Morning Matinée 

The Morning Matinee Series creates cultural excursion opportunities by offering students and senior citizens morning performances of our productions.

The Morning Matinée Series creates cultural excursion opportunities by offering students and senior citizens morning performances of our productions.

Our intent is to introduce young people to live theatre and to augment the K-12 curriculum by sharing culture and ideas through the arts.

Simply put, we want to offer our productions at discounted rates to our communities' youth and senior citizens.

Morning Matinée Reservation Form →

2025–2026 Upcoming Morning Matinée 

Find more information on our 2025–2026 morning matinée series,

Two Trains Running October 23, 2025

Reservation Form

A 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fat Ham is a hilarious reimagined adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The story follows Juicy, an early twenties queer Black man, who is grappling with questions of identity, his father’s death, and the unexpected task to organize a wedding celebration for his mother and uncle/step-father. Get ready to experience ghostly apparitions, a backyard BBQ, a karaoke wedding, spirited tension, and plenty of laughs in this compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.

Echoes of the Heart February 26, 2026

Reservation Form

Whether you’re in love, looking for love, or disappointed in love, this show will move you. An original musical revue, written, directed and performed by students, Echoes of the Heart is a multi-act production that combines music, acting and dance. It features songs that capture the excitement of first love, romance, and heartbreak. If you’re ready to believe in the power of love, join us at Cabaret “Smoke ‘n Honey” where the broken-hearted find healing.

 Policies & Questions

 

Group Ticket Reservations/Purchasing

Reserve tickets no later than ten days prior to the performance of the production you plan to attend.
 
To make a reservation, please give the closest estimate of the number of seats that will be needed.
 
A nonrefundable deposit of 50% of the balance is due when the ticket order is placed. We will not hold seats without a deposit.
 
Full payment is due before the performance. You may come to the box office window to complete payment and to receive tickets. Tickets will not be dispersed without full payment or the guarantee by a purchase order.
 
After full payment is received, tickets may be mailed, at your request, or picked-up from room 111 Tucker Hall, Florida A&M University. Otherwise, tickets will be held at the box office window until your arrival for the show.
 
You may pay your deposit and/or balance with a company or cashier check, or with a money order or cash (we cannot accept single payments from individual group members). 
 
Upon final payment all group ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges will be offered for unused tickets. 
 
There are no refunds or exchanges on tickets. 
 

Adjustment in Group Size/Cancellation

An increase in group size, subject to seating availability, may be made up to one day prior to the performance with final payment due before the performance. You will have to fill out a new reservation form that must reflect new totals of participants and the new total amount due. If your number increases, and we have no warning, we will try our best to seat the new participants after all other reservations have been accommodated. 
 
A decrease in group size or a cancellation after the initial deposit forfeits any refund on tickets. In other words, there is no refund on the deposit if your group size decreases below the deposit minimal or your group cancels the reservation.
 

Accessibility/ Accommodation for Special Needs

The Charles Winter Wood Theatre is equipped with ramps, wheelchair seating and audio aids. When placing your reservation, please indicate whether any attendees have special needs such as wheel chair accessibility, preferential seating for visual/hearing impairments, etc.
 

Late Seating Policy

Essential Theatre productions begin on time. Please arrive at least one half hour before the scheduled curtain to give your group plenty of time to be seated before the show begins. 
 
If a delay will cause your group to arrive late to the theatre, please leave a message at (850) 561-2425 indicating your expected arrival time, a contact name and telephone number. In order to minimize disturbances to performers and other audience members, groups that arrive late will not be seated until there is an appropriate break or intermission, and may run the risk of not being able to sit together. Individual group members that may be on time cannot be seated unless they have a ticket in hand.
 

Where Do We Get Receipts/ Invoices?

The ticket computer will automatically generate a receipt that looks like a ticket. Be careful not to confuse this receipt with an extra ticket. If you are in need of a signed receipt, make a request at the ticket office window, and you may pick it up there during intermission or following the performance. All purchase order invoices will be mailed to you for payment following the performance. 
 

Do We Have To Pay To Park?

The parking fees are: $10 per vehicle for buses, $5 per vehicle per car or van on the day of performance. Methods of payment accepted are cash and credit/debit cards. Parking arrangements must be made one week prior to the performance. To arrange for parking contact: Allison McNealy, Assistant Director of Parking and Transportation at (850) 561-2210 or allison.mcnealy@famu.edu. 

Where Do We Park?

On the morning of performances a security guard will meet your vehicle(s) at the Tucker Hall parking lot on the corner of Gamble Street at Orr Drive. There you will be able to off-load your students. The driver of your vehicle will be routed to the stadium lot to park. Be sure to have your driver’s phone number so that you may call him/her when the show is over. The driver should return to the same location to pick you up. 
 

Do You Start On Time?

Yes, all programming produced by the Essential Theatre does start on time. We encourage you to plan enough travel time for unforeseen events. If you think you will arrive late, please notify us so that we may arrange to seat you upon arrival. Sometimes we are able to hold the curtain approximately five to ten minutes depending on the length of the show, but this is a last result. 
 

What Is The Length Of The Show?

All performance lengths vary. Running times will be available one week prior to performance. 
 

What Are The Seating Arrangements?

Because of the unpredictable arrival of buses, seating is based on a first come, first served basis. Each group will be seated together, however. 
 

Are There Any Essential Theatre Policies We Should Be Aware Of?

Please remind your students that food and drink are not permitted in the theatre. Use of cameras, cell phones and all other recording devices are prohibited. All cell phones should be turned off or kept on vibrate mode. Also discourage students from leaving the theatre during the performance. Do encourage bathroom breaks before the show or during intermission. 
 
 
 

Contact Us For More Information

P: (850) 561-2425
F: (850) 561-2846
E: kimberly.harding@famu.edu

More Information

  • Venue
    All shows are performed in the Charles Winter Wood Theatre/ Edmonds stage located in Tucker Hall on the campus of Florida A&M University.
  • Cost of Program
    $5 per student, $7 per adult (For every twenty-five students two chaperones are admitted at no charge.) 
  • House Opening & Pre-Show Presentation
    The house opens 30 minutes prior to curtain.  While students are waiting for the performance to begin a pre-show projected presentation engages student learning through subject content of the play, fun facts, vocabulary, quiz questions and illustrations.
  • Seating Arrangements
    While your RSVP will gaurantee a specific number of seats, house management will seat you on a first come - first served basis. Please plan to arrive early. 
  • Payment Arrangements
    We ask that you send a 50% non-refundable deposit with your reservation form. To pay the balance you may elect to bring cash, check or money order to the box office window at the time of your arrival.  For your convience we do accept purchase orders that may be faxed,or sent by email or snail mail with your reservation form.