Childcare Matinee Series (formerly Family Matinee Series) makes attending theatre easier for parents and caregivers. Drop your young ones off for an afternoon of theatre activities, arts and crafts and games led by professional teaching artists – all while parents and caregivers take in the performance just steps away in the theatre.
Designed for ages 5-11. All participants must be bathroom independent.
Want to learn more about what the workshop looks like? Scroll to the bottom of the page!
2026/27 Childcare Matinee Workshops:
All events are during the 2pm matinees at Writers Theatre.
- October 18 - Sisters
- November 15 – The Royale
- February 28 – Brief Encounter
- May 23 – The Piano and Me
- June 13 - Creditors
PLEASE NOTE: Childcare Matinee tickets are only available to the corresponding matinee performance. Tickets are $10 per participant for subscribers and $15 per participant for single ticket holders – in addition to your ticket to the show.
If you are a subscriber, your discount will automatically apply when you are logged in.
Reach out at education@writerstheatre.org if cost is a barrier or with questions about your Sunday afternoon at the theatre!
Upcoming Childcare Matinee Events
Sisters – Childcare Matinee
Matilda and Greta have always been there for one another, through joy and grief and homework and boyfriends. They’re as close as sisters can be—even if Greta is artificial intelligence. As Matilda ages and Greta longs for independence, their relationship begins to be tested like never before.
Drop off your young ones off for a fun day at the theatre and catch this riveting and thought-provoking new play about the future of family.
PLEASE NOTE: Childcare Matinee Workshops are available only to ticket-holders of our October 18 matinee performance of Sisters.
The Royale – Childcare Matinee
Jay is a really good boxer, so good they call him “The Sport.” He’s won his last seventy-six fights and has his sights set on being crowned the next heavyweight champion. But it’s 1905, and in the Jim Crow era, a Black man doesn’t get to fight a reigning white champion.
When a surprising chance at the title appears, Jay gears up for the fight of his life—where the stakes are staggeringly high inside the ring and out. Inspired by real-world boxer Jack Johnson, don't miss this adrenaline rush of a play by Marco Ramirez (Orange is the New Black, Buena Vista Social Club).
Drop off your young ones for an exciting workshop at the theatre and enjoy this kinetic and poetic portrayal of what it takes and what it costs to make history.
PLEASE NOTE: Childcare Matinee Workshops are available only to ticket-holders of our November 15 matinee performance of The Royale.
Brief Encounter – Childcare Matinee
An ordinary commute becomes a whirlwind instant of once-in-a-lifetime possibility.
Laura, a suburban housewife, and Alec, a married doctor, meet by chance in a busy railway station. As their weekly encounters continue and they fall more passionately and wildly in love, the pair is forced to reconsider their settled lives and decide if this romance is undeniably hopeless or worth risking everything for.
Based on the beloved Noël Coward film, this critically acclaimed stage adaptation features live performances of an indelible selection of Coward’s best songs.
Gift your young ones a day of creative play and yourself one of the greatest love stories of all time brought to dazzling life with music, movement and theatrical magic.
PLEASE NOTE: Childcare Matinee Workshops are available only to ticket-holders of our February 28 matinee performance of Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter.
Sunday, February 28, 2027 at 2 PM
Tickets & DetailsHershey Felder's The Piano and Me – Childcare Matinee
Hershey Felder, known for his hit portrayals of musical geniuses in his beloved composer series, now takes the stage as a different musical artist: himself. In this deeply moving new play, Felder pulls back the curtain on his own story. Growing up in Montreal as the child of Polish and Hungarian immigrants, a young Felder discovers the piano, its captivating music connecting him to his unsuspected heritage, while opening up a remarkable new world full of adventure, possibility, heartbreak, and connection.
Featuring performances of beloved compositions by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Bartók, and more, Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me recounts the inspiration behind Felder’s illustrious career of more than 6,000 performances across the globe.
Drop off your young ones off for a fun day at the theatre and catching this poignant and profoundly touching portrait of the power of music.
PLEASE NOTE: Childcare Matinee Workshops are available only to ticket-holders of our May 23 matinee performance of Hershey Felder's The Piano and Me.
Sunday, May 23, 2027 at 2 PM
Tickets & DetailsCREDITORS – Childcare Matinee
Adi, a struggling painter, is on holiday at the seaside with his glamorous wife, Tekla, who has recently published a wildly successful book. Left alone at the hotel while his wife is celebrated, Adi strikes up a conversation with a magnetic stranger, Gustav. As the two talk into the night, their budding friendship enters darker waters when Gustav becomes fixated on Tekla and Adi’s relationship.
Drop off your young ones for an enriching workshop and enjoy this classic psychological thriller by August Strindberg, newly adapted with biting wit by Jen Silverman (Witch, The Roommate), is an electrifying portrayal of three souls trapped in an intricate web of deception, seduction and revelation.
PLEASE NOTE: Childcare Matinee Workshops are available only to ticket-holders of our June 13 matinee performance of CREDITORS.
Sunday, June 13, 2027 at 2 PM
Tickets & DetailsWhat to expect at a Childcare Matinee:
It’s helpful if you give your young artist a heads up of what to expect!
- Where: Writers Theatre Rehearsal Room, just inside the front entrance of the theatre
(325 Park Ave, Glencoe, IL 60022) to the left. - Timing: Please drop off your participant between 1:45pm and 1:55pm and pick them up within 10 minutes of the end of the show. Exact length of show will be communicated prior to matinee.
- What to Wear/Bring: Participants should dress for comfort. A water bottle is recommended, and allergy-friendly snacks are welcome.
- What We'll Do: During this theatre arts workshop we play theatre games, color or craft, and go to the playground right next to the theatre (weather permitting).
Questions about subscriptions? Call the WT Box Office.
Questions about workshops? Email Writers Theatre Education at education@writerstheatre.org
