FREE & Cheap Theater & Workshops during Family Week at the Theater

3/7/11 - By Desiree

During the entire month of March, the New Jersey Theater Alliance offers The Stages Festival, an opportunity for young people to enjoy free theater performances, classes and workshops. That also happens to include Family Week at the Theater, which launches this week with FREE (or deeply discounted) fun events for kids. The website has a great search engine so you can find performances based upon your county and the ages of your kids. Here are some of our favorite picks:

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Schoolhouse Rock, Live! Anyone who grew up in the 70s can't pass this one up. The free performance at the NJ Meadowlands Environmental Center on March 12 is sold out, but you can still catch the show at Holly Glen Elementary School in Willimastown on March 7 at 6:30pm (tickets are $3, call 856-728-8706 to reserve) or Marsh Elementary School in Absecon (tickets are buy one adult ticket get one free kids ticket, no reservations required) on March 11 at 7pm.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by the Centenary Stage Company has multiple performances across the state. There are free performances on March 10 at 6pm at Spruce Street School in Lakewood (Call 732-905-3660 to reserve) and Emma Havens Young Elementary School on March 24 at 6:30pm (call 732-262-2580 to reserve). Or go straight to the Century Stage Company (Hackettstown) on March 26 & 27 at 2:30pm where kids tickets are free with purchase of an adult ticket for $10. You must reserve by phone and mention NJTA to get the discount.

James and the Giant Peach is showing at The Growing Stage Theater and the performance on March 27 at 7:30pm is a special designated Family Theater Week performance. Kids get a free ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket for $18.

Red Riding Hood & Other Stories, performed by the Pushcart Players, is showing for free at five venues across the state. Catch the show, which includes short versions of the Princess and the Pea and the Emperor's New Clothes among others, at Vineland Public Library on March 8 at 6pm (call (856) 794-4244, ext. 4246 to reserve), Woodbury Public Library on March 9 at 3:30pm (call 856-845-2611 to reserve), Lacey Branch of the Ocean County Library in Forked River at March 12 at 10am (call 609-693-8566 to reserve), Long Beach Island Library in Surf City on March 12 at 2pm (call 609-494-2480 to reserve).

Gershwin for Kids at the Bickford Theater on March 12 at 12:30pm and 2:30pm. One child free with the purchase of an adult ticket for $8. Admission to the Morris Museum is just an additional $5 per person.

Maggie McGee & the Good Character Bandwagon is showing for free on March 9 at 6pm at the Manchester Branch Ocean County Library (call 732-657-7600 to reserve) and on March 26 at 2pm at the Ocean County Library - Stafford Branch in Manahawkin (call 609-597-3381 to reserve).

Sherlock Holmes' Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle is playing at the Mahwah Public Library on March 27 at 2pm. The performance is free and no reservations are needed.

Acting Workshop - Breathing Life Into Characters at Cape May Stage on March 7 and March 9 at 3:30pm. These free acting workshops are for ages 8 and up and will introduce them to different techniques including movement, vocal and improvisational performance. Advance registration required by calling 609-884-1341.

Shakespeare for the Whole Family Workshop at the Westside Theater New Jersey City University on March 12 at 10am. The workshop is free, but reservation is required by calling 201-200-2390.