Romeo & Juliet Feedback:

On behalf of our students and our teachers, thank you so much for working with us in providing a delightful morning performance of Romeo and Juliet. I, personally, loved it. I truly understood the story. The character depiction was excellent. A wonderful cast, well chosen. I do hope that we are able to continue to provide this opportunity to our students. The theater/personnel and performances have been excellent and our students really enjoy them. Thank you (all) for everything!

- Plum Boro School District Teacher

Thanks from all of us at Shady Side Academy for the wonderful performance today. Our students were really excited about the seeing the play, and the performance lived up to everyone's expectations. As their English teacher, I was thrilled at how closely they followed the play and their comments both during the Q&A and at school later.

The cast and crew really brought the play alive for us. Please thank them.

- English Teacher, Shady Side Academy Middle School

Tuesdays with Morrie Feedback:

Thank you, Prime Stage Theatre, for bringing the novel Tuesdays with Morrie to life for my students. I know the play hit an emotional chord with them, as I noticed sniffles throughout the performance. I also know, however, that it hit an intellectual chord with my students as well. The students chatted about the play during the entire bus ride home. Their conversation primarily included the comparison and contrasting of the book and the play. We were able to discuss the affordances and constraints of performing, either in a movie or in a play, a piece of literature. The students identified the fact that many times the original literary plot has to be condensed in a script or screen play. We also discussed director's interpolation, especially with regards to Mitch's character, for which my students found interesting differences between Mitch's character in the text and in the play. As a teacher, I know my students have benefited from an experience like this when they initiate a debriefing conversation during the bus ride back to school. There's no better proof that the experience was valuable than that! Thank you for the great experience.

- Jefferson and Mellon Middle Schools
Mt. Lebanon School District

Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed Tuesdays with Morrie. The acting was exceptional and seamless and the conversation with the actors afterward was enlightening. I usually have some reservations when it comes to removing students from school for enrichment activities, but I have never been disappointed with Prime stage productions. Its always a great learning experience for my students and the productions, even down to the arrival and departure, are always so well organized. -- thanks so much, and keep up the great work--can't wait till the next performance!

- Shaler Area Teacher

It was extremely valuable for students to be able to see the novel come to life. Viewing the play helped students to understand key issues that they may have struggled with in the novel. For example, some students didn't really understand how a professor could be so close to a student. The play helped them to understand the personality traits of the characters much better.

- Propel East Teacher

The Westing Game Feedback:

Today I attended a student matinee of The Westing Game with 200 sixth grade students from Jefferson Middle School in Mount Lebanon School District. Thank you! The play was magnificent and well received by students and adults. In addition, I want to thank you for all that you did to make our visit easy and meaningful, from assisting with seating needs to providing us with helpful and instructional materials to hosting the discussion after the play. I do not know of any other theater organization that goes to such lengths to accommodate and educate. This is not the first time I have had the pleasure of attending a performance by Prime Stage Theater, and I have NEVER been disappointed. Last spring when I received the notification that you were presenting The Westing Game this year, I began the approval process with the district so we would be able to reserve seats as soon as they were available. On September 3, the first day of sign-ups, I got up at 1:00 AM to send you an email so that mine would be the first request you received in the morning, and we would be certain of our reservation. Our experience today made the interrupted sleep worthwhile! I look forward to the next opportunity to attend a performance by Prime Stage.

- Jefferson Middle School Teacher

The Diary of Anne Frank Feedback:

I just wanted you to know that we had a fantastic time at the theatre last Friday. The kids thoroughly enjoy the play. They say I even jumped in my seat at the end when the Nazi’s were banging on the trap door. Thank you for always setting things up for us and making life easy on me.

My experiences have only been positive on these trips. I can only hope the “new” crew will continue coming to see a play for the field trip.

I’m going to look into coming as an ordinary patron in the future.

- North Allegheny Teacher

The Diary of Anne Frank Feedback:

Thank you so much for the wonderful performance today!

Everything was very organized and professional, and our students absolutely loved it! Plus, we were even honored by the presence and talk with the Holocaust survivor. It was a very special day! know that we'll be interested in attending the performance of The Outsiders next year

- Avonworth Teacher

Subject: Kudos from Char Valley!

From: Mary Windstein Education Box Office Manager

I received a call late this afternoon from the teacher who had arranged for the field trips for the Chartiers Valley Middle School students.

They had two groups of students - Wed. and Thurs. and told me how impressed everyone was with the acting and the set. They were really blown away by the professionalism of PST.

Second, she said just about every student went home and read the actors' bios on the PST web-site - she had gotten so many requests for the web-site that she just wrote it on the board so that everyone could see it.

Third, she wrote to the president of the PTO, which financed the trip, and told them that it was the best field trip that the class had ever taken and that the money spent sending the students to PST was the best money that the PTO had ever spent. She encouraged them to provide funds for students in the future to see our productions.

Fourth, she told me that THE OUTSIDERS and OF MICE AND MEN are taught in CV's 9th grade curriculum and INHERIT THE WIND is taught in the 10th grade. She is strongly suggesting to the high school teachers that they bring field trips next year.

Fifth, she has a 16 year old daughter who is planning on becoming a teacher, and they both absolutley LOVE next season! While she may attend the educator previews, she is planning on bringing her daughter to the public performances, as well. I will suggest a season subscription to her.

Sixth, she was telling me some of the discrimination themes that tie into their civics class and she was telling me about some of the books which they study. I asked her to email this information to me as we might get some production ideas from the material. She is more than willing to do this and I will pass this information along when I receive it.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Other Matinee Comments:

A teacher, who attended a student matinee with her students, wrote: “Please relate to your 'Giver' performers that the production was one of the most authentic I have seen. Again, thank you so much...The Giver is my favorite book...I loved that it came to life!"

“I just wanted to say thanks again for everything you've done for us this year. We couldn't be happier with our school's experience with Prime Stage, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with you.”

Comments from students included:

“I wish I could see another play and read more books. The performance brought tears of joy to my eyes.”

Another student: “What (sic) I loved about being an Adopted School this year was that we got to see plays on the books that we read. Instead of just reading it, we got to visually (sic).”

The program addressed theatre etiquette. A student wrote: “What I learned from this experience - that I can use when I attend another theater or arts event is how important it is to be respectful. How I am listining (sic) I mean, not interrupting the actor as they are acting.”