The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

Transcription

1 Study Guide for The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs at Lifeline Theatre 6912 North Glenwood Avenue Chicago, Illinois by Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote This study guide is only to be used in conjunction with performances of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs at Lifeline Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Any other use is strictly forbidden.

2 Introduction Lifeline Theatre's KidSeries Lifeline Theatre's KidSeries is committed to bringing children's literature to the stage to entertain, educate and empower both kids and adults. Our goal is to help students develop greater appreciation of literature and theatre as art forms, to excite kids about reading, as well as to teach them about various subjects within each individual show. We encourage you to use this study guide to enrich your students' experience of Lifeline's KidSeries, and to enhance the educational value of the performance you attend. Illinois State Board of Education Fine Arts State Goals The Illinois State Board of Education ("ISBE") has three State Goals for the Fine Arts: Students should know the language of the arts. Through creating and performing, students should develop an understanding of how works of art are produced. Students should understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present. This study guide and the activities included herein will help your students to reach these goals, as well as other Illinois State Goals listed throughout this guide. The Play The Adaptation Lifeline Theatre's production of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is an adaptation of the book by the same name written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith. The musical play The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs was written by Robert Kauzlaric, Paul Gilvary and William Rush, Jr. Mr. Kauzlaric wrote the spoken part of the play, which is called the "book," as well as the words to the songs, which are called the "lyrics." Mr. Gilvary and Mr. Rush wrote the music for the songs. Lifeline's production uses dance, music, puppets, singing and acting to tell the story. In this study guide, we will generally refer to Mr. Scieszka and Mr. Smith's version of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs as "the book" or "the story" and Lifeline's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs as "the play." Play Synopsis We are at the trial of Alexander T. Wolf, who has been accused of blowing down the houses of two little pigs, and then eating them. Our narrator is a reporter pig by the name of Lillian Magill, who helps to explain what is going on in the courtroom. She has come to the trial in the hopes that she will finally get to hear the Wolf's side of the story, so that all of Piggsylvania will know what really The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Study Guide 2007 Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote Page 1

3 happened that day. The audience is to be the jury in this case, and will decide whether the Wolf is to be locked up forever or set free. From the beginning of the trial the deck seems to be stacked against the Wolf, who chooses to represent himself, rather than have a court-appointed pig attorney represent him. The Judge (whose name is Juris Prudence) and the Prosecutor (Julia) are very chummy, and the Judge even agrees to help the Prosecution present its opening statement. The Prosecution witnesses build a very convincing case against the Wolf, but the Judge keeps sending the witnesses away before the Wolf can cross-examine them, leading Lillian to wonder whether the Wolf is going to be able to get a fair trial. Finally the Wolf gets the chance to tell his side of the story. It seems that on the day of the "accident" he was making a cake for his grandmother, and he merely went to the pigs' houses to ask for a cup of sugar. He also had a cold, and that's what made him huff and puff and sneeze the houses down. Both times the pig living inside had been killed, and since it was a shame to leave a good ham dinner to spoil, he had eaten them. Lillian is pleased to have finally heard the Wolf's version of the events of that day. But now it's up to the jury (the audience) to decide if the Wolf is guilty or not. What do you think the audience will decide? Before the Play Discuss with your students proper theatre etiquette. For example, it's okay to clap and laugh, but it's not okay to talk to your neighbor. Have students compare and contrast the difference between watching a movie and watching a play. Ask if students have been to a play before. If so, what play? What was the experience like? What do they think this particular experience will be like? If the students have not been to Lifeline before, have them think about what they might expect: a big theatre or a small one, many seats or only a few, young actors or older ones, etc. After the Play Ask students if they enjoyed the play. Based on this experience, would they like to see other plays? If they've seen plays before, how did this play compare? Was it better? Funnier? More enjoyable? What happened that they were expecting to happen? What happened that they weren't expecting? Was seeing a play a better experience than seeing a movie? Why or why not? Critiquing the Play Have the students write a review of the play. Use the attached form or have them write a paragraph or two on their own. Encourage the students to be specific about why they enjoyed a certain part of the play. If they liked a scene because it was funny, have them explain why it was funny to them, what the characters did or said that was funny, etc. Have the students draw a picture or make a collage of their favorite scene or character. Have them show their picture to the class and explain why that scene or character was their favorite. Feel free to send the reviews and pictures to Lifeline we enjoy reading them! The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Study Guide 2007 Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote Page 2

4 Comparing the Story to the Play Illinois State Goal 25.B.3 Students will be able to compare and contrast the elements and principles in two or more art works that share similar themes. Before the Play Read The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs to your students, or have them read it themselves, before the production. After reading the book, ask the students the following questions: 1. Who are the characters in the story? 2. What happens in the beginning of the story? The middle? The end? 3. What is your favorite part of the story? Why? 4. Who is your favorite character? Why? 5. Is there a character in the story you don't like? What makes you dislike this character? 6. What do you think you will see on stage as the actors tell this story? 7. How might the play be different from the story? How might it be the same? Beginning, Middle and End To encourage sequential thinking, have students act out the beginning, middle and end of the story. Split the students into three groups (or more, depending on the number of students in your class) and have one group enact the beginning, have the next group enact the middle, and the final group the end. Have the students watching the performances help the group to remember any parts they may have left out. Give the groups the chance to redo their performances, including any elements suggested by their classmates. After the Play Ask the students the following questions: 1. How were the book and the play different? 2. How were the book and the play the same? 3. What elements of the play surprised you, based on your knowledge of the book? 4. Which did you enjoy more, reading the book or watching the play? 5. What was your favorite part of the play? Was that your favorite part of the book as well? 6. Were there any characters in the book who were not in the play? 7. Were there any characters in the play that were not in the book? 8. Some parts of the play are different from the book. Why do you think the playwright added or subtracted certain parts? The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Study Guide 2007 Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote Page 3

5 Cast of Characters There are five actors four women and one man in The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Four of the actors play only one character, and one actor plays four different characters. All of the actors at one point or another sing backup vocals for another actor. Some of the characters are played by puppets, as well. The following is a list of the characters in The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Lillian Magill, a Reporter Juris Prudence, the Judge Alexander T. Wolf, the Wolf Julia, the Prosecutor Rocky, the Bailiff Two Little Pigs (Puppets): Desmond, Who Lived in a Straw House Jo-Jo, Who Lived in a House Made of Sticks Witnesses: Maxwell, the Third Pig, Who Lives in a Brick House Billy Shears, a Medical Expert Martha, an Eyewitness to the Murders Before the Play Ask the students the following questions: 1. What are some ways that you think the designers (costumes, sets, lights, props) will help the actors to play their characters? 2. What do you think the actors playing the Pigs will look like? What will the Wolf look like? 3. How do you think the costume designer will make the actors look like Pigs and a Wolf? 4. Do you think they will be wearing clothes, or will they be dressed in costumes that make them look like animals? 5. When you watch the play, see if you can figure out which actor plays more than one character. What characters does she play? Do you think it is hard or easy for her to play so many characters? 6. Why might it be hard for the actor to play so many characters? [Quick costume changes; having to come up with four different character voices and mannerisms] 7. See if you can figure out what changes the actress who plays the different witnesses makes with her body and voice to create the different characters. 8. Why might it be fun for an actor to play many different characters in one play? 9. If you were in a play, would you like to play just one character, or more than one? Why? 10. Some of the characters are played by puppets. What do you think the puppets will look like? 11. Why do you think the author chose to have some characters played by puppets? After the Play Ask the students the following questions: 1. In what ways are the characters different in the play than in the book? 2. In what ways are the characters the same in both the book and the play? 3. What characters are in the play that are not in the book? 4. What characters have names in the play who do not have names in the book? [The Three Little Pigs] The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Study Guide 2007 Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote Page 4

6 5. How do you think the author came up with their names? [He used names from songs by the Beatles] 6. Do you think it was difficult for the actress who played the witnesses to play more than one part? Why or why not? 7. Could you tell that it was the same actress playing all the different witnesses? What different things did she do with her body and voice to create her different characters? [Different accents; walking and sitting differently for each character; physical tics] 8. How did the designers help the actors to play their parts? 9. What did the costume designer do to make the actors look like animals? [Pig snouts and a wolf mask; curly tails on the backs of the pig costumes; wigs and hats with pig ears] 10. What did the puppets look like? 11. Why do you think the set and puppet designers decided to use suitcases for the puppet stages? What other ways might they have created puppet stages? Creating a Character Illinois State Goal 26.A.2b Students will be able to describe various ways the body, mind and voice are used with acting, scripting and staging processes to create or perform drama/theatre. Actors use their bodies and their voices to create characters like pigs and wolves. 1. How do the actors use their voices and their bodies to show which characters they're playing? 2. How do the actors move to make themselves appear to be Pigs or a Wolf? 3. What do the actors do to their voices to make themselves sound like Pigs or a Wolf? 4. What sounds do pigs naturally make? Wolves? How did the actors incorporate those sounds into their performances so that you knew they were playing Pigs or a Wolf? 5. What different accents do the actors use to make their characters sound different? 6. How do the costumes help the actors to play their parts? 7. How do the costumes help you to know what kind of job each character does? [The bailiff wears a police uniform; the judge wears a robe; the reporter wears a hat with "press" on it] 8. What sort of props do the actors use to help them create their characters? 9. How did the set pieces help you to know what character each actor was playing? 10. Did the puppet version of Maxwell (the third little pig) look like the actor version of Maxwell? What things were the same? 11. Which two designers had to work together to create those two "characters"? [The costume designer and the puppet designer] 12. How did the songs help you to know what sort of character each actor was? Have students practice using just their bodies and voices to create the different characters in the story. Have students choose character traits that make sense for each character for example, a pig moves differently than a wolf and a judge behaves differently than a criminal. Have a student come to the front of the room and move as if she is a character from the play. Have the class guess which character she is. Have them describe how she moved in words (rather than by saying "she moved like this" and showing it with their bodies) and how that helped them to guess which character she was playing. Play follow the leader, with the class moving or shaping their bodies the same way the student playing the character does. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Study Guide 2007 Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote Page 5

7 Jobs in the Theatre Illinois State Goal 27.A.3a Students will be able to identify and describe careers and jobs in and among the arts. When we create a play at Lifeline, we create a community of artists working together to make a complete production. The following is a list of people who helped to create The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs: Playwright/Adaptor/Author - writes the play Director - directs the play: makes decisions about costumes, lights, sets, etc.; gives actors their blocking (where to go on stage) Choreographer - designs (choreographs) and teaches the actors the dances Lighting Designer - designs and hangs the lights for the show; designs the light cues (when to change the lights) Set Designer - designs and builds the scenery and props for the show Sound Designer - designs and records the background music and sound effects for the show Costume Designer - designs and makes the costumes and masks for the show Puppet Designer - designs and constructs the puppets for the show Stage Manager - helps the director during rehearsals; sets props and scenery before each performance; runs the sound and lights during the performance Actors - perform the play Before the play, ask students to be particularly observant during the performance for the parts of the show that are done by the various people listed above. After the play, ask the students the following questions: 1. How did the costume designer make the actors look like the characters they were playing? 2. What about their costumes helped you to know that they were animals, not people? [Tails, pig nose and wolf snout masks, pig and wolf ears] 3. Did you have a favorite costume in the show? Which one? Why was it your favorite? 4. How did the set designer create the courtroom using things that make it look like a farm? [Fences instead of railings; a pitchfork used as a gate; flower pots for drinking water] 5. The music in the play is referred to as Rockabilly or Rock & Roll (although it is a different form of Rock & Roll than you are used to). Have you heard this type of music before? 6. Did you like the music in the show? Why or why not? 7. Would you have chosen a different style of music? What style would you have chosen? 8. How would the show have been different if there were no music? Do you think it would have been better without music? Why or why not? 9. What sound effects did you hear in the play? 10. How did those sound effects help you to know what was happening in the play? 11. The puppet and set designers created puppet stages out of old suitcases. What other items might they have used to create the puppet stages? 12. Did you like the use of puppets to tell the three little pigs' story? What other method might Julia have used to tell the story of the three little pigs? The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Study Guide 2007 Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote Page 6

8 Theatre Job Application Letter Ask the students which job they would like to have in the theatre. Have the students write a job application letter to Lifeline Theatre for the job they would like to do. Have them include what the job is, why they would be good at that job, what qualifications or past experience they have (this can be real or made-up experience), and why they want to do that job. Stress good penmanship in this activity, since they are applying for a job and want to make a good impression on the person reading the letter. The Playwright The play The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is based on the book by the same name. It is an adaptation of the book, meaning that the book is changed so that it becomes a play. Ask the students the following questions: 1. What sort of changes did the playwright make? [Setting the story in a courtroom; giving the three little pigs names; having the audience decide whether the wolf is guilty or innocent] 2. Why do you think the playwright made those changes? 3. Do you agree with the changes that the playwright made? 4. Would you have made different changes? What would they have been? 5. There is no dialogue (characters talking to each other) in the book. Do you think it was difficult for the playwright to make up dialogue for the characters for the play? Why or why not? 6. The playwright uses a lot of references to Beatles songs in the play. Have you heard any songs by the Beatles? 7. Why might the playwright put references in a kids' show to music kids have probably not heard? [So that the parents will laugh; he likes the Beatles and their songs and wanted to mention them in the play] The Fine Arts Illinois State Goal 25.B.2 Students will be able to understand how elements and principles combine within an art form to express ideas. The Illinois State Board of Education defines four fine arts in its State Goals for Arts Education: Visual Arts, Drama, Dance and Music. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs makes use of all of the four fine arts: Visual Arts: scene painting; sculpture (props, three-dimensional set pieces, puppets); costumes Drama: acting; script; characterization Dance: the choreography for the lead and the backup singers Music: background scoring and background tracks Have students identify how the four fine arts are used in The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. How would the play be different without music? Without the sets? Without the choreography? Which elements of the four fine arts above are absolutely necessary to tell the story and which elements The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Study Guide 2007 Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote Page 7

9 could be left out? How would the play have been different if it were not a musical? What other styles of music could have been used to tell the story? Have the students identify how the fine arts are combined in other entertainment (dance concerts, movies, TV, music videos). Which of the fine arts do they prefer? Why? Have students identify places in their town or city where they can see or experience each of the four fine arts. Have the students plan out and perform an all-dance performance of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Have them tell the story through pictures only (painting or drawing). Have them tell the story of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by writing song lyrics to a tune they already know (a folk song, popular song, nursery rhyme). Music Illinois State Goal 26.A.1c Students will be able to identify a variety of sounds and sound sources (e.g.,instruments, voices and environmental sounds). State Goal 25.A.1c Students will be able to identify differences in elements and expressive qualities (e.g., between fast and slow tempo; loud and soft dynamics) in a piece of music. The background music for The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is recorded, except for the Wolf's harmonica playing. How would the play have been different if live music were used? Why do you think the composer decided to have taped music rather than live music? [It is less expensive to have taped music rather than live musicians; there is no space on stage for musicians; one can do effects on tape that can't be done live.] Discussion 1. What are the advantages of using recorded music? The disadvantages? 2. What are the advantages of using live music? The disadvantages? 3. What sort of instruments can you hear on the tape? 4. How would the music sound different with different instruments? 5. Did you like hearing the live harmonica playing by the Wolf? 6. Why do you think the composers wanted him to play that instrument and not a different one (like a violin or a piano)? Reinterpretations of Well-Known Tales/Points of View The book The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is a retelling of the story of the three little pigs. The play is a re-retelling of this story. Have students tell the story of the three little pigs in their own way, imagining what other reasons the Wolf might have had for blowing down the Pigs' houses and eating them. Alternately, have students pick a different fairy tale and have them tell the story from a different character's point of view. For example, in the story of the three billy goats gruff, have students tell the story from the troll's point of view. Or have them retell the story of Jack and the beanstalk from the giant's point of view. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Study Guide 2007 Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote Page 8

10 Thinking about another person's point of view is sometimes referred to as "putting the shoe on the other foot" or "walking in someone else's shoes." Ask students the following questions: 1. Why do you think those phrases mean looking at someone else's point of view? 2. When might it be a good idea to think about someone else's way of seeing things? 3. If you have an argument, sometimes it is helpful to put yourself in the other person's place and to think about how they feel. Why do you think this might help stop the argument? 4. It is said that there are always two sides to every story. How can knowing someone else's version of a story make it easier to figure out the truth of what happened? How can it make it harder? 5. Sometimes we need a third party (like a judge or a jury) to help us decide who should win an argument, or what the truth is. Why is it good to have a person who is not involved in the argument make that decision? The Court System There are a lot of problems in the Piggsylvania Court System. See if the students can identify how the process in the trial is unfair to the Wolf. What sorts of things would make it more fair? Did you agree with the verdict at the end of the play (guilty or not guilty)? Why or why not? Why did you find one side more believable than the other side? What sorts of things did he/she say or do that made you believe him/her over the other side? Have students research the U.S. Court System and have them identify the similarities and differences to the court in the play. Have students create their own mock trial based on a fairy tale. Some examples: putting Jack on trial for stealing the golden goose and the magic harp from the giant; the farmer's wife for cutting off the three blind mice's tails; the three billy goats gruff for trespassing. Have students prepare arguments for each side, have them ask questions of witnesses, then have a jury decide the case. Comments Please feel free to fill out the attached comment form and return it to Lifeline. We are always trying to make our shows and educational materials better, and your comments can help us to do that. Thank you for attending The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, and please come back again soon! The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs Study Guide 2007 Lifeline Theatre and James E. Grote Page 9

11 Review of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs By: I give this play (circle the number of stars): My favorite part of the play was I liked this part of the play because My favorite character was He/she was my favorite because I think everyone should go see this play because

12 Teacher Comment Form Please fill out as much (or as little) of this comment form as you would like. When you are finished, please either: 1) mail it to Erica Foster, Lifeline Theatre, 6912 North Glenwood Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60626; 2) fax it to ; or 3) bring it with you when you come to see the performance. Thank you for your time! School: Grade Level: Number of Students: 1. On a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being the best), how would you rate the performance of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs? 2. On a scale of 1 to 10 (ten being the best), how would you rate the study guide for The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs? 3. What were some words your students used to describe the play? 4. Would you want to bring your students to another performance at Lifeline? Yes No 5. Why or why not? 6. Which activities in the study guide were most beneficial to your students? 7. How did your students benefit from these activities? (If possible, please give specific examples.) 8. What could we do to improve the study guide or our productions? 9. Are there any other books you would like to see Lifeline adapt?