Student Matinees
2026-27 Student Matinees
ATP’s Student Matinee Series bring the excitement of live theatre to students from across Calgary and surrounding area. We strive to assist teachers in integrating the arts into their curriculum by providing contemporary, relevant plays on the Martha Cohen Theatre stage.
Audience Advice: Please be aware that the age recommendations and content advisories provided are subjective. We understand that individuals may engage with content in different ways. We encourage patrons to consider their own comfort levels, as well as the suitability for any accompanying youth, before attending. We will do our best provide age recommendations and any applicate warnings in advance; however, things are subject to change at the Director’s discretion during the rehearsal process.
Details:
Each Student Matinee takes place at 11:00am in the Martha Cohen Theatre, except The Hobbit which takes place at 11:15am and includes:
- A daytime performance exclusive to students and educators.
- Discounted tickets to a quality, Canadian world-premiere or well-known international work.
- A 15-20 minute talkback after the show with the artists involved in the production.
- Educational Resource PDF Booklet.
- Tickets are priced $24/seat with 1 complimentary ticket for every 12 tickets booked.
We aim to have all student matinee performances, including the post-show talkback, completed by 2:00pm. End times may vary depending on the runtime of each play.
BOOKING YOUR STUDENT MATINEE
- Fill out the FORM with your requested dates and numbers.
- Upon acceptance, a 20% (non-refundable) deposit is due.
- The remaining payment is due 4 weeks before your scheduled performance.
Stay in the loop!
If you are a teacher and would like to be added to our email distribution list for info on ATP student matinees and youth engagement opportunites, please email Kevyn at ksander@atplive.com. You will receive email notifications when our booking requests go live as well as for any other youth engagement announcements.
Kevyn Sander, Patron Experience and Community Coordinator
ksander@atplive.com
403-294-7402
The shows:
The Hobbit
Based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien
Adapted by Kim Selody
Licensed by Middle-earth Enterprises
December 1, 2026 – January 3, 2027
Student Matinee Dates:
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 – SOLD OUT
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 – SOLD OUT
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15 – SOLD OUT
Student Matinees of The Hobbit are currently sold out. Want to be added to the waiting list? Please contact Kevyn at ksander@atplive.com.
About the show:
Bilbo Baggins is swept from his cozy Hobbit Hole and into a perilous quest across Middle-earth to help a band of Dwarves reclaim their home under the Lonely Mountain from a treacherous Dragon. Faced with Trolls, Goblins, Elves, giant spiders and the mysterious creature Gollum, Bilbo discovers his own resourcefulness and courage, and grows into an unlikely hero, proving indispensable to the Company as their journey culminates in a great battle that determines the very fate of the mountain and its inhabitants.
Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous tale, The Hobbit is a not-to-be-missed magical journey for the holiday season. This imaginative Canadian adaptation brings audiences into a fantastical world of adventure, courage, and discovery.
Audience advisory: The wider world of Middle-earth is filled with beings quite unfamiliar to many young hobbits – a few of which some eyes might find frightening – such as Goblins, Trolls and (gulp) even a Dragon. This show also features staged battles and magic, as well as some technical effects (water-based stage haze and fog, flashing lights). And while we recognize that every young theatregoer is different, our general suggested age for this production is 7+.
Fifteen Dogs
Adapted for the stage by Marie Farsi
Based on the novel by André Alexis
Directed by Haysam Kadri
In association with Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
February 2 – February 21, 2027
Student Matinee Date:
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18
About the show:
Over drinks at a local bar, Greek gods Apollo and Hermes ponder whether any animal would die happy if granted human intelligence. Apollo thinks not. Hermes is more optimistic. To settle the bet, they decide to grant fifteen dogs human consciousness.
The gods watch on as the dogs discover both the delights and pitfalls of complex thought and emotion. But before long, clashes over status, freedom, and choice threaten the pack – sometimes leading to devastating consequences. In this modern-day fable of fate, faith, love, and language, the pack must wrestle with morality, mortality, and their varied and remarkable relationships with humans.
Based on André Alexis’s Giller Prize-winning bestselling novel, Fifteen Dogs is a thought-provoking story exploring consciousness, morality, and what it truly means to be human.
Audience advisory: Suggested for ages 14+. Mature themes, animal violence, some coarse language. Also features loud, sudden noises and other theatrical effects (water-based stage haze and fog, flashing lights). Visit us HERE for further information about specific content in Fifteen Dogs that may impact audience members. The information may contain mild plot spoilers for the show.
Burning Mom
Written and directed by Mieko Ouchi
April 6 – 25, 2027
Student Matinee Date:
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
About the show:
After retired suburban wife and mother Dorothy loses her husband of forty-five years, she decides to take their twenty-six-foot-long RV on the road trip of her husband’s retirement dreams to the middle of the Nevada desert… to Burning Man.
Based on the experiences of playwright Mieko Ouchi’s mother, this irreverent one-woman play sits us in the passenger seat on a journey through grief and the search for meaning. Along the way, Dorothy discovers the power of art and community, the beauty in small moments, and the courage to jump back into the deep end of life.
A sharp and emotionally charged new work that invites us to embrace life’s unexpected adventures, Burning Mom beautifully examines family, memory, and the complexities of loss.
Buckle up – it’s going to be quite a ride.
Audience advisory: Suggested for ages 14+. Mature content (including drug use), coarse language, loss & bereavement, theatrical effects (including water-based stage haze and fog, flashing lights).
Dream: A Canadian Musical
Written and composed by Terry Bachynski
In association with Annerin Productions and Bachynski Productions
In partnership with Forte Musical Theatre
May 25 – June 20, 2027
Student Matinee Dates:
There is currently no student matinee scheduled for Dream: A Canadian Musical, but there is potential for one on THURSDAY, JUNE 3. If your class/school is interested in a student matinee of Dream, please email Kevyn and let her know!
About the show:
Eddie, a young teenage boy who was orphaned at an early age, finds himself scamming on the city streets before being placed in the care of an elderly widow in a rural farming community. Through a dramatic change of scenery and unfamiliar acts of kindness, he discovers purpose, belonging and the love of his life. The songs are unforgettable. The story, true.
Closing the season with heart and spectacle, this vibrant musical about a remarkable family legacy of redemption celebrates Canadian identity through music, storytelling, and theatrical imagination.
Audience advisory: Suggested for ages 12+.
ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT THE THEATRE
Educator Resources
The resources are created to help introduce your students to the play through details about the production, and discussion topics.
Post Show Chats
Immediately following the performance, join the artists onstage for an in-depth conversation about the play. Post-show chats are offered after student matinee performances as an opportunity for your students to ask their questions, share their comments, and start the dialogue we hope will continue in your classroom. We make every effort to have a post-show chat after each matinee as long as the run time of the show allows for it.
Questions? Please contact:
Kevyn Sander, Patron Experience and Community Coordinator
ksander@atplive.com
403-294-7402
Poster graphic design by Kurt Firla
Alberta Theatre Projects is honoured to be a charity partner for this year’s Rogers Birdies for Kids, presented by AltaLink where we receive 100% of all donations and up to 50% in a matching gift. Visit us HERE to donate via Rogers Birdies for Kids!