Taproot Theatre Road Company
Being a kid is hard! Dealing with bullying and disrespect makes it even harder. Using principles from the Committee for Children’s “Second Step” bullying prevention programs, Taproot Theatre Company’s touring shows equip students with the skills they need to recognize, report, and refuse bullying, manage their emotions, solve problems, and form lasting friendships.
Bullying Prevention Changes Lives
Road Company provides emotionally engaging, story-based teaching that the entire student body can experience together as a common reference point. Students are moved to empathize with all the characters, recognize the motivations behind bullying behavior, and cheer when characters step forward and refuse bullying behavior.
Bullying is one of the most pressing issues schools face today. When an entire student body is taught to have compassion for others and learn the specific strategies to “recognize, report and refuse” bullying behavior, students and staff work together to stop a culture of bullying from taking root within their school.
Taproot Theatre Company has toured educational plays to students since 1985, reaching more than 100,000 students annually. How do we do this? By forming a talented company of actors who travel throughout the state of Washington and beyond in our very own Road Company Sprinter Van!
Why we need a new van
Our current van, nicknamed Vincent Van Go, is ready for retirement after traveling for 13 years and 160,000 miles to 2,608 schools serving over 1,297,000 students.
That means that Road Company actors are on the road day in and day out. Having safe and reliable transportation is key to their ability to serve students all over the state. We need to keep this team on the road … and off the side of the road. We want them out of harm’s way and directly in the path of thousands of young people who need to experience this life-changing curriculum.
So, it's time!
Testimonials...
There was something different about this performance. We have had Taproot come to our school many times over the years, but this performance has stuck. My students are being upstanders and sticking up for things. I have students reporting problems to me more now than after any other performance. So appreciative of your company and the work they do to make sure it is all kid friendly and connects to the things kids are working through in school. LOVE IT!
- Teacher, Olympic View Elementary, Seattle
I've worked in schools for years and I've seen all kinds of different assemblies and performances, and this was the best one I've seen.
- Principal, Ordway Elementary School, Bainbridge Island
The performers were extremely professional. They showed up on time, communicated well with our staff, set up quickly, performed AMAZINGLY, interacted with students positively right after the show, tore down the set quickly, and were all around phenomenal.
- Counselor, Glacier Park Elementary, Maple Valley
Taproot's presentation was a wonderful compliment to the ongoing work we're doing at our school to foster a sense of belonging and inclusion for our students.
- Principal, Vashon Island High School, Vashon
Wishes
Get your name or your business name on the side of the van as it travels the PNW for years to come!
These are some amazingly fun and incredibly talented actors sharing important social-emotional learning with our K-12 students!
So we are full of energy for our performances!
Who wouldn't want Samson to feel loved for all his hard work?!
Highlights
See all activity88Touring Partners
Thank you to our Sponsors!
And to our long-time School Partners:
- Auburn School District
- Bainbridge Island School District
- Bellevue School District
- Blaine School District
- Bremerton School District
- Burlington-Edison School District
- Camas School District
- Central Kitsap School District
- Darrington School District
- East Valley School District
- Edmonds School District
- Ellensburg School District
- Enumclaw School District
- Everett Public Schools
- Federal Way Public Schools
- Ferndale School District
- Franklin Pierce School District
- Highland School District
- Highline Public Schools
- Issaquah School District
- Kent School District
- Lake Stevens School District
- Lake Washington School District
- Lakewood School District
- Marysville School District
- Mercer Island School District
- Monroe School District
- Moses Lake School District
- Mukilteo School District
- Nooksack Valley School District
- North Kitsap School District
- Northshore School District
- Oak Harbor Public Schools
- Ocean Beach School District
- Olympia School District
- Orting School District
- Peninsula School District
- Puyallup School District
- Renton School District
- Seattle Public Schools
- Shoreline Public Schools
- Snoqualmie Valley School District
- South Kitsap School District
- South Whidbey School District
- Stanwood-Camano School District
- Sultan School District
- Sumner-Bonney Lake School District
- Tacoma Public Schools
- Tahoma School District
- Vancouver Public Schools
- Vashon Island School District
- Yakima School District
- Yelm School District
Tales from the Road
Bring us to your school!
To book a show, visit:
School Touring with Taproot's Road Company
Here are some memorable interactions the 2021-2022 Road Company Team had with students:
A student talked with Ashleigh today and said, “Were you in a superhero play a few years ago?” To which Ashleigh said yes, and then the student said with excitement “I remember you!!” Proving once again how much of an impact Road Company has on these kiddos. We love to see it.
A student asked Corrie if we could do the play again! When Corrie said no, the student said that she wished she could do a play. To which Corrie replied "Of COURSE you can! You can put one on at home, or at recess, etc.!" The happiness in her eyes was priceless.
These students gave us MASSIVE rounds of
applause between each scene and even MORE massive rounds of praise
when the show was over! Loved performing for these kiddos.
And here are some from the 2022-2023 Road Company Team:
The social emotional teacher at the school uses the Second Step program in her class, and she was thrilled to see the curriculum in our show. She described that she could see lightbulbs turn on in the kids' eyes as they watched the play. A student, Mia, was leaving the school but asked to come back to the gym to talk to us and tell us "This was the best play I've ever seen!"
A student gave us an origami dragon this morning at Terrace Park Elementary!
Our 2023-2024 Road Company is already getting wonderful comments like this very special one just received:
A special ed resources teacher at View Ridge Elementary approached us before the show and said: "I have seen you guys do these shows for years and they're always so great, thank you for being here. I have a student who has anxiety and was bullied so much that he has hardly come to school since kindergarten, and he's in fifth grade now. He found out there was an assembly and that you guys were coming this afternoon, and he just showed up a half hour ago to watch it. I just wanted to let you know that what you do is really important."
Activity
Get your name or your business name on the side of the van as it travels the PNW for years to come!
These are some amazingly fun and incredibly talented actors sharing important social-emotional learning with our K-12 students!
So we are full of energy for our performances!
Who wouldn't want Samson to feel loved for all his hard work?!
