FAQs & Educational Resources

How does the show work? At FORTS: Build Your Own Adventure, play is both a noun and a verb. Just like a play (noun), it is a carefully built and designed world, an emotional journey and an imaginatively designed story. But instead of watching the actors have all the fun, this is an experience where the audience gets to play (verb) together. For more context, check out this clip provided by our friends at Filament Theatre.

But what do we do? The lights come up and you walk into a living room filled with couches and giant towers of cardboard boxes. First order of business—build! It could be a dizzying feat of engineering that reaches the sky. It could be a cozy fort for one. It could be coloring and making a new friend. With new elements added throughout the experience and lights and sound that take you from day to night and back again, the story is different every time.  

Who is in charge?   The experience is facilitated by two amazing adventure guides who are there  to support the journey and make sure everyone has a great time and stays safe!  

Are  food &  drink allowed in the  space?  While you can’t take food  and  drink into the adventure, there will be space outside of the adventure zone to fuel up or take a break. 

Do you offer any sensory-friendly performances? Yes! Please indicate on your form if this is something you’d like to request. A member of WT Education will follow up shortly to confirm the details of your request. 

Are there any pre or post-show materials available? Yes! A full educational resource packet will be available to school groups once their booking is complete. 

Anything else I should know? Shoes aren’t allowed in the play-space so wear cute socks! 

FIELD TRIP RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS 

PLAYING TOGETHER IS A RADICAL ACT! 

FORTS is an “informal learning environment,” where creative, unstructured play reduces stress and improves executive function for all ages. At FORTS, play focuses on deepening our emotional and social connections with peers, and intergenerationally. 

HOW DOES IT WORK? 

When you participate in FORTS, dramatic play facilitates moments of social collaboration and emotional exploration for BOTH adults and children. FORTS follows Montessori philosophies of “follow the child” and “freedom within limits.” Filament’s artistry is also rooted in a practice of youth-centered learning. Here is a deeper look at the Social-Emotional Learning Objectives within FORTS. 

Social Emotional Principals AT PLAY during FORTS! 

SCHEDULE TIME FOR CREATIVE PLAY 

Prepare for creative play by designating time for play, assembling ingredients, and avoiding distractions. Creative play reduces stress and improves executive function for all ages! 

EMBRACE CHANGE 

Surprises can be joyful! Change may sometimes feel threatening; find ways to practice accepting the unexpected! 

MOVE YOUR BODY 

Many moments of physical storytelling create an equal playing field and give young people leadership opportunities. Creative movement is always good for a laugh, and moving together builds a sense of connection. Body language is everyone's first language! 

ROLE REVERSAL 

Find ways to let new people lead. Each person is an expert in their own lived experience. 

CURATE COZINESS 

Curating items that offer comfort helps us build resilience and express feelings. 

WORK TOGETHER 

Physical activities, like building a fort, develop teamwork skills and physical connection. 

REFLECTIONS & MEMORY MAKING 

Reflect on emotions, memories, and significant objects to process emotions through storytelling, and to support healthy memory integration. 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT FORTS!

“It could have been Lord of the Flies. Filament Theatre was giving over complete control of its space to a young audience for Forts! Build Your Own Adventure, an hour-long experiment in professionally designed creative play. Arming kids with boxes piled high to the ceiling, pillows, sheets, clothespins and flashlights—what could go wrong? Absolutely nothing. Hundreds of performances, and perhaps thousands of forts later, Filament has proven the value of trusting its young people with agency and influence in the world of its performances.” 

-Chicago Reader, January 22, 2020 

“For Forts young audience, it was an opportunity to work their imaginations overtime and build connections. Drake waged war, Emma ran covert ops as a secret agent, and Leah Walsh, age 9, built a palace. Maddie Walsh, age 11, appreciated an invitation from some new friends to army-crawl through their “super cool fort.” All agree the hour run time was too short, though Maddie concedes it was probably because they were having too much fun.” 

-Chicago Reader, January 22, 2020 

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