Skip to main content
Arts NC State 
NC State LIVE

School Matinee Series 2024-25

NC State LIVE's School Matinee Series gives school groups the opportunity to attend weekday performances that support the public school curriculum. The experience is fun for students and easy for teachers. From the moment you arrive on campus, we are with you every step of the way. Study Guides are often available to directly connect the theatre experience with your classroom goals.

Registration for our 2024-25 School Matinee Series is now closed. If you have questions about your reservation, please email Ariel Fay Gray afgray@ncsu.edu.

2024-25 School matinee series

Members of Nobuntu posing on a rock by a river

Nobuntu
OCT 9, 2024 at 11 a.m.

“…rich voices and exhilarating rhythms…”
-Sarasoto/Herald-Tribune

RUN TIME: 60 minute performance no intermission.

COST: $8.58 per student/ chaperone (includes tax). Limited complimentary tickets are available for teachers.

CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS:

Arts Education, Music, Relationships and Family, Storytelling, Social Studies, World Languages

GRADE LEVELS: K-6

ABOUT THE SHOW:

The word Nobuntu is an African concept that values humbleness, love, unity and family from a woman’s perspective. In this interactive educational concert, Nobuntu, the female a cappella quartet from Zimbabwe, introduces students and teachers to the unique cultural qualities of Africa- the music, stories, traditions and dances. 

Through performance and explanation, students are given an authentic and inside look at how important music and dance is to the African culture, how these art forms are passed from generation to generation and the deep meaning found in these songs and dances.

Lightwire Theater's glow in the dark dinosaur on a dark stage

Lightwire Theater’s
Dino-Light
OCT 21, 2024 at 11 a.m.
OCT 22, 2024 at 11 a.m.
OCT 23, 2024 at 11 a.m.

“…Captivating combination of dance, puppetry and lighting…” – TV Guide

RUN TIME: 60 minute performance no intermission.

COST: $8.58 per student/ chaperone (includes tax). Limited complimentary tickets are available for teachers.

CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS:

Arts Education, Dance, Music, Physical Education, Relationships and Family, Science, Storytelling, Social Studies, Theatre Arts

GRADE LEVELS: K-6

ABOUT THE SHOW:

In this original storyline, a famous scientist with magic powers brings a friendly dinosaur to life. When the dinosaur wanders away from home, he discovers a wonderful world full of creatures that light up the darkness and help him find the true meaning of love. This glow-in-the-dark adventure is visually stunning and has been praised for its cutting edge blend of puppetry, technology and dance by audiences all over the world. 

DINO-LIGHT, was the recipient of the prestigious Jim Henson Foundation Grant. The process of building Lightwire Theater’s electroluminescent characters [includes] utilizing recyclable materials including aluminum rods, election signs, skateboard wheels, dryer ducting, plumbing supplies, PVC pipes, fishing poles, duct tape, zip ties and back packs to help define peaks and angles. These common household items help create durable and pliable sculptures that can withstand the movement of the dancers for multiple performances.

Sunny Jain with a drum on stage

Sunny Jain’s
Wild Wild East
FEB 6, 2025 at 11 a.m.

“The indefatigable drummer and dhol player Sunny Jain is an unrepentant maximalist.”
-The New Yorker

RUN TIME: 60 minute performance no intermission.

COST: $8.58 per student/ chaperone (includes tax). Limited complimentary tickets are available for teachers.

CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS:

Arts Education, Music, Relationships and Family, Storytelling, Social Studies

GRADE LEVELS: K-6

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Wild Wild East is the new album from the Brooklyn-based bandleader, composer, dhol player, and drummer Sunny Jain. Most known for founding the pioneering band Red Baraat, which has electrified our stage many times, Sunny’s back with a new project exploring his identity as a first-generation South Asian–American and as a musician raised on jazz and progressive rock. Wild Wild East recognizes a world that’s always changing: Today’s cowboy or cowgirl learns how to adapt to their conditions.

“I think what shines through doing this album is the coming forward of the multiple identities of an immigrant — in my case being Indian American — not just this longing for South Asia and India, but the fact that I am American and there’s many complex interactions within all that,” Jain says.

Registration for our 2024-25 School Matinee Series is now closed. If you have questions about your reservation, please email Ariel Fay Gray afgray@ncsu.edu.

What teachers are saying

“The performance was excellent… The students’ attention was held and the audience engagement piece was dynamic.”
– Lisa, 1st Grade Teacher and Field Trip Coordinator

“This was such a wonderful field trip for us. Everything was so organized and instructions were clear. Ariel made planning this trip very smooth.”
-Brittany, Kindergarten Teacher

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn the ins and outs of the School Matinee Series.

Click here for FAQS

Still have questions?

Please contact Ariel Fay Gray if you have additional questions or concerns at afgray@ncsu.edu or 919.513.3052.