JUNIE B. HAS ARRIVED!

EDUCATIONAL GUIDE

JUNIE B. HAS ARRIVED! Alexa Blaskowsky as Junie B., Annika Culter as May, Lucas Welsh as Mr. Scary, Avish Menon as Herb. Photo by Lucas Welsh. It s hard for Junie B. Jones to be anything but herself - a spunky, energetic, funny first grader. First grade is mostly fun, but can sometimes be totally un-fun, especially when her classmate May is around. And what happens when Junie B. has to get a Secret Santa gift for May, her not-sofavorite person in the world? Junie B. sets out to teach May a lesson for tattletaling on her, that s what! Will her gift for May get Junie B. in trouble? Or will May finally realize what she s done to Junie B.? We ll have to peer into her journal to find out exactly what Junie B. is thinking! WELCOME TO THE THEATER! We are very glad to have you at the theater! For some of you, this may be the first play you ve seen, but some others may have seen many, many plays before. Here are some tips about being and INCREDIBLE audience member. The Audience is an important part of live theater performance. Without the audience there would be no one to laugh when the show is funny, to gasp when it is scary, or to applaud at the end. Here are some things you can do to make this a great experience for everyone: The house lights (the lights in the theater) dim to signal that the show is about to start. That is your cue to settle down and get quiet so the play can begin. Turn off all cell phones, pagers and electronic devices. Please do not take photographs or video during the performance. Try to sit as quietly as possible during the performance. Don t wriggle around or stand up. Your movements could distract the actors or others around you. Please make sure you use the bathroom before the show starts! Save snacks and treats for after the show. Food and drinks are not allowed in the theater. Stay in your seat when the performance ends. The actors will return to the stage for the curtain call (when the actors bow and you clap). Wait until they exit for the last time and the lights come up before you leave your seat. 2011 Northwest Children s Theater and School (NWCT). Written, edited, and designed by Meredith Ott, Tim Strauhal, Erin Fried, Melody Bridges, & Milo Mowery. Poster Lee Moyer 2010. Unless otherwise noted, all images are 2010 Clipart.com. NWCT encourages teachers and parents to print out, copy and use these guides to enhance and enrich children s experiences at NWCT performances. NWCT welcomes questions, comments and feedback. Contact us by mail at 1819 NW Everett Street, Suit 216, Portland, OR 97209, or email us at info@nwcts.org. Please visit our web site at www.nwcts.org. Enjoy the show!! 2

MEET THE AUTHOR, BARBARA PARK! Barbara Park is the funny, imaginative author of the popular Junie B, Jones series. Her first book, Operation: Dump the Chump was published in 1979. Her Junie B. Jones series, which began with Junie B. and the Stupid Smelly Bus, spans over 20 books, and has been enjoyed by readers of all ages. Her other novels, which include Skillybones, The Kid in the Red Jacket, My Mother Got Married (and other disasters), and Mick Harte was Here, have won over 40 awards, including 25 Children s Choice awards. Barbara has two grown sons and lives with her husband in Arizona. She says that having two sons has influenced her writing and kept her tuned into situations that are funny to children. Having created Junie B., Park knows what it s like to think like a first grader, which can be really hard to do when you are a grown-up! Her books teach us that even though you may be an adult, you can still think like a funny, energetic, spunky first grader! Norma Jean Gargasz/Getty Images, for The New York Times MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT, ALLISON GREGORY! It takes an incredibly imaginative mind to write for young children, and even more creativity to adapt an existing work into something that happens right before your eyes! In working closely with Barbara Park, Allison Gregory has incorporated 3 of Park s books: Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Shipwrecked, and Dumb Bunny, to create this particular adaptation. Creating an adaptation means working alongside the author to pull the most important theatrical events, characters, and scenes from the books to create a script that can be performed as a play. Gregory s adaptation of Go, Dog, Go! has become an NWCT favorite, and her works Peter and the Wolf and The Brementown Musicals have been featured in theaters around the country. 3

FOR THE CLASSROOM BEFORE THE SHOW - DISCUSSION QUESTIONS! The moments leading up to the curtain can be so exciting! The ride in to the theater is the perfect opportunity to engage your students in some questions about the performance they are about to see. Here are some discussion questions to help young audience members get everything they can out of their experience. Which character are you most excited to see up on stage today? What do you think the set will look like? How different do you think it will be from your classroom? Can you think of any characters in the book that remind you of some of your friends? Do you think the play is going to be different from the book? What do you think is going to be the most challenging for the actors? My favorite scene in the book is, how do you think they are going to do that on stage? Junie B. keeps a journal throughout the books and the play. What kinds of things would you write about in a journal? AFTER THE SHOW - DISCUSSION QUESTIONS! Phew! What a show! Take this time to do some follow-up questions with your students. With the show fresh in their minds it should be an ideal time for them to let out what they wanted to say during the show! What did you like best about the show? Did you notice anything that was different about the play from the book? There were more characters than there were actors! Did you notice who played more than one character? Junie B. really wanted to teach May a lesson about being a tattle-tale, but she does it in an unexpected way. What do you think May learned from Junie B. s Secret Santa gift? What do you think about the way Junie B. behaves in the classroom? Do you think it would be funny if you or other classmates acted that way in class? Philip Johnny Bob was played by an actor! How was this different from how you thought he would be played in the show? After Secret Santa, it seems like May and Junie B. may actually be nice to each other! Do you think they will ever become friends? What of the other books you have read would you like to see on stage? 4

OTHER BOOKS TO ENJOY! FOR THE CLASSROOM If you love Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, check out these books: Junie B. Jones s First Boxed Set Ever! by Barbara Park The Ramona Quimby series by Beverly Cleary Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar The Jenny Archer series Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume ACT IT OUT! Choose your favorite book and perform a show! You can turn your favorite stories into a play just like Allison Gregory did with Junie B.! Round up a group of friends, your favorite Junie B. book, and hop on stage! Here s what you ll want to do: Choose a chapter from the book you ve chosen (an entire book might be tricky to do right off the bat!) Write down the characters in the scene and assign parts Gather any props and costumes you need to make it as true to the story as possible! Invite your parents, friends, and maybe even your teacher to come see your version of Junie B. Jones. Break a leg! 5

CAST SPOTLIGHT: Alexa Blaskowsky as Junie B. Jones! Alexa Blaskowsky and Erin Fried have both successfully made it through the first grade, but did they do it quite the same way as Junie B.? They took a moment out of their busy rehearsal schedules to tell us what it s like NWCT: When did you get your start at NWCT? Alexa: I started taking classes at NWCT when I was 4 yrs old. We were mermaids and got to wear mermaid costumes and make-up; I was hooked after that! At first I only took classes in the summer, but after a couple of years I started taking classes year round. I joined NWCTS KidsPro and that really added to my acting skills. NWCT: What s it like playing Junie B.? How similar are you to her? Alexa: It's very fun to play Junie B. we are so different! Junie B. always seems to say whatever she's thinking. She has trouble keeping herself under control, which can sometimes get her into trouble. I am more cautious, I would never say some of the things Junie B. says! NWCT: Besides playing Junie B., what is your favorite part about the show? Alexa: I love working with Melody, the director, and the other professional actors in the show. They have so much experience and are able to give advice and help me to be my very best. NWCT: What will the kids coming to the show like best about it? Alexa: Kids are going to think the show is very funny. The way May and Junie B. fight and taunt one another is hilarious the clashing of their personalities is great and will definitely keep the audience laughing. Kids are also going to like all of the conversations between Junie B.'s classmates. They are so funny; everyone is going to be laughing! NWCT: Did you ever read any of the Junie B. books? Do you have a favorite? Alexa: Yes, I read the whole series of books, mostly in First Grade when I was learning how to read. I don't really have a favorite, but the one I remember most was Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren. I thought it was so funny that Junie B. talked about a boy like that! NWCT: What is your favorite Junie B. catch phrase? Alexa: My favorite catch phrase is, "I tell you!" Junie usually says this at the end of what she s saying. 6

CAST SPOTLIGHT: Erin Fried as Philip Johnny Bob/Elf Ellen/PTO MOM! NWCT: You re relatively new to the NWCT family, how did you start out here? Erin: I started at NWCT back in April as an intern. I was living in Colorado and wanted to follow my passion for children's theatre. I worked as assistant choreographer for the new adaptation of 'Snow White', and moved to Portland for two and a half months. I had an absolutely lovely time with the cast and crew on the entire show. NWCT: You re working on the show as choreographer and an actor, playing Junie B. s stuffed animal Philip Johnny Bob. What is it like to be on both sides of the production? Erin: It has been an interesting challenge! When I am on stage, I can t view the scene as an audience member, so I need more eyes to help with the details of making choreography interesting and relevant to the scene. The simplicity of working with a younger cast is also a challenge in terms of understanding and executing the choreography. Certain scenes have some tricky moves, but our kids learned them so quickly! NWCT: What is it like playing a stuffed animal? Erin: I absolutely adore playing a stuffed animal. I finally get to relive some of the conversations I would have with my toys when I was younger. And to have the privilege to put a personality and a voice to such great best friends, well that's been a treat! Also as an actress, I have had endless amounts of fun possibilities to play with! NWCT: Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Erin: I have had some incredible teachers in my life, but I think the one that takes the cake was Ms. Hellie-Jacob, my English Literature teacher my Junior year of High School. She was one of a kind. I looked forward to class because she was so passionate about teaching. The best thing of all is that she treated us like adults, never talked down to us and always holding us to a higher standard. She was always the teacher we could turn to if we needed advice about the craziness of being a teenager! NWCT: Did you ever keep a journal like Junie B. growing up? Erin: I have kept a journal over the years, but not as consistently as Junie. When I was in first grade I remember keeping a writing journal for grammar. Every year in May I write a two or three page journal entry marking the big events of the year. I love going back and re-reading entries from years ago. It really helps me mark my growth, plus it can be pretty hilarious! NWCT: What is your favorite Junie B. catch phrase? Erin: "Now actually not really the time for grammar". 7

JUNIE B. AND A LANGUAGE ALL HER OWN! If you have read other books in the series, you may have noticed that she has a very interesting way of spelling and writing - sometimes she seems to speak her own language! Here are some Junie B. sentences, see if you can see how to fix them! Cause the Squeez-a-Burp was the funnest gift I ever heard of And so just bring me a dollar tomorrow. And I will be your bestest friend I clapped my hands real thrilled I rode the bus home very grumpity Room One is the slowest shoppers you ever saw My stomach felt a little bit sickish at the sight of it It was the beautifulest sack on the table Then I waited very patient for my teacher to walk away I poked him very fun I raised my eyebrows real quick I shook my head very rapid 8

CREATE YOUR OWN JUNIE B. TALE! We all know how wacky Junie B. s stories can get, but have you ever tried to write your own adventure for Junie B.? Well, here s your chance! Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate words to create a Junie B. Jones tale all your own! Won t Mr. Scary be proud!! (Be sure to ask your teacher or parent if you don t know what kind of word to use!) 1.) Day of the week: 2.) Adjective: 3.) Adjective: 4.) Person s name: 5.) Event: 6.) Exclamation: 7.) Verb (past tense): 8.) Adjective: 9.) Article of clothing (plural): 10.) Emotion: 11.) Noun: 12.) Verb (past tense): 12.) Verb (past tense): 13.) Vehicle: 14.) Person s name: 15.) Number: 16.) Animal (plural): 17.) Verb (past tense): 18.) Person s name: 19.) Noun: 20.) Animal (plural): 21.) Verb (past tense): 22.) Adjective: 23.) Event (same as before): Junie B. and the (silly adjective), (silly adjective), (noun)! The day was (day of the week), and I woke up super (mood), because I remembered that I was going over to my (adjective) (person s name) s house for a (event) (Exclamation)! I thought to myself, as I (verb pt) out of bed onto a pile of (adjective) (article of clothing pl) (my mom always hates it when I do that). But I was too (emotion)! Anyways, I packed up my (noun) and (verb pt) on my (vehicle), heading over to (person s name) house fast as lightning! To my surprise, (number) (animal pl) greeted me! Laughing, I (verb pt) inside to find (person s name) playing the (noun) and dancing with the (animal pl)! I (verb pt) out of my shoes and started dancing too! It was the (adjective) -est (event) I have ever been to, I tell ya! 9