Play Suitability Suggestions and Study Guides for Schools

Suitability suggestions provide details about play content and are available for each of the season's productions.

Each school and community is unique, so please read carefully to determine what is appropriate for your students.

Be aware that suitability suggestions are often made before rehearsals begin, and decisions are occasionally made before a show opens that change the suitability of a production. In this event, we will publish updates to our website and make every effort contact group leaders.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

By William Shakespeare

This tale of revenge plays against a backdrop of politics and intrigue; characters grapple with madness, murder, and betrayal. It contains sexual dialogue, depictions of violent deaths, and discussions of a possible suicide. This Shakespearean classic is a must-see for middle and high school students who are able to handle staged violence and mature themes. Preface recommended.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

By Henrik Ibsen, A New Version by Amy Herzog

Amy Herzog’s lean contemporary adaptation presents a clear and compact version of the Henrik Ibsen classic. Themes of deceit, mistrust, and disconnection between a married couple are at the forefront in this production. Some profanity and angry verbal exchanges occur. This play is suitable for most middle and high school students. Preface recommended.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

By Mark Bedard and John Tufts

A treat for all! While packed with slapstick physicality, sparkling verbal wit, and chaos, the rapid-fire dialogue also contains double-entendres and sexual innuendo, and there may be suggestive comedic staging. This zany adventure is suitable for students able to handle these elements.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Long-buried family secrets are exposed in this fast-moving Tony Award–winning drama set at the home of a civil rights leader. Profanity, angry verbal exchanges, and discussions of infidelity are part of the tension of the play. A gunshot and attempted suicide occur offstage. A character is dismissively implied to be neurodivergent during an argument. This play is recommended for middle and high school students able to handle mature themes and content. Preface recommended.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

By Heidi Schreck

Schreck’s dynamic play invites the audience to rediscover the words of the U.S. Constitution and grapple with its meaning in the 21st century. This personal and political exploration talks about abortion, sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking. The play also contains strong profanity. Recommended for mature students able to handle the content. Preface recommended.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

By William Shakespeare

This epic romance, which starts with the breakup of a family, contains the offstage death of a child and depictions of jealous rage and possible staged violence targeting a woman. Because of the play’s complex language and mature themes, it is recommended for well-prepared middle and high school students. Preface recommended.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

Written and performed by Vanessa Severo

A window into connections the playwright finds between artist Frida Kahlo’s life and her own, this play includes descriptions that can be considered ableist and fatphobic. There are stylized descriptions and depictions of physical injury and miscarriage. Some mild profanities in Spanish are used in the play. A character is depicted using drugs for pain management. This play is recommended for well-prepared middle and high school students. Preface recommended.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

By William Shakespeare

The hijinks of The Comedy of Errors are just plain fun! Although a plot twist involving the town courtesan brings potential for some bawdy comedy, this delightfully silly play is suitable for middle and high school students. Preface recommended.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire

This hilarious and heartwarming musical is a great night out for the whole family. The show includes juvenile humor, including jokes about bodily functions and playful insults. Audiences should expect occasional mild profanity, subtle sexual innuendo, and double entendre. While there is no realistically staged violence, younger audiences should be prepared for scary moments including exaggerated fairy-tale threats, torture, and slapstick violence.

For additional content warnings regarding violence or graphic depictions that may be upsetting to some audience members, please see our Content Warnings page (may contain spoilers).

Study Guides are created for every play in the current season. Study guides offer resources to use in preparation for reading, streaming, or attending a play. These materials also offer teaching suggestions, discussion questions, research topics, related websites, and additional resources for each production.

Due to the constantly evolving nature of the production process, study guides may not be available until after a production has opened. We will post them as soon as possible. 

Study Guides coming soon!

All's Well That Ends Well
As You Like It
Antony and Cleopatra
The Comedy of Errors
Coriolanus
Cymbeline
Hamlet
Henry IV, Part One
Henry IV, Part Two
Henry V
Henry VI, Part One
Henry VI, Part Two
Henry VI, Part Three
Henry VIII
Julius Caesar
King John
King Lear
Love's Labor's Lost
Macbeth
Measure for Measure 
The Merchant of Venice
The Merry Wives of Windsor
A Midsummer Nights Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
Othello
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Richard II
Richard III
Romeo and Juliet
The Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest
Timon of Athens
Titus Andronicus
Troilus and Cressida
Twelfth Night
The Tempest
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Noble Kinsmen
The Winter's Tale