a world premiere by Melissa Leilani Larson

VIDEO-ON-DEMAND

AVAILABLE November 2026-May 2027

Fourteenth Annual Free Elementary School Tour serving students in grades 4-6 statewide

Malia and Chester have been best friends forever.
But now Malia's dad has a new job,
which means she has to move really far away.
So what does that mean for sixth grade?

A road trip through friendship, postcards, and the scientific method.

Read on for details on Core Standards and Intended Learning Outcomes, how to bring SNAIL MAIL to your school, and public performances.

CAST & CREATIVE

Playwright: Melissa Leilani Larson
Actors: Chelsea Chen, Austinn Le, Akina Yamazaki, Benjamin Young
Education Liaison: Penny Caywood
Director: Jerry Rapier
Designer: Arika Schockmel
Graphic Designer: Aaron Asano Swenson
Education Coordinator + Photographer: Sharah Meservy
Tour Manager + Photographer: Kallie Filanda

CORE STANDARDS & SEL OUTCOMES

Core Standards in Fine Arts, Health Education, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies are integrated into the script and study guide, alongside all six Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Outcomes: Understand and Manage Emotions, Set and Achieve Positive Goals, Feel and Show Empathy for Others, Establish and Maintain Positive Relationships, Make Responsible Decisions, and Self-Advocate. 

SNAIL MAIL also demonstrates Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) which tie in directly with Science with Engineering Educations (SEEd) Standards.

And in the age of instant messaging and digital communication, SNAIL MAIL invites students to discover the joy of slowing down and writing with intention. Amidst historically low reading levels, historically short attention spans, and the new bell-to-bell ban on smartphones and other devices in Utah schools, SNAIL MAIL directly supports and enhances the objectives of Utah's K-12 English Language Arts Standards to create proficient readers, writers, and communicators.

INTENDED LEARNING OBJECTIVES

SNAIL MAIL provides an accessible and interdisciplinary experience that invites students to reflect, imagine, and connect. By engaging with Snail Mail and the accompanying study guide activities, students will:

  • foster scientific curiosity, appreciation for the research process, and observational thinking.
  • develop empathy, emotional literacy, and resilience.
  • deepen their understanding of narrative structure, character development, and theme.
  • cultivate an appreciation for theatre as a collaborative art form and its power to illuminate complex topics.

CLOSED CAPTIONING

Video-On-Demand will be available November 2026-May 2027. This is going to seem counterintuitive, but please do not select the CC icon below. Instead, click the Settings icon below, then select CC/Subtitles, then select English or Spanish.

EDUCATOR/PARENT SURVEY

Please complete the brief survey at the Feedback Survey button below after watching SNAIL MAIL (available November 2026-May 2027) and using the study guide, available at the Study Guide button below.