SchoolFest | Shakespeare To Go | ShakeSpirit | Quarto | Elizabeth's Bard Weekend | Hands-On Shakespeare

SchoolFest study guides are available on the NCSF web site. Developed by NCSF lead educators, these guides offer inspiring questions, ideas and activities relating to the performance. Teachers will also receive a playbill following the performance.

Click here for A Christmas Carol Study Guide

These special matinee performances are exclusively for student groups. Pre-paid, advanced reservations are required for SchoolFest performances. The special student rate is $14, and includes Homeschool groups of two or more students. Groups receive one free ticket for every 15 tickets to accommodate the need for chaperones.

Teachers must make reservations in advance through NCSF’s Administrative Office at 336-841-2273, ext. 226, or by e-mail to sales@ncshakes.org.

Because of the high demand for SchoolFest tickets, teachers should refer to the The Festival’s SchoolFest Reservation Policy*, which aims to assure the most equitable access to tickets to these very popular shows.

Notice: NCSF does not recommend bringing children under the age of eight to its productions, including A Christmas Carol, unless otherqise publicized. Babies in arms are kindly discouraged. NCSF assigns all seats for SchoolFest performances on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Signed Performances: We ask schools in need of this service to please make every effort to attend scheduled signed performances, as NCSF is not able to provide sign interpreters at any other time. See the calendar for dates of signed performances. Please contact NCSF’s Sales Department to discuss space availability at 336-841-2273, ext. 226.

We thank you for bringing your students to The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival’s SchoolFest student matinee performances. Our goal is to make as many seats as possible available to students at the lowest possible cost. Below is how we plan to achieve that goal:

*Schoolfest Reservation Procedures
In the past, we have found ourselves turning away teachers and students interested in attending SchoolFest performances because we were holding unpaid reservations for students and teachers who then did not come to the performances. In order to make as many seats available as possible, we have adopted a system of “guaranteed reservations” which releases unpaid reservations so that the seats may be offered to other students and teachers.

We ask that you keep your reservations in the “guaranteed” status by following these guidelines:

When you call to make a Schoolfest reservation, we will hold the unpaid reservation for three business days. By the third business day, however, we MUST receive a non-refundable 50 percent deposit. If the deposit is not received, the reservation will be released to accommodate new reservation requests. Each reservation will be assigned a "paid in full" date based on the date of the reservation request and the date of the requested performance. The remaining 50 percent of the amount due MUST be received by the "paid in full" date. Any reservations that do not satisfy the arranged payment schedule are considered "non-guaranteed" and may be released at any time to accommodate new reservation requests. You will receive email updates regarding the status of your reservation throughout the process.

If your reservation falls into the “non-guaranteed” status, that does not mean your reservations have been cancelled. We will, however, reserve seats for the first patrons who pay for those seats. As long as your reservation is in the “guaranteed” status, we will not release your seats. If, however, your reservation falls into the “non-guaranteed” status, there is a risk that the performance you wish to attend will be sold out before your reservation can be reinstated. At this point we will do everything we can to find you seats for another performance, applying your deposit to the new date. The deposit is non-refundable in any case.

Refund Policies
The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival does not cancel performances due to inclement weather. If, however, we fail to perform, for any reason whatsoever, we will provide a 100 percent refund to those who have a guaranteed reservation for that performance.

But please note the following:
If your school district officially cancels or delays classes on the day of your reservation, and The Festival still performs, we will do everything we can to re-schedule your reservation for another performance of the same play you planned to see. If we cannot re-schedule your reservation, no matter what the reason, we will provide a refund of 50 percent, and no more, of the payment we have received from you.

Plan Early
We urge you to plan early in order to make your visit to The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival a pleasant and valuable experience. We are available and eager to answer your questions and to guide you through the reservation process. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at 336-841-2273, ext. 226, or by e-mail to sales@ncshakes.org.