Shakespeare Education Experience Tour
Bringing professional Shakespeare performances directly to your school or community venue
What is the Shakespeare Education Experience Tour?
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare Education Experience (SEE) Tour brings a fully staged, actor-driven Shakespeare production to schools, colleges, libraries, community centers, senior centers, and public venues across the region each fall.
Created with middle and high school students in mind, the SEE Tour is also fully appropriate and engaging for adult and mixed-age audiences. Each booking includes a performance and a cast talk-back designed to deepen understanding of the play and offer behind-the-scenes insight into Shakespeare’s language, themes, and performance.
What’s Included
Every SEE Tour booking includes:
An abridged (appx. 1 hour) performance by our five-actor professional touring ensemble
A post-show talkback with the cast
Support from our Tour Manager for day-of logistics guidance
A self-contained performance - we travel with all props, costumes, and set pieces
Teaching Artist Workshops
Workshops give students or community groups dedicated time with our touring actors/teaching artists in an interactive environment.
Our workshops (30–60 minutes) include:
A fast, clear overview of the plays characters, themes, and style
Movement and rhythm exercises that make Shakespeare’s language physical and approachable
Activities that help participants speak text with confidence and intention
Insight into the actor’s process - how professional artists approach Shakespeare
Fall Tour 2026: Romeo & Juliet
Our 2026 SEE Tour production will be a fast-paced, five-actor adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, crafted specifically for student learners and fully engaging for adult audiences.
Touring Dates: October–November 2026 (exact dates TBA)
Public Performances: Announced spring 2026
Recommended Ages: Grades 7-12 and adults
Ideal for: Middle and high schools, university classes, libraries, senior and community centers, and public venues seeking accessible arts programming
Content Warning: This production includes themes of love, conflict, family tension, death, and suicide.
How to Book:
Submit a Booking Form
Complete the form with your ideal dates, venue type, and audience size. NSF is committed to accessible arts experiences, so please let us know if your venue or audience requires specific accommodations.Confirm Your Date
NSF will follow up to finalize scheduling, provide your contract, and review space needs.Prepare Your Space
Our Tour Manager will share day-of logistics and hosting guidance.Performance Day
The touring ensemble arrives 60–90 minutes before your event. Performance + talk-back follows.Optional Workshops
If you’ve added workshops, our actors/teaching artists will transition into your classroom or gathering space (can occur before or after the performance).
“...You could see lightbulbs going off in student brains as they watched and connected the performances to what they had read. The crowd work and personality of the actors shone through, giving an experience that cannot be duplicated by a performance on a screen. For most of our students, it was the first play they had ever seen live, and has sparked their interest in live performance.”
“Shakespeare is meant to be seen, not just read. I am thankful for the professionalism and the quick response from NSF made the experience feel very personal. I am hoping to use NSF more in the future!”
Pricing and Financial Support
The SEE Tour uses a simple fixed-fee structure based on your distance from our office in Nashville (161 Rains Avenue, 37203). Standard rates apply to community venues, homeschools, private schools, and public schools where less than 39% of students are economically disadvantaged (according to the TN Department of Education Report Card). Public schools where 40% or more of students are economically disadvantaged receive the SEE Tour performance and workshops at no charge; modest travel fees may apply for schools farther than 50 miles from Nashville.
Standard Rates
WITHIN 50 MILES OF NASHVILLE
Performance Only (includes talkback)
1 show: $950
2 shows, same day (with at least a one-hour break): $1,500
Performance + Workshop (includes up to two one-class workshops total)
1 show + workshops: $1,200
2 shows + workshops: $1,700
Additional Workshops (beyond the 2 included)
One 1-hour workshop (single class): $150
BETWEEN 50-100 MILES FROM NASHVILLE
Performance Only (includes talkback)
1 show: $1,250
2 shows, same day (with at least a one-hour break): $1,800
Performance + Workshop (includes up to two one-class workshops total)
1 show + workshops: $1,500
2 shows + workshops: $2,000
Additional Workshops (beyond the 2 included)
One 1-hour workshop (single class): $150
MORE THAN 100 MILES FROM NASHVILLE
Performance Only (includes talkback)
1 show: $1,550
2 shows, same day (with at least a one-hour break): $2,100
Performance + Workshop (includes up to one-class two workshops total)
1 show + workshops: $1,800
2 shows + workshops: $2,300
Additional Workshops (beyond the 2 included)
One 1-hour workshop (single class): $150
Under-Resourced Schools
(more than 40% of students are economically disadvantaged according to the TN Department of Education State Report Card)
We are committed to keeping the SEE Tour accessible. For under-resourced schools within 50 miles of Nashville:
Performance Only (includes talkback): FREE
Performance + Workshops: FREE
(includes up to 3 workshops)
Travel fees may apply for schools more than 50 miles from Nashville:
50–100 miles: $150 travel fee
Over 100 miles: $300 travel fee
Over 150 miles: $300 plus additional overnight fee of $300
Interested in hosting more than one performance or more than 5 workshops at your school? Please contact our Education Director Katie Bruno at katie@nashvilleshakes.org.
To ensure we can continue offering free programming, free bookings are limited each season and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Student Ticket Subsidy (STS) from the Tennessee Arts Commission
If you are a public school where less than 39% of students are economically disadvantaged but still need financial support, the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Student Ticket Subsidy (STS) program may help cover your tour cost. Schools can apply to receive funding that offsets the cost of student attendance at arts experiences including touring performances like ours. Visit the STS program page or eligibility, deadlines, and application details.
Please contact us early to discuss your interest in applying so we can coordinate dates while you apply for subsidy funding. We encourage anyone who is interested to apply early. NSF does not have any control over who is awarded STS funds.
Shakespeare Education Experience Tour Sponsors
Season Sponsors
