What Are the Shows Like?

 

The Bear Educational Theatre focuses very strongly on being interactive and keeping students actively engaged during the shows. There are no special effects, no professional dancing, singing etc. The shows are technically very simple, but they include games, quizes, topics that students relate to, and for the most part the actors are talking directly to the audience. The focus of the show is on the students. The idea is not for the students to be impressed by how great we are, it is for them to feel personally empowered by having enjoyed a quality show in English. Our shows also support teachers by highlighting grammar and topics that are part of the regular English teaching curriculum. The Bear really is an educational theatre.

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How Does It Work?

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There are several different ways to see our shows. The most common way is for you to invite us to your school. Another is for you to visit us in the Reduta Theatre, Prague (the program for the Reduta Theatre is in the menu above). The final option is to see a show online (details on the online program are also in teh menu above).

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If we come to your school, we will arrive by car 45 minutes before show time. We will have everything we need with us, but we will need access to the space in order to prepare the first show in time. Then you bring a group of students to watch the show. The show will last an hour (or less for primary students.) Then you take the students away and usually, if you want a different show for another group, we will  take some time to pack away the first show and prepare the next show. The same team of actors can play up to three different shows in a morning. It is even possible to play four shows by special arrangement.

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The best way to start the process of booking a show is to send us a short email with the number of students you have, the levels of English, and any special time requirements (e.g. the show must be on Thursday, you want the show at the end of November, etc). Then we can recommend a program based on your needs and our capacity. 

 

How Many Students Do We Need?

 

The prices given here assume an average of 100 students per show. This number includes some flexibility and in reality 80 students is still acceptable. For school visits we also usually require 2 shows to be played in the same morning. It is sometimes possible to play just one show in and around Prague, where the travel time is less of an issue.

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This year, because of the pandemic, we have an offer of 3 shows for the price of 2. This means that instead of playing two shows for groups of 100 students, we will play 3 shows for groups of 60-70, In this way you can avoid creating a very large group of students in the same space,

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If you have smaller groups of students, please contact us anyway because there may be a solution. It may be possible to connect your group with another school in your town. Or we may be able to make an exception to our usual practice if your show is especially convenient for us during a tour. So please just let us know your situation and we will see if there is a chance to work something out.

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The maximum amount of students allowed for one show is 150.

 

Which show should I choose?

 

The show descriptions above give suggested age ranges for the shows. The descriptions also point out which shows contain specific grammar or teaching points that you may be interested in. However, if you are not sure, send us the number of students and their level and we will make suggestions based on our experience and the options available. There can be limitations on which shows we can play at a certain time, based on actor availability. 

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What Kind of Space Do You Need?

 

We can play almost anywhere. We often play in school gyms, dining halls, school aulas, or larger classrooms. We can also play in theatres or cinema spaces. However, the space can affect the quality of the experience for the students. An ideal space has ......

 

Reasonable accoustic - Our actors are trained to speak loudly and clearly, but a space that has too much echo is not suitable as the students have no chance to hear the text of the show. Usually it is best if students can sit close to the stage space.

 

Reasonable comfort - It can be hard for them to focus on the show if they are too crushed  in a hot room, etc.

 

Enough space for playing - The minimum space that should be pure stage space is 6 meters across, 5 metres from front to back.

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We don't need a stage - It is, of course, better for visibility if the actors are on a stage. However, sometimes we will choose to to play on the floor if the stage is either too small or takes us too far away from the audience. So, generally a stage is a good thing, but not in every case.

 

What Else Do You Need the School to Provide?

 

The general answer is - as little as possible. We try to be independent so that teachers have no extra work when we arrive. The school is mostly responsible for providing access to the space and looking after the seating arrangements of the students (will they sit on mats, chairs, on the floor?) 

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For most shows we also need to borrow a few school tables and chairs. We will tell you what we need in advance. There will not be anything to provide that is not easily available in a school.

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What About the Payment?

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You can pay for the shows either in cash or by invoice and bank transfer. It is fine to pay in cash on the day, after the shows are finished. In this case we will give you a stamped receipt in exchange for the money. We can also send an invoice later by mail if you need this. There is no need to pay a deposit in advance.

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Can We Get a Reduction?

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There are reductions on all shows ordered before September 20th 2020. These shows should be played by November 20th 2020. The reduced prices for this offer are given in the section 'Prices' in the menu above.

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It may be possible to arrange extra reductions for larger groups or in special situations. Please mention this when you contact us. Generally though, The Bear Educational Theatre works as a non-profit organisation and the profit margins on shows are relatively small in relation to the high expenses involved in operating the theatre. Therefore reductions are the exception rather than the norm.

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