What is the address of the theater?
Where should we park?
DOWNLOAD A PARKING MAP with detailed parking information >
How do we pay for our field trip?
When is payment due?
Payment or a purchase order is due four weeks before the date of your field trip unless other arrangements have been made with Childsplay. If reservation is unpaid by payment deadline, reservation may be released at Childplay’s discretion.
Do you accept purchase orders?
Childsplay does accept purchase orders. A copy of the purchase order should be mailed or faxed to our office no later than six weeks before the date of your field trip.
What if we need to change the number of people attending our field trip?
All changes in group size need to be made no later than six weeks before the date of your field trip by the contact person who made the initial reservation. After this date you are responsible for payment for all seats reserved. Be aware that many shows sell out and there may not be additional seats available after the time of your initial booking. If reservation is unpaid by payment deadline, reservation may be released at Childplay’s discretion.
Why do we have to pay for students who are absent?
Once you have made a booking for a certain numbers of seats, those seats are reserved for your group and cannot be sold to anyone else. In order to continue to present our quality productions at the highly-discounted rate, we need to be able to sell every seat in the theater.
Do you offer grants or reduced prices for Title I schools?
Childsplay is a nonprofit organization and we rely heavily on grants and donations to present our full-scale, professional productions at a highly-discounted rate to schools. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer further discounts from our regular $15 per person rate for schools.
How can I help my students prepare for Field Trip Experience?
Childsplay creates resouce guides for every performance that include a full show synopsis, playbill information, and pre-show discussion questions to help you and students prepare for the play. These are available in the Educational Resource Page and available at least 3 weeks before a show begins. The Herberger Theter Center's website also includes a lot of information and photos of the venue, to help students familarize themselves with the space before the visit.
When should we arrive for our scheduled performance?
We ask schools to arrive 20-30 minutes before show time. It takes several minutes for groups to get off the bus and get seated in the theater. With two shows per day, we are unable to delay the start of the show for groups who arrive late. Please note that seating generally begins 20-30 minutes before show time.
What will happen when we arrive at the theater?
If you arrive by bus, your bus will be greeted by a staff member or volunteer from the theater. They will give instructions to the group as to where they should line up, and they will also provide parking information to the bus driver. Once your group has lined up, the House Manger will greet you and assign an usher(s) to take you to your seats. The ushers are volunteers who donate their time to make it possible for Childsplay to be available to school audiences. The ushers will instruct your group to fill in every seat in your designated area. If your group is traveling by private vehicle, you will check in with the Childsplay staff member in front of the Herberger where you will be greeted and told where to line up.
Where will we be seated?
The seating plan is designed to provide all groups the best view possible, taking into account the group size, age of the students, special needs in the group, and the adult-to-student ratio. Seating plans are made the day of the show, so neither Childsplay nor the theater can tell a group where they’ll be seated prior to arrival.
What is the expectations for students in the Theatre?
We love hearing audience reactions like laughter, applause and gasps- it lets us know that your students are engaged! We know our young audiences may bave more wiggles and whispers than adult audiences and value your students' enthusiasm. We appreciate your help in managing student movement and conversations as needed to ensure that everyone attending has a positive and safe experience. Please encourage students sit correctly in the seats, listen to instructions from Herberger Staff, react to the play, and save discussions for after the show.
What is the climate inside the theater?
Theaters are often heavily air-conditioned to compensate for hot stage lights. Please encourage students and chaperones to dress appropriately.
What age are Childsplay productions appropriate for?
The Childsplay website and brochure offer age recommendations for each of our shows. Our seasons generally consist of plays for children ages 3 and up. Childsplay uses many factors to assess age recommendation of a show, including length, content and more. While children of all ages are welcome into our theater, we do recommend you consider our guidelines before attending a show. Please also keep in mind that the Herberger Theater requires that ALL patrons attending a show must have a ticket to get into the theater, no matter what age.
Can we bring snacks or water into the theater?
Food, gum, and beverages are not allowed inside the theater, so please leave all consumables at school or on your bus. Water bottles with a lid will be allowed. Each theater has a drinking fountain available. If you plan to have a picnic lunch, lunches can be stored in the lobby while you are in the performance.
Where can we take photographs?
Photographs are able to be taken before and after the performance, but not during in order to keep the actors safe and to ensure that the audience is able to enjoy the show as well.
Can family members purchase individual tickets to attend field trip performances?
There are no individual ticket sales for field trip shows. Anyone attending must be part of a group that has made advance reservations. Only the designated contact person who made the original reservation may make changes to the number attending.
Can we eat lunch at the theater?
A lot of teachers ask about a place to eat lunch that is close to the theater. Childsplay and the Herberger Theater Center Staff recommend Steele Indian School Park! Steele Indian School Park is the premiere special event park in central Phoenix, featuring acres of green grass, mature shade trees, and a historic setting. The north side of the park features a playground, two half-court basketball courts, and sand volleyball courts. Ramadas provide shade for picnics and provide shelter for parents supervising their children. The park is less than 2 miles from the Herberger Theater Center and has great parking for buses to stop on your way to or from the theater. Steele Indian School Park is located at N 3rd Street and Indian School Road. Your buses can drive straight down 3rd Street to get to the theater! Check out the park website for more information and details: https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/parks/alphabetical/s-parks/steele-indian-school.
How can we extend the learning after the Field Trip?
Childsplay creates resource guides for every show in our season. These guides include many activities to continue engagement and learning with the themes of the play. In each guide you'll see discussion questions, classroom activities, and book lists. These free resource guides are great ways to extend your experience with the show and are available in the Educational Resource Center on our website.
What is the artwork in front of the Herberger?
The Herberger’s Courtyard is filled with the bronze statues of John Henry Waddell entitled Dance. The 12 nude statues were placed in front of the Herberger after it was built in 1989 and are sculptures of ballet dancers.
