AAC Children s Theatre 2013-2014 ACTIVITY GUIDE Illustration by David Hohn
About this Guide This ACTIVITY GUIDE includes exercises that align with the Arkansas Department of Education Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core State Standards. The following icons provide an immediate recognition of the curriculum connections. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS FOREIGN LANGUAGES LIBRARY MEDIA MATH MUSIC PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HEALTH SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES THEATRE VISUAL ARTS Enjoy!
You blew your horn and shouted out when there was not a wolf about. About the Play In this familiar tale, a little shepherd boy is tired of watching the flock of sheep all day and wants some excitement in his life. He decides to make things interesting by shouting for. The villagers come running expecting to find a wolf, but discover that the little shepherd by has pulled the wool over their eyes. The Boy Who Cried Wolf is written by Alan Keith Smith of the Arkansas Arts Center and is based on Aesop s fable. About the Original Story Some other fantastic Aesop fables to read: Play Synopsis Aesop (EE-sop) was an Ancient Greek storyteller. He was responsible for many tales that are today collectively known as Aesop s Fables. Many of the stories feature animals or inanimate objects that speak, solve problems, and have human characteristics. Many historians doubt the existence of Aesop since it appears that no writings of his have survived. Regardless, the stories attributed to Aesop have been handed down for thousands of years and have been translated into many languages. These tales, offering a moral (or lesson), seem to be universally enjoyed. There is no doubt that stories like The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Tortoise and the Hare will continue to live on for many years. The Ant and the Grasshopper The Bear and the Travelers The Lion and the Mouse The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs: Town Mouse and Country Mouse: The Fox and the Cat The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a modern interpretation of the classic story and presented as a radio show called Animal Tale Theatre on Radio WOLF. Four main actors play the roles of George, Gracie, Orson, and Jackie. These characters narrate and assume the roles of various characters. The story begins with a shepherd boy and his granny in the land of song and rhyme. Granny sends the boy out to the meadow to watch over the sheep, but warns him about the dangerous wolves - especially Big Bad Dennis who loves to eat baby sheep! If he spots a wolf he has been told to blow his horn and cry out Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is in the field! and all of the townsfolk will come running with hayforks, picks, and axes to chase it back to the woods. As the shepherd boy heads off to the meadow, the show breaks for a Public Service Announcement and the audience is treated to a retelling of Aesop s fable The Tortoise and the Hare. Hippy the Hare and Tawanda the Tortoise are the stars in this version of the fable which is introduced here, but later revisited and intertwined with the main story. As Hippy and Tawanda begin their race, the audience is returned to the main story with the boy now in the meadow with his sheep. The shepherd boy is faithfully watching his flock of sheep, but starts to get bored. He can t even play his horn because all of the townspeople will think that he has seen a wolf. Though he is not necessarily a bad boy, the shepherd tends to cause mischief when bored. The boy decides to have some fun and yells that the wolf is trying to eat him. All of the people from the village come running, but they do not see the wolf. Everyone is terribly upset with him, especially Granny who sends him to the barn for a time-out. At the barn, Tawanda the Tortoise crosses the boy s path. She informs him that she cannot stop and play because she must slowly, but surely, continue the race. Disappointed at the loss of a playmate, the shepherd boy decides to again cry wolf. The villagers come running only to find out that he has sounded another false alarm. Not yet learning his lesson he blows the horn again! The villagers respond, but quickly determine that they have been tricked and leave. The townspeople are fed up and Granny decides to take matters into her own hands. The end of the play includes the conclusion to the epic race between Hippy and Tawanda as well as Granny s lesson for her mischievous grandson. Though Big Bad Dennis never does make an appearance, the little shepherd boy discovers the harm that can result from crying wolf.
Statement from the AAC Children s Theatre Keith Smith Director & Playwright Unlike Aesop s original version of The Boy who Cried Wolf, no little shepherd boys were harmed in the creation of this play. I promise. Most of the basic plot points remain the same, however: shepherd boy gets bored with his work and decides to liven things up; shepherd boy raises the wolf alarm; villagers rush to the save the flock; wolf is a no-show; boy laughs at villagers; villagers go away angry; repeat; repeat again. It is at this point in Aesop s fable that the wolf really does arrive and bad things happen. But not to worry: our stage adaptation is all about fun and lessons learned. Told in the setting of an old time radio studio, a company of whacky radio actors Orson, Jackie, Georgie, and Gracie perform the fable as a live broadcast complete with commercial jingles, public service announcements, sound effects produced before your very eyes, and, of course, lots and lots of high energy musical numbers. But even though we may treat the telling of this story lightly, Jackie the shepherd boy certainly learns his lessons in the end: do your job well; always tell the truth; and don t mess around with Granny. Review Theatre Etiquette BEFORE THE PLAY Please turn off your cell phones so you can look at all the little things that make live theatre a great big experience. Save all food, gum, candy and drinks for after the performance. They are not allowed in the theater and can be used as a reward for good behavior! Sit like a grown up in your seat. That way you won t miss a thing! Great theatre audiences listen, laugh when something is funny, and clap at just the right time. They never talk out loud during a performance. Keep your cameras tucked away and turned off. Photography is not permitted. Camera flashes blind the actors and can cause them to step off the stage. When the play is over, enjoy talking with your friends and grownups about all the details. See who can remember the most about the play. Start by sharing two things that an actor said that made you smile and two things that you remember about the stage set. Parents: What a great time to have a conversation about the difference between theatre, movies, and TV!
Read the Original Story In order to prepare for the play, read the original story The Boy Who Cried Wolf by Aesop. You may also read The Tortoise and the Hare since it is also featured in the play. Both stories may be found at www.aesopfables.com (In Section 4: The Shepherd s Boy and Section 2: The Hare and the Tortoise ). Think about how these stories were written. Library Media Connection: Read; English Language Arts Reading, Literature: Key Ideas and Details, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, Craft and Structure About Adaptations The performance that you will see at the AAC Children s Theatre is a variation of the story, or an ADAPTATION. An adaptation is a change made in something so that it can fit a new use. This performance of The Boy Who Cried Wolf is an adaptation of the fable (which is meant to be read) into a play (which is meant to be performed and viewed). Keith Smith of the AAC Children s Theatre is the playwright (play-rite), meaning that he wrote the script for the play. Consider these questions for discussion before you attend the play:? What kinds of things does a playwright have to consider when writing a script?? What might the characters look like?? What are some objects (props) that they might use to help tell the story?? Draw a picture of one of the scenes in the story and imagine how it might appear on the stage.? If you were to write an adaptation of this story into a play, what choices would you make? How would you act out the story? Library Media Connection: Associate; Theatre Creating, Evaluating, Reading Learn the Vocabulary Below is a list of words included in the play. Reviewing this list will help you gain new vocabulary and also help you better understand the performance. Try saying these words out loud so that you will know them when you hear the actors say them. Once you know how to say the words, read the definition and try using them in a sentence. Pupil (pew-pull) a child or young person in school Broadcast (brawd-kast) made public by means of radio or television Script (skript) the text of a stage play, broadcast, or movie Fable (fay-bull) a short story usually including a lesson Pretend (pree-tind) to make believe Bucolic (boo-kall-ik) of the countryside Shepherd (shep-urd) a person who takes care of sheep Meadow (med-oh) an area of grassland Flock (flahk) a group of animals Panic (pan-ik) sudden feeling of fright Excuse (ex-kews) to explain something Menace (men-us) an annoying person English Language Arts Reading, Foundational Skills: Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Word Recognition; Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
DURING THE PLAY It wouldn t be a play without you! Your part is to pretend that the play is real. Part of this includes accepting certain things: You have an important role to play! 1. Actors tell the story with words (dialogue), actions (blocking), and songs. 2. Actors may sing songs that tell about the story or their feelings. 3. Actors may speak to the audience. 4. An actor may play several characters by changing their voice, costume, or posture. 5. Places are suggested by panels on the set and by props. Here s how to play your part: A play is different than television or a movie. The actors are right in front of you and can see your reactions, feel your attention, and hear your laughter and applause. Watch and listen carefully to understand the story. The story is told by the actors and comes to life through your imagination! Thank you for being a great part of our audience and enjoy the show! Review AFTER THE PLAY Do you remember what you learned about adaptations? Now that you have seen the play, discuss these questions. Share your answers with friends or family that also saw the play and compare your experiences.? In what ways was the setting of the play different than the original story?? Were there any characters or events that were in the story but not in the play? Were any characters different? Why do you think these choices were made?? What did the set look like? Did it match the picture that you drew before the play? What do you think the set and costume designers need to consider when bringing the story to the stage?? What objects (props) helped tell the story on stage?? What was your role in the play? Why do you think the playwright decided to use the audience in this way? Library Media Connection: Associate; Theatre Creating, Evaluating, Reading Critical Thinking Questions Read the following questions and either write your answers or tell someone in complete sentences. Make sure to use correct grammar and spelling.? In the play, Orson says that a fable is made up and pretend, but teaches a lesson that is true. What are the lessons of the two fables in the play?? Why did the villagers not come to check on Jackie when he blew the horn at the end of the play?? What might have happened to Jackie and his flock of sheep if the real wolf had appeared?? Why do you think Jackie decided to cry wolf when there was no wolf?? What is the best way to make sure that people believe you all the time? English Language Arts Writing: Text Type and Purposes; Speaking & Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration; Language: Conventions of Standard English
Writing Exercise Write a brief answer to the following question. Make sure to write in complete sentences and use correct grammar, spelling, and organization. Has there ever been a time when you told someone something but they didn t believe you? Write or tell about this experience, making sure to answer the following questions: What was it that they didn t believe? Why didn t they believe you? What did you do to make them believe you? What happened in the end? English Language Arts Writing: Text Types and Purposes; Language: Conventions of Standard English The Golden Age of Radio The AAC Children s Theatre production of The Boy Who Cried Wolf is presented as if it were performed for a live audience and broadcast on radio. Before television, radio was the most popular form of home entertainment. Every night, families and their neighbors would come together and listen to radio broadcasts of stories such as Sherlock Holmes, Groucho Marx, The Avenger, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Superman, and more. Radio broadcasts were a part of everyday life from the 1920s until the 1950s when television became popular. The Boy Who Cried Wolf takes place during a radio show. Imagine that you were listening to this story on radio what would you have heard? How would it have been different than seeing the play? ACTIVITY How would you like to host your very own radio show? You ll first need to prepare a script for the broadcast. You can write your own script or work with a partner to perform with you. What types of stories will you tell? What types of sound effects will you use? If an audience cannot see what you are doing, how will you adjust your voice? Make sure to record the show (you may need an adult to supervise) so that you can play it back. When listening to the recorded show, think about how different is to hear the show than when you were acting out the stories and reading the script. For inspiration, visit www.radiolovers.com and listen to some old time radio shows. ACTIVITY Design a poster to let people know about your radio show. Make sure that you include the name of the show and as well as any characters or important parts of the story. (Hint: Think about how studios create posters to advertise movies or television shows.) Take a look at a few of these posters for radio shows produced in the 1930s 1940s: Social Studies History; Fine Arts, Theatre Creating; Fine Arts, Visual Arts Creative Processes; English Language Arts Writing: Text Type and Purposes
Protecting the Flock A shepherd is a person that tends, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the oldest jobs, beginning over 6,000 years ago! Sheep were kept by farmers for milk, meat, and wool. Smaller flocks of sheep could be watched over by the farmer. In order to keep a large flock, however, sheep had to move from pasture to pasture. The shepherd s job was created so that the farmer could stay close to the farm while his large flock of sheep could graze. Most shepherds were nomadic (no-mad-ik) meaning that they did not live in one place, but moved around in order to find work. Most shepherds were males without children. They were most often the young sons of farming peasants who did not inherit any land. Some families had a member of the family who would watch over the flock, often a child or elder who couldn t do harder work. The U.S. is not a major sheep-producing country. Countries like China, however, have over 134 million sheep! Even smaller areas like United Kingdom and New Zealand have over 32 million sheep. The U.S. typically has just over 5 million sheep. Take a look at the table below to determine the numbers of sheep produced in 10 countries. Country Number of sheep China 134,021,213 India 73,991,000 Australia 68,085,500 Iran 54,000,000 Sudan 52,014,100 Nigeria 35,519,800 New Zealand 32,562,600 In New Zealand, sheep outnumber people 8:1. That means that there are 8 sheep for every one person in this small country. The human population of New Zealand is under 4.5 million, but there are over 32.5 million sheep. United Kingdom 31,000.000 Pakistan 27,800,000 Ethiopia 25,979,900 Total 1,078,948,201 ACTIVITY Can you locate the countries that produce the most sheep? Use a map or the Internet to help you locate and correct label the countries listed in the table. A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. Answers: A. United Kingdom; B. Nigeria; C. Sudan; D. Ethiopia; E. Iran; F. Pakistan; G. India; H. China; I. Australia; J. New Zealand Social Studies Geography: Physical and Spatial, Culture and Diversity; Library Media Inquiry: Identify and Access; Application: Utilize
Compare & Contrast This play is called The Boy Who Cried Wolf, but it is actually about two Aesop fables. Can you remember some of the things that happened in each story? Was there anything that happened in both stories? See if you can fill in the Venn diagram below. List the things that happened in only one story in the correct circle. List things that happened in both Library Media Application: Organize; English Language Arts Reading: Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Counting Sheep If the shepherd s flock really was attacked by the wolf, he could have lost all of his sheep! It is important that he keep the flock together. He works Monday through Friday and starts with a different amount of sheep each day. The farmer will only pay the shepherd if he brings all sheep home, but the sheep keep wandering off! Can you figure out how many sheep he needs to find? Monday: The shepherd started the day with 5 sheep, but now he only has 3. How many does he need to find? Tuesday: The shepherd was watching over a herd of 10 sheep, but then he fell asleep. When he woke up from his nap, he noticed that he only had 6. How many does he need to find before he can go home? Wednesday: The shepherd was watching 8 sheep. After lunch he realized that he only had 3. How many does he need to find? Thursday: The shepherd started with 10 sheep, but then his friend got sick and the farmer told him to leave his 5 sheep. How many sheep does the shepherd have to watch now? Friday: The shepherd started with 13 sheep. He noticed that 5 of the sheep had wandered off to graze in the next pasture and only 3 came back. How many does he need to find before he can go home? BONUS QUESTION: How many total sheep did the shepherd watch during the week? Mathematics Operations & Algebraic Thinking Answers: 2; 4; 5; 15; 11; 51 (5+10+8+10+5+13)
Further Reading A Big Fat Enormous Lie by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (Ages 3-8) An empty cookie jar and a small boy with a problem lead to one big, fat, enormous lie. The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot by Scott Magoon (Ages 4-8) He s big. He s funny. He s not real. Or IS he? This clever twist on The Boy Who Cried Wolf is told from the point of view of an unexpected narrator and demonstrates the value of telling the truth, the importance of establishing trust, and (of course!) the possibility that a beast you created to get attention can become a real-life friend. Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin (Ages 4-8) Ruthie loves little things the smaller, the better. When she finds a teeny tiny toy on the school playground, she can hardly believe her luck. There's just one problem: it belongs to somebody else! Ruthie insists the toy is hers, but deep down, she knows better. How could one little toy turn into such a great big problem? The Wolf Who Cried Boy by Bob Hartman (Ages 5-8) Little Wolf is tired of his mom's cooking! It's How he wishes his mother would serve up a nice platter of his favorite dish Boy In this hilarious twisted tale, Little Wolf learns the same timeless lesson that the boy who cried "Wolf!" did so many years ago. Edward Fudwupper Fibbed Big by Berkeley Breathed (Ages 6-9) Fannie Fudwupper's big brother, Edwurd, spends his time cooking up big fibs full of phooey and letting them rip. But one day, Edwurd tells such a whopping lie that the army, the air force, and the dogcatcher are called to reverse the damage. Library Media Connection: Read Visit your local library for more suggestions!
What Was Your Favorite Part of the Play? Did you know that the play you saw was the result of many people working together? There are many roles in the theatre department and each of the people in charge of these tasks must do their very best as a team in order to produce a great performance. Below is a list of some of these roles: The DIRECTOR is the person responsible for the overall artistic vision of a production. The SET DESIGNER is the person responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of the stage setting. The COSTUME DESIGNER is the person in charge of the clothing worn by the actors in a performance. The TECHNICAL DIRECTOR is the person in charge of the technical requirements of a production as well as the equipment. The STAGE MANAGER is the person responsible for overseeing all the backstage elements of a production (scheduling, rehearsals, etc.) The ACTOR is the one who performs a role or represents a character in a play. The CHOREOGRAPHER is the person who designs the dance steps to be used in a play. The MUSIC DIRECTOR is the person responsible for the musical content of a production. Which of these roles most closely matches your favorite part of the play? WANT MORE INFORMATION? If you would like more information about the Arkansas Arts Center Children s Theatre, visit our website at: WWW.ARKANSASARTSCENTER.ORG or call 501-372-4000 We would love to hear from you! Write to us at:: ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER CHILDREN S THEATRE P.O. BOX 2137 LITTLE ROCK, AR 72203 Sponsored by: