PCPA Theaterfest Student Matinee Program Presents

Transcription

1 PCPA Theaterfest Student Matinee Program Presents Adapted by Patrick Barlow From an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon A Study Guide for Educators

2 Welcome to PCPA Theaterfest A NOTE TO THE TEACHER Thank you for bringing your students to PCPA Theaterfest at Allan Hancock College. Here are some helpful hints for your visit to the Marian Theatre. The top priority of our staff is to provide an enjoyable day of live theatre for you and your students. We offer you this study guide as a tool to prepare your students prior to the performance. SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDENT ETIQUETTE Note-able behavior is a vital part of theater for youth. Going to the theater is not a casual event. It is a special occasion. If students are prepared properly, it will be a memorable, educational experience they will remember for years. 1. Have students enter the theater in a single file. Chaparones should be one adult for every ten students. Our ushers will assist you with locating your seats. Please wait until the usher has seated your party before any rearranging of seats to avoid injury and confusion. While seated, teachers should space themselves so they are visible, between every groups of ten students. Teachers and adults must remain with their group during the entire performance. 2. Once seated in the theater, students may go to the bathroom in small groups and with the teacher's permission. Please chaperone younger students. Once the show is over, please remain seated until the House Manager dismisses your school. 3. Please remind your students that we do not permit: - food, gum, drinks, smoking, hats, backpacks or large purses - disruptive talking. - disorderly and inappropriate behavior (stepping on/over seats, throwing objects, etc.) - cameras, ipods, cell phones, beepers, tape recorders, hand held video games. (Adults are asked to put any beepers or cell phones on silent or vibrate.) In cases of disorderly behavior, groups may be asked to leave the theater without ticket refunds. 4. Teachers should take time to remind students before attending the show of the following about a live performance: Sometimes we forget when we come into a theatre that we are one of the most important parts of the production. Without an audience there would be no performance. Your contribution of laughter, quiet attention and applause is part of the play. When we watch movies or television we are watching images on a screen, and what we say or do cannot affect them. In the theatre the actors are real people who are present and creating an experience with us at that very moment. They see and hear us and are sensitive to our response. They know how we feel about the play by how we watch and listen. An invisible bond is formed between actors and a good audience, and it enables the actors to do their best for you. A good audience helps make a good performance. PCPA Theaterfest welcomes you as a partner in the live theatre experience from the moment you take your seats. We hope that your visit will be a highlight of your school year. 2

3 HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDE The Study Guide is a companion piece designed to explore many ideas depicted in the stage production of The 39 Steps. Although the guide's intent is to enhance the student's theatrical experience, it can also be used as an introduction to the elements of a play, and the production elements involved in the play's presentation. This specific stage adaptation presents a wealth of new questions for this generation to answer. The guide has been organized into three major sections: Elements of the story Elements of production Activities Teachers and group leaders will want to select portions of the guide for their specific usage. Discussion questions are meant to provoke a line of thought about a particular topic. The answers to the discussion questions in many instances will initiate the process of exploration and discovery of varied interpretations by everyone involved. This can be as rewarding as the wonderful experience of sight and sound that The 39 Steps creates on-stage. It is recommended that the Alfred Hitchcock film, available on DVD and VHS, be used in conjunction with discussion of the play. Andrew Philpot* as Richard Hannay 3

4 PRODUCTION TEAM AND CAST The 39 Steps Adapted by Patrick Barlow From an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon Director Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Sound Designer Stage Manager Mark Booher Kent Homchick Juliane Starks Tamar Geist Elisabeth Rebel Christine Collins* Cast of Characters Richard Hannay... Andrew Philpot* Annabella/Margaret/Pamela... Stephanie Philo The Clowns... Peter S. Hadres* & Evans Eden Jarnefeldt Tamara Chambers, Scott Fuss, Stagehands... Shae Palic, Sean Peters *Member, Actors' Equity Association Stephanie Philo as Pamela, Andrew Philpot* as Richard Hannay, Peter S. Hadres* as Mr. McGarrigle, and Evans Eden Jarnfeldt as Mrs. McGarrigle 4

5 ELEMENTS OF THE STORY Synopsis of the Production What we get is an incredibly fast-paced romp through the story of Hitchcock s film. It is a pastiche, an affectionate and very funny transposition of the film on to the stage. The film contains set pieces that are iconic: the train top chase, the Forth Bridge escape, Mr Memory at the Palladium. Much of the joy in the show is in seeing these moments recreated through the physicality and vocal talent of the 4 performers. It is also an evocative tribute to a 1930s Britain of cold mists (fog is liberally utilized); steam engines and a clearly demarcated social system where people know their place. And at its center, juxtaposed with the comedy, is a love story. Stephanie Philo as Annabella Schmidt 5

6 Synopsis of the Plot (Courtesy Wikipedia) There have been three major film versions of the book; Hitchcock's original has been the most acclaimed, and remains so today: In 1999 it came 4th in a BFI poll of British films, while in 2004 Total Film named it the 21st greatest British movie of all time. The story is a classic portrayal of one man s flight from wrong accusation through a series of improbable adventures as he is pursued by the authorities. Romance comes from him being handcuffed to a woman, with whom he ultimately falls in love. Finally the true villains are exposed and our hero is vindicated. Plot Richard Hannay is at a London theatre, attending a demonstration of the remarkable powers of "Mr. Memory", a man with a photographic memory, when a fight breaks out and shots are fired. In the ensuing panic, he finds himself holding a frightened Annabella Schmitt, who talks him into taking her back to hisflat. There, she tells him that she is a spy, being chased by assassins out to kill her. She claims to have uncovered a plot to steal vital British military secrets, implemented by a man with the top joint missing from one of his fingers, head of an espionage organization called the "39 Steps". The next day, Hannay wakes up to find her dead, stabbed with his bread knife. He sneaks out of the flat disguised as a milkman and takes a train to Scotland, where she had told him she was going to find the man. On the train, he sees the police on his trail. In desperation, he enters a compartment and kisses the sole occupant, the attractive Pamela, in an attempt to escape detection. She however manages to free herself from his unwanted embrace and betrays him to the law. He jumps from the train onto the Forth Rail Bridge and escapes. He stays the night with a poor older farmer and his young wife who flirts with Hannay. The next morning, he leaves in the farmer's Sunday coat, and calls at the house the woman had told him of. There he finds the man with the missing finger-joint, the seemingly respectable Professor Jordan, who shoots him after a brief conversation and leaves him for dead. Luckily, the bullet fails to penetrate the farmer's prayer-book, left in a coat pocket, and Hannay flees once more. He goes to the police, but they refuse to accept his story, since they know Jordan well. Hannay jumps through a window and escapes into the crowd. He tries to hide himself in a political meeting, but is mistaken for the keynote speaker; he gives a rousing impromptu speech (without knowing a 6

7 thing about the candidate he is introducing), but is recognized by Pamela, who gives him up once more. They are handcuffed together and taken away by "policemen". Hannay eventually realizes they are agents of the conspiracy when they bypass the nearest police station. When the car is forced to stop, he escapes, dragging an unwilling Pamela along. They travel cross country, and stay the night at an inn, the girl still not believing Hannay's story. While he sleeps, she slips out of the handcuffs, but then eavesdrops on one of the fake policemen on the telephone downstairs; the conversation confirms Hannay's assertions. She returns to the room and sleeps on the floor. Next morning, she tells him what she heard, and is sent to London to pass it on to the police. No secrets have been reported missing however, so they do nothing to help. Instead, they follow her to get to Hannay. She leads them to Mr. Memory's show at the London Palladium, where the police close in on the fugitive. When the performer is introduced, Hannay recognizes his theme music - it's the annoyingly catchy tune he hasn't been able to forget for days. Hannay puts two and two together and realizes that Mr. Memory is how the spies are smuggling the secrets out: he has them memorized. As the police take him into custody, he shouts out a question about the 39 Steps. When Mr. Memory compulsively begins to answer, Jordan shoots him and tries to flee, but is apprehended. The dying Mr. Memory recites the information stored in his brain, a design for silent aircraft, and Hannay and the girl stroll off, hand in hand. Stephanie Philo as Pamela and Andrew Philpot* as Richard Hannay 7

8 About The Production The Thirty-Nine Steps was first published in 1915 by Scottish author John Buchan, who referred to it as his first shocker an adventure novel that combines personal and political dramas to achieve its denouement. Buchan s creation celebrates events in the story that are unlikely and that the reader is only just able to believe have really happened. While the title of the novel is apparently derived from Buchan s daughter s delightful counting of the steps in a convalescent home where Buchan was recovering from a duodenal ulcer, it did introduce his famous hero, Richard Hannay. Hannay, the classic action hero with Scottish sangfroid, never ceases to amaze his reader/audience as he repeatedly extricates himself from outrageous situations with aplomb. In 1935, Alfred Hitchcock brought to the world a screen adaptation loosely based on that novel. The adaptation offered some charming changes. The hero becomes a Canadian bon vivant instead of a South African Mining engineer. His initial entanglement comes from a chance encounter with secret agent Annabella Smith rather than American freelance spy Scudder, and the plot involves agents of an unnamed nation smuggling vital British military secrets rather than a ring of German spies planning assassination. And the title originally referenced the number of steps leading to a rendezvous point. In this version, --- well, we wouldn t want to give that away. This stage version by Patrick Barlow is based primarily on Hitchcock s iconic movie with brief glimpses of Buchan s novel. And it s all done with only four actors! The challenge of the work comes from staging the cinematic from train chases, plane crashes, murders in the dark to beautiful spies, and James -Bondesque villains. It s thriller and comedic pastiche, drama and romance. As adaptor Barlow observed, There s a reason to live and a reason to love. And above all a reason, as our hero (fired up by love though he doesn t know that s what it is yet) blissfully realizes in his passionately impromptu political speech to look after each other and look after the world. Barlow goes on to note the finest comedy comes from the greatest truth there s always a story behind the mayhem. 8

9 About The Authors John Buchan was born into a clergyman s family in Perth, Scotland (1875). After attending both Glasgow and Oxford Universities, he enjoyed a successful career as a barrister (courtroom attorney) and a member of the diplomatic service. Later in life he served as the Governor-General of Canada and was ennobled as Baron Tweedsmuir. While he wrote primarily for pleasure, his success with the Richard Hannay novels made him a household name in the UK. At the time of writing The 39 Steps, Buchan was working as a propagandist for the British government; his behind-the-scenes knowledge of espionage, double-crosses, and rising European tensions certainly informs his work. He died in 1940, shortly after signing Canada s entry into WWII. 9

10 Alfred Hitchcock was born to a middle-class London family in As a young man he attended St. Ignatius College and went on to the University of London, where he studied engineering. In 1914, he went to work for Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, a motion picture company, as a title card designer. Within a few years he was writing scenarios and assistant directing. His first major success as a director came with The Lodger, a retelling of the Jack the Ripper story produced in Not only did he quickly establish himself as the premiere craftsman of suspense dramas, but he also produced the first British Talkie (Blackmail) in In 1940, he directed his first Hollywood production, an adaptation of DeMaurier s novel Rebecca for which he won the Academy Award for Best Picture. During his six decade career, he directed over 50 feature files. He died in

11 Patrick Barlow (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor, comedian and playwright. His comedic alter ego, Desmond Olivier Dingle, is the founder, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the two-man National Theatre of Brent. In a recent interview, he described his adaptation as it s the film. Definitely the film. It s the film and me and a tiny bit from the opening of the book.it s pastiche, but it is very important that there is a real story going on. It s about a man who is lonely and lost in his heart really a powerful story and it s always driving for laughs, which you have to do. 11

12 ELEMENTS OF PRODUCTION About The Production This production also celebrates the staging polarities of the piece it s a marvelous hybrid of high and low tech; it s full of tech gags and it is truly about the persuasive power of the actor. And most importantly, it s about the collaboration between audience and actor regarding the conventions of time, place and action. This is a play with over 100 sound cues which help to create planes, trains and automobiles our cinematic experience of the story. It doesn t surprise Artistic Director Mark Booher that the first Tony for sound design went to the original Broadway production. And while you will enjoy seeing the apparatus of the story, in PCPA s production buckle your seatbelt, it s a breakneck paced rollercoaster ride. Mr. Booher notes that pace is everything in playing farce and it s also in our human natures to love speed. As he observes, it s why we love to fly as humans we aspire to soar and roar. And since this is a play less about intellect and more about experience, it s farce thriller, not psychological thriller. Audiences can thrill to the intensely physical work of the four actors involved, and they can also consider that behind all the energy and pace there is substance. Mark Booher, like adaptor Barlow, wants us to remember that the play does ask how do I stand alone and make good in the world. At the core, it is a play that celebrates the ingenuity, resolve, resourcefulness and resilience of the individual against all the odds, one can still emerge triumphant. 12

13 COSTUME DESIGN Costume designer Juliane Starks was faced with the challenge of creating a full cast of characters to be played by four actors. Each character had to be approached with the concept that costume changes would be so quick, that at times they would have to be done in front of the audience. She met the challenge with a series of foundation garments as well as quick change rigging to accommodate the lightening fast pace of the show. Character: Hannay played by Andy Philpot 13

14 Character: Annabella Pamela played by Stephanie Philo 14

15 Character: Police Bobby Played by Peter S. Hadres and Evans Eden Jarnfeldt 15

16 Character: Mrs. Higgins Played by Evans Eden Jarnfeldt 16

17 Character: Mr. Memory Played by Peter S. Hadres 17

18 SCENIC DESIGN Scenic designer Kent Homchick was faced with the challenge of creating several landscapes and locations in the United Kingdom. Each scene had it s unique challenges. From a chase atop a moving train to the interior of a turn of the century Music Hall. Mr. Homchick s design is a collage of theatrical solutions to move the play from one location to the next. Rendering of Hannay s apartment. 18

19 Rendering of the top of the moving train. Rendering of the Music Hall. 19

20 CLASSROOM ACTIVITES Note: All of the following material is designed specifically for use in the classroom to support the production seen at PCPA Theaterfest. It is designed to support the Drama and English curricula in particular, but there are opportunities for learning across the wider curriculum, and this is pointed out where possible. Changing Language Resources: Dictionaries, or ideally for the first section, access to the internet. 1. In pairs: Ask for 2 lists: 1. Examples of words that no-one uses any more e.g. ration book. 2. Examples of words that are so new that no-one used them even 20 years ago (lots of these will be technology - based, but there will also be slang words that are very current for them). 2. Share these words back in the larger group, scribed on board or chart. Two Lists: one headed obsolete, one headed current. Encourage students to talk about why some words fall out of use and why new ones develop. 3. Talk about the language in The 39 Steps. Scribe words they recall that are less used nowadays. Use the following examples if none are forthcoming Gosh, golly, crikey, blimey 4. Give students the following list of words/phrases to research in Google or wikipedia or a plain old dictionary: spoof, derring-do, steam engine, yarn, burlesque, deadpan, clowning. These are words used to describe The 39 Steps. What do they tell us about the show? 5. TASK: In 4 s: Write a 5 minute script for a thriller (like The 39 Steps) that uses modern language. Use the basic plot of the story, about a person falsely accused of a crime and forced to flee. OPTION: Repeat but choose another decade ( 80s, 50s). Clear cross-curricular connection for History here. 7. For Drama these pieces can be rehearsed and performed. For English ditto, or perhaps read out in class. 20

21 Genre Resources: Fifteen or so randomly chosen books/dvds of differing genre: Horror, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Children, Action, Spy, Kung Fu, Comic, Romance, Teenage angst, Historical, War, Celebrity Biography, Autobiography etc. 1. Write Genre on the board and brainstorm a list of as many genres as you can with the students. 2. In groups of four get the students to identify, from a pile you give them of DVD covers and novels, which genre they fit into. Encourage debate around this. Also ask them to identify specific features that allow them to work out the genre... is it the cover of the book/dvd? Is it the language contained therein? 3. Students present their findings back to the whole group. Again encourage them to challenge each other around any grey areas. Make the point that writers have to make specific language choices to evoke genre. 4. Now get students, again in fours, to pick out any two books/dvds and write down all the words and phrases that mark them out as being specific to a genre. 5. ENGLISH: Each student to choose a genre and write their own genre- specific piece for a new work. It can either be the first page of a novel or the blurb for a new-release DVD. 5. DRAMA: Students to script the first scene of a movie, very genre- specific. They rehearse and perform and the rest of group has to identify genre. Suggested extension activity: look at adaptation. Students take a film they all know very well and discuss how they would stage some of the memorable moments. Encourage them to think inventively, rather than to rely on expensive sets, etc. In pair/groups students write and perform one scene adapted from the film to the stage. Pastiche STARTER: Either for homework as prep for this lesson or as a starter activity if access is easy. Students should look at examples of pastiche on Youtube.com A good one to look at is the French and Saunders Baywatch sketch. 1. Write up on the board the following WIKTIONARY definition of Pastiche. A work of drama, literature or music that imitates the work of a previous artist, often satirically. Get the students to copy it. 2. Have a discussion about pastiche and where it is to be found. One would expect at least the following outcomes: talk about sampling in music, singers covering the songs of other artists; comedians like the Mighty Boosh doing Boy s Own adventure stuff. French and Saunders doing film skits. The Artroom at school being full of pastiche Picasso etc; the remaking of tired TV formats in a pastiche way so that they seem suddenly vibrant (Come Dancing becomes Strictly Come Dancing; Dr Who in the 70s and now). So is it good to be the subject of pastiche? 3. Ways to make Pastiche 1 (A) Ask the students in pairs to come up with a short scene where there is some conflict, e.g. a person complaining to a waiter in a restaurant, or taking a faulty toaster back to a shop. (B) Now ask them to practice the scene again but when they feel like it, and before they say their next line, their character can clap. This clap freezes the action. The character now turns to the audience and tells them what they are really thinking. They then clap and the scene resumes with them saying their actual 21

22 line. Three or four such interjections in a one minute scene often have great comic effect. This is a game actors sometimes play in rehearsals. It is called the Clapping Game. So for example we might get a waiter saying God I hate this woman to the audience before clapping and turning back to her with great politeness to say I m ever so sorry Madam. Let them practise these and then show them. General Physical Work This Session is designed specifically to engage the students with some of the processes involved in the creation of physical theatre, and is ideal follow up for Drama, after seeing the show. Get students with shoes off if possible, and in a safe drama studio-type environment. 1. Ask students to walk around the room at a normal pace, and not to make eye contact with anyone else. Ask them to empty their minds and just focus on the way they move around the room. Which bit of their foot hits the ground first? Do they lean forward or back? Do they swing their arms? Is their chin up or down? Do not provide answers, let them feel it for themselves. Then get them to start exaggerating whatever their natural tendency is. So if they walk leading with the crotch, let them exaggerate that. Ditto the head, or the chest. They will be self conscious about this, but stay with it. 2. End the exercise and discuss in circle. How did it feel? Was it in any way comic? Explain to them that in just a walk you have the foundation of great physical comedy. Pick a couple of brave volunteers to show their funny walks. 3. Now get them back on their feet. Get them walking again and this time tell them you will shout out the names of characters from the show, and you want them to walk like that character. SO: Hannay, Pamela, Mr Memory, the policemen, the milkman, the evil Professor Jordan, the couple at the B&B. 4. Get them in groups of 4 and ask them to come up with a frozen picture or tableau featuring any four of the characters. The objective is to make these instantly recognisable. Show these tableaux and let the audience identify characters. Discuss where these characters lead from when they move, where their physical centre is. This idea is vital to physical actors and clowns. 5. Bring the tableaux to life (clap and they start moving) Observe the physical distinction between Characters. 6. Back in the circle explain that in a show with 150 characters and 4 actors, the type of physical work just done is fundamental. 22