MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE BIG IDEAS. The Meaning of Progress Authentic Balance between nature and technology Original

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Curtis Brown
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1 MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE BIG IDEAS The Meaning of Progress Authentic Balance between nature and technology Original

BEFORE THE PLAY BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE STORY SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL FAIRY TALE The original fairy tale, written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1843, tells the story of a Chinese Emperor

When he orders the nightingale brought to him, a kitchen maid leads the court to where the bird is found.

2 BEFORE THE PLAY BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE STORY SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL FAIRY TALE The original fairy tale, written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1843, tells the story of a Chinese Emperor who learns that there is a bird in his woods who sings so beautifully it is truly the treasure of the kingdom. When he orders the nightingale brought to him, a kitchen maid leads the court to where the bird is found. On the way, the courtiers hear a cow and frogs, and the girl has to tell them those are not the song of the nightingale. When asked, the nightingale agrees to appear at court. The Emperor is so delighted with the bird s song that he keeps the nightingale at court in its own golden cage. It is let out occasionally, but can only fly with ribbons attached to its legs. When the Emperor is subsequently given a bejeweled mechanical bird he loses interest in the real nightingale, who escapes to the forest. But when the mechanical bird eventually breaks down and the Emperor is taken deathly ill, the real nightingale returns to his side and sings for him. Death is so moved by the nightingale s song that he departs and the emperor recovers. From that day forward, the nightingale agrees to sing to the emperor of all the happenings in his empire so that he will be known as the wisest emperor ever to live. The nightingale cares about the emperor s heart, not his status, just as it cares about the lowliest fisherman, not just the nobles. The nightingales promise to the Emperor to sing of all those in his kingdom makes the Emperor wise because he knows the joys and sorrows of all his kingdom, not just those in the inner circle. SYNOPSIS OF STAGES THEATRE COMPANY S ADAPTATION Stages Theatre Company s adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen s fairy tale changes the setting and some of the characters of the original. It is not set in China, but in a more modern-era village run by Mayor King. Every year the Mayor holds a Festival of Progress to inspire the town to be prosperous and forward-thinking. Everyone in the town contributes an entry to the Festival. A young girl, an artist named Violet and the granddaughter of the town s watchmaker, escapes to the forest beyond the town every

evening to listen to the song of the Nightingale and dance with her.

Soon, everyone wants their own mechanical bird, but when the song is no longer inspiring as the original song bird due to over-production of the mechanical bird, the townspeople question the idea of

A balance between technological progress and natural beauty is found as the townspeople appreciate the singular beauty of the Nightingale s talents.

3 evening to listen to the song of the Nightingale and dance with her. When the rest of the town learns of the Nightingale, Violet s grandfather is inspired to create a mechanical bird for the Festival of Progress. Soon, everyone wants their own mechanical bird, but when the song is no longer inspiring as the original song bird due to over-production of the mechanical bird, the townspeople question the idea of progress. Then, when Mayor King becomes ill, it is his own memory of the Nightingale s song that facilitates his recovery. A balance between technological progress and natural beauty is found as the townspeople appreciate the singular beauty of the Nightingale s talents. THE PRODUCTION AND ITS HISTORY Stages Theatre Company s world premiere adaptation of The Nightingale is a dance-inspired production that tells the story through both original music and dance. This new, original adaptation of this classic fairy tale was written by Jennifer Kirkeby and composed by Shirley Mier. The same team that created our dance inspired production of Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Mitten. It continues our collaboration with Escalate Dance. Below are links to written, spoken and video sources of the original fairy tale that can be used to familiarizing you and your young one with the story. Links to on-line written versions of The Nightingale: h.html Links to Audio and Video versions of The Nightingale: PREDICTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS

What do they anticipate seeing? AFTER THE PLAY: Revisit your expectations.

4 BEFORE THE PLAY: After familiarizing yourself with the story, discuss with your young one what their expectations are for the upcoming show. What actions or events might be seen on stage? What characters might the play include? What do they anticipate seeing? AFTER THE PLAY: Revisit your expectations. Discuss the similarities and differences from original fairy tale to what was seen on stage. How would you describe the main message of the play? How was it similar or different from the original?

AFTER THE PLAY FURTHER DISCUSSION WHAT IS PROGRESS? MECHANICAL VS REAL The mechanical nightingale was a sort of robot.

Discuss whether there are times when an artificial version of something is not as good as a real one.

The real bird said that she would rather stay in the forest, so the arrival of the artificial bird gave her the chance to return to her home.

5 AFTER THE PLAY FURTHER DISCUSSION WHAT IS PROGRESS? MECHANICAL VS REAL The mechanical nightingale was a sort of robot. In the story, the artificial bird sings only one song, while the real bird sang many, and a fisherman muses that the artificial bird s song is missing something. Discuss whether there are times when an artificial version of something is not as good as a real one. The Emperor likes the fact that the artificial bird can sing the same song over and over without getting tired, and also that the artificial bird was covered with jewels. The real bird said that she would rather stay in the forest, so the arrival of the artificial bird gave her the chance to return to her home. Discuss times when an artificial version of something might be better. In the Stages Theatre Company s adaptation of The Nightingale this idea of mechanical versus real is explored in many different ways and is at the core of the story. Each year the Mayor of the town holds a FESTIVAL OF PROGRESS, where townspeople invent a product that represents progress. After seeing the production, revisit the discussion above and the idea of progress with your students. This is also an opportunity to explore the pros and cons of electronics in our lives. In what ways does electronics make our lives easier? In what ways does it have negative effects on our lives? What would you invent to enter the FESTIVAL OF PROGRESS? What are the pros and cons of your invention? How would you achieve a balance between the good and bad aspects of such an invention? HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN: THE FATHER OF THE MODERN FAIRY TALE Fairy tales are fanciful stories intended to entertain children and have existed since ancient times. For centuries in many cultures, stories involving supernatural forces and faraway places were passed down orally from older generations to younger ones. In the early 19th-century, a pair of German brothers Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm became the first internationally famous fairy tale authors when they wrote and published Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding

6 Hood and a number of other classic tales. Hans Christian Andersen, however, is considered the father of the modern fairy tale. Though he wrote several decades after the Brothers Grimm achieved fame, Andersen s tales revolutionized children s literature during his lifetime.

Here are some of the main points that made Hans Christian Andersen s tales unique: The Here and Now Before Andersen, fairy tales almost always took place once upon a time and focused on princesses,

The Nightingale is a bit more unique of his tales in this way as there is an Emperor in the story.

7 Here are some of the main points that made Hans Christian Andersen s tales unique: The Here and Now Before Andersen, fairy tales almost always took place once upon a time and focused on princesses, kings and other members of royalty. Anderson, however, set his stories in the present day, and his main characters came from regular walks of a life. The Nightingale is a bit more unique of his tales in this way as there is an Emperor in the story. However, in Stages adaptation, it was quite simple to replace the Emperor with the Mayor of a village. A Real Story Telling Experience In his stories, Andersen always used a narrator who would address readers directly. This let readers feel a special connection to the story, as though Andersen were in the room telling the story to them. The Not-So-Happy Ending Though The Nightingale ends pleasantly, as does several of Andersen s other tales, many of his fairy tales conclude with feelings of sorrow. In The Little Mermaid (not the Disney version) for example, the beautiful mermaid has her heart broken and transforms into sea foam. And The Little Fir Tree tells the story of a tree who hopes to be decorated for Christmas but ends up being thrown into a fire. Where s the Moral? Most children s stories in Andersen s time conveyed a simple, clear-cut moral. But his fairy tales broke that mold completely. Andersen explored relationships between characters and touched complex themes, like love and loneliness. As a result, the stories appealed to readers of all ages. Objects and Animals Andersen often gave simple objects human characteristics. Flowers, the sun and toy soldiers all come alive and play important roles in Andersen s stories. In this way, Andersen shows the magic and beauty of the everyday world. Talking animals also make their way onto the page. For example, The Ugly Duckling is filled with animal characters, and in The Snow Queen, Gerda is guided on her journey by sparrows, crows and a reindeer. READ OTHER HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FAIRY TALES Hans Christian Andersen is a widely read and iconic writer of children s fairy tales. His stories, created almost two centuries ago are still with us today and are read all over the world. A chronological list of all of Hans Christian Andersen s work: Most of the fairy tales listed on this webpage also have a link to a free text of the story.

Links to texts of popular Hans Christian

8 Links to texts of popular Hans Christian Andersen Tales: The Princess and the Pea The Ugly Duckling The Emperor s New Clothes

ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

ACROSS THE CURRICULUM The possibilities are numerous for using The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen and our new dance inspired musical adaptation of this classic fairy tale as a jumping off point