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  • 1.  Stratford Trip

    Posted 05-14-2017 15:38
    Has anyone gone to Stratford??   

    I'm interested in taking a group next year as an alternate to New York.  Did you just book everything yourself or are there any touring companies are helpful??  I'm looking for a more affordable trip than New York or another big city...We would be a smaller group of 10-20 so transportation cost usually becomes a big deterrent for us and drives the price high since we are smaller....

    If you have any insight I would love to hear from you!!

    Thank you!!

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    Rachel Ferrari-Engel
    Pittsburgh Brashear High School
    Photography/Theatre
    Pittsburgh Pa
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  • 2.  RE: Stratford Trip

    Posted 05-15-2017 15:01
    Hi there! I'm assuming you mean in England. If not, sorry for this post! The flight to England alone would cost as much as a whole trip to NYC, so you probably won't get out cheaper that way; however, Stratford is AMAZING! Highly recommended. It's probably a 2-day trip more than anything. We're going there soon as an extension of a larger London trip (which will definitely set you back more than NYC). If you were just staying in Stratford, I really don't think a tour company would be necessary with such a small group, but if you were adding London, you'd need a tour company for your first time. Stratford is small and compact and easy to get around by foot with a great, easy-to-follow map. Anne Hathaway's cottage is about a mile away from everything, so that might be a bit harder to trek to, but your kids might be up for the adventure! Lmk if you want any other details!

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    Maralie Medlin
    Theatre Arts Educator
    Gastonia, NC
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Stratford Trip

    Posted 05-16-2017 01:41
    Hi,
    Look into Educational Tours Curtain Time trip.  I just did it with some students.  It's a flight to see mainly London and theatre in West end and within that you see Stratford for a day.  World Strides is another company where you can design your own trip.  They might have an option for you to stay one or two nights.  Both companies have payment plans and the best part is for every six students that sign up for the trip,  a chaperone (you) goes for free!  We actually branched off from the other schools we were touring with and saw more theatre than what they had planned for us.  To see London actors was life-changing for my students.
    Hope this gives you some insight.
    John

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    John Rowe
    Theatre Teacher, Advisor Washington Street Players
    Independent School District of Boise
    Boise ID
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Stratford Trip

    Posted 05-17-2017 11:20
    I feel compelled to strongly advise you AGAINST EF Tours Curtain Time tour! We did that trip in March & it was the WORST travel experience of my 20+ years of teaching.  They reel you in with lots of perks, but customer service is a joke, the travel guide does nothing but hand you theatre tickets & walk you to restaurants. The meals are awful & small. Kids were still hungry & eating out of vending machines at hotel. Plus, seeing the "sites" consist of sitting on a bus & driving by. They should change their name to MONEY first because there is nothing educational about it.

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    Jeana Whitaker
    Theatre Director
    Mesa AZ
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Stratford Trip

    Posted 05-18-2017 06:34
    Jeanna, I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I took the Curtain Time in London trip last summer and it was a wonderful experience. Our tour director was delightful and since we happened to be there during the queen's birthday, they took us to St Paul's cathedral so we could catch a glimpse of the royal family as they entered the church for a ceremony. We also took the excursion to Stratford and loved it. The gardens around Anne Hathaway's home were amazing to me. I've seen English country garden style as it is attempted in the US and this was way above and beyond all that. Really, I could go on and on. Loved the trip!

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    Ava Grimm
    Carrollton TX
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Stratford Trip

    Posted 05-16-2017 07:29
     Perhaps you meant Stratford Canada?
    If that is the case I would highly recommend attending their theater season. It has been a few years since I attended but when I was at University, we would take a yearly trip to see the wonderful work that goes on there.

     Certainly worth the trip, and much less expensive and a trip to Stratford England! 


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    [Teresa] [Wallace-Gunning]
    [Department of Theatre Arts-Director]
    [Bridgewater-Raritan High School]
    [Bridgewater] [NJ
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Stratford Trip

    Posted 05-16-2017 07:52
    I have taken students to Stratford, Ontario four or five times, and each time has been a blast. I have not felt it necessary to use a tour company, and several times we were able to stay in hostel-style housing to keep costs down even more!  You might also check out the Shaw festival which happens in Ontario as well. It was always tempting, but Stratford was usually combined with a trip to the Thespian international festival back when it was held in Muncie Indiana!
    Have a great time!

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    Charles McMeekin
    Sharon VT
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Stratford Trip

    Posted 05-16-2017 08:24
    I've taken students on trips to the Stratford Festival of Canada over twenty times and it is fantastic. Each year, we take a four day trip in the fall. I put the trip together myself with assistance from Luisa in the Educational department and the good people in the Groups and Schools department. We see 5 shows, tour either their Costume & Prop Warehouse or Backstage at the Festival Theatre, and participate in 3 workshops. The workshops are in one of the rehearsal spaces and with an artist from the company. Last year, we had the lead from Shakespeare in Love work with the kids on Shakespearean text. In the past, we've had the dance captain from Crazy for You teach them a sequence from the show. After seeing Romeo and Juliet, Benvolio and Tybalt taught stage combat. We will also throw in a Post-Show Chat with a couple actors following a performance. With 3 nights in a pretty nice hotel, the trip costs about $300 per kid (plus food and spending). Financially and educationally, you can't beat it!

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    Michael Clemons
    Director of Theatre
    Woodhaven High School
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Stratford Trip

    Posted 05-18-2017 06:52
    Thank you for all the feedback!  I'm looking into Stratford, Canada, sorry about the confusion.  I should have been more specific.  However,  it was nice to see the perspective on going over seas, maybe someday.  I'm going to start smaller for now.  Finances for my students is a difficult thing... so providing a trip while keeping the cost under $500 is ideal!  I feel more confident in making a few phone calls and getting plans going.

    Thank you!!

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    Rachel Ferrari-Engel
    Pittsburgh Brashear High School
    Photography/Theatre
    Pittsburgh Pa
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    Original Message


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