Study Guide. A Performing Arts Series for Students

Study Guide A Performing Arts Series for Students Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales Friday, February 17, 2006

ABOUT OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS Overture Center for the Arts fills a city block in downtown Madison with world-class venues for the performing and visual arts. Made possible by an extraordinary gift from Madison businessperson W. Jerome Frautschi, the center presents the highest-quality arts and entertainment programming in a wide variety of disciplines for diverse audiences. Offerings include performances by acclaimed classical, jazz, pop, and folk performers; touring Broadway musicals; quality children s entertainment; and world-class ballet, modern and jazz dance. Overture Center s extensive outreach and educational programs serve thousands of Madison-area residents annually, including youth, older adults, people with limited financial resources and people with disabilities. The center is also home to nine independent resident organizations. Internationally renowned architect Cesar Pelli designed the center to provide the best possible environment for artists and audiences, as well as to complement Madison s urban environment. Performance spaces range from the spectacular 2,250-seat Overture Hall to the casual and intimate Rotunda Stage. The renovated Capitol Theater seats approximately 1,100 and The Playhouse, designed for live theater, seats 350. In addition, three multi-purpose spaces provide flexible performance, meeting and rehearsal facilities. Overture also features several art exhibit spaces. Overture Galleries I, II, III display works by Dane County artists. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letter s Watrous Gallery displays works by Wisconsin artists, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art offers national and international artists. Resident organizations Kanopy Dance Company Madison Ballet Madison Family Theatre Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Madison Opera Madison Repertory Theatre Madison Symphony Orchestra Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Credits: Executive Editor: Beth Racette Writer: Michele Vosberg Overture Education Intern: Coleen Janssen and Megan Dambeck Design: Ross Cattelan Copy Editors: Nancy Birmingham and Amy Bethel Teachers have permission to copy any and all parts of this guide Overture Study Guides are available online at www.overturecenter.com/guides.htm

STUDY GUIDE To paraphrase author Jon Scieszka... a long time ago, people used to tell magical stories of wonder and enchantment. Those stories were called fairy tales... these are not those stories. TABLE OF CONTENTS Dallas Children s Theater...2 Before the Show...2 Classic Fairy Tales...2 Read the Original Book...3 Theater Basics...4 Fractured Fairy Tales...5 More Writing Ideas...6 Mad Math...6 Act it Out!...6 Super Quiz...7 Funny Storytelling...7 Folktales around the World...8 Treasure Chest of Fairy Tales...9 Playing with Words...9 Fairy Tale Times ~ Hot Off the Press News...10 Post-Performance Play Discussion...10 Crossword Puzzle...11 Internet Fairy Tale Connections...12 Resources...12 Etiquette...13 Dear Educators, Welcome to Overture Center for the Arts and this production of The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales. Based on the popular Caldecott Award winning children s book by Jon Scieszka, The Stinky Cheese Man is a delightful romp through the world of children s fairy tales. These aren t just your normal fairy tales; these are imaginative and creative stories full of unexpected events and creative twists and turns. The cast will dazzle audiences with wacky characters and irreverent humor. In order to make this production more relevant to your curriculum, we have included related teaching activities with this guide. Please feel free to pick and choose activities which best meet the objectives of your classroom and the learning needs of your students. In order to further help you with aligning this production to your curriculum, we have included appropriate standards from Wisconsin s Model Curriculum Standards. We hope you enjoy learning and teaching with The Stinky Cheese Man let the whirlwind begin! Overture Center for the Arts 1

Dallas Children s Theater This production is being brought to you by Dallas Children s Theater, one of the leading professional family theaters in the country. Dallas Children s Theater (DCT) is an award-winning theater company creating challenging, inspiring and entertaining theater that communicates vital messages to youth and promotes appreciation for literature and the performing arts. DCT produces literary classics, original scripts, folk tales, myths, fantasies and contemporary dramas that foster multicultural understanding, confront topical issues and celebrate the human spirit. The Stinky Cheese Man will be performed by a small cast who will constantly switch characters, slipping into different costumes and changing accents. Before the Show Classic Fairy Tales The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales is based on some traditional and familiar fairy tales. The play takes these familiar tales and twists and turns them with wacky results! Children will appreciate the humor more if they are familiar with the more traditional versions of the fairly tales before attending the show. Find any of the many traditional versions of the following tales: Jack and the Beanstalk The Ugly Duckling The Little Red Hen The Gingerbread Man Cinderella Rumpelstiltskin Foxy Loxy Little Red Riding Hood The Tortoise and the Hare The Princess and the Pea Choose some of the activities on the next page in order to familiarize students with these stories: English Language Arts Standard A.4.2, A. 8.2 Summarize ideas drawn from stories, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, interpreting events and ideas, and connecting different works to each other and to real-life experiences. 2

Read the stories Divide students into small groups. Give each group a different story. Have them read the story and act it out for the class. Allow students to choose and read one of the stories. They can retell the story to another student, creating illustrations to help tell the story. Repeat several times until children have become familiar with the different stories. Read the stories to the class and have them illustrate the stories on a large wall mural. Allow children to choose and practice reading the stories. Invite students from a younger grade to come to a storytelling festival. Provide each student reader with a younger partner and have story time! Read the Original Book This play is based on the children s book The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith (Viking, 1992). Read the book with your class. Discuss the following: What did the author do to make the book funny? This book won a Caldecott Award for its illustrations. Why do you think this book was so notable? How do the type face and size help to make the book funny and memorable? What kinds of materials were used to make the illustrations? Which is your favorite story in the collection? Why? Read the dedication page. To whom is the book dedicated? If you were going to write a book, to whom would you dedicate it? English Language Arts Standard A.4.1, A.8.1 Discern how written texts and accompanying illustrations connect to convey meaning. English Language Arts Standard C. 4.3, 8.3 Participate effectively in discussion Students may enjoy reading more humorous stories by Jon Scieszka including: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs The Frog Prince Continued Baloney (Henry P.) Math Curse Squids will be Squids The Book that Jack Wrote The Time Warp Trio Series 3

Theater Basics Before attending the performance of The Stinky Cheese Man it will be helpful for students to learn some theater terms. Discuss these items with your class: Actor: person who plays the part of a character in the story. Actors use their bodies, voices and expressions to help tell the story. What are some ways an actor could use his or her body to tell part of a story? Many of the characters in this story are animals. How could actors pretend to be animals? Director: the person in charge of play. He or she tells the actors how to move and how to say their lines. You won t see the director during the play. What are some kinds of decisions a director might make? Properties: properties are also called props. They are items the actors use during the play, for example a suitcase or a glass. What types of props might be used in these stories? Scenery: scenery is the background on the stage, also called the set. This set needs to fit onto a truck so it can be carried from town to town wherever the play is performed. If you were designing the scenery, what might you include? How might you decorate the stage to make the stories come alive in a funny, wacky way? Costumes: the clothes worn by the actors. What can an actor s costumes tell you about that person? What kind of costumes would you expect fairy tale characters to wear? Do you think the characters in this play will wear the expected costumes or more unusual ones? Designers: designers are people who plan scenery, costumes, lighting or sound for the play. You don t see the designers on stage during the play, their work is done before the show opens. If you were a designer, how might you go about deciding what kind of lighting or sounds to use? For example, what kind of lighting would you use for a scene that takes place at night? How would you know what kind of costumes the characters should wear? What kinds of backgrounds could you use? Stage Manager: the person who makes sure actors and things get on and off the stage at the proper time. Why do you think a stage manager is needed? What might happen if there were no stage manager? Stage managers usually wear black clothes. Why do you think that is? Rehearsal: when the cast practices the play before performing for an audience. What would happen if there were no rehearsals? Have students choose one of the above words and illustrate it by drawing a picture that demonstrates the meaning of the word. Display the pictures in the classroom. Add the words to your word wall, vocabulary lists or spelling word lists. Theater Standards E.4.2 Use props or furniture to create an environment for drama and create a character with costume pieces E.4.3 Explain their choices for setting, characters and other artistic elements E.4.5 Make decision regarding the scene's visual elements English Language Arts Standard D.4.1, D.8.1 Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication 4

Fractured Fairy Tales The Stinky Cheese Man is part of a genre of books often called fractured fairy tales. These books are retellings, modernizations and spoofs of the traditional stories. In recent years a large number of fractured fairy tales have been published, much to the delight of children everywhere. Ask your librarian to help you gather a collection of fractured fairy tales such as the following: The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter by Diane Stanley Beware of Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child Dinorella by Pamela Duncan Edwards There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback After reading and enjoying these and many similar stories, students might: Retell the story as a puppet show Write and share a commercial for the book, present it to the class in order to entice others to read this book Create book banners to hang from the ceiling Create a skit or a play based on the book Illustrate the story as a big book and read it to younger children Make a mobile of important characters and events These stories may also inspire children to write their own wacky versions of fairy tales. Imagine two characters from two different fairy tales meet. What might happen? Bring a fairy tale into the modern day perhaps in your school or community Retell a fairy tale with a change in viewpoint let a different character tell the story Set a story to rhyme, or create a rap version Erase gender stereotypes the princess can rescue the prince English Language Arts Standard A.4.2, A. 8.2 Summarize ideas drawn from stories, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, interpreting events and ideas, and connecting different works to each other and to real-life experiences. B.4.1, B.8.1 Create or produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes 5

More Writing Ideas Be a critic like television s Ebert and Roeper. Write a review of a fairy tale. Would you give it a thumbs up or thumbs down? Why? Write a letter to a character in a fairy tale. You might offer advice or share a story you have experienced. Mad Math After reading The Stinky Cheese Man or other wacky versions of fairy tales, make a list of the different stories. Ask students to list their favorite. Make a bar or pie graph showing the results of the class poll. Use the graph for quick math activities. Which fairy tale got the most votes? The least? How many more students preferred The Really Ugly Duckling to Cinderumpelstiltskin? Etc. After reading a fairy tale, consider the ending. How else might it have ended? Write an alternative ending. One type of folk tale is a fable. Fables are very short stories that have a moral or lesson. Think of a lesson and write a fable to go along with it. English Language Arts Standard B.4.1, B.8.1 Create or produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes Math Standard A.4.2 Communicate mathematical ideas in a variety of ways, including words, numbers, symbols, pictures, charts, graphs, tables, diagrams and models A.4.3 Connect mathematical learning with other subjects, personal experiences, current events, and personal interests Act it After seeing the performance, try your own version of putting on a show. Divide the class into small groups. Assign each group one of the stories from The Stinky Cheese Man. Create and perform your own unique version of the play. Theater Standard E.4.1 Create a scene or play based on a story, another piece of literature, or an idea, with a beginning, middle, and end E.4.6, E.8.7 Rehearse and perform a scene or play for peers or invited guests Out 6

Super Quiz Post a question on the board each day. Students can look for answers when they have free time throughout the day or at home. Invite children to come up with their own questions and answers and allow them to try to stump their classmates. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm started collecting folktales in 1806. They are now famous for Grimm s Fairy Tales. What country was home to the Grimm Brothers? (Germany) What kind of folktale is Aesop known for? (fables) Where did Aesop live? (Greece) Hans Christian Anderson was a noted collector of folktales, including The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid. He was born in 1805. We now celebrate International Children s Book Day on his birthday each year. On what day was Hans Christian Anderson born? (April 2 nd ) What does a raconteur do? (tells stories) Funny Storytelling Children enjoy funny stories and love to share funny things they have experienced or funny stories they have read. Provide an opportunity for students to practice oral speaking and presentation skills by allowing them the chance to tell a funny story. Have children think of an interesting event, something that happened to them that was funny or exciting. They should practice telling their story in order to include the following: Include good details Speak in a clear, loud voice Look at the audience Use facial expressions Use body movements Use audience participation Students should practice storytelling with a partner first, then tell their story to the class or a small group. Before sharing students stories, discuss rules for good listening: Pay close attention to details Don t interrupt the storyteller Use your imagination to help picture what is happening in the story Join the storyteller when invited to do so A good storytelling reference book is Storytelling Step by Step by Marsh Cassady, Resource Publications, Inc. 1990. English Language Arts Standard C.4.1, C.8.1 Orally communicate information, opinions, and ideas effectively to different audiences for a variety of purposes. Identify and discuss criteria for effective oral presentations, including such factors as eye contact, projection, tone, volume, rate, and articulation. Present autobiographical or fictional stories that recount events effectively to large and small audiences. 7

Folktales Around the World Fairy Tales are a type of folktale, which are stories originally told in oral versions and passed down from generation to generation. Folktales exist from countries all over the world. These traditional stories focus on universal truths that are of interest to people in many places. Most folktales have many versions representing many cultures around the world. Stories from different cultures are often similar or share common elements. Read folktales from around the world. There are many wonderful multicultural stories to choose from. Label note cards with the names of stories or characters. With string and a pin attach the cards to a map in the country of the stories origin. Compare versions of folktales. Here are some examples to get you started: Lon Po Po: a Red Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young and Little Red Riding Hood by Trina Schart Hyman Smokey Mountain Rose: an Appalachian Cinderella by Alan Schroeder and Mufaro s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall and Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett Discuss the similarities and differences in the stories. Compare the stories using a chart such as the following. Main Character Other Major Characters Setting (Where and When) Magical Element Ending Social Studies Standard A.4.2 Locate on a map or globe physical features such as continents, oceans, mountain ranges, and land forms, natural features such as flora, fauna; and human features such as cities, states, and national borders Social Studies Standard E.4.11 Give examples and explain how language, stories, folk tales, music, and other artistic creations are expressions of culture and how they convey knowledge of other people and cultures. 8

A Treasure Chest of Fairy Tales Create a setting for rich oral language development and a catalyst for creative writing. Fill a large box or trunk with treasures such as a variety of hats, costume pieces such as robes, old suits or ball gowns, an old tablecloth or yards of fabric, a ball, a large wooden stick, a pair of glasses, a small box, a hoola hoop, an umbrella, a feather boa, costume jewelry, wigs, gloves, goggles etc. Include a variety of small stuffed animals. Place dozens of Mardi Gras necklaces (available at party goods stores)so that they are spilling out of the box, like treasure. Brainstorm ways the objects could be used. For example a tablecloth could become a cape or a blanket. A stick could be a magic wand or a walking stick. A stuffed cat might be a cat, a lion or a cougar. Divide the class into small groups. Have each group pull five or six items from the treasure box. Each group must create an original fairy tale using the objects they pulled from the box. The creations can be traditional fairy tales, or, in the tradition of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales, the stories can be wildly inventive or wacky. Have students share their creations by writing them and reading them orally, creating a reader s theater or acting them out. Theater Standard B.4.1 Pretend to be someone else, creating a character based on scripted material or through improvisation, using props, costumes pieces, and ideas. B.8.1 Create a character through physical movement, adapting movement and making physical choices to fit the requirements of the scene. B.8.5 Select costume pieces or a hand prop (such as a basket) and create a character based on that item. Playing with Words The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales, is full of clever language, word play and interesting expressions. Have some fun with word play by studying figures of speech. Figures of speech are colorful expressions that use words in distinctive ways to achieve special effects. Examples: A cold chill ran down my spine. I was in the kitchen in a flash. He was light as a feather. Discuss the literal meaning of these expressions to the right and the commonly accepted meaning. Have students select one phrase and illustrate it with the literal meaning on one half of a large sheet of paper and with the figurative meaning on the other half. Display the drawings for a fun word study. English Language Arts Standard D.4.1, D.8.1 Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication Some of the most fun figures of speech are expressions abut food. Consider the following: you drive me nuts butter me up you take the cake something s fishy in a pickle say cheese got a beef in a jam clam up top banana nuts about you fish out of water corny joke apple of my eye he s a wet noodle hot dog you don t know beans out to lunch spill the beans egg head juicy story 9

Hot Off the Press Use your fairy tale study to inspire a creative writing activity. Introduce students to the newspaper. Look at and read articles and discuss the different sections of the paper. Explain that the students will be writing their own newspaper, the Fairy Tale Times. Assign students to write different sections, using events in fairy tales they have read as news. For example Jack and the Beanstalk might inspire the lead story: Giant s Gold Stolen! There might be a fashion section featuring the latest fairy tale wear, a cooking section featuring recipes from Goldilocks or a sports feature about the race between the tortoise and the hare. Editorials could discuss ethical issues, such as whether women should be kept in towers. Put the newspaper stories together, read and enjoy! Discuss The Play Which parts of the play did you enjoy the most? Why? Which stories from the book were chosen as scenes to include in the play? Why do you think these stories were chosen? Which stories were left out? How did costumes, make-up, lights, and sets help to tell the story? Were any of these particularly effective? How did they help to set a wacky, creative feeling for the play? How did the actors bring their characters to life? Did you notice anything about the way they spoke or the way they moved? If you were the director, how might you have done things differently? English Language Arts Standard B.4.1, B.8.1 Create or produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes Theater Standard A. 4.1., 8.1 Attend a live theatrical performance and be able to analyze, evaluate, and create personal meaning from the experience through small group discussion English Language Arts Standard C. 4.3, 8.3 Participate effectively in discussion 10

A Fairy Tale World 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ACROSS 1 brothers who retold fairy tales 4 often an evil character 5 dangers lurk here 6 there were seven of these 8 the little 10 Cinderella had two 11 climbed a beanstalk 12 where a princess lives 13 the ugly 14 had a long braid DOWN 2 turns straw into gold 3 beat the Hare in a race 7 the gingerbread man does this 8 something unlikely happens 9 color of Riding Hood s hat 10 Chicken Little thought this was falling Answers on page 12

Internet Fairy Tale Connections The world wide web is home to many sites featuring fairy tales and folktales. Set your classroom computer to some of the following sites and let students read or listen to folktales. To listen to fairy tales, try the BBC site at: www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/storycircle/fairystories/ To read stories from around the world sorted by country, including lesser known tales from places like Siberia, India and the Middle East, try: www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/ Grimm s Fairy Tales are available at: www.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/ A complete list of the fairy tales of Hans Christian Anderson, in order of publication, is available at: http://hca.gilead.org.il/#intro Scripts for Reader s Theater versions of folktales and fairy tales are available at: www.aaronshep.com Media and Technology Standard A.4.4 Use a computer and communications software to access and transmit information. Log on and view information from pre-selected sites on the Internet. Additional Resources Cole, Joanna, ed. Best Loved Folktales of the World. Anchor, 1983. Detlor, Theda. A Fresh Look at Fairy Tales. Scholastic, 1995. MacDonald, Margaret Read. Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About. Linnet Books, 1992. Yolen, Jane. Favorite Folktales from Around the World. Pantheon, 1988. Answers to Crossword Puzzle Across 1 Grimm 4 fox 5 forest 6 dwarfs 8 mermaid 10 stepsisters 11 Jack 12 castle 13 duckling 14 Rapunzel Down 2 Rumpelstiltskin 3 tortoise 7 runs 8 magic 9 red 10 sky 12

THEATER ETIQUETTE AND EXPERIENCES We have a wonderful opportunity at this performance to help youth learn about attending live performances. Please discuss the following with your students: 1. Sometimes young people do not realize how a live performance differs from watching a movie or television show. A live presentation has not been pre-recorded with the mistakes edited out. This makes it riskier for the performer and more exciting for the audience. It also means the audience has a real contribution to make to the overall event. Each audience member affects those around him/her as well as the performer. Concentrate to help the performers. The audience gives energy to the performer who uses that energy to give life to the performance. 2. An usher will show you where to sit. Walk slowly and talk quietly as you enter the theater. 3. For safety s sake, do not lean over or sit on the balcony railings or box ledges. Please be careful on the stairs, avoid horseplay and running throughout the building. 4. If necessary, use the restroom before the performance begins. Adults need to accompany young students. 5. You may talk quietly to the people next to you until the performance begins. 6. When the lights in the theater begin to dim, it is the signal that the performance is about to begin. Stop talking and turn your attention to the stage. 7. Stay in your seat throughout the entire performance. 8. During the performance, listen quietly and watch closely. Talking during the performance will distract other audience members and performers. Try not to wiggle too much and don t kick the seat in front of you. These disruptions make it hard for others around you to concentrate on the show. 9. Sometimes during a performance you may respond by laughing, crying, or sighing. By all means feel free to do so! LAUGHING IS APPROPRIATE. (Teachers, please do not hush the students while they are laughing.) If something is funny, it s good to laugh. If you like something a lot, applaud. This will let the performers know that you are enjoying the show. 10. At the end of the show, applaud to say thank you to the performers. The performers will bow to acknowledge your appreciation and say thank you for coming. 11. When the lights get brighter in the theater, the show is over. Stay in your seats until the Onstage Coordinator dismisses your school. 11. Please remember: Taking photographs and using recording devices are strictly prohibited Beverages and food, including gum, or candy are not allowed in the theater You are only one person among several hundred in the audience Please respect the performers and your fellow audience members Please inform your adult chaperons that ushers will be available throughout the performance if there are any difficulties.

American Girl s Fund for Children Funding for this study guide and the OnStage Performing Arts Series for Students is provided by a generous grant from American Girl s Fund for Children, a philanthropic foundation created to support programs and services for school-age children in Dane County. Since its founding in 1992, American Girl s Fund for Children has supported programs in the arts, culture, and environment. OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS Susan Crofton, Director of Education and Community Outreach Beth Racette, Education and Community Outreach Coordinator Rae Atira-Soncea, Education and Community Outreach Coordinator 2005 Overture Center for the Arts 201 State Street, Madison, WI 53703 608.258.4165 onstage@overturecenter.com www.overturecenter.com