Season Play Guide

Transcription

1 Season Play Guide On Tour: September - December 2015 On Our stage December 10-20th, 2015 Our Mission to Schools, Teachers and Students The mission of Lexington Children s Theatre s Education Department is to provide students of all ages with the means to actively explore the beauty, diversity, complexity and challenges of the world around them through the dramatic process. We strive for young people to develop their own creative voice, their imagination and their understanding of drama and its role in society. Program Review Information Not only does our programming align with KCC Standards, but this Play Guide as a whole is aligned with the KY Arts and Humanities Program Review under the following demonstrators: Demonstrator 2: a,c,d Demonstrator 3: a,b,d Demonstrator 4: d What will you discover? Dear Educator, 418 West Short Street Lexington, KY FAX Lexington Children s Theatre is proud to be producing our 77th season of plays for young people and their families. As an organization that values the arts and education, we have created this Play Guide for teachers to utilize in conjunction with seeing a play at LCT. Our Play Guides are designed to be a valuable tool in two ways: helping you prepare your students for the enriching performance given by LCT s performers, as well as serving as an educational tool for extending the production experience back into your classroom. We designed each activity to assist in achieving the Kentucky Core Content (KCC) and to integrate the arts with your core curricular subjects. Teachers are important voices at LCT. We rely heavily on your input. If you have comments or suggestions about our Play Guides, show selections or any of our programming, your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Please respond to the Teacher Response form following a performance. We are thrilled that you rely on LCT to provide your students a quality theatrical experience, and we hope this resource aids you in extending our production into your classroom. LCT s Education Department

2 Play Synopsis This dramatization of C.S. Lewis classic recreates the magic and mystery of Narnia as told by Peter and Lucy. Lucy, while playing hide and seek one day discovers that her hiding spot in the wardrobe leads to a magical place. While there, she meets Mr. Tumnus, a faun, who Lucy agrees to have cocoa with, not knowing he is the White Witch s spy. Next rainy day, Edmund and Lucy enter the land of Narnia. Edmund finds himself faced with the White Witch, who offers him Turkish Delight. The Witch realizes that Edmund and his family are the children spoken of in a prophecy resulting in the Witch s demise. Trying to trick Edmund, the Witch offers to make him a prince, ruling over his brothers and sisters, if he brings them to the queen s castle. Then Lucy and Edmund return with their brother and sister to meet Mr. Beaver and learn the truth about the White Witch s evil plans for Narnia. The Beaver tells the children the curse of the White Witch can be broken with Aslan s help. As the group sets out to find Aslan, Edmund decides to go and seek the White Witch s castle. When he finds the White Witch she is not happy to see him without his brother and sisters and they set off to find them even as her curse is beginning to give way. The other children find Aslan and tell him of Edmund. They decide they must find the queen and retrieve Edmund. When the two groups meet, there is a great battle and Aslan is slain, but a magic much deeper than the White Witch causes Aslan to return. All of the creatures under the Witch s curse are rescued. Edmund, in a moment of inspiration, breaks the Witch s wand in two. Narnia is freed. Edmund, Lucy, Peter and Susan govern the land of Narnia for thirty years. Until one day they return through the Wardrobe to find themselves young children once again. Your Role in Our Play You may wish to have a discussion with your class about your upcoming LCT experience and their role as audience members. Remind your students that theatre can only exist with an audience. Your students energy and response directly affects the actors onstage. The quality of the performance depends as much on the audience as it does on each of the theatre professionals behind the scenes and onstage. Young audiences should know that watching live theatre is not like watching more familiar forms of entertainment: they cannot pause or rewind us like a videotape, there are no commercials for bathroom breaks, nor can they turn up the volume to hear us if someone else is talking. Your students are encouraged to listen and watch the play intently, so that they may laugh and cheer for their favorite characters when it is appropriate. At the end of the play, applause is an opportunity for your students to thank the actors, while the actors are thanking you for the role they played as an audience.

3 Prepare for the Play ADVENTURE COLLAGE The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is an adventure story focusing on the journey of 4 siblings. Ask your students to think of a memorable moment or fun adventure they shared with a sibling or family member. Create a collage about that memory using newspaper, magazines, or items from home. Share your memory and collage with your class, then hang them up in the room to remind your class of how adventurous they can be! Now take that adventure and turn it into a personal narrative or story. If want you embellish or expand upon the details to make your story truly unique and wonderful. Are there elements of fantasy or magic that can turn your story into the next great idea? KCC: , , WR C. S. Lewis was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Ireland. Though his full name is Clive Staples Lewis, he published his Chronicles of Narnia under the pseudonym C.S. Lewis and preferred to be called Jack in person. He was an influential English and Literature Professor at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities for most of his life. Lewis was a member of the informal club The Inklings, which began at Oxford University. This group of literature fans included Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, and Lewis s good friend, J.R.R. Tolkein. He had no children of his own, but dedicated The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to his goddaughter, Lucy. Later in his life he married the American poet Joy Gresham who had two sons, David and Douglas. Douglas was extremely fond of his step-father and is co-producer of the new series of film adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia. The Chronicles of Narnia Continue the Adventure by reading the entire series by C.S. Lewis: The Magician s Nephew The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe The Horse and His Boy Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Last Battle

4 The Mythical Land of Narnia The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe includes many fictional characters and creatures. The author, C.S. Lewis, borrowed many of these magical creatures from different cultures and mythologies. The world of Narnia is populated mainly by talking animals. But it also includes mythological creatures and figures from the Greek and Roman traditions and from Norse mythology. Below is a selected glossary of these mythological creatures that you can share with your class. After sharing the descriptions, use the activities on the following page with your class. Dwarf(ves) Origin: Norse Mythology Physical Description: A short, stocky human-like creature. They are generally physically strong. Abilities: Excellent miners and smiths, dwarves excell in the arts of the earth. They are famed to be skilled warriors. Habitat: caves, tunnels, and mines Faun(s) Origin: Roman and Greek Mythology Physical Description: Has human arms, torso, and head with goat-like horns, ears and legs. Abilities: Skilled in music and famed to be excellent dancers. Fauns are fond of trees and nature. Habitat: forests and woodland areas Ogre(s) Origin: French and Italian Folklore Physical Description: Larger than humans. Ogres are often depicted with a large head, abundant hair, a huge belly, and a strong body. Abilities: Physical strength Habitat: mountain, caves Talking Animal(s) Origin: Multiple Origins; Fairytales Physical Description: Animals with human traits, such as speech, walking up-right, and wearing human clothing. Abilities: Talking animals have talents respective to both humans and animals. Habitat: various Witch(es) Origin: Multiple Origins; Fairytales and Mythology Physical Description: Human in appearance, various ages. Most often female Abilities: Witches are skilled in magic of all varieties. Habitat: human dwellings Centaur(s) Origin: Greek Mythology Physical Description: Its head and torso are human and the rest is that of a horse. Powers/Abilities: Seeing the future, fast, battle tactics. Habitat: Various, usually found in the wild and wilderness unless domesticated into society. Unicorn(s) Origin: Greek and Roman Mythology Physical Description: The unicorn is horse like with a horn projecting out of the head. In some cultures, the Unicorn has the head of a deer. Powers/Abilities: The unicorn horn has magical abilities that can cure sickness or disease. Habitat: Prefers the woodlands - away from the evils of humanity. Ghoul(s): Origin: Arabian Folklore Physical Description: Shapeshifting demons who can become undead humans or animals. Powers/Abilities: Shapeshifting, Regrowth of body parts and immunity to pain. Habitat: Burial grounds or other uninhabited places. Nymph(s) Origin: Greek Mythology Physical Description: Typically female, nymphs take the appearance of their habitat (i.e. tree nymphs resemble trees). Powers/Abilities: Wisdom, Nature Habitat: mountains, forests, rivers, springs Hag(s) Hag(s): Origin: German Folktales Physical Description: A fairy or goddess who looks like a wizened woman. Powers/Abilities: Shapeshifting, Scary & Magic. Habitat: Hags seek out places away from people.

5 Your Land of Narnia Create Your Own Mythological Creature! Read the article about Mythological creatures with your class. Discuss with them what these creatures might look like. Ask your students each to pick one of these creatures to study or let them create their own! creature Report: Your students can write a report as Draw It! On a blank sheet of paper, have your students illustrate this creature in its habitat. Think about how big or small it is. What color is it? What does it eat? AH , AH they would about natural animals on these creatures to stretch their imaginations. newpaper Article: Ask your students to imagine what would happen if someone actually discovered one of these animals! Have them write a newpaper report about such an event. creature Journal: Let your students put themselves in the place of these creatures. What would a normal day be like for them? Have your students write a journal accounting a day in the life of one of the Narnians or a creature they created! MAKE YOUR OWN TURKISH DELIGHT! Ingredients: 2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups water 1 lemon, the peel cut into strips, the juice squeezed and strained 1 orange, the peel cut into strips, the juice squeezed and strained 4 tablespoons unflavored powdered gelatin 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch WR MA-E Directions: 1. Dissolve the granulated sugar in half of the water over medium heat. 2. Add the strips of lemon and orange peel and the juices. 3. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. 4. Soak the gelatin in the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes. 5. Strain the mixture into a shallow, dampened pan or onto platters, and let it set for 24 hours. 6. Cut the Turkish Delight candy into 1-inch squares. 7. Sift the confectioners s sugar and cornstarch together into a shallow dish. 8. Roll the pieces of Turkish Delight candy in the mixture. 9. Store the Turkish Delight squares in boxes with more confectioners sugar and corn starch between each layer.

6 Extend the Experience Plot Structure: Sequence of Events The story of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is full of excitement. See if your class can put the plot into the correct sequence. Using the key plot points below, ask a group or pair of your students to illustrate one of the following events. Once all drawings are completed, have your class work together to hang the pictures in the order each occurred in the story. 1. Lucy enters Narnia. 2. Edmund enters Narnia. 3. Peter and Susan enter Narnia. 4. Edmund meets the White Witch. 5. Peter fights Fenris Ulf. 6. The children visit the Beavers home. 7. Lucy meets Mr. Tumnus. 8. Aslan takes Edmund s place in punishment. 9. Aslan returns. 10. Children are crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia 11. Aslan frees the statues. 12. Aslan meets the Witch at the Stone Table. Act It Out! Just like in the frozen picture activity on the next page, you can have half of your class create frozen images of these events. Ask the rest of the class to put the events in order and really see the story come to life! AH , AH FROZEN PICTURES Review the events of the play with your students. Ask them what they think Narnia was like before Lucy first entered through the wardrobe? How did the children change Narnia during their time there? What do your students think will happen to Narnia after the children leave? Now, divide the class into groups of four or five and have them create frozen pictures indicating 1) Narnia before Lucy s visit, 2) A moment from the play, 3) Narnia after the children leave. A frozen picture does not involve movement of talking, but illustrates or represents the group ideas using their bodies. As each group presents their picture ask the rest of the class to title or define what is happening with the presenting group. Have each group share. AH , AH , AH , AH-EP-4.3.1

7 Suggested Reading If you like tales of adventure, talking animals, and far away lands you might enjoy these books as well: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L Engle Can Meg navigate the Tesseract to get her father back? James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl Will James find happiness aboard a giant peach filled with insects? The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien What will happen to Bilbo Baggins in the Lonely Mountain as he faces Smaug the dragon. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O Brien Can Mrs. Frisby and her fellow rats save their home? The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black What will happen when the Grace children discover the world of the faeries who do not want to be found. LCT Teaches in your School! Let LCT s professional artists bring their extensive experience into your classroom. An LCT residency program is designed to offer young people the opportunity to learn in a dynamic, fun and challenging way. LCT tailors a residency to the needs of your students, curriculum and budget. We offer residencies that range from a one time visit to a month long intensive program. Performance Workshops - Two week intensive unit culminating in a performance. LCT provides all scripts, costumes, props and scenery. Spotlight on Reading - Students will explore popular literature through drama, creative writing, art and movement. Science and Art - Students can explore a variety of scientific concepts using drama. Experience the wonders of nature, animals, bugs, weather, plants, recycling, or the rain forest through the use of role-play, movement and pantomime. Call x233 or x226 TODAY!