New Matinee Program at UW-Parkside designed to draw more students into the arts

Published: July 11, 2019

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SOMERS – UW-Parkside has rolled out a new theatre matinee program for the 2019-2020 season that offers an incredible deal for anyone interested in the arts, especially high school students interested in theatre. Three packages are available, labeled simply as A, B, and C. Package C ($10 per student) offers digital show-specific study guides, complimentary tickets for chaperones, and a chat session with the show director, cast, and production team immediately following the performance. Package B ($20 per student) includes all of the aforementioned perks, as well as a $10 lunch vouchers per student for campus dining. Lastly, Package A ($25 per student) includes all of the perks, as well as complimentary bus transportation for groups of 30+ students.

"We wanted to create something marketable where high school teachers would want to bring their students to see a quality production as part of their own curriculum. Student matinees are seen as a recruitment opportunity for our program. If we can offer something that brings in more high school students to campus, then hopefully those students will consider Parkside Theatre in their future college plans," said Misti Bradford, associate professor in the theatre arts department. “We want to show [students] that they have quality education in their backyard.”

Since 1968, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has continued to build a reputation as an outstanding liberal arts institution with particularly strong fine arts programs. Theatre Arts at UW-Parkside is particularly reputable. So, in an effort to get more high school students interested in the program, UW-Parkside staff connected with local area high schools to see what plays students were required to read, and picked plays to feature for the 2019-2020 season. So not only is the program an excellent marketing tool designed to let students know they have access to a critically-acclaimed theatre arts program, but it’s also a way to make sure that the program will attract and foster new talent in years to come.

“We want to keep it growing, and building, to make it stronger. It helps the university and the community,” added Bradford.

This upcoming season, UW-Parkside theatre arts performers will be performing such award-winning works as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Simon Stephens, Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield. You can find more information about upcoming theatre performances, including performance dates and play descriptions, here:

Theatre

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Contact Info:
John Mielke
Executive Director, Marketing & Communications
mielkej@uwp.edu
262-595-3226

Misti Bradford
Associate Professor, Theatre Arts Department
bradford@uwp.edu
262-595-2702

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