Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center

School Programs


Students get up close interaction with artists

Important Information
Many of these performances fill up several months in advance. In order to make sure we can accommodate as many students as possible, we request that schools only make reservations if they are sure they can attend. This will avoid last minute cancellations, which keeps others from being able to participate in our free educational performances. If however, a school group must cancel, please do so no later than three weeks prior to the performance date. If a school group cancels less than three weeks in advance they will be ineligible to receive transportation assistance for the rest of the school year or will be unable to make reservations to any of the next three "Meet the Artist" series performances. We greatly appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Meet the Artist Series

Daytime performances for schools

This series allows the ASC to share the arts with area students and aspiring young artists. These one-hour performances by internationally acclaimed artists enable students to experience the thrill of a live performance in a world-class performing arts venue. During these interactive presentations, performers engage students with anecdotes about their professional training as well as their experiences as touring artists. They also provide insight into the pieces they perform. School reservations are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Curriculum Guides are available for all "Meet the Artist" programs. For reservations, call (205) 934-0862 or e-mail us.

Meet the Artist performances include:

  • Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio - Thursday, October 8, 2009; 10 a.m. Recommended for Grades 9-12 This event is full!
  • Hubbard Street 2 Dance Company - Friday, November 6, 2009; 10:30 a.m. Recommended for Grades 2-5 This event is full!
  • "Yuletide in Dogtown" - Monday, December 7, 2009; 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Recommended for Grades K-5 This event is full!
  • Battleworks Dance Company - Friday, January 15, 2010; 10 a.m. Recommended for Grades 4-6 This event is full!
  • Los Lobos - Friday, January 22, 2010; 10:30 a.m. Recommended for Grades 6-12
  • Boston Brass - Monday, March 22, 2010; 10 a.m. Recommended for Grades 6-12
  • "Down the Yellow Brick Road" - Friday, March 26, 2010; 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. Recommended for Grades K-5 This event is full!
  • Peking Acrobats - Monday, March 29, 2010; 10 a.m. Recommended for for All Ages This event is full!

For more information on the Meet the Artist performers, please see the Calendar of Events.

register online

ASC Kids' Club on the Road

For the third year, the Alys Stephens Center has a wonderful arts education program that can travel right to your school for free! We are thrilled to be collaborating with three engaging and enlightening artists: local poet and performance artist, Sharrif Simmons; actor/educator, Quinton Cockrell; and author/musician/educator, Charles Tortorici.

  • Poet's Corner Poetry Workshop with Sharrif Simmons
    Grades 5 - 12
    The mission of the Poet's Corner Workshop is to provide a comprehensive series of creating writing programs. This interactive program focuses on school age children and students in "at risk" programs with special needs. Through the use of poetry and spoken word, students will be given the opportunity to participate in comparative literature while learning about the history of the oral tradition in comparison to contemporary forms of expression like Hip Hop, Theater and Rhythm & Blues.


    The Poet's Corner
    The workshop will include:

    • an acoustic guitar poetry performance.
    • an overview of poetic forms.
    • an overview of Historical Poets.
    • a comparison to contemporary poets.
    • listening to and reading excerpts from modern poets and popular music.
    • writing and sharing poems with the group.

    This workshop is generally administered once a week over a six-week period, but an abbreviated version is available in one or more school classes or made available through after school programs. Students are encouraged to use their vocabulary in creative ways and in a variety of mediums including spoken word, poetry, and music. Writing and reference materials will be provided throughout the workshop. At the end of the six-week workshop, students will perform a recital with a live band at the school.


  • An ASC off-site program
    No Fear Shakespeare with Quinton Cockrell
    Grades 6 - 12
    Quinton Cockrell uses his experiences as a professional actor and playwright to bring your students "No Fear Shakespeare." This one-hour class will promote an understanding of Shakespeare's language, themes, and relevance of his work to modern life. The program will use synopsis, performed scenes from some major works, audience participation to answer the question, "What's the big deal about Shakespeare?" This program will rely heavily on audience participation. Works discussed will include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as selected sonnets.


  • Schools visit the ASC for free
    The Watershed Workshop
    Recommended for grades 3 - 6
    wa·ter·shed – 1. An area of land that drains all of its water to one specific point. 2. An important point of transition between two phases.

    Kids and grown-ups all over the world are endeavoring to make the Earth a little "greener." One very important part of keeping our world and our bodies healthy is ensuring the protection of our drinking water. Each of us affects the quality of our water, as determined by what takes place within our watershed. We believe education through the arts can have a great impact on this issue.

    Join educator and singer/songwriter, Charles Tortorici as he teachers elementary and middle school students the importance of a watershed and their interdependent plant and animal species through a series of lessons using creative writing (in the narrative, descriptive, and expository styles) song, visual art, and movement as teaching tools. The final class will be an in-school performance where the students will be able to demonstrate their new knowledge by incorporating all of their work from the past five weeks into one cohesive performance piece.

register online

Meet the Artist Comes to Your School


Our artists love performing for students

Off site programs are a wonderful way to expose your students to the dynamic world of the performing arts without leaving your school grounds! Off site performances are extremely limited and available to school groups of 200 of more who plan to create a lesson or series of lessons around the particular artist, artistic genre, or artist's repertoire. Curriculum guides will be made available through our website. Upon completion of the program we will ask participating teachers to tell us what kind of lessons were taught around this program. For more information, please call (205) 934-0862.


Master Classes


Master classes with artists are invaluable experiences

Master classes offer students a rare opportunity to interact with professional performers and learn more about their specific genre. For more information, please call (205) 934-0862.

NEW! Robert Redus School of Guitar

The Robert Redus School of Guitar was born out of a vision from friends and family of the late Robert Clark Redus IV to spread his gift of music. The Alys Stephens Center is proud to bring this program to a select group of students at Glen Iris Elementary. During this year-long program six students will have the opportunity to study guitar from a university level guitar instructor. Through a commitment to lessons, practice, responsibility, and volunteerism the students will have the opportunity to earn the guitar at the end of the school year.

Curriculum Guides

Coming soon…