, at 510.647.2978 or e-mail: abird@berkeleyrep.org.