Past Seasons

2003-2004: A Christmas Carol, The Secret Garden, Jack’s Adventure in American History

2004-2005: Jack’s Adventure in American History, The Lady of Bullyburg, Greece Lightning, A Christmas Carol

2005-2006: Heroes of the Underground Railroad, Jack’s Adventure in American History, The Lady of Bullyburg, Aesop’s Fables, A Dickens Tale

2006-2007: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Heroes of the Underground Railroad, The Lady of Bullyburg, Aesop’s Fables, A Dickens Tale, Jack’s Adventure in American History

2007-2008: Once Upon a Time…, Sadie’s Spectacular Saturday, Aesop’s Fables, A Dickens Tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Heroes of the Underground Railroad, The Lady of Bullyburg

2008-2009: Struggle for Freedom: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Adventures of Treasure Island, Once Upon a Time…, Sadie’s Spectacular Saturday, Aesop’s Fables, A Dickens Tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Heroes of the Underground Railroad, The Lady of Bullyburg

2009-10: The Lady of Bullyburg, Jack’s Adventure in American History, The Ugly Duckling, The Adventures of Treasure Island, A Dickens Tale, Once Upon a Time…, Heroes of the Underground Railroad, Aesop’s Fables, Struggle for Freedom, Sadie’s Spectacular Saturday, Frederick Douglass

2010-11: The Lady of Bullyburg, Jack’s Adventure in American History, The Ugly Duckling, The Adventures of Treasure Island, A Dickens Tale, Once Upon a Time…, Heroes of the Underground Railroad, Aesop’s Fables, Struggle for Freedom, Sadie’s Spectacular Saturday, Frederick Douglass, African Folktales, We Can Do It: American Women in History, Katie’s Adventure in Virginia History, Jack’s Adventure in North Carolina History

Quotes and Reviews

“In 25 years as a principal, your programs rate as one of the highest quality assemblies I have ever witnessed!”

- Principal Matt Hanichen, Orchard View Elementary, Grand Rapids, MI


“As a museum, it is wonderful to be able to work with a theater company that not only focuses on bringing you quality performance, but also quality learning! The Freedom Center has been working with Bright Star Touring Theatre for several years now and every year the productions are educational, entertaining and affordable – and with attendance at their performances growing every year, it is clear the visitors love them! From Martin Luther King, Jr. to Harriet Tubman to Frederick Douglass, there is always a show that brings the history within the Freedom Center to life.”

- Katie Johnson, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, OH


“Thank you for a wonderful show! Wonderful costumes, wonderful set, wonderful stage presence!! Wow!!”

- Person County Public Library in Roxboro, NC


“Wonderful! This was the BEST we ever had! An entertaining blend of humor, drama and just fun! Truly Remarkable.”

- Stanly County Public Library in Albemarle, NC

“The programs went really well. Over 300 kids from 3 schools were fortunate to see the Frederick Douglass program. I went along to one school and really enjoyed the program along with the kids and teachers. I had one teacher who came up to me and said she took 3 pages of notes. So kudos to you guys for the wonderful program!”

-  Andersonville National Historic Site in Americus, GA


“I appreciated the fact that the students were told that the “heroes” were “ordinary” men and women who felt a responsibility toward others and acted to change their world for the better. Your script made it clear that each individual can make a difference, and that “history” consists of people’s choices/actions – connecting what the students were learning about others to what they choose to do themselves in the present day.”

- Susquehanna Township Middle School in Harrisburg, PA


“Absolutely fabulous! The beauty of it is all the comments I received from my very pleased patrons. You certainly exceeded expectations. Your show appealed to everyone in the audience–young and old. Thank you for such a magical evening.”

- Alexander County Library in Taylorsville, NC


“Wonderful! Very Professional. We got great comments from our patrons and there was a rush to check out Aesop’s Fables!”

- Henderson County Library in Hendersonville, NC


“Everyone was friendly and easy to work with. It was a pleasure to work with this group. Thanks for making us look so good!”

- Granville County Public Library in Oxford, NC


“Very professional and very organized…You guys are always a huge hit!”

- Patterson Elementary in Holly, MI


“This production was powerful! Full of energetic drama to captivate the audience while teaching a valuable lesson.”

- Midway Elementary in Kershaw, SC


“Thank you for providing our PTA with a quality program at a price we could afford! Very professional, organized and polite!”

- Stokesdale Elementary in Stokesdale, NC


“Awesome! Our students were enthralled with the performance!”

- Girdler Elementary in Girdler, KY


“Very Professional, Knowledgeable as well as entertaining. Excellent acting!”

- Lakeside Elementary in Cincinnati, OH


“It was a treat to host an intelligent, witty, gracious and self-sufficient company of extremely talented performers!”

- Oaks Road Elementary School in New Bern, NC


“Very professional, talented and great interaction! Five teachers came up to me after the show asking to bring you back!”

- Fairyland School in Lookout Mountain, GA


“One of the best programs we’ve ever had!”

- Big Creek Elementary in Cummings, GA


“Thank you for such informative, quality performances! Feedback from both staff and students was excellent!”

- Delta Center Elementary in Lansing, MI


“I have never been disappointed with the Bright Star Touring Theatre performances! I have seen four to date and everyone has been of the highest quality. I always have students and staff who seek me out to thank me for the opportunity to see character and history lessons integrated in such an artful way. While budgets are tight, I feel it is worth the funds to provide students with this experience.”

- Huntsville Elementary in Madison, NC

“I was very impressed by your company. The show was magnificent and loads of fun!”

- Lincoln County Public Library in NC


“I can’t even begin to express how awesome your company is. The actors are phenomenal and the artistry of the shows is amazing. This is the second year we have booked this company and we would love to book them again in the future! The price is great for our budget as well. Please continue to keep doing what you are doing. You are an inspiration to all of our students by making stories and history come to life!”

- Cooper Elementary in Clayton, NC


“Costumes, props & scenery really helps–but the acting was the best I’ve ever seen!!”

-Scotland County Public Library in Laurinburg, NC


“Desmond and Megan were outstanding! The students were totally engaged! I was very, very impressed!”

- North Hill Elementary in Rochester Hills, MI

Other Programs

Coming soon: info about camps, workshops, etc.

Theatre Camps! These customizable camps are designed to make your venue a profit! Taught by professional actors and theatre educators these customizable programs offer performance focused experiences for virtually any size group.  Generally, our program runs Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM daily and is taught by two qualified theatre educators.  In our successful format, students spend the week delving into all aspects of theatre–from creating characters and playwriting to prop building and directing.  Camps typically end in a final performance for friends, family and other invited guests.  Our nurturing and healthy environment ensures an empowering and safe environment for your young people to explore the magical world of theatre.  One week programs begin at just $3500.

Theatre Workshops: Add enrichment experiences for your young audiences.  Customizable based upon the skills of the teaching artist touring with the shows or designed independently of a production.  Past workshops have focused on creative writing for the stage, improvisation games, extended talk-backs with older students with our professional actors and much more.  These take many shapes from the teaching artist visiting specific classrooms following a program to after-school workshops.  When booked in conjunction with a program prices start as little $195 for a 30 student workshop!

Extended talk-backs with our Actors: Especially great for evening performances with the community or to offer older students the opportunity to learn more about the theatre.  This informal setting allows the opportunity for young people to learn about life as actor, the process of putting together a professional touring show and much more.  While each of our shows include a question/answer session with the actors and audience, this extended version allows for a more indepth experience.  (This is great for drama classes!) From 30 minutes to one hour, $95.00

FAQs

1. Is it a real play that comes to my venue?

Yes! We have assembled an incredible design team to create all of our costuming, set pieces and props. We’ll arrive at your venue one hour before the show to transform your space (any space) into our very own theatre!

2. We don’t have a stage. Is that okay?

Absolutely! Probably 75% of our performances annually are done without stages. Our versatile scenic elements are designed to be at home in virtually every space from a 3000 seat opera house in Atlanta to a 30 student private school in Detroit. Our plays have been done successfully in every imaginable space including: classrooms, hallways, gymnasiums, cafeterias, courtyards, library reading rooms, living rooms, churches…you name it! It’s just like going to the theatre, but without all the hassle of organizing a field trip!

3. Where do you travel?

Last year, our company traveled 50,000 miles to bring our productions to young audiences throughout our touring region. Currently we travel to virtually every corner of the following states: NC, SC, GA, FL, TN, VA, KY, PA, DE, MD, OH, MI, WV, IN, NJ & DC! This season our tour of Ugly Duckling/ We Can Do It: American Women in History is traveling to San Francisco and back! However, under special arrangements we are thrilled to bring our plays to virtually any corner of the United States (or across the globe)–for a much better price than you might imagine!

4. Can I book more than one show the same day?

Absolutely. Each of our tours travel with two entirely different productions. You may book both programs the same day for just $845.00, which is half of what some companies charge for a single performance.

5. Do you offer any discounts?

We sure do! If you find another nearby school to share a date with you, we’ll offer BOTH schools a $100 discount! This is a great way to make our already affordable prices even lower!

6. Can I block book you?

You bet! We are always getting entire weeks block booked by school districts, art councils, libraries and more that wish to bring our programs into multiple venues–this comes with even bigger savings as we pass along our travel savings straight to you!

7. Do you have references?

Absolutely! We are always happy to provide you with references – just call or email us and we’ll be glad to connect you with past sponsors. We also invite you to read our Quotes and Reviews page!

8. Are your productions appropriate to an adult audience?

Yes! One of the consistent remarks we get from our sponsors is how accessible our shows are to audiences of all ages. In fact, our historical shows in particular (e.g. Heroes of the Underground Railroad, Struggle for Freedom, Frederick Douglass) are routinely brought in by museums, libraries and churches that naturally have an older audience. We’re happy to offer you honest advice on which shows play best to which audiences!

9. Who are the actors that come to my venue?

Good question! Because we believe in providing actors with a living wage, we attract some of the finest actors in America. We cast our shows at national audition conferences and through regional specialized casting events. The folks that come to your school carry extensive resumes that include roles at some of the finest theatres in America, as well as film and television credits. This year we’ve seen over 1200 actors audition for our 18 available positions.

10. Do you do puppet shows?

No, we are strictly a professional theatre for young audiences. All of our performers are professional adult actors who enjoy working with young people.

11. Is it hard to book a program with you?

Absolutely not! We pride ourselves on an efficient and easy booking process. Start by connecting with us and we’ll guide you through the available dates for your area. Once you choose a date, we’ll send you a simple contract, and we take care of the rest. The only thing you have left to do is to hand our actors a check the day of the show. It doesn’t get much easier than that! (The earlier you book, the wider selection of dates you have available!)

12. How can you possibly provide professional shows at such a great price?

Several ways! First of all, we don’t own a multi-million dollar theatre space in some distant city, so we aren’t trying to pay our mortgage with a single booking! (Why should we have your school help fund a space which you’ll never see?) Our offices, rehearsal spaces and actor housing are all paid for! We keep a busy schedule, with our programs touring to multiple venues a day! Lastly, keeping our professional programs affordable is part of our mission statement–we are committed to keeping our prices the best we can, because we want all audiences to experience our work!

13. Is it true you are a Green Company?

Yes! We have been working hard to ensure our footprint on the planet is as light as possible. We have reduced our paper consumption by almost 75% by switching to digital contracts, invoices, and study guides, our offices and actor housing are equipped with a recycling program, we use compact fluorescent light bulbs, low-flow water features and green dry-cleaning, and much, much more!

Our History

Welcome to Bright Star Touring Theatre! Our upcoming season marks our ninth anniversary of providing professional theatre to young audiences! This year we are touring from California to North Carolina, Florida to Michigan and all states in between expecting to provide more than 850 performances to young audiences in nearly every imaginable venue. We have actors joining us from across the nation, three brand new shows and we are thrilled to welcome our westward expansion.

Bright Star Touring Theatre was launched to provide high caliber, professional theatre at an affordable and all-inclusive price. Our objective has long been to make theatre as accessible as possible – and to reach as many young people as we could, a commitment we proudly stand by today.

Our season is comprised of literary, curriculum- and character-education based classics that are as entertaining as they are educational. From historical productions like Heroes of the Underground Railroad to character-education based works like The Lady of Bullyburg and Sadie’s Spectacular Saturday, Bright Star offers something for everyone.

The founder of Bright Star Touring Theatre,  David Ostergaard, is no stranger to the theatre world. Committed to professionalism, he has assembled a talented and dedicated team of actors, directors and designers.

We look forward to working with you and adding your venue to our ever-growing list of satisfied supporters. Connect with us today about bringing professional theatre to your young audience!