Arrival to Show Time

Only adults chaperoning students are eligible to attend School Days performances.

To do our best to ensure all of our patrons get the most out of their School Days experience, we ask that you follow our house policies. These policies cover everything from seating to safety, as well as restricted items and performance etiquette. Before the show, please review these with your students and chaperones.

• We require you to purchase a ticket for every member of your party, regardless of age.

• We do not issue lap passes for our events.

• The Valentine’s fire code prohibits standing in the aisles or the back.

• Students must be chaperoned at all times.

Upon Arrival

• Check in with an usher as you enter the building.

• Follow an usher to your group’s seating area. Do not move outside of this area. You may rearrange individuals within this area only.

Important Notes

• Backpacks, strollers, car seats, and lunches must remain in the Grand Lobby due to our fire code. We recommend that you do not bring these items into the building, unless lunch space has been confirmed. We cannot guarantee there will be room to store your items. The Valentine will not be held responsible for these items.

• Restrooms are open to the public. Elementary students must be escorted. We recommend that you do this after an usher has seated your group.

• All group members must be present for ushers to seat your group.

• Groups must pay together to be assigned to the same section and enter the hall as a group to sit together.

• If schools have several classes attending, they do not have to wait for the other classes to be seated. However, we will continue to fill in seats based on the order of arrival, and classes from the same school may not be near one another.

• If a wide range of grades is in attendance, we may place older students behind younger ones within designated sections at house discretion.

• School Days shows are often sold out; we cannot save seats or leave any seats empty.

School Identifiers

For the safety of our precious little ones, School Days requests school identifiers. When students are unable to tell us their school name or teacher, school identifiers give us a quick and easy way to reunite them with their class or group. 

• Examples of suitable identifiers include matching T-shirts, homemade headbands, hats, scarves, lanyards, and school badges.

• Should a child become separated from his/her group, the table in the Historic Lobby is our rendezvous point.

• Immediately report a separated child to the nearest usher who will notify management.

• Staff will search for and bring any wandering or un-chaperoned children to the kiosk before looking for the responsible party.

Etiquette

• Hats: Gentlemen should remove hats or caps when inside.

• Food: Finish and properly dispose of your food, drinks, and gum in the lobby before entering the theater.

• Electronics: Photography, cell phones, texting, gaming, or recordings of any kind are prohibited during the performances.

• Crying: Crying babies, unhappy siblings, and other loud noises disturb the actors and the other patrons. Please be considerate and leave the hall during these periods. You may still enjoy the show in the lobby via our large screen monitors.

• Audience Participation: Some shows are interactive and request responses from the audience; some are not. Discuss with your class how they can know the difference, and what is appropriate conduct in a theater versus at a sports arena or outdoor concert.

• When to Clap: During a musical or other music performance, it is appropriate to clap at the end of a song. During a ballet or dance performance, it is appropriate to clap at the end of the number.

• Appreciation: Curtain calls occur when the show itself has ended and the cast comes forward to take their bows. The best way to show the performers how much you appreciate their hard work is to stay at your seats and clap until the actors have left the stage or until the curtain comes down and the house lights have come on.

• Remain Seated: At the end of the show, after the applause, please remain in your seats until our House Manager dismisses you.

• Q&A: If you plan to stay for a Question & Answer session, please remain in your seats until the house clears, then move down front by the stage.