Wildlife Theater

Wildlife Theater is…

  • a Central Park Zoo-based theater company that inspires audiences to learn—and care—more about our natural world.
  • a group that works with schools, community centers, hospitals, camps, special events, and private events.
  • an interactive and audience participatory performance using drama, puppetry, games, and songs.
  • a completely self-contained performance group. We provide our own sound equipment and necessary items for the show. All we need is a working electrical outlet.
  • a theatrical experience. No live animals are featured in our shows.

    • Download a printer friendly version of our Wildlife Theater brochure.

Auditorium Series

Wildlife Theater

Butterfly Boogie
(Recommended Grades K–5)
Bugs aren't gross—they're great! Let our giant cockroach puppet teach your students why insects are the coolest creatures around. We then take off on a 3,000-mile adventure with our butterfly-themed show, "The Tale of Flutterby and Piggle." This musical, interactive performance introduces students to the interdependence among plants and animals.

Wildlife Theater

Cool Rainforest Connections
(Recommended Grades K-3)
This performance features our intrepid Jungle Explorer and her puppet sidekick, Youcan the Toucan, an engaging audience participation poem, geography, and our play "The Adventures of Captain Cocoa." The audience joins our humorous superhero, Captain Cocoa, on an adventure to save the rainforest—only to discover it might be the average person who can really save the day.

Wildlife Theater

Cool Rainforest Connections: Senior Selections
(Recommended Grades 3-5)
This rainforest themed performance features "The Adventures of Captain Cocoa," as well as fun lessons on rainforest geography, rainforest layers and the animals that call each layer home.

Wildlife Theater

Wild Wetland Adventure (Recommended Grades K–3)
This lively show uses songs, movement, games and the musical “The Great Migration Sensation” to teach the students about the animals that need the wetlands and its importance. Students also learn a few simple actions they can do to keep the wetlands healthy. Wild Wetland Migration is a magical, musical exploration of a habitat that can be found practically right outside your door.

Wildlife Theater

Perfectly Penguin
(Recommended Grades 3–5)
Why would a wild polar bear never eat a penguin? Find out the answer and learn many other facts about penguins and their amazing adaptations in our interactive show "A Penguin State of Mind." Students also learn about the importance of conservation as it relates to a polar habitat thousands of miles away.

Wildlife Theater

Polar Opposites
(Recommended Grades K–3)
Antarctica and the Arctic Circle are two sides of the world that look and feel the same. However, very different types of animals call these icy lands home. Students explore the similarities and differences through two shows, "Polar Bear and the Beat" and "A Penguin State of Mind."

Classroom Series

Bring Wildlife Theater right into your classroom with our WILD (Wildlife Integrated into Language Development) Achievements Program. The WILD program provides an unforgettable classroom experience for 25 or fewer students. Shows feature language development, science, and theater, and offer one-on-one, hands-on learning opportunities with our instructor-performer team.

Wildlife Theater

Animal Adventures Medley
(Recommended Grades pre-K & K)
Our puppet "pond town" comes to your class with Frankie the Frog and other characters. These short, interactive shows feature singing, guessing games, and storytelling about the animals you might find in a pond or barnyard. Students learn basic animal concepts such as shapes, sounds, locomo­tion, and metamorphosis.

Wildlife Theater

Petunia Penguin Goes to School
(Recommended Grades pre-K–1)
Our costume character Petunia Penguin and polar explorer Admiral Bird transform your class into a team of Antarctic scientists. Through drama, games, and songs, we lead students on a chilly exploration. Using literacy development skills, students discover the adaptations penguins need to survive their harsh polar habitat.

Wildlife Theater

Youcan the Toucan’s Rainforest Adventure
(Recommended Grades pre-K–1)
Bring the tropics to your classroom with a visit from our Youcan the Toucan puppet and explorer Jungle Jane. Together they embark on an adventure that turns your students into a tropical jungle exploration team. Using their five senses, students experience a unique introduction to the rainforest that features creative drama, storytelling, and puppets.

Wildlife Theater

Penguin Explorers
(Recommended Grades 2 & 3)
Students learn about polar life and the special adaptations penguins need to survive their environment. Our actor-instructor team leads the group in hands-on learning and deductive reasoning featuring biofacts, games, drama, and puppetry. The students also learn about the challenges facing the polar regions and what they can do to proactively make a difference.

Reviews

“The program supported the curriculum in an exceptional manner.”
3rd grade Teacher, PS 197, Queens

“One student went home and taught his whole family about the life cycle of a caterpillar using the movements he learned from the show.”
Pre-K Head Teacher, PS 310, Bronx

“The students loved it and it incorporates literacy and math as well as science.”
1st grade Teacher, PS 503, Brooklyn

New! Theater for School Groups

Wildlife Theater is offering private, one-hour programs that include a 45-minute theater session and a 15-minute hands-on animal encounter. The various programs to choose from feature habitats from rainforests to rivers and animals from bears to butterflies. Children will have the unique opportunity to touch a live animal that matches your selected topic. Advanced booking required.
  • Fee: $250/session, includes the program and zoo admission for up to 30 students and 5 chaperones. Larger groups are welcome.

To Book Wildlife Theater
Call 212-439-6540 or email wildlifetheater@wcs.org. For a faster response, please fill out this online form and the registrar will call you to finish your reservation.

Download a printer friendly version of our Wildlife Theater brochure.

Payment Information

Auditorium Series
Time: 30–45 minutes
Maximum Audience: 300
Cost: One performance: $500; Multiple performances: $400 each
$50 Surcharge: shows outside the 5 boroughs, weekend shows, or private events

Classroom Series
Time: 35–45 minutes
Maximum Audience: 25
Cost: One performance: $275; Multiple performances: $250 each
$50 Surcharge: shows outside the 5 boroughs, weekend shows, or private events

Full payment due two weeks prior to program date.
Payments can be made through check, NYC BOE PO, BOCES, or credit card

Cancellation Policy
Cancellations made 30 days or more in advance are subject to a $50 service fee. Cancellations made 8–29 days prior to program date are subject to a $100 service fee. No refunds for cancellations made less than 7 days prior to performance date.