Partnership: Goodman Theatre

Field Trips

See shows, talk to theatre professionals, make connections in class!

Participating Groups

DC Theatre

Honors Biology

AP Biology

African American Literature

AP American Lit

NTA Thespians

Students-at-Large

2024-2025 Field Trip Dates:

10/08/24 - Inherit the Wind    https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/inherit-the-wind/

"Inherit the Wind" is a play about the Scopes Monkey Trial, and confronts the conflicting viewpoints about what science is, and whether/how much of it should be accessible to students in schools. 

Much like a TV court drama, this play depicts the workings of a trial, from selection of counsel and jury through sentencing, in a play-by-play sequence that gives the audience insight to what's going on both within the walls of the court, and in the world just outside of them. It asks students to consider how we determine what is "acceptable" in our communities, and what the consequences of creating or preventing these limits might have upon our communities' oldest traditions and youngest members. 

Official Goodman Description: Science and religion go head-to-head in this iconic courtroom showdown. A small-town educator’s trial for teaching the theory of evolution becomes a battle royal of wits, wisdom and will for two of the country’s most powerful lawyers. In a bold retelling for today, Goodman Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez directs an all-new production of one of the greatest dramas of the 20th century, based on the real-life Scopes “Monkey” Trial of 1925—an “explosive episode in American culture” (New York Times).

2/12/25 - Fat Ham   https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/fat-ham/

"Fat Ham" is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, set at a backyard family barbecue. 

It explores the ways that race, gender, and socioeconomic status show up in family dynamics, and comedifies the famous tragedy, asking students to consider the enduring truths of humanity and society from Shakespeare's time through today, and begs the question "how can we change these patterns?" 

Official Goodman Description: “This is what I was raised in: pig guts and bad choices.” As Juicy grapples with his identity and his family at a backyard barbecue, his father’s ghost shows up asking for revenge—on Juicy’s uncle, who has married his widowed mom—bringing his quest for joy and liberation to a screeching halt. James Ijames has reinvented Shakespeare’s masterpiece, creating what the New York Times hails as “a hilarious yet profound tragedy, smothered in comedy,” where the only death is the patriarchy. Tyrone Phillips, Founding Artistic Director of Chicago’s famed Definition Theatre, directs. 

5/08/25 - Bust   https://www.goodmantheatre.org/show/bust/

Bust is a contemporary and award-winning piece of literature/theatre by exploring modern themes through the critical genre of surrealism. 

Through humor, spectacle, and surrrealism, the play examines the costs of being Black and free. Students will be challenged to consider conventions of literary and theatrical forms as they witness the innovations of script and theatricality in this production. 

Official Goodman Description: Retta and Reggie are enjoying their usual evening on the porch when a longtime neighbor is pulled over by the police just before turning into his driveway. Everything goes as expected—until the unexpected happens. Tensions escalate, and eventually erupt, transporting us to a startling conclusion in Ms. Howard’s powerful new work. Lileana Blain-Cruz, a “master of curating chaos” (The New York Times), directs.