theatre dance music ballet visual arts 2012-2013 Season Arts Access School Time Program Jack and the Beanstalk March 15, 2013 11:00 a.m. Margaret Lesher Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts Field Trip Sponsor: Education Sponsor:
Welcome Dear Teachers, We have created the following study guide to help make your students theater experience as meaningful as possible. For many, it will be their first time viewing a live theatrical production. We have learned that when teachers discuss the upcoming arts performance with their students before and after the production, the experience is more significant and long-lasting. Our study guide provides pre and post performance discussion topics, as well as related activity sheets. These are just suggestions, so please feel free to create your own activities and areas for discussion. We hope you and your class enjoy the show! The Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA) enriches the lives of thousands of East Bay residents every year by supporting programs at Walnut Creek s Lesher Center for the Arts (LCA). Through well-established business and community partnerships, fundraising and marketing expertise, we help arts organizations present professional-level theater, music and dance performances, visual arts exhibitions, and family events. Over the years, the Arts Access School Time Program has offered students and children in the community the opportunity to experience high-quality live performances and visual arts exhibits. These programs engage students in the artistic process, cultivating an appreciation for the arts by combining education and entertainment which together help to make the arts a vital part of our schools and community. Many of these programs offer funding for low-income schools, making the arts programs accessible to as many students as possible. Together with corporate, foundation and individual partners, the DRAA is able to make these opportunities possible. This year s Arts Access School Time Program would not be possible without the generous support of Target - Field Trip Sponsor, JP Morgan Chase - Education Sponsor, along with our other season sponsors including First Republic Bank, The Hewlett Foundation, The Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation, Union Bank and Wells Fargo, and all the individual donors who support this program. Table of Contents Welcome & Program Overview...2 Preparing Your Students for a Field Trip to the Lesher Center for the Arts...3 Theatre Etiquette Guide...4 About the Producer...5 About the Performance...5 About the Art Form...7 Educational Activities...9 Study Guide Resources...20 Content Standards...21 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 2
Preparing Your Students for a Field Trip to the Lesher Center for the Arts Drop-off and Pick-Up: Buses should drop off at the Lesher Center for the Arts by pulling directly up to the curb in front of the theatre on Civic Drive or Locust Street in the designated loading zones, utilizing space efficiently so that the other buses can unload/ load at the same time. As soon as students and chaperones have off-loaded safely, buses need to depart and find parking near the LCA to wait until the end of the performance. NO bus parking is available at the Lesher Center for the Arts. Loading zones are ONLY for loading and unloading. Ticket Information: Tickets are held by the DRAA and distributed to your group on the day of performance by a DRAA staff member who will be positioned in the area outside the front of the entrance to the theatre. Look for the brightly colored balloons!! Tickets should be distributed to each student prior to entering the theatre. Every attendee must have a ticket in hand before entering the theatre. All tickets are GENERAL SEATING, with no reserved seating available. If you have any special seating needs, please notify the DRAA prior to your performance so we can make the necessary arrangements. The Auditorium and Seating: The Lesher Center for the Arts features three distinct theatres providing a space tailored for every show and audience. The Hofmann Theatre seats 785 patrons and is the largest of the three theatres in the Lesher Center for the Arts. It features a spacious main floor and a balcony featuring four sets of box seating areas. The theatre is used for largescale productions including musicals, operas, ballets, symphonies and larger corporate functions. The Lesher Theatre seats 297 patrons and provides a more intimate space for mid-sized productions including musicals and plays. The Knight Stage seats 133 patrons and is a black-box theatre featuring a space tailored for smaller, more intimate productions and events. Seats can be added or removed as necessary. Lighting and Music The amount of lighting and music in the theatre will vary from time to time as the play or performance progresses. There may be times where it is almost completely dark. We are aware that this can be an exciting experience for some children and the level of energy can increase along with their excitement. Music can also be used to create different impressions or communicate certain moods during the performance which encourages audience participation and spirit. 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 3
At the Performance The live theatre performance is not pre-recorded with mistakes edited out. This makes it more exciting for an audience. Student s thoughtful attention and responses have a real effect and contribute to the quality of the experience. The audience gives energy to the performers who use that energy to give life to the performance! Theatre Etiquette Guide Going to a play is a special experience, one that can be remembered for a long time. Everyone in the audience has been looking forward to seeing the performance. There is a big difference in going to a theatre and to a movie. The actors are performing for you live onstage, and they can see and hear what goes on in the audience just as you can see and hear them. So, one behaves a little differently than when you are at the movies or at home watching TV. Some things to remember: Stay with your group at all times. Lights will dim just before a performance, and then go dark. Show your knowledge by sitting calmly. No talking or whispering during the performance. Laughter at appropriate times only. Keep body movements to a minimum. You can t get up and move around during the performance. Please use the bathroom or get a drink before seating for performance or at intermission ONLY. Show appreciation by clapping. The actors love to hear applause. This shows how much you enjoyed the performance. Don t leave your seat until the performers have taken their curtain call at the end. When the performance ends, wait patiently to exit. Be polite and attentive. Everyone in the theater is sharing the same experience and space. No taking of pictures or video recording during performance is allowed. TURN OFF ALL cell phones, pagers, beepers, alarms, anything that can disturb the production, actors and the audience members during the performance. 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 4
About the Producer At a Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble performance many audience members are able to sit right on the stage and interact directly with the performers. Fantasy Forum produces four musicals at the Lesher Center for the Arts each year drawing up to 2,700 patrons to each production. The performances are scheduled throughout the day and early evenings on weekends to accommodate patrons bringing families for their first live theatre experience. Many of the shows are also scheduled on Fridays to accommodate school groups. Once upon a time... In May of 1978, Jack Haley, the original Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, came to visit and see the Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble s production of The Wizard of Oz. This was an honor and a privilege to learn from his experience and wisdom. This was the first stage production of The Wizard of Oz that he had ever seen, and his response was one of delight and excitement. He yelled out answers to questions along with the audience; he laughed, applauded and even stood up to become a haunted tree when Glinda, the good witch, asked the children to help create the forest. Many years of Fantasy Forum shows have been presented since 1978 and through lots of encouragement from their supporters and staff, Fantasy Forum has continued to grow. They have watched their audience members grow up, and fondly remember Jack Haley s words, When adults expose their children to quality theatre, such as Fantasy Forum, the children will develop a sense of worth for the arts and themselves. About the Performance Guiding Questions: 1. What is the play about? 2. What is a major theme of the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk? 3. What elements in Jack and the Beanstalk make it a fairy tale? What is the play about? The best way to familiarize students with the story of Jack and the Beanstalk is to read or listen to a version of the story to the students. Fantasy Forum productions are creatively adapted from the traditional story, but the principal ideas remain the same The characters in the musical theatre adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk are Jack a curious boy, his hardworking widow mother, an old cow that they must sell for money, and a giant and his wife in the sky. Jack is a young boy living with his widowed mother. Their only means of income is a cow. When this cow stops giving milk one morning, Jack is sent to the market to sell it. On the way to the market he meets an old man who offers to give him magic beans in exchange for the cow. Jack takes the beans, but when he arrives home without money, his mother becomes furious and throws the beans out the window and sends Jack to bed without supper. As Jack sleeps, the beans grow into a gigantic beanstalk. Jack climbs the beanstalk and arrives in a land high up in the sky where he follows a road to a house, which is the home of a giant. He enters the house and asks the giant s wife for food. She gives him food, but the giant returns and senses that 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 5
a human is nearby. However, Jack is hidden by the giant s wife and overhears the giant counting his money. Jack steals a bag of gold coins as he makes his escape down the beanstalk. Jack repeats his journey up the beanstalk two more times, each time he is helped by the increasingly suspicious wife of the giant and narrowly escapes with one of the giant s treasures. The second time, he steals a hen that lays golden eggs and the third time a magical harp that plays by itself. This time, he is almost caught by the giant who follows him down the beanstalk. Jack calls his mother for an axe and chops the beanstalk down, killing the giant. The end of the story has Jack and his mother living happily ever after with their new riches. What is a major theme in the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk? Jack and the Beanstalk has some controversial themes that are good for discussions with the students. The struggle between what is right and wrong is central to the character Jack. Should Jack steal the items from the giant because they were stolen from others? Do we take things for ourselves if we really need them even if it is wrong? Are we a hero for retrieving stolen goods even if we steal and lie ourselves? Is it good to take revenge by becoming sneaky and stealing? What elements in Jack and the Beanstalk make it a fairy tale? Good character: Jack Villan: The giant Magic: Magic is displayed by the giant who is a magical creature, the magic beans that grow into a beanstalk into the sky, the castle in the clouds, a harp that lays itself and a hen that lays golden eggs. Main task: Jack needs to take back from the giant in the sky what had been stolen from the people. Moral: For this fairy tale, it is open for discussion if there is a lesson to be learned. Some say it may be to never give up and be brave when searching for what you need. Others say there is no moral because Jack is getting rewarded for being sneaky and stealing himself. This is a great point of discussion with your students. Use these sites for easy reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jack_and_the_beanstalk http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/jackbeanstalk/index.html 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 6
About the Art Form Guiding Questions: 1. What elements of this performance will you experience? (play, ballet, musical?) 2. What are some basic terms that used in theater production? 3. What kind of performance will this be? What elements of this performance will you experience? Explain to the students that a theater performance is different from any other multi-media outlet (concerts, movies, band, video games, etc). Below are things to expect while experiencing a LIVE performance. Theater is a live performance with actors performed before a live audience. It can take place in a setting as simple as your school auditorium, or in a space large enough to seat thousands of people. There are different styles of theatre which depend of the time period of the play, or the desire of the director. Jack and the Beanstalk will be set as if you were reading the book, with original costumes as the fairy tale illustrates. Theater has many purposes to entertain, to educate, to affect social change. Generally, there is an underlying conflict that is resolved or illustrated through the play. This allows the audience to relate to a character or group of characters and build a personal experience during the performance. Elements of producing a play can include live actors, dialogue/language, characters, music, dance, singing, lighting, setting, costumes, sound effects, and many different career opportunities for theatrical production. Some examples include: Choreographer: a person who creates dance compositions and plans and arranges dance movements and patterns for dances. Composer: A musician who writes the music for performance. Designers: The artists who create and plan the designs for a production. Director: The person responsible for the interpretive aspects of a stage production; the person who supervises the integration of all the elements, as acting, staging, and lighting. Musical director: The person who is responsible for rehearsal and performance of all music in the play. Playwright: The person who creates (writes) the script for a play or stage production. Producer: The person who provides the general supervision of a production and is responsible for raising money, hiring technicians and artists, etc., required to stage a play. Stage manager: The person in charge of supervising the backstage and cueing all actors and stage crew members. Public relations/business director: The people who advertise and publicize the production and have 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 7
oversight for royalties, press releases, photos, public service announcements, ticket sales, box office management, house management and even ushering. Technicians: Skilled theater artists, working prior to the production to create the sets, costumes, props, special effects, lights, sound, and make up for a production. Stage Crew: Skilled theater technicians who work during the performance to ensure that all elements of the production (lights, sound, costumes, make up, props, and special effects) appear on stage as planned by the director and designers. What are some basic terms that are used in theater production? The following is a list of basic theatrical terms to get your students familiar with what it takes to put on a theatre performance. This may be very helpful in introducing your students to the genre of drama. Act: a major division of a play. Acts may be further divided into scenes; may be used to indicate a change in time or place. Antagonist: the character who provides the obstacle to the protagonist s objective in the play. The antagonist sets the conflict in motion. Audition: the opportunity to read for a part in a play Blocking: determining the basic movements of the actors during a play. Some is provided by the playwright; some develops by actors; but a majority is supplied by director and includes entrances, exits, and crosses House: the seating area of a theatre, but also the audience itself Improvisation: A situation in which the actors are provided with background on the setting and characters and then spontaneously invent dialogue and action. Scene: a division of a play or of an act of a play, usually representing what passes between certain of the actors in one place Seating: orchestra, mezzanine, balcony, box seating, loge Wings: In the Wings is an expression from the theater, referring to the areas on the sides of the stage hidden from the audience. What kind of performance will this be? Discuss with your students the differences of theater production. (play, musical, or ballet) Jack and the Beanstalk is a musical. A musical can convey emotion both through the actors songs, spoken lines, as well as dance. They can use lighting and music to set mood inside the theater for the audience, as the characters go on their journey during the course of the play. Musicals usually have a happy ending, with the main character gaining the reward they were searching for. Play: A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. Musical: A play or movie in which singing and dancing play an essential part. Musicals developed from light opera in the early 20th century. Ballet: An artistic dance form performed to music using precise and highly formalized set steps and gestures. Classical ballet, which originated in Renaissance Italy and established its present form during the 19th century, is characterized by light, graceful, fluid movements and the use of pointe shoes. 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 8
Educational Activities Before the Performance Ideas Discussion Question: Have you ever seen live theatre before? What do you think makes a good performance? Review/Discuss Vocabulary list below. You may also wish to review the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, although it is not necessary in order to understand the play. There are many versions at: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0328jack.html or you can watch an animated flip book at http:// mystorytown.com/castle/jackandthebeanstalk.html. In addition, there is a free audio version at http://storynory.com/2008/07/14/jack-and-the-beanstalk. Familiarize students with what makes a story a fairy tale. In a fairy tale, there is always the main character (typically the good character), the villain, some form of magic, and a task that the main character must accomplish. In addition, there is a moral for the audience to walk away with that is learned through the main character s journey. Discuss with the students if they have ever been in a situation where they could have taken something that belonged to someone else because they wanted it. What if they really needed it, is it right to take it if you know it isn t yours? Is it ok to steal from people who have more than you? This is a central dilemma for our character Jack. Have students seen or read other fairy tales. Many times they have seen Disney films like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, or Cinderella. Discuss with students, what journey did each of these main characters have to take? What was their main problem? What was their solution? What moral or lesson could we learn from them? Jack and the Bean Stalk Vocabulary: axe: a heavy chopping tool with a long handle and sharp blade conflict: to come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; clash fairy tale: a story that includes imaginary beings and magical events giant: a huge, very strong, imaginary creature that looks like a person harp: a triangular instrument that has strings that are plucked to make sound hen: a female bird hero: a person who is admired for great courage plot: Also called storyline. the plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story magical: an item that has to do with magic market: a public place where people buy and sell goods theme: a unifying or dominant idea; a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition widow: a woman whose husband has died 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 9
After the Performance Ideas Discuss your favorite scene from the play. What did you see that would make the play a fairy tale? How did the actors express how they were feeling? Did it make it easy to understand what was happening? Talk about values and behavior of the characters in Jack and the Beanstalk. Here are some sample questions: Who are the villains in the story? Who are the hero-heroines? Why? Is there magic in this story? When does this happen and how? Are there bullies and victims in this story? Who are they? How do they change? Who is kind and generous? Who is mean and selfish? What did they do or say to make you think so? Is there a problem to be solved in the story? What is it and how is it solved or resolved? Are there promises broken in the story? By whom? What are the consequences? Other Activities Ideas Artistic Expression Using visual art supplies (i.e.: feathers, glitter, clay, colored paper, etc). Create a character that you can see coming alive on stage. Create a setting for your own fantasy (template attached). Create a map or diorama of the setting of the performance. Have students draw, paint or color a scene that they liked best. Color a picture of Jack selling Milky White to the Old Man (picture attached) Creative Dramatics Have your students re-enact scenes from the performance. First, have the students discuss specific scenes who were the characters, where did it take place, what happened? Simple masks can be made to represent the various characters. Students can act out or sing their favorite part of the performance. Have students write their own dialogue of a life lesson they learned. Act it out with a partner or group. Creative Writing Write a paragraph on a character from the play using their character traits. (i.e.-not just their physical traits, rather what s on the inside--clever, boastful, caring, hard working, etc.) Write a thank you note to the sponsors and/or the performers (template attached). Write a descriptive paragraph describing Jack s character traits. (template attached). Print out at http://www.schoolexpress.com/fws/cat.php?id=2440 a copy of the play for the students to read and color. Write a letter to your favorite character (template attached). 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 10
Create a Magical Acrostic Poem (template attached). Write your own fantasy setting (template attached). Take a quiz on the main points of the story (sample quizzes are attached) Have students pretend they work for a newspaper and write a review of the performance. 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 11
Dear Diablo Regional Arts Association,, 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 12
Dear (who was your favorite character?), I am (how old are you?) and in the grade at (school name?). I came to see you on stage in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Lesher Theatre on (date)! I thought the musical Jack and the Beanstalk was (how did it make you feel and why?. My favorite part of the play was (what was something that was real to you?). I really liked your character because (what was it that made you like them?). The set looked like (what did you see?). The music sounded like (what did you hear?). Something else that I really loved about the play was. I would like to come back to the Lesher Theatre and see (what is a play that you think is fun?). Love, 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 13
Name: Date: Jack and the Beanstalk Directions: Create your own fantasy setting. Where and when would it take place? Write a few sentences about your unique fantasy. 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 14
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Name: Date: Jack and the Beanstalk Directions: Write a descriptive paragraph about Jack. What are his good character traits? What kind of person is he by what he said and did during the play? Would you consider him a hero? Why or why not? 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 17
Name: Date: Magical Acrostic Poem Directions: Write an acrostic poem about all things magical. Begin each line with a word or phrase that starts with the letter on that line. M agic A G I C A L 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 18
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Additional Resources Websites http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/jackbeanstalk/index.html A website that has an annotated version of Jack and the Beanstalk, history, illustrations, and modern interpretations of the fairy tale. The website also has many examples of storybook versions of the fairy tale that may be in your school library. http://storynory.com/2008/07/14/jack-and-the-beanstalk/ This website has an audio version of Jack and the Beanstalk you can listen to. Books Kellogg, Steven. Jack and the Beanstalk. April 24, 1997. Ottolenghi, Carol. Jack and the Beanstalk. January 1, 2002. Videos http://mystorytown.com/castle/jackandthebeanstalk.html This website has an animated flipbook that tells the story. Jack and the Beanstalk (2000) is a newer cartoon version directed by Martin Gates. Jack and the Beanstalk (2010) is a live action film starring Gilbert Gottfried and Chevy Chase. 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 20
Content Standards California Department of Education Curriculum Development Resources Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. (based on Visual Arts and ELA Grades K-12; Refer to http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/ for specific grade level subsets) The Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools, Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve, represents a strong consensus on the skills, knowledge, and abilities in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts that all students should be able to master at specific grade levels, prekindergarten through grade twelve, in California public schools. DANCE 1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTION Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information through the Language and Skills Unique to Dance 2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION Creating, Performing, and Participating in Dance 3.0 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of Dance 4.0 AESTHETIC VALUING Responding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments about Works of Dance 5.0 CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONS Connecting and Applying What Is Learned in Dance to Learning in Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to Careers MUSIC 1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTION Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information through the Language and Skills Unique to Music 2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION Creating, Performing, and Participating in Music 3.0 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of Music 4.0 AESTHETIC VALUING Responding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments about Works of Music 5.0 CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONS Connecting and Applying What Is Learned in Music to Learning in Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to Careers 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 21
THEATRE 1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTION Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information through the Language and Skills Unique to Theatre 2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION Creating, Performing, and Participating in Theatre 3.0 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of Theatre 4.0 AESTHETIC VALUING Responding to, Analyzing, and Critiquing Theatrical Experiences 5.0 CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONS Connecting and Applying What Is Learned in Theatre, Film/Video, and Electronic Media to Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to Careers VISUAL ARTS 1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTION Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information through the Language and Skills Unique to the Visual Arts 2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Visual Arts 3.0 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of the Visual Arts 4.0 AESTHETIC VALUING Responding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments about Works in the Visual Arts 5.0 CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONS Connecting and Applying What Is Learned in the Visual Arts to Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to Careers The English Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve represents a strong consensus on the skills, knowledge, and abilities that all students should be able to master in language arts at specific grade levels during 13 years in the California public school system. ELA-READING 1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development 2.0 Reading Comprehension 3.0 Literary Response and Analysis ELA-WRITING 1.0 Writing Strategies 2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics) 1601 Civic Drive Walnut Creek CA 94596 925.295.1470 www.draa.org P. 22