OF MICE AND MORRO AND JASP

Transcription

1 OF MICE AND MORRO AND JASP An MTYP Production in association with U.N.I.T. Productions performed and created by Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee direction and dramaturgy by Byron Laviolette study guide written by Alice Young B.Ed Drama Educator sponsors PRODUCTION BENEFACTOR RICK LEE AND LAURIE SHAPIRO

2 Table of Contents Part One About the Play... 1 Playwrights Notes by Morro and Jasp... 1 Credits... 1 Part Two Background & Curricular Ties... 3 Of Mice and Morro and Jasp... 3 Play Synopsis... 3 About U.N.I.T. Productions... 3 Of Mice and Men... 3 Novella Synopsis... 3 Curricular Ties... 5 Part Two Before the Show... 5 Comparison between Parody, Satire and Spoof... 5 What is clowning?... 6 Words to think about... 6 Idioms... 6 Activities... 7 Part Three After the Show... 8 Listening... 8 Writing Reading Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Journal Entry Research About Clown (By Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee AKA Morro and Jasp) Clowns in modern day media Visualizing Types of Clowns Research & Design Representing Gender Studies... 19

3 Part One About the Play Playwrights Notes by Morro and Jasp Ah, the prayers of the millions, how they must fight and destroy each other on their way to the throne of G-d. John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat Everyone has dreams, right? Well, we definitely do and we re pretty sure most of you have dreams too. But sometimes life is hard. It throws things at you that you never expected (luckily not rotten tomatoes, though no one s ever thrown those at us, but maybe by writing this we re jinxing ourselves). When we were little, we had big dreams, and we still do today, but for some reason, it seems to get harder and harder to hold on to our dreams as we grow up. Things happen. You get sick, you get stressed, you get sad, you get worn down by people telling you no, and you need money to pay for things like food and activities and cell phone data plans. All that stuff can be a drag and sometimes it makes it hard to remember that you are a special and unique fish in this huge ocean of life and that you don t have to wait for someone else to give you what you want, or say yes, or fix you. You get to decide how you want to live your life. And when it inevitably throws the hard stuff at you, the real lemons, you get to decide how you re going to deal with all of it. This play is our glass of lemonade. So drink up, friends, and let there be rabbits. Credits Created and Performed by Heather Marie Annis & Amy Lee Directed and Dramaturged by Byron Laviolette Clown Coaching by John Turner Sound Design by Miquelon Rodriguez and the Company Set and Costume Design by Heather Marie Annis Stage Management by Sarah Miller Photography by Alex Nirta Heather Marie Annis - Morro /Creator Heather is an actor, playwright, theatrical and therapeutic clown, educator and Co-Artistic Director of U.N.I.T. Productions, and Morro of the Dora Award and Canadian Comedy Award winning clown duo Morro and Jasp. Heather has been writer-in-residence at Factory Theatre and Mixed Company Theatre as well as part of the Thundering Voices playwriting unit at Native Earth Performing Arts. Recent performing credits include the premier of Morro and Jasp in Stupefaction, Morro and Jasp: 9-5 (Factory Theatre), Let s GO! (DMT Productions), Emily s Piano (Young People s Theatre), Bright Lights (Theatre Brouhaha), The Money Tree (Dora Nominated for Best Ensemble - Roseneath), and Saving Hope (CTV), Reign (CW). Amy Lee - Jasp /Creator Amy is thrilled to be back at MTYP after taking classes and performing here at the very beginning of her theatrical career. She last worked with MTYP on Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang and on many productions with the Young Company. Amy is a performer, playwright, producer, educator, Co- Artistic Director of U.N.I..T. Productions and plays Jasp in the award-winning clown duo Morro and 1

4 Jasp. Recent credits include Morro and Jasp in Stupefaction (U.N.I.T. and Kabin), James and the Giant Peach, Cinderella (Dora Award), The Invisible Girl, Hana's Suitcase (Young People's Theatre), Bright Lights (Theatre Brouhaha - MyTheatre Award for Outstanding Ensemble), Morro and Jasp: 9-5 (Factory Theatre), Weather the Weather (Theatre Columbus), Here to Hear (Carousel Players and YPT), November (WJT), and Pride and Prejudice (RMTC). In addition to performing, Amy has been a writer-in-residence at Factory Theatre, an assistant director at Theatre Columbus and often works as an assistant director, performer, and Resident Artist Educator at Young People s Theatre. Byron Laviolette - Director/Dramaturg Byron Laviolette is the director and dramaturg for the Morro and Jasp clown series with U.N.I.T. Productions. Morro and Jasp have received numerous awards including a 2014 Canadian Comedy Award, a 2012 Dora Mavor Moore Award as well as over 10 NOW Magazine Awards including Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Production and Outstanding Ensemble. He was also the Creative Director of The Mission Business, an experience design company whose clients included Autodesk, Microsoft, Starbucks, Metrolinx and PWC. Byron holds a PhD in Interactive Theatre and Pervasive Transmedia Fiction from the Theatre and Performance Studies Department at York University and his criticism/art journalism has appeared in Scene Changes, EYE Weekly, AdBusters and IN Toronto magazine. Most recently, Byron directed Morro and Jasp s 10th original clown show, Morro and Jasp in Stupefaction at Crow s Theatre, the millennial pop musical Maddie s Karaoke Birthday Party at the 2017 Toronto Fringe, and the Summerworks Festival s Audience Choice Winner Pearle Harbour s Chautauqua. John Turner - Clown Coach John Turner has been performing, teaching and directing theatre for the past 30 years. He is best known as the Smoot half of the award winning Canadian clown duo Mump & Smoot. John studied clown, mask and movement with Richard Pochinko, Ian Wallace, and Fiona Griffiths, bouffon with Philippe Gaulier, physical comedy with John Towsen and improv at Second City. His directing includes Jennifer Dallas Kittly-Bender, Karen Hines Citizen Pochsy, Michael Kennard s Puzzle Me Red, Sandrine Lafond s Little Lady, and De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre s A Trickster Tale, and The Gulch. He is also the founder and Artistic Director of The Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance (MCCP a.k.a. The Clown Farm). John teaches primarily on the farm but other teaching and directing gigs have included Laurentian University (14 years), The SPACE, Equity Showcase, the Workman Theatre Project, C.I.T., and at Debaj. Sarah Miller - Stage Manager For Manitoba Theatre for Young People: Of Mice and Morro and Jasp, Where the Wild Things Are Other credits include: Freedom Singer (Project Humanity); Morro and Jasp in Stupefaction (U.N.I.T. Productions/Kabin); Of Human Bondage, Spoon River, A Christmas Carol, Hosanna, The Heidi Chronicles, Angels in America (Soulpepper); The Crackwalker, Morro & Jasp: 9-5, Twisted, 6 Essential Questions (Factory Theatre); The De Chardin Project (Theatre Passe Muraille); Monday Nights (6 th Man Collective/Theatre Centre); Miracle on 34 th Street, Private Lives, It s a Wonderful Life (Theatre New Brunswick). Productions with Theatre NorthWest, Theatre Aquarius, Carousel Players, Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival and the Canadian Opera Company. 2

5 Part Two Background & Curricular Ties Of Mice and Morro and Jasp Play Synopsis Clown sisters Morro and Jasp are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn and decide to make ends meet by tackling John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men. Who knew Steinbeck could be so funny? Forced to work as carnival clowns, the duo s dream of owning a farm with rabbits comes to life with adorable props, myriad literary references and some help from the audience. The desperate clown sisters seek to stick to the story, but will they make it out alive? Of Mice and Morro and Jasp is a moving and hilarious interpretation of an American literary classic. About U.N.I.T. Productions Up Your Nose and In Your Toes Productions (U.N.I.T) is a non-profit theatre company dedicated to breaking social norms and identifying the flaws that we, as a society, work hard to cover up. Through energetic and unapologetic work mixed with a covert and multi-disciplinary approach, we seek to help people rediscover joy, truth and creativity, not as a passing moment but as an important part of everyday life. We hope to heal the world one smile at a time. U.N.I.T. Productions, the home of the Morro and Jasp clown series, is the brainchild of Heather Marie Annis, Byron Laviolette and Amy Lee. The company has been nominated for three Dora Mavor Moore Awards (winning the 2012 Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in the Independent Theatre division), three Canadian Comedy Awards (winning the 2014 Award for Best Variety Act), a BroadwayWorld Award and over ten NOW Magazine Awards including Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Production, Outstanding Ensemble, and Outstanding Direction. Their cookbook, Eat Your Heart Out with Morro and Jasp, was published by Tightrope Books and won a 2015 Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Innovative Cookbook. U.N.I.T. Productions mainstage shows include Morro and Jasp: 9-5 (Co-Production with Factory Theatre), Of Mice and Morro and Jasp, Morro and Jasp Go Bake Yourself, Morro and Jasp Gone Wild, Morro and Jasp Do Puberty and Morro and Jasp Go Green (TYA). Morro and Jasp have also performed shorter pieces, including Morro and Jasp Lost and Found and Morro and Jasp In a Pickle, and hosted numerous cabarets. They have performed at Fringe Festivals in Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Halifax and London; the NY Clown Theater Festival and Amuse Bouche Festival in New York City; the SubDevision Festival at Magnetic North; the undercurrents Festival at the GCTC in Ottawa; Theatre Sainte Catherine and the Centaur Theatre in Montreal; The Orillia Opera House; the Vaughan City Playhouse; the Toronto Festival of Clowns, Lab Cab Festival, Pandemonium Machine, Cahoots Theatre, Harbourfront Centre and Factory Wired in Toronto. They recently completed a run of Morro and Jasp do Puberty at the Edinburgh Festival and performed Of Mice and Morro and Jasp at the International Clowning Festival in Vienna. Of Mice and Men Novella Synopsis Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck in 1937 and set in the Great Depression. It focuses on two migrant field workers in California George Milton, an intelligent but uneducated man, and Lennie Small, a bulky, strong man but mentally disabled. They are in Soledad on their way to 3

6 another part of California. They hope to one day attain the dream of settling down on their own piece of land. Lennie's part of the dream is merely to tend and pet rabbits on the farm, as he loves touching soft animals, although he always kills them. This dream is one of Lennie's favorite stories, which George constantly retells. They had fled from Weed after Lennie touched a young woman's dress and wouldn't let go, leading to an accusation of rape. It soon becomes clear that the two are close and George is Lennie's protector, despite his antics. After being hired at a farm, the pair are confronted by Curley The Boss's small, aggressive son with a Napoleon complex who dislikes larger men, and starts to target Lennie. Curley's flirtatious and provocative wife, to whom Lennie is instantly attracted, poses a problem as well. In contrast, the pair also meets Candy, an elderly ranch handyman with one hand and a loyal dog, and Slim, an intelligent and gentle jerkline-skinner whose dog has recently had a litter of puppies. Slim gives a puppy to Lennie and Candy, whose loyal, accomplished sheep dog was put down by fellow ranch-hand Carlson. In spite of problems, their dream leaps towards reality when Candy offers to pitch in $350 with George and Lennie so that they can buy a farm at the end of the month, in return for permission to live with them. The trio are ecstatic, but their joy is overshadowed when Curley attacks Lennie, who defends himself by easily crushing Curley's fist while urged on by George. Nevertheless, George feels more relaxed, to the extent that he even leaves Lennie behind on the ranch while he goes into town with the other ranch hands. Lennie wanders into the stable, and chats with Crooks, the bitter, yet educated stable buck, who is isolated from the other workers racially. Candy finds them and they discuss their plans for the farm with Crooks, who cannot resist asking them if he can hoe a garden patch on the farm albeit scorning its possibility. Curley's wife makes another appearance and flirts with the men, especially Lennie. However, her spiteful side is shown when she belittles them and threatens to have Crooks lynched. The next day, Lennie accidentally kills his puppy while stroking it. Curley's wife enters the barn and tries to speak to Lennie, admitting that she is lonely and how her dreams of becoming a movie star are crushed, revealing her personality. After finding out about Lennie's habit, she offers to let him stroke her hair, but panics and begins to scream when she feels his strength. Lennie becomes frightened, and unintentionally breaks her neck thereafter and runs away. When the other ranch hands find the corpse, George realizes that their dream is at an end. George hurries to find Lennie, hoping he will be at the meeting place they designated in case he got into trouble. George meets Lennie at the place, their camping spot before they came to the ranch. The two sit together and George retells the beloved story of the dream, knowing it is something they'll never share. He then shoots Lennie, with Curley, Slim, and Carlson arriving seconds after. Only Slim realizes what happened, and consolingly leads him away. Curley and Carlson look on, unable to comprehend the subdued mood of the two men. (Wikipedia) A concise, 10 minute animated synopsis of the story can be found at This video gives a accurate snapshot of the novel. 4

7 Curricular Ties The study of both Steinbeck s Of Mice and Men and Of Mice and Morro and Jasp fits the five General Learning Outcomes (G.L.O. s) of the English Language Arts curriculum: 1. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences. 2. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, literary and media texts. 3. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information. 4. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication. 5. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to celebrate and build community. The study of both Steinbeck s Of Mice and Men and Of Mice and Morro and Jasp also supports the overarching goal of the The Arts Curriculum. Drama s objectives are to support, nurture, and inspire the growth of every student as a dramatic artist and as an artful learner. There are 4 general learning outcomes (G.L.O. s) in the drama curriculum. They are: 1. Drama Language and Performance Skills; Students develop understanding of and facility with dramatic forms and elements. 2. Creative Expression in drama; Students collaboratively and individually generate, develop, and communicate ideas in creating and performing drama for a variety of purposes and audiences. 3. Understanding drama in Context; Students connect drama to contexts of time, place, and community, and develop understanding of how drama reflects and influences culture and identity. 4. Valuing drama Experience; Students analyze, reflect on, and construct meaning in response to their own and other s dramatic work. Part Two Before the Show Comparison between Parody, Satire and Spoof Parody: It is a type of musical or literary composition that mimics another author s work in a humorous way. It is humorous and witty. The intention is to harmlessly mock at other people s work in a comic manner. The purpose is to laugh at original work in a witty way. Satire: It is a type of writing that mocks or scorns its subjects and points to the problems. It is more serious and tragic than being humorous. The intention is to mock at the problem of a common man. The purpose is to point out the problems. Spoof: It is a type of writing that mocks or imitates someone or something, usually in a light and good-humored way. It is light humored and senseless. 5

8 The intention is to make people laugh. The purpose is to have fun. What is clowning? Clowns have always been in society. The timeline includes; the rustic buffoon characters in ancient Greek and Roman literature, the court jester and commedia dell'arte harrlequins from 17 th century France, to the famous clowns of the travelling circuses belonging to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey. The purpose of the clown is to make people laugh because of their accidents and imperfections. By using humor, clowns remind us of our own faults. They are performers who employ slapstick and physical comedy, often in a mime style. There are many different types of clowns. Everything from circus to rodeo to harlequins. Morro and Jasp on clowning Words to think about Here are some of the words that might need some definition and discussion before the play. Catharsis a release or purging Unsanitary dirty and unclean Illusions false impressions and delusions Debt owing money or responsibility Philip Glass an American composer known for his minimalist compositions Aggression violent and hostile Collection agency a company which works on collecting money from individuals Contemplate your plight to think about your future Idioms An idiom is an accepted phrase having a meaning other than the literal. Idioms are fun and a great way to make a story more colourful and easy to relate to. Some common idioms are: skating on thin ice seeing eye to eye letting the cat out of the bag Both the novella and the play use idioms to bring deeper meaning, and in the case of Of Mice and Morro and Jasp the way that the idioms are changed make them funny and add to the clown s characters. Here is a list of the most recognizable idioms in the original Of Mice and Men: live off the fat of the land bust a gut in hot water leave your big flapper shut Here is a list of some of the idioms in Of Mice and Morro and Jasp. The clowns often changed the idiom to create a comedic moment: turning into a new leaf 6

9 into the hatchet live off the fat of the land I m a rock, stuck in a hard place Activities 1. Have students research common idioms and write dialogue scenes where the idioms would be used in conversation. For example: TEENAGER: (to dad) Dad it s Friday night, do you think I could take the car? DAD: (with surprise) What do you think? After last weekend when you came in at 2 in the morning. TEENAGER: (whining) But that was last weekend. I promise that tonight I ll be back by 11. Come on, can I take the car? DAD: No way son, you ll get the car once pigs can fly. 2. Have students illustrate an idiom and create an idiom wall in the classroom. Here is an example: 3. Research common idioms and have the students create an idiom fill in the blank puzzle and play it as a class game. For example: Hit the nail on the. 4. Here are some of the most common idioms from Steinbeck s Of Mice and Men. Have students research their meaning. IDIOM Blow their stake Live off the fat of the land Bust a gut Jungle-up Cat house Watchin' the blackboard A bum steer What stake you got in this guy Leave your big flapper shut Scrappy Take the rap Slang her pups DEFINITION Lose and/or spend all their money To grow own food, land is so "fat" or rich, that it is all that is needed Work so hard that you feel like you busted your gut Camp out at night with House of prostitution Looking for a job A false information/direction What financial interest do you have in him A flapper is a mouth, thus "be quiet" Fond of fighting, competing Take the blame Gave birth to puppies 7

10 Tangles Got the eye Pants rabbits Rattrap IDIOM (cont d) Flat bust Hoosegow Start a party out to lynch Throw a litter Welter Roll up a stake Set on the trigger Looloo Make it stick On the county Yella jackets in his drawers Yella Goo-goos Took a powder Booby hatch Baloney Corn Put me in pitchers Right cross Don't try to put nothin' over on me Fights/argues Looks/flirts Parasite (lice) from sharing bunks Hopeless situation DEFINITION (cont d) Completely broke Jail Get a group together to hang someone Give birth Boxer between light and middle weight Save some money Just about to cause trouble A sexy woman Be successful/see it to the end On welfare Restless, nervous Yellow, coward Silly idiots Left Pejorative terms for an insane asylum Nonsense Whiskey To put in the movies Boxing term for a punch delivered by a right fist Don't lie to me Part Three After the Show Listening Of Mice and Morro and Jasp uses music to create mood, suggest location and add comedy. Birds chirping, and carnival music suggests the locations for the scenes; squeaking clown feet and McDonald s theme music add comedy and the Philip Glass music gives the sense of getting down to business. 1. Soundscapes Take your students outside with a piece of paper and pencil and something to write on. Ask them to sit in different places away from each other so they are unlikely to talk. Have them spend minutes taking sound notes, observing only what they hear and writing it down. The objective is to discover that audio input is layered and constant, usually coming from at least two or more sources at any one time. Initially, students can note the sounds they hear with one word, such as Birds singing, cars driving, people talking 8

11 Later they should be able to describe in detail, such as: A robin is singing and flying in the air. An old Ford truck drives by, the engine is loud, and the tires splash in a puddle. The wind makes the oak leaves move against one another; it sounds like potato chips in a bag. 2. Sound Pictures a. With the entire group think of an environment, eg. busy city street, and brainstorm a list of all the different sounds that might be heard. Assign a sound to each student and create the sound picture for that environment. With the teacher as the conductor bring in the different sounds and then manipulate the volume and tempo. b. Divide the class into two groups. Group A stays in the room, they lie on the floor with their eyes closed. Group B goes out of the room and decides upon a sound picture to create. They return into the room and surround Group A and create the soundscape. Group A tries to guess what it is. Some examples of soundscapes are: circus or midway school playground busy city street farmyard mall food court hockey arena 3. Imagine the Visual This activity will encourage students to create a scene in their mind s eye or imagination. Isolate a scene from any movie, ideally one in which there is some sound and possibly some dialogue and one that might not be recognizable by your students. You may look for a scene that includes a variety of recognizable sounds such as: doors opening or closing, things being set down, combat, nature sounds, horses galloping or other sounds that retreat and approach, etc. You also may want to use a scene with different kinds of voices; an older or younger person, or a person with an accent. Play the movie clip for the students with the video/picture turned off. Ask them to describe the action and the people in the scene based on what they heard. Students should be very specific in describing the environment, the cause of the sound, and the actors. (For example, I know that person is older, because older people s voices sometimes sound hoarse, and they use different words than young people do. ) Once you play the audio scene a few times, play the audio with the visual. How close were the students in guessing what happened? How did they use their minds/imaginations to help them see the scene they were hearing? 4. No Words: WALL-E This activity investigates how sound can convey meaning, even without words. Many movies use sound effects to enhance the visual impact or meaning. Among those movies, WALL-E stands out because it uses sound rather than words to create dialogue between two non-verbal characters. a. Show your class a completely non-verbal scene (like one between WALL-E and EVA). The scene of WALL-E encountering a vacuum cleaner, or WALL-E and EVA are on YouTube. Play the scene the first time without the screen on, so the class is listening only to the audio. Play the clip a second time with the audio and video. Then discuss what sounds are used to convey what emotions. How is fear conveyed? Or wonder? How do we know a sound is supposed to signify a certain emotion? Ask your students to write a dialogue (using words) 9

12 Writing that is consistent with the scene. A few volunteers can read their scripts aloud along with the video clip. b. Watch the music and opening titles to various movies. Discuss the type of film the pupils expect based on the opening music. Try different genres of movies; action, horror, romance and science fiction. 1. Audience Participation Morro and Jasp are masters at incorporating audience participation into their plays. Most plays use the fourth wall concept. This means that the audience is behind an imaginary fourth wall, just considering the scene, but never being a part of it. In audience participation plays, the actors, in character, engage the audience in: a. Helping to determine the plot b. Solving a problem c. Creating humour Callout is an activity to help students understand how audience participation works. In this activity, you give a group of students a common fairy tale to enact. The task is not only to re-tell the story, but also to engage audience members in the play. An example of this could be the retelling of The Three Little Pigs. While doing the scene the pigs could invite audience members to help them build their houses, or the Big Bad Wolf could have come down with a cold and must get audience members to help him huff and puff. 2. Fractured Fairy Tales A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features folkloric fantasy characters, such as dwarves, dragons, elves, fairies, giants, gnomes, goblins, griffins, mermaids, talking animals, trolls, unicorns, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. A fractured fairy tale is a fairy tale or other folk tale that has been modified in such a way as to make us laugh at an unexpected characterization, plot development or contrary point of view. Some examples of fractured fairy tales are: Bubba the Cowboy Prince by Helen Ketteman; illustrated by James Warhol The Frog Prince Continued by Jon Scieszka; illustrated by Steve Johnson The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka; illustrated by Lane Smith The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas; illustrated by Helen Oxenbury The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka; illustrated by Lane Smith Read several of these to the class and discuss a. How they are different from the original? b. How have they been made funny? c. How have the original characters changed their character traits? Give the students the assignment to write a fractured fairy tale. Some suggestions include: a. Have them work in groups b. Give them several fairy tales to combine. For example, what would happen if the Big Bad Wolf met Humpty Dumpty. 10

13 c. Have them change the ending. For example, the Big Bad Wolf having a picnic with the three little pigs. d. If you have non-writers, have them do a storyboard or comic strip to tell the story. e. If they are a dramatic group, have them act out the scene. 3. Humour Writing There are many great sites to help students write humour. An excellent one is Humour Writing: Activities for an English Classroom by Bruce A. Goebel Reading 1. John Steinbeck Having students read or watch John Steinbeck s Of Mice and Men. Using a plot ladder, re-tell the story. After seeing Of Mice and Morro and Jasp have students create a plot ladder for the play. Using these graphic organizers compare: a. Plot comparisions b. Character comparisions c. Theme comparisions 11

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15 Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men The title of Of Mice and Men is taken from the poem "To a Mouse" by Robert Burns which describes how a mouse s home is destroyed by a farmer s plow even though the mouse thinks he has discovered an invulnerable site. To a Mouse by Robert Burns Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie, O, what panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty, Wi' bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee, Wi' murd'ring pattle! I'm truly sorry Man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, An' justifies that ill opinion, Which makes thee startle, At me, thy poor, earth-born companion, An' fellow-mortal! I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve; What then? poor beastie, thou maun live! A daimen-icker in a thrave 'S a sma' request: I'll get a blessin wi' the lave, An' never miss't! Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It's silly wa's the win's are strewin! An' naething, now, to big a new ane, O' foggage green! An' bleak December's winds ensuin, Baith snell an' keen! Thou saw the fields laid bare an' wast, An' weary Winter comin fast, An' cozie here, beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel coulter past Out thro' thy cell. That wee-bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, Has cost thee monie a weary nibble! Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble, But house or hald. To thole the Winter's sleety dribble, An' cranreuch cauld! Modern English translation by Michael R. Burch Sleek, tiny, timorous, cowering beast, why's such panic in your breast? Why dash away, so quick, so rash, in a frenzied flash when I would be loath to run after you with a murderous plowstaff! I'm truly sorry Man's dominion has broken Nature's social union, and justifies that bad opinion which makes you startle, when I'm your poor, earth-born companion and fellow mortal! I have no doubt you sometimes thieve; What of it, friend? You too must live! A random corn-ear in a shock's a small behest; it- 'll give me a blessing to know such a loss; I'll never miss it! Your tiny house lies in a ruin, its fragile walls wind-rent and strewn! Now nothing's left to construct you a new one of mosses green since bleak December's winds, ensuing, blow fast and keen! You saw your fields laid bare and waste with weary winter closing fast, and cozy here, beneath the blast, you thought to dwell, till crash! the cruel iron ploughshare passed straight through your cell! That flimsy heap of leaves and stubble had cost you many a weary nibble! Now you're turned out, for all your trouble, less house and hold, to endure cold winter's icy dribble and hoarfrosts cold! 13

16 But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy! Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me! The present only toucheth thee: But Och! I backward cast my e'e, On prospects drear! An' forward, tho' I canna see, I guess an' fear! But mouse-friend, you are not alone in proving foresight may be vain: the best-laid schemes of Mice and Men go oft awry, and leave us only grief and pain, for promised joy! Still, friend, you're blessed compared with me! Only present dangers make you flee: But, ouch!, behind me I can see grim prospects drear! While forward-looking seers, we humans guess and fear! Source: Steinbeck borrowed a significant line in the poem to use as his title: The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." That is, even the best ideas can fail. Anyone who has read the novel would agree that Lennie and George's plans go awry. In the play Jasp s plans for a better life for her and Morro also go astray. She wishes for a farm where Jasp can be safe and has as many rabbits as she wishes. In both the play and the novel, the best laid plans go awry. Journal Entry Do you agree with Burn s comment in the poem about plans and dreams? Why do you think we continue to dream despite the fact that many dreams are never realized and many plans are defeated? In your journal entry answer the following queries: 1. Are dreams important even if they don t come true? 2. How do dreams improve our lives? 3. Is it foolish to always be dreaming, even if you know they can t come true? Research About Clown (By Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee AKA Morro and Jasp) When asked to describe clown, the first thing that most people reference are the great horror clowns like Pennywise (from Stephen King s It ). When it s not deemed as being scary, clowning is associated with kid s performance and Bozo the Birthday Clown - complete with balloon animals, big shoes and a painted face, or the Silly Circus Clown - tumbling out of tiny cars to perform flips and prat falls between high wire acts. These are all images that have been steeped into mainstream media and engrained in our minds as consumers. But when you think deeper, the great clowns come to mind, like Charlie Chaplin, The Three Stooges, and Lucille Ball - pillars of western comedy and pioneers in both film and television. Present day clowns exist too, and also often appear in mainstream media, but people don t immediately identify them as clowns. Sacha Baron Cohen (through his films Ali G, Borat and Bruno ), Helena Bonham Carter, (in her frequent work with Tim Burton) and Emma Thompson (especially as Professor 14

17 Sybill Trelawney in the Harry Potter franchise) all trained with Philippe Gaulier, one of the most renowned clown teachers in the world. Cohen himself is quoted as saying, I owe my career and the discovery of my inner idiot to Philippe Gaulier. He has been and always will be the inspiration for my work. Clowning in Canada In Canada, the mainstream exploration of red nose clown has undergone a resurgence. This began with the renowned/celebrated performer Richard Pochinko who studied clowning throughout Europe as well as Native American trickster methodology. Pochinko became enamoured with this work and began teaching and nurturing a new generation of clowns with the intent to help people rediscover the joy that resides within them by addressing what inhibits or enables this joy. [1] Contemporary examples of this work include Morro and Jasp (Heather Annis and Amy Lee), Mump and Smoot (John Turner and Mike Kennard), Pochsy (Karen Hines), and Mimi (Rebecca Northan in her hit show Blind Date which played at Royal MTC in April 2012), all of whom are internationally renowned live performers. Pochinko believed that everyone had a clown within them: [...] between the panic and the possibilities lies your clown. The panic and the possibilities are universal. If you learn to laugh at your panic and together we can find a way to express it, then people will identify with it and go through their panic with you and release it. So you see what you re doing is for the audience. The audience identifies with a clown. ( On Meeting Richard Pochinko ). Ian Wallace, a student of Pochinko said that clown led us to face our essential uniqueness and encouraged us to love and celebrate it. This sentiment describes the reason that many people fall in love with the art of clowning. The art form refuses to ignore life or distract from it, but rather embraces all of its ugliest parts and most extreme beauties, and gives us a new perspective in which we can allow life to unfold on its own terms without judgement. This openness and connection is also why clowning has become more popular in therapeutic contexts such as long term care settings for children and the elderly. Patch Adams, a doctor and clown, made famous by the 1998 movie starring Robin Williams, once said that the role of a clown and a physician is the same: to elevate the possible and to relieve suffering. (Source?) Clown care units now exist across the globe, in countries such as Canada, America, Israel, Brazil, Sweden, Austria, Germany, and France. Why clown matters? One of the most important aspects of clowning is that the audience has the opportunity to share the experience of joy discovered by the character, even when the discovery takes places through a pitiful or painful process. Clowns are magical because they must share their experience, regardless of shame or embarrassment - there is no reason for them to exist without an audience to share with. They, therefore, invite the audience in to relate to a similar circumstance in their own lives. Sometimes this circumstance is merely that of youthful abandon, fun and hope, sometimes of deeper experiences. This creates the perfect recipe for comedic gold. As Morro and Jasp, our experience has always been to disrupt, by bringing forth the issues that hide in the dark corners of society, and lighting them up so that we can all laugh at them together. This seemingly challenging notion has proved liberating and inspiring for our audience members. They want to play and ridicule and defy with us and by interacting with our audiences we allow them to. 15

18 Clowns in modern day media Clowns have been found in stories, plays, travelling circuses, rodeos, motion pictures, television shows and music since the beginning of recorded time. Reasearching clowns and clowning could take many different forms: Creating PowerPoints or Prezi s, focus on: 10 clown movies Clowns found in TV shows History of clowning Court jesters History of the travelling circuses Famous clowns Visualizing Songs about clowns Scary clowns Cirque do Soleil show Therapy clowns or rodeo clowns Types of Clowns There are four major types of clowns: whiteface, Auguste, hobo or tramp, and character clowns. The following information was written by Bill "Billy" Lozon and published in the Clown Alley magazine. White Face Clown The WHITE FACE Clown is the typical circus clown. There are two quite different types of WHITE FACE Clowns; the Pierrot or European White Face and the Grotesque White Face. The PIERROT White Face Clown is the most artistic of all the clowns and is usually the clown in charge. His make-up is all white, with regular features (eyebrows, nose, and mouth) painted on in black and red. All exposed skin including his neck and ears, must be white. His head is covered by a white skull cap with no hair, and a cone shaped hat. His costume is a well fitted, full gathered, ruffled type suit with a ruff at the neck. It should be white, with coloured trim. It may be quite elaborate and very elegant. Shoes may be large or small, but should be simple. The GROTESQUE White Face Clown is a bit less artistic and a little more like the Auguste in spirit, but still a WHITE FACE CLOWN. All exposed skin, including neck and ears, must be white. His features may be black or other colours, as may other facial decorations. His nose may be too large or too small, his rear may be exaggerated and/or his stomach may protrude. His costume may be well fitted or it may be too small. It may be elegant with metallic, glittering fabric or it may be comical with bright colours. He may wear a white skull cap or a wig, including a full AFRO. The colour should be bright; it may be red, blue, green, yellow, rainbow, or just about any colour he chooses except black or dull brown. His shoes should be outlandish but the colours should complement his costume. Auguste Clown The AUGUSTE Clown is the character clown; he is the prankster, the rabble-rouser. He is the most slapstick of all the clowns; his actions are wilder; broader than the other types. The AUGUSTE Clown gets 16

19 away with more and bigger pranks. When appearing with a White Face, he is the brunt of the joke; but with the Tramp he becomes the instigator in control of the situation. His is the most comic face. His make-up is a flesh colour (pink or reddish or tan) instead of white. His features (usually red or black) are exaggerated in size. The mouth is usually thickly outlined with white, which is often also used around the eyes. Outlining is very important. Gradual shading of colours is often used. He will usually have a ball nose, but there are many exceptions. He almost always wears a wig - usually red, yellow, or orange. The wig may be full or one with a bald center (coloured the same as his 'flesh') with a fringe around the sides and back. The hair may be straight or curly. The full AFRO is usually not appropriate. His hat is usually too small - just sits on top of the wig or bald spot. However, normal sized bowlers or caps are sometimes used. Its material may be the same as the coat or pants, or it may be entirely different. The colour should complement some part of the costume. The original AUGUSTE (German meaning "foolish") Clown wore a costume in which he could play jokes on other clowns that often backfired on him and/or do 'prat falls' and other tumbling exercises when he is the butt of the joke. This costume consisted of baggy pants, a knit-neck type shirt or one with a very large or very small collar (sometimes he wore a bib or shirt front that curled up), and large, loud coloured shoes. He seldom wore a coat, but when he did, it was always way too big or too small. His costume was a tailor's nightmare. The typical fabric was a large plaid; the brighter or more gaudy the better. Each piece (pants, shirt, coat if worn, tie, or hat) had a different design, i.e. horizontal stripes, vertical or diagonal stripes, polka dots, plaid(s), etc. The colour(s) of each piece were bright and would clash with as many of the other pieces as possible. Each part of the costume was a misfit; it was either too large or too small. In recent years (especially in competition) the AUGUSTE's costume has moved closer to that of the grotesque white face clown. Although the various items of his costume may still not always fit his costume now often fits correctly. More often than not his costume is now coordinated, and may be very elaborate, using glitter type fabrics. All in all, he looks more like a 'Show Piece' than a 'foolish' clown. Tramp/Hobo Clown The TRAMP/HOBO character is the only true North American clown. This character grew out of the tramps/hobos who rode the freight trains across the country looking for work. Although the TRAMP and HOBO clown is considered a single category, each is unique. The main differences between these subcategories lies in the areas of attitudes and costumes. The TRAMP believes the world owes him a living; that his condition is caused by others. He wants (and expects) everybody to feel sorry for him. He does everything in his power to avoid work. This shaggy vagabond is the individual for whom nothing ever goes right. His face and neck are coloured to make them appear dirty and unshaven. Red is added to the beard line to make the face appear sunburned, and the mouth and eyes are white where the tramp has wiped away the dirt with his hands. The eyebrows should be small Emmett Kelly and worried looking. He may have a drop of glycerine or similar material to make a tear running down the side of his face. His expression is usually SAD and/or 17

20 SOULFUL. Many times tramps use their own hair which has been ratted up to look shaggy. If a wig is used, it should be one of the darker, duller shades. The TRAMP is ragged but clean. His costume is usually a two or three piece suit which is extremely worn and ragged. The rips and tears may be left open, patched (with ragged patches- not neat iron-ons), or pinned together with large safety-pins. The colour is usually black or other dark colour, but may be brown, grey, or tan. The vest, if one is worn, may be a dark mismatch. The shirt can consist of a worn and full of holes red 'long handles' or a worn out regular or work shirt. The colour of the shirt should be something other than white. The necktie should NOT be flashy. It should be a regular tie that is worn out. A clothespin, a mousetrap, or other article might be used as a tie clasp. A rope might be used for a belt or suspenders. The HOBO wants to be a HOBO; he may be down but he certainly is not out. He often appears to be HAPPY. A HOBO usually will not ask for a 'handout', preferring to work for it. He will take a job-but usually not for long because he wants to move along to someplace else. His face is much like the tramp's make-up except in the expression. He is apt to smile, and his eyes generally appear larger, more wide awake, open, and HAPPY looking than the tramp's eyes. His costume is quite similar to the tramp's, but may contain brighter colours in various parts. His vest is likely to be a bright colour, as are many of his patches. His shoes should be the same as the tramp's. The TRAMP/HOBO category is the only category in which the use of any kind of colour gloves, gloves with holes, gloves with fingers cut off, or the complete absence of gloves is permitted. However, if gloves are used, they should be CLEAN but APPEAR DIRTY, STAINED, and WORN. The overall effect of makeup, costuming, and performance must compliment the character portrayed. Famous tramp/hobo clowns include Emmett Kelly, Sr., Red Skelton, and Otto Griebling. Red Skeleton Character Clown The Character Clown is just that. A character of a real-life person. This category will utilize one of the make-up categories of White Face, Auguste or Tramp/Hobo for the facial features. Beyond the facial design lies the Character. This could be something such as a Policeman, Firefighter, Band Director, Baseball Player, Skydiver, Racecar Driver, etc. The only requirement is to have a distinct clown face and the character be recognizable. Some people have the misconception that a character clown is copying a person in history such as Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, etc. However, it has been discussed by many and in just about every clown group or organization, the definition states the character must have a clown face from one of the three other categories. Research & Design Have students research famous clowns like Emmet Kelly, Red Skeleton and Otto Greibling and view clown faces online. Have them design on paper what their face should look like and then using clown make-up, have them paint their faces. A few good on-line tutorials for clown make-up and clowning can be found at:

21 Representing Gender Studies In an interview with MTYP s Marketing Manager, Greg Klassen, Heather and Amy (Morro and Jasp) were asked about taking a classic story written by a man about two males and adapting it into a story for women: HEATHER: We felt that in the relationship between Lenny and George, in how much they needed each other, there was a similar dynamic between Morro and Jasp. We also really wanted to take a classic male story and make it about women. GREG: How does the fact that you are both women change the telling of this story? AMY: The only female character in the book, Curley s wife, is also the only character who doesn t have a name that s her own. She is the property of someone. She appears as the temptress. We understand that this book was written by a man during a very specific time period, but we wanted to give women a voice in this story and show that George and Lenny s struggles are not unique to men. Keeping those thoughts in mind, try any of these scene starters Gender Switches Give students a classic fairy tale, and have them create a scene were the characters switch gender. After performance have them discuss how this changed the theme and the storyline. Some examples could include: Goldilocks becomes George Rapunzel becomes Randy and Prince Charming is a Princess Little Red Riding Hood becomes a boy and the Huntsman is female Cinderella is the story of a young orphaned boy, who goes to live with his nasty aunt and her three equally as nasty boys. He really wants to play hockey, and falls for one of the female players on the team. Gender Impact Discuss with students how gender plays a role in the theme, rising action and conclusion of a story. Consider classic stories like; Huckleberry Finn, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, the Hardy Boys, The Giver, or Harry Potter. Discussions could be about: If Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn where girls, what kind of trouble would they get into? If Peter Pan was female and the Lost Boys were girls what would their struggles be? If Frank and Joe Hardy were girls, how might that affect how they solve mysteries? If Jonas were Joan, how would they differ in the way the received and reacted to the memories? If Harry Potter had been a girl how might that have affected the popularity of the series? 19