For Schools

Know Before You Go

What is the address of the theater?

  • The Herberger Theater Center is located at 222 E. Monroe Street in Downtown Phoenix. The theater is between N. 2nd and N. 3rd Street on E. Monroe. Buses should travel south on N. 3rd and make a right onto E. Monroe.

 

Where should we park?

  • After dropping off students, bus drivers will be given instructions about where to park for the duration of the play. For those traveling by car to field trips there are several public parking garages located around the Herberger Theater for a fee.

 

DOWNLOAD A PARKING MAP with detailed parking information >

 

How do we pay for our field trip?

  • Childsplay accepts checks, money orders, credit card payments or purchase orders.
  • Each field trip should be paid for in a single payment (unless the school or district requires that chaperones be paid for in a separate check). We do not accept payment for individual seats.
  • All checks need to be sent to Childsplay’s business office address at 900 S. Mitchell Dr., Tempe, AZ, 85281. Credit card payments may be made by phone.  PO’s can be faxed, emailed or snail mailed to our business office. Payments of any kind are not accepted at the theater.
  • Any changes to booking order or cancellations must be made prior to 6 weeks of show date. There is a 10% cancellation fee for any cancellations after this date. Because of this, all sales are final and there are no refunds or credits after the 4-week prior to show cut-off date. If reservation is unpaid by payment deadline, reservation may be released at Childplay’s discretion.

 

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 four 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 $12 per person rate for schools.

 

When should we arrive for our scheduled performance?

We ask that groups arrive no later than 20 minutes prior to 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 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.

 

  • The Arizona Center is located just north of the Herberger across the street on E. Van Buren and has a very large open area with grass, steps and a fountain. There are shops and restaurants and could be a beautiful space to eat lunch in. 

 

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.