Free student matinees

More than 6,000 precollege students from the local and surrounding schools are bused to McCain Auditorium each year to see a live arts educational performance. Teachers receive in-depth study guides to connect curriculum to these free student matinees.

If you or your class is interested in attending, please call 785-532-6425 for more information.

Keep Marching: The Road to the March on WashingtonKeep Marching: The Road to the March on Washington

A play with music by Mad River Theater Works

January 29, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Age Appropriateness: Grades 3 and up

Bringing collected oral history to life, this new Mad River Theater Works one-act play with music explores the historic 1963 March on Washington. Revered as the day that Martin Luther King Jr. made his famous “I Have A Dream” speech in August of 1963, the event drew more than a quarter of a million people together in a peaceful gathering. It was a shining moment in the progression of equality in America and a pivotal action in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

Janet's Planet: A Tour Through The Solar System

Janet's Planet: A Tour Through The Solar SystemMarch 19, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Age appropriateness: Grades K-5

Janet’s Planet: A Tour Through the Solar System travels at the “speed of thought,” introducing the wonders of the galaxy to families and young audiences throughout the country. The 45-minute interactive presentation engages and challenges students and is designed to inspire STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) potential in elementary school-age kids. Lesson plans are designed to integrate with Next Generation Science Standards, based on a curriculum endorsed by NASA and Space Florida.