Education Programs

Education is a priority for Metro Theater Company. We engage young people and adults in lively learning through education programs that:

Stories Come Alive! Exploring Literature Through Drama
Reading, Writing, Comprehension are reinforced and text comes alive as students step into the literature they are reading in class.
Books frequently used as a basis for Stories Come Alive! include:
     Go, Dog. Go!
     This book is a great reinforcement for all those important early childhood education basics!
     Grades Pre-K - 1
     Core Concepts, Reading Readiness, Community
     The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
     Using improvisation, pantomime and creative writing exercises, the book's marvelous and
     mysterious illustrations come to life in an explosion of imagination.
     Grades 2 - 5
     Reading Comprehension, Writing, Team Building
     Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky
     Through improvisation, students experience the courage of escaped slaves and those who
     helped them as they made their way north toward freedom.
     Grades 2 - 5
     U.S. History, Writing, Character Education, Tolerance Education
Ask us about other story titles!

Science Moves!
Force and motion, simple machines, landforms, weather, nutrition, digestion, energy -- even photosynthesis become crystal clear when students experience these phenomena and concepts through drama and movement.
Grades 2 - 8
Science, Writing, Creative Movement and Drama

Interested in a residency but not sure your school can afford it? Ask for our assistance in applying for the Missouri Arts Council’s Arts Education grant to support artist residencies in Missouri schools.

Contact our Education Director to find out more - Emily@metrotheatercompany.org.

Community Workshops and Residencies

In addition to our work in area schools, Metro Theater Company also provides services to numerous community and social service agencies throughout St. Louis. Metro’s community work is rooted in the theories of Theater for Social Change, a powerful theatrical form that uses drama games, storytelling and improvisation techniques to engage participants in community building and thoughtful, democratic dialogue about vital issues.

Metro Theater Company’s community partners include The Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma, Community Health in Partnership Services (CHIPS-In-Motion), the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis, the YWCA, St. Louis Association of Retarded Citizens (ARC) and the Center for Women in Transition.

Metro also trains adult facilitators to use drama as a community-building tool through its Theater for Social Change Weekends, led by Education Director/Artistic Associate Emily Petkewich. The weekend is open to artists, social workers, community activists and anybody who is interested in using theater as a tool for change. Participants receive training in Theater of the Oppressed and Playback Theater.

For more information about bringing a Metro workshop or residency to your community group or agency, contact Emily Petkewich, Education Director/Artistic Associate at Emily@metrotheatercompany.org

Professional Development Workshop for Educators

Metro Theater Company Artistic Director Carol North and Education Director Emily Petkewich combine years of experience in arts education to bring professional development workshops to educators from preschool to grade 12. Since its inception in 1990, Metro’s professional development work has earned the respect of hundreds of teachers and schools throughout St. Louis, Missouri, and the United States. Teachers are offered workshops that are practical, hands-on, and lots of fun!

Metro Theater Company can bring your educators a 90-minute workshop, a 3-hour workshop, or even a weekend intensive for one graduate credit (15 hours total).

Please contact Emily Petkewich, Education Director, for more information about booking a professional development opportunity for your school or district.

Metro offers a fantastic summer program for area youth: ArtsINTERsection at New City School, combining drama, music, dance and visual art for 4-11 year olds. This program offers a full day of learning with a staff of professional teaching artists and loads of fun for kids of all experience levels.