Paramount's Kid-Centric Programming Keeps the Cheap Seats Cheap

Hundreds of parents and students filtered into Paramount Theatre on Jan. 9, filling the building with sounds of laughter and chatter absent since March 2020. Filing in for the world premiere of Lightwire Theatre's The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen, the room was electric with excitement. Paramount Director of Education Brian Fahey recalled, "It was very emotional being there, I didn't realize how much I had missed it. There's really just nothing better [than] the laughter from kids in the theatre."

Paramount Education, the theatre's family and education arm, has announced the return of in-person family shows, school field trips, and summer camps in 2022. Those programs have primarily operated online since the beginning of the pandemic and have engaged over 37,000 Central Texas youth through the free digital field trip series and digital camps. Noticing an increase in involvement through the online programs, Fahey said Paramount recognized this was likely due to removing the cost barrier that was previously present. This is something that Fahey said they plan to carry into this year's programming, as well as building upon their preexisting Access to the Arts initiative, which partners with local nonprofits to provide free tickets for various performances. They're also conscious of schools' socioeconomic statuses, ensuring that Title I schools receive reduced prices or at times are brought in for free.

That affordability also covers their summer camps, as the Paramount awards over $30,000 in scholarships every year. Fahey said these awards are specifically for students who've had an interest in performing arts but haven't necessarily had the opportunity to fully engage in those programs. "We want to make sure that everyone in Austin knows that this is a space for them," he said. "We have the benefit of a lot of our programs being underwritten through grant supports and that allows us to be able to serve the schools and the families that we want to serve and that are looking for these opportunities."

While some digital programming will continue, Fahey said, "It's wonderful to get back to in-person." With the crowds being mainly composed of youth, for whom the shows are primarily created, Fahey said there's a different kind of energy present within the theatre. "They are going to be the most appreciative but also the most honest audience that you'll ever perform for," he said. "The laughs are bigger, any moments they might be scared are gonna be more heightened, they're just more reactive. That's just really joyful, to be able to be in a theatre with them and have them experience something that was created directly for them. It's just really just magical to be in the theatre ... getting to experience a little bit of magic in a time where I think a lot of a lot of families [and] a lot of students need some magic."

---

Find out more about the Paramount’s education programming, including assistance for free and reduced-cost tickets and registration, at austintheatre.org/education.

---

Theatrical Matinees

Bill Blagg's Magic in Motion (grades 3-5), Mon., Feb. 28, 10am, noon

Dog Man: The Musical (grades 1-5) Mon., March 28, 10am, noon; Tue., March 29, 10am, noon

Education Camps

Camp Paramount (two-week sessions, grades 1-10, early and late care available) June 6-July 22

Camp Story Wranglers (grades 3-8, early and late care available) July 18-29

Summer Songwriting Workshop (grades 7-10) July 18-29

Digital Field Trips (available through May 31)

"Building Hope" (best for grade 6)

"Citizens at Last" (best for grades 7-12)

"When I Rise" (best for grades 9-12)

"Thirst for Power" (best for grades 7-12)