Charleston Stage Offers Special 70-Minute Adaptations for School Groups and Big School Savings! Save OVER 50% Off Regular Price!
2026-27 School Matinees
• The Biggest Shows In Town Featuring Professional Casts. Charleston Stage is South Carolina’s largest professional theatre company, producing full-scale performances with stunning scenery, costumes and lights.
• School Performances. Enjoy weekday matinees of select productions throughout the season. We offer 9:30am and 11:45am performances at the Historic Dock Street Theatre (135 Church Street, downtown Charleston). And this season, The Velveteen Rabbit will be presented at The Pearlstine Theatre - Charleston Stage West Ashley (1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd Suite 4A). Performances run 60-70 minutes to fit into your school schedule.
• 10 Ticket Minimum. Charleston Stage welcomes homeschool families, but observes a 10 ticket minimum order.
• Free Tickets. All tickets are $15.25 (or $10.25 for Title 1 schools). Plus, all schools receive 1 FREE adult ticket for every 10 student tickets!
• Service and Processing Fees. Please note, there is a $.25 service fee per ticket included in the ticket pricing listed above. If payment is made with a credit card, there will be an additional $1 processing fee per ticket added to your order. If payment is made with a check or ACH payment, no processing fees will be added to your order.
• Book Now, Pay Later. Reserve your seats now and pay later. A 50% deposit fee will be requested within the month of booking (or within the week, if booking a month or less from the performance date). If you are unable to remit a deposit, you may provide a Purchase Order instead.
• Education Guides. Guides feature show content, SC Standards, recommended subject areas and grade levels, background info, pre- and post-show activities, trivia and more!
• Two Field Trips In One! Share the magic of live theatre while also visiting Dock Street Theatre, America’s First Theatre, and historic downtown Charleston.
• Arts-Integrated Workshops. Deepen your students’ experience by booking arts-integrated companion workshops with a school matinee booking.
Bus Parking/Directions - for miss nelson is missing! and pete the cat
Bus Parking/Directions - for THE velveteen Rabbit
Please see “ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS AND POLICIES” below for more details. Questions? email KELLY BROLLEY-MONAHAN AT This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
leading SPONSOR:
the John and Carolyn Peterson charitable Foundation
WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM
Exchange club of Charleston, SC
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miss nelson is missing! - Show Dates & Times (2026)The Dock Street Theatre
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the velveteen rabBit - Show Dates & Times (2026)The Pearlstine Theatre -
Monday, December 14 - 9:30 AM |
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pete the cat - Show Dates & Times (2027)The Dock Street Theatre
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Charleston Stage Arts-Integrated Workshops
Companion Programming for Miss Nelson is Missing!, The Velveteen Rabbit, and Pete the Cat
Schools attending Charleston Stage school matinees can deepen their students’ experience by booking arts-integrated companion workshops in your own classroom for Miss Nelson is Missing!, The Velveteen Rabbit, or Pete the Cat. These engaging sessions connect directly to each performance, allowing students to explore character, movement, music, and storytelling through hands-on activities that align with South Carolina academic and arts standards. Designed for one grade level over the course of a week, each workshop costs $3,200 and must be arranged through Charleston Stage's Education Department. To get started, indicate your interest by selecting the workshop option on the School Matinee Reservation Request Form linked below, and our Education team will follow up with details on scheduling and availability.
WORKSHOP: Miss Nelson is Missing!: "The Mystery of the Missing Teacher: Character & Choice"
This workshop invites students to step into the shoes of Room 207 and explore how behavior, voice, and body language transform a character, and a classroom. Through dramatic play, students will create their own "Miss Nelson" and "Miss Viola Swamp" characters using contrasting vocal qualities, posture, and facial expression, then reflect on how Miss Nelson's clever choice changed her students' actions. The workshop satisfies SC College- and Career-Ready ELA Standards for grades 1–3 in Reading Literary Text (Inquiry-Based Literacy Standard 4 and Communication Standard 1, particularly RL 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1, making inferences about character, plot, and theme) as well as SC Theatre Education Standards Anchor Standards 1, 2, and 5 (creating, performing, and connecting through dramatic work). Pairing the workshop with the live performance turns a beloved picture book into a layered learning experience: students see professional actors make bold physical and vocal choices on stage, then apply those same craft tools themselves, making the lessons of empathy, respect, and personal responsibility stick long after the curtain falls.
WORKSHOP: The Velveteen Rabbit: "What Makes Something Real? Movement, Memory & Becoming"
Margery Williams' tender story is the perfect doorway into a workshop about empathy, transformation, and the power of imagination. Students explore how puppetry, movement, and tableau can communicate emotion without words — discovering, like the Rabbit, that "Real" is something you become through love and time. Activities include partnered mirror exercises, object personification, and a guided movement sequence tracing the Rabbit's journey from Nursery shelf to garden. The workshop aligns with SC Theatre Education Standards Anchor Standards 1, 2, 3, and 7 (creating, performing, responding, and connecting), SC Dance Education Standards Anchor Standards 1 and 2 (generating and organizing movement ideas), and ELA standards for grades K–4 in theme identification, character analysis, and inferencing (RL 2.1, 5.1, and 7.1). When paired with seeing the show, students gain a vocabulary for the emotions they witness on stage, loss, devotion, joy, and leave with tools to express their own feelings through artistry rather than only through words. It's a gentle, powerful introduction to theatre as emotional storytelling.
WORKSHOP: Pete the Cat: "Groovy Storytelling: Rhythm, Resilience & Color"
Pete's signature optimism comes alive in a high-energy workshop that gets students singing, moving, and problem-solving, just like Pete. Through call-and-response songs, color-coded movement games, and a group-built "It's All Good" story circle, students practice resilience and creative response to challenges (red strawberries, blue blueberries, and all). The workshop satisfies SC Music Education Standards Anchor Standards 1, 2, 4, and 6 (creating, performing, and responding to music), SC Theatre Education Standards Anchor Standards 1 and 2, and ELA standards for grades K–2 in retelling, sequencing, and identifying central message (RL 2.1, 3.1, and 7.1). It also touches SC Social Emotional Learning competencies around self-management and positive mindset. Coupling the workshop with the live show amplifies everything that makes Pete special: students see the songs performed, then become performers themselves, walking away with strategies for staying cool when life throws them a curveball, and a few catchy tunes stuck in their heads. It's joyful, kinesthetic learning that meets standards while feeling like pure play.
ARTS-INTEGRATED WORKSHOPS
COST: $3,200
TIMELINE: One Grade for One Week (Tues - Fri)
HOW TO BOOK A WORKSHOP: Email Corinne Wascom at
Ordering Instructions and Policies
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU REVIEW ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU ORDER.
PAYMENT DEADLINE DATES:
- 50% DEPOSIT Due (if booked in May/June 2026): Tuesday, August 25
- FULL Payment Due for Miss Nelson is Missing: Tuesday, September 22
- FULL Payment Due for The Velveteen Rabbit: Tuesday, November 3
- FULL Payment Due for Pete The Cat: Tuesday, January 19
*If booking a month or less from the performance date, FULL payment is due within the week of booking.
How To Order Tickets
1) Please Review All Education Guides Before Booking.
Education Guides will be available for each production above by July 15. Please review these guides for guidance on how the experience can be incorporated into the classroom, as well as to determine whether each production is appropriate for your students. Sending these guides home to parents is also suggested, in order to provide them with any applicable content warnings, and to enable them to extend student learning at home.
2) Determine Your Total Headcount
RECEIVE 1 FREE ADULT TICKET FOR EVERY 10 STUDENT TICKETS PURCHASED! To ensure we reserve enough seats for your group, complimentary adult tickets still need to be included in your final ticket count. Each order must contain a minimum of 10 tickets. Please do not overbook seats! Reservations may only be increased or decreased by no more than 20 once your Order Form has been submitted. If you need to reduce the number of seats once your payment deadline has passed, you may only reduce your group by 10.
3) Only Teachers May Book School Matinee Performances
Please note that we can only accept reservations from teachers. Reservations from parents or individual students are not accepted. Charleston Stage welcomes home school group reservations, but cannot accept reservations from individual parents. Tickets are not sold at the door.
4) Ordering Methods: Submit YOUR REQUEST THROUGH OUR School Matinee RESERVATION REQUEST FORM by clicking the "RESERVE now" button.
An online order form must be submitted for all School Groups by a Teacher.
5) Booking and Invoicing
Once you submit your Order Form and your reservation has been made, an invoice will be emailed to you noting the performance date, time, ticket count and cost of your order. Your payment deadline will be specified.
This date also represents the last date to cancel your reservation without penalty. If your group will be unable to adhere to payments dates and policies for any reason, please note the details on your Order Form and someone will contact you. These dates represent the due dates for all payments, as well as the last date to cancel your reservation without being billed. Seats WILL be released if your payment is not received by the due date.
Payment Policies updated as of May 1, 2025.
TEACHERS - PLEASE PROVIDE THESE NEW POLICIES TO YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCE OFFICES.
6) SERVICE AND PROCESSING FEES
Please note, there is a $.25 service fee per ticket included in the ticket pricing listed above. If payment is made with a credit card, there will be an additional $1 processing fee per ticket added to your order. If payment is made with a check or ACH payment, no processing fees will be added to your order.
7) Refunds
There are no refunds for school matinee performances. There are no partial refunds for students or adults who cannot attend on the day of the performance.
School Matinee PolicIES
1) Cancellations/Payment Deadlines
EACH BOOKING MUST BE PAID IN FULL BY THE PAYMENT DEADLINE OR YOUR SEATS WILL BE RELEASED. If you must cancel, cancellation notice is required in writing before the payment deadline to
2) No Babes In Arms
Children under 3-years-old are not permitted in the theatre.
3) On the Day of Your Performance
Charleston Stage wants to provide a fun and safe environment for your students. If traveling by bus, please help us do so by providing an index card with your bus driver’s name, school and cell phone number (to be handed to the Front of House staff). Please have your students wear identical colored name tags or clothing with your school name listed. All of these steps ensure safety and organization on the day of your performance. Further logistical details will be emailed to teachers in the weeks prior to your scheduled performance. Please also make sure to check your phone/email the day of your performance for any important notices.
4) Need Extra Seats?
You may increase the total number of seats prior to your payment date, pending availability - however you may only reduce the total number of seats by 20 overall. Do not bring extra students/parents to the theatre without first booking additional seats. Tickets are not sold at the door.
5) Seating Assignments
Seating assignments are determined by the size of your group at the discretion of the Front of House staff. Please plan carefully and order only the seats you need. It is highly discouraged to overbook and hold seats that otherwise could be used by other school groups. If any students in your group require special seating accommodations, please note this on your order form.
5) Photo Policy
Any person entering the theatre on the day of a school matinee performance may be photographed for use in Charleston Stage promotional materials. If any of your attendees have a specific need to not be photographed, please communicate this to the Sales Manager or Front of House staff as soon as possible.