Aquila Theatre’s Welcome! We are so excited that you are able to Tuesday, November 7th, 2017 join us for the 2017-18 Bemis Education 9:30 AM Series. Throughout this season we will Approx run time: 2 Hours 15 celebrate and recognize generations who Minutes have paved the way and those yet to Grades: 8-12 come. Join us as we explore the cultures, experiences and memories that have influenced and shaped us as individuals. With each unique performance we will learn, live and hope while we grow together through the performing arts.

INSIDE THIS GUIDE We look forward to telling each unique Welcome 3 story and providing a platform for expression through the arts. From lesson Standards 4 ideas and professional development About 5 workshops to backstage tours, the Bemis Lesson Plans 6 Education Series allows us to partner Discover the Arts 12 with you to provide students with In the Spotlight 9 exciting educational opportunities! Resource Room 16 For questions contact the education sales department (920) 730-3726 or [email protected].

Community Partners Series Partner With additional support from WELCOME TO THE FOX CITIES P.A.C. We are in need of an audience – are you up for the part?

THEATER ETIQUETTE •When entering the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, remember to show respect for others by waiting your turn and speaking quietly.

•Remember that during the performance the live performers can see and hear you. Even the smallest sounds can be heard throughout the theater, so it is best to remain quiet so everyone can enjoy the performance.

•Applause is the best way to express how much you enjoyed the performance! This study guide was created for you by the Education Team •Important things to remember: as a part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage Education •Student backpacks, gum, drinks and program. To download copies of this study guide or to find food are not allowed in the theater. additional resources for this performance or view past study •Cell phones should be turned off and guides please visit: www.foxcitiespac.com. stowed. •Note that recording or taking photos Questions about your show reservation? Contact our in the theater is strictly prohibited; education sales team at [email protected] however, photos may be taken in the or call (920) 730-3726. lobby. •It’s a long way down – please do not ENJOY THE SHOW! drop items off balconies.

INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS DID YOU KNOW? Be prepared to arrive early – You should plan on arriving to the •The Fox Cities PAC has over 148 Center 30 minutes before the show. Allow for travel time, miles of electrical wiring. That’s parking and trips to the restroom. enough wiring to go back and forth from Green Bay 3 times. Know your needs – To best serve the needs of you and your students, please indicate in advance if you have individuals •The Thrivent Financial Hall is 5,000 who require special services or seating needs upon making square feet, bigger than any stage in your reservation. ’s historic Broadway district. Seating – Seating is based on a number of factors including when the reservation is made, size of group, students’ ages •The glass chandelier in Thrivent and any special seating needs. Financial Hall is powered by 400 35- watt light bulbs. WISCONSIN ACADEMIC STANDARDS To assist you in your planning the Wisconsin Academic Standards that are most likely to connect with this performance are listed below.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS READING/LITERATURE: Students in Wisconsin will read and respond to a wide range of writing to build an understanding of written materials, of themselves, and of others.

ORAL LANGUAGE: Students in Wisconsin will listen to understand and will speak clearly and effectively for diverse purposes.

LANGUAGE: Students in Wisconsin will apply their knowledge of nature, grammar and variations of American English.

SOCIAL STUDIES HISTORY: Students in Wisconsin will learn about the history of Wisconsin, the United States, and the world, examining change and continuity over time in order to develop historical perspective, explain historical relationships, and analyze issues that affect the present and the future.

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND CITIZENSHIP: Students in Wisconsin will learn about political science and acquire the knowledge of political systems necessary for developing individual civic responsibility by studying the history and contemporary uses of power, authority, and governance.

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES: Students in Wisconsin will learn about the behavioral sciences by exploring concepts from discipline of sociology, the study of interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions; the discipline of psychology, the study of factors that influence individual identity and learning; and the discipline of anthropology, the study of cultures in various times and settings.

THEATER PLAY READING AND ANALYSIS: Students in Wisconsin will attend live theater and read plays, be able to analyze and evaluate the play and articulate (create meaning from) the play’s message for individuals and society.

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS: Students in Wisconsin will research and analyze methods of presentation and audience response for theater, the interconnections of theater, community, other cultures and historical periods for use as general knowledge.

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 ABOUT THE COMPANY PRAISE FOR Founded in 1991, Aquila Theatre Company is renown as one of the AQUILA foremost national and international classical theatre companies in the United States. Their mission is to bring the greatest works to the greatest THEATRE number- enabling audiences to passionately engage with quality classical drama at an affordable price. Aquila endeavors to create bold Aquila “makes reinterpretations of classical plays for contemporary audiences that free Shakespeare the spirit of original work and recreate the excitement of live performance. perfectly Celebrating over 25 years, Aquila reaches 50-60 cities annually, as well as comprehensible.” offering workshops and educational programming in New York City. They - New York Times are funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for Humanities, New York State of Councils for the Arts and Humanities, Aquila Theatre’s and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Productions are “beautifully spoken, dramatically ABRIDGED SYNOPSIS revealing and Hamlet the Prince of Denmark, begins with the arrival of the ghost of crystalline in effect.” Hamlet’s father, former King of Denmark. The ghost tells Hamlet he was -New Yorker murdered by Claudius, his brother and current King of Denmark. Hamlet vows to avenge his father. He begins to feign madness, creating tension “Sanchez (director) with his mother , betrothed , and creating anxieties in the is wildly inventive, court. Hamlet beckons traveling players to perform a show that reenacts and the production his father’s murder, Claudius storms out. Hamlet then confronts his mother choices made were in her chamber, and in a moment of rage, unknowingly kills Polonious, carried out Ophelia’s father and Claudius’ advisor. Claudius orders Rosencrantz and beautifully” Guildenstern to escort Hamlet to England, with a letter ordering Hamlet’s - DC Metro execution. Overcome with madness, Ophelia drowns. The ship is overtaken by pirates, and Hamlet returns to Denmark. , brother of and son of Ophelia, is convinced by Claudius to duel Hamlet to avenge his family. The duel goes awry, Claudius’ guilt is revealed, as Claudius, Hamlet, Laertes, and Gertrude die.

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 LESSON ONE: I Get Where You’re Coming From DID YOU KNOW? OBJECTIVE: Students will explore differing characters, perspectives and conflict as Beyond his plays and sonnets, they relate to the action of Hamlet. Shakespeare was also an inventor. Shakespeare added Materials over 1,700 words we use to Four Humors Worksheet the common vocabulary. Here are a few of those words and Opening Discussion the works where they Throughout stage and film, audiences relate to characters’ motivations appeared first. and actions. Similar to ourselves, characters on stage set out with the • Accused (Richard II) • Addiction (Henry V) best intentions, but situations and emotions knock them off balance and • Advertising (Measure for in tragedies like Hamlet, have fatal consequences. We trace back the Measure) story in an attempt to answer “Where did it all go wrong?” Where was • Amazement (King John) the balance lost, and how could it have been restored? How can we, as • Arouse (Henry VI Part II) people, apply these lessons in our own day to day lives? • Assassination () • Barefaced (Hamlet) Warm Up • Blushing (Henry VI Part III) • Buzzer (Hamlet) Share a relatable story with students about differing perspectives, and • Champion (Macbeth) lead them through considering both sides. For example, Sam just moved • Compromise (Merchant of into a duplex- Mark lives on the other side. Sam, works early in the Venice) morning while Mark works later in the afternoon. The walls of the duplex • Courtship (Love’s Labour’s are very thin. Mark is in a band, and late night rehearsals are keeping Sam Lost) up at night. It’s becoming increasingly hard for Sam to focus at work, and • Dauntless (Henry VI Part III) his boss is starting to notice. What should Sam do? Is Mark at fault? • Deafening (Henry VI Part III) • Discontent () • Dishearten (Henry V) Activity • Dwindle (Henry IV Part I) • Divide students up into four equal groups, assigning each group one of • Fashionable (Troilus and the four major characters: Claudius, Hamlet, Ophelia or Gertrude. Cressida) • Hand out the Four Humors worksheet and ask students to identify the • Hobnob () humor-mix of their character at the beginning of the play. • Lackluster () • Have each of the groups discuss how their character’s humors have • Lustrous (Twelfth Night) • Madcap (Love’s Labour’s Lost) changed during the following points in the play. Instruct them to • Majestic () provide evidence for their choices with text from the show. • Metamorphize (Two • Act 2 Scene 2- Hamlet has seen the Ghost, Claudius and Gentlemen of Verona) Gertrude have taken note of Hamlet’s disposition. • Mountaineer (Cymbeline) • End of Act 3- Polonius is slain. • Ode (Love’s Labour’s Lost) • End of Act 4- Laertes has returned, Hamlet is returning to • Premeditated (Henry VI Part I) Denmark, Ophelia has died. • Puking (As You Like It) • Radiance (All’s Well that Ends • End of Show. Well) • As a class, brainstorm and record conflicts and situations from the text they can relate to and write them on the board. Have students select one of the ideas and journal about it from their character’s perspective. Select a few students to share with the class.

Closing Discussion What was it like to write from your character’s point of view? Could you relate? What is your balance of the four humors? Although medicine has evolved, is there any part of the humors that remains relevant?

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 Handout: The Four Humors Ancient Greek philosopher and physician Hippocrates first introduced the system of the four humors that are referenced throughout Shakespeare’s work. According to the theory, each person is born with a particular balance of the four humors- yellow bile, black bile, blood and phlegm. A person’s balance determines their temperament. The balance of the humors changes constantly, often relating to the seasons. Prolonged illness, both mental and physical, were attributed to imbalance in the humors.

Blood- Sanguine Black Bile- Melancholy • Element: Air • Element: Earth • Qualities: Hot and Moist • Qualities: Cold and Dry • Body Organ: Heart • Body Organ: Liver • Period of Life: Childhood • Period of Life: Maturity People thought to have a sanguine People thought to have a temperament are balanced, melancholic temperament have patient, active, and able to judge tempered enthusiasm, maintaining people and situations well. They a grounded perspective with an are well equipped to contain their ability to empathize with others. In own shifts in mood, as well as the times of general balance, shifts of others. Excess blood was melancholy is mild- like a fit of the associated with a general blues. Excess black bile is insensitivity to the fate of others. associated with depression and a generally withdrawn attitude.

Yellow Bile- Choler Phlegm- Phlegmatic • Element: Fire • Element: Water • Qualities: Hot and Dry • Qualities: Cold and Moist • Body Organ: Spleen • Body Organ: Liver • Period of Life: Youth • Period of Life: Old Age People thought to have a choler People with an excess of phlegm temperament are reactive and were known for a certain slowness, quick tempered. They are known sleepiness or lack of drive. As a for making decisions quickly and benefit, phlegm brings about a well, preferring action over sense of calm, stablility and contemplation. Surplus yellow bile serenity, as well as a capacity for could become “burnt” becoming prolonged concentrations and melancholic. Negative reactivity appropriate judgements. could become directed at the wrong elements.

Source: http://www.passionsandtempers.com/v1/page.php?l=en&p=humours

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 LESSON TWO: Getting Visual- To Be or Not To Be Objective: Students will discover the importance of language and imagery through utilizing a visual thesaurus to translate Hamlet’s infamous soliloquy.

OPENING DISCUSSION While you may not know it, we all see symbolism every day through our use of emojis to communicate. Singular images have come to represent multiple meanings. For example, think about the last three people you’ve sent a heart emoji to- the heart emoji has multiple meanings dependent on context. Shakespeare was the master of double meanings, often using language for comedic effect, or to delve deeper into the human psyche. Essential to discovering the power of Shakespeare is deciphering this use of language. Soliloquy: an act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by one’s self or regardless of hearers. MATERIALS Soliloquy Handout Writing Utensils Computer

WARM UP • Write on the board “To be or not to be” on the board. Have students take a few minutes to write a few ideas or reactions about what this phrase means to them. Select a few students to share their reflections- emphasize that there are no wrong answers. • Before handing out the soliloquy handout, read or select a student to read Hamlet’s soliloquy aloud. Have students listen and make note of words or images that resonant with them. Select a few students to share one or two of their ideas.

ACTIVITY • Present the online visual thesaurus (www.visualthesaurus.com). Look up a few words not used in the soliloquy. • Divide the class into groups of four or five students, and have them share their resonant words or ideas from the warm up with one another. • Assign each group a portion of the soliloquy, and have them read their portion out loud. As a group, have them select several words they feel are important to the portion they’ve been assigned. • As a group, have them create a visual thesaurus or bubble map for each word they’ve selected. Encourage students to free associate both literal and metaphorical meanings (ex: for the word slings a map may include weapon, danger, rope, tension, pain). DID YOU KNOW? In Elizabethan times, women were not allowed to perform in plays. The profession of an actor was not deemed a credible profession, or appropriate for a lady. Instead, Shakespeare’s women were played by high-pitched, teenage boys. It wasn’t until the mid 1600’s, nearly 40 years after his death that women began to play these roles. Aristocratic women began playing these roles in private performances as a recreational hobby. Boys, ages 13-19, would be featured in elaborately layered costumes to reflect the dress of the day.

Costumes included heavy makeup that contained poisonous lead-based ingredients- often leaving the www.theshakespeareblog.com boys ill. These players were often apprentices, tied to one of the established players in the company.

Apprentice wages would go to their mentors in exchange for room and board. Source:

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 ACTIVITY (cont.) • Once their visual thesaurus are complete, have a different student in the group reread the section aloud. Have each student pick one or two words from the visual thesaurus to be a part of their own translation. • Sort students into new groups so that each group has a student representative from each section of the soliloquy. Have students read their portion, as well as share the words they picked, and associated definitions/meanings. Have students take notes in their own translation column of resonant ideas or words in sections other than their assigned text. • Gather as a class and have students share parts of their translations. Discuss how the complete soliloquy developed. Were there ideas that were repeated? Ideas that grew, while others that didn’t continue? How is the character Hamlet different from the beginning of the soliloquy?

CLOSING DISCUSSION Refer back to your initial idea of the meaning of “to be or not to be.” How has its meaning changed through this exercise? Do you think Shakespeare used Hamlet’s soliloquy to convey a specific meaning, or create more questions? What are the common phrases we use every day that have multiple meanings? How do we distinguish what we actually mean?

(Adapted from https://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/lessons/to-be-or-not-to-be-and-the-vt)

In 1954, Joseph Papp founded the New York Shakespeare Festival. Eight years later, the festival took residence at the Delacore Theatre in , where it continues performances today. In 1967, the company transferred to a second home in the Astor Library in the East Village. Its five stages present works ranging from classical, to new playwrights, establishing The Public Theatre as a pioneer in non- profit theatre. Shakespeare in the Park has presented famous actors such as , , , Jonathan Groff, , Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams. In spring of 2015, The Public was home to the Off-Broadway production of Hamilton.

Joseph Papp was born in to immigrant parents, Shmuel and Yetta. Following high school, he joined the US navy during World War Two. Following the war, he studied and became managing director at the Actor’s Lab of Los Angeles before moving to New York City. His work is known for engaging in contemporary social issues and non-traditional casting. Many of his works have gone on to have Broadway and touring productions, as well as film adaptations. Joseph Papp died of cancer in October of 1991.

Find out more about the Joseph Papp and the Public at www.thepublictheatre.org 9 https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/theater http://spoiled.nyc/how-to-get-free-tickets-shakespeare-in-the-park-nyc/ Handout: To Be or Not To Be

Original Text My Translation To be, or not to be- that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer 1750 The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep- No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks 1755 That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep.- To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub! For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, 1760 Must give us pause. There's the respect That makes calamity of so long life. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay, 1765 The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, 1770 But that the dread of something after death The undiscover'd country, from whose bourn No traveller returns- puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? 1775 Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry 1780 And lose the name of action.- Soft you now! The fair Ophelia!- Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins rememb'red.

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 LESSON THREE: Understanding Character Relationships OBJECTIVE: Enhance students’ understanding of Hamlet through creating a visual character map.

MATERIALS: • 11X17 Sheets of paper (2 per Student) • Pens, pencils, markers of different colors • List of characters from Hamlet

OPENING DISCUSSION Just like ourselves, fictional characters have many different kinds of relationships- from stranger, to close friend, to family. While these different kinds of relationships have certain similarities, how we connect to another person is unique, depending on the history and level of trust with that person. Through applying the same idea to the , we gain a greater understanding of each scene, as well as how these relationships grow and change.

WARM UP • As a class, brainstorm and record on the board different kinds of relationships (i.e. mother, father, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends etc.) • Ask the students • What are some of the similarities and differences between each kind of relationship? • What role does trust play in these relationships? How is trust built? What are some dangers to trust? • How do these relationships change over time? • What are other factors that impact relationships? • When a major event or big news happens, who do you share it with and why? • Who do you go to when you have to make a big decision?

ACTIVITY • Distribute the first 11 X 17 sheet of paper. In one color, have students write their name in the middle. In the same color, have students list the names of three people they consider closest to them. This is their “inner circle”, or those they trust the most. These would be best friends and closest family members. • Beyond their inner circle, have students list 5-7 people they consider next closest to them. This is their “secondary circle.” It could include friends, close teachers and relatives. • Beyond the secondary circle, have students list another 10-12 people they know. This is their “tertiary circle“. It could include classmates, distant relatives and teachers. • In additional colors, using solid lines, have students connect how they know each person. They should also create a key to keep track of their color code. (I.E. yellow might be family members, blue might be friends, red might be romantic relationships.) • Using the same color code, instruct students to connect the names listed to one another. (i.e. friends that know each other.)

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 • Distribute the second 11X17 sheet of paper, and repeat the process above. Place Hamlet’s name in the middle, and continue until all the characters have been added. Repeat the process of connecting relationships with varying colors and styles of lines. • HINT: Many roles are listed on the dramatis personae list based on order of importance- which could help students decide which circle to place characters in.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY • Have students keep their character maps handy whenever reading the play. By rotating the character map to centralize different characters, they gain insights in different character’s perspectives. How do the relationships change throughout the play?

CLOSING DISCUSSION Just like ourselves, character’s relationships grow and change over time. When watching or reading Hamlet, what major events impact Hamlet’s relationships and how? Who does Hamlet trust and why?

The job of a set designer is to create the physical set and props presented in a theatrical production. Often working early in the creative process, the set designer works in close collaboration with producers and directors to suggest not only location and time period, but also the style and tone for the whole production. Additionally, designers consider backstage areas for actors and mobile set storage when creating their design. One of the foremost concerns is seating arrangement, or where the audience is in relation to the actors.

A common seating arrangement used in today’s theater productions is the proscenium arch, where the audience is seated on one side, opposite the stage. Many plays are designed using realism- where locations are literally represented with props and furniture. In between scenes, large sets and backdrops are switched to convey different places. For example, a living room would have a rug, coffee table, chairs, etc.

More common to the Elizabethan era was the thrust seating arrangement, where actors were surrounded on three sides. Playwrights wrote plays that were flexible, leaving audiences to imagine scenic surroundings. Frequently, dialogue from the script indicated important information like location and time of day. Best described as minimalism, it’s using the simplest means to convey a location. For example, a banquet scene might not have a large dining table, but instead every character might carry in a wine goblet or silverware. This also made traveling productions much easier, as props and set pieces could Fun Fact! often be carried Many Set Designers in a manageable create ¼ or ½ inch trunk. scaled models of their design. Human figures are 1.5” tall!

Source www.aact.org/set-designer, http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/blog/shakespeare-elizabethan-stage-sets/ Photo http://www.wsd2013.com/morgan-large/

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 LESSON FOUR: PAGE TO STAGE Objective: Students will gain a basic understanding of acting, scene work and deciphering the text through analyzing and presenting mini-scenes.

MATERIALS • 3 Copies of Brief Scenes of “Hamlet” (Suggested Scenes Act 1 Sc 2 Lines 160-End, Act 1 Sc 5 Lines 1- 40, Act 1 Sc 5 Lines 113-166, Act 2 Sc 2 Lines 173-218, Act 3 Sc 1 Lines 92-149, Act 3 Sc 4 Lines 1-32, Lines 89-157, Act 4 Sc 2 Lines 18-55, Act 4 Sc 7 Lines 44-141, Act 5 Sc 1 Lines 1-51, Act 5 Sc 2 Lines 1- 85) Note: Shorter scenes work better, as students will become more comfortable with less lines. • Writing implements • Props (optional)

OPENING DISCUSSION What do you think goes into creating a production for stage? Directors, actors, designers and technicians all collaborate to create the final product, such as Aquila Theatre’s production of Hamlet. Similar to other literature, scripts beckon interpretation and through the collaboration process, creative teams make important decisions regarding character, action and story. While interpretations are rarely right or wrong, productions are frequently evaluated for consistency between characters, scenes, and even lines. A vital springboard for each production is the script.

WARM UP • Blocking is the physical script- or the movement of actors, as developed between themselves and the director to go along with the text of the play. Sometimes it’s used to create literal action- i.e. a fight. It can also be used more metaphorically, to convey relationships, ideas or locations. • DEMONSTRATE: Briefly leave the classroom, and walk back in, saying a typical phrase you use to begin every class. Explain that this is an example of literal blocking “TEACHER enters doorway.” Next, repeat the same actions quickly, careful to not make a sound, whispering the same phrase, and carefully closing the door behind you. This same blocking now conveys a sense of threat or danger. For a third and final time, repeat the same phrase, this time walking up to a particular student’s desk. These same actions have now created a new relationship- emphasizing a particular student. • Watch the following clips of the same scene- Act 1 Scene 1. Tell students pay particular attention to the blocking, and other similarities and differences between the scenes. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-QvTxMHTcY (Kenneth Branagh) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-NLnsq3P7Y&list=PL8653490E2C680C5C (David Tennant) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX0QiTYzmq4 (High School Project) • Discuss the a few of the following prompt questions. • How did each interpretation treat the ghost? • How did each character relate to one another? • Describe the level of danger in each scene. Did it seem appropriate? • How did each character physically enter the scene? What did that tell you about that character? ACTIVITY • Divide the class into groups of three (or one additional student plus the number of characters in the selected scene). Have each student select a role, one role being the director of the scene.

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 ACTIVITY (cont.)

• First read through: Have students read through the scene aloud in their groups once at their desks. During the first read through, the director is responsible for coming up with questions and topics to lead the discussion with their actors.

• Sample Director Questions: • What events are most important in this scene? • Describe the relationship between characters before the scene starts? How does it change within the scene? • What brings them into the scene? What do they want from the other characters? • What’s the location of the scene? Is it public or private? Can other people hear them? Does that affect what is being said? How? • Second read through: Shakespeare used syllables, punctuation and dialogue very carefully- often times to indicate a change in idea. While still seated, have character students read through again but also clap at the end of their lines- as though passing “the clap” or energy back and forth. The Director is responsible for clapping any punctuation within each character’s lines. • Have each group discuss: How was the second read through different than the first? • On Your Feet-Advance/Retreat: Have student actors stand face to face, a few feet apart. Reading the dialogue again have students take steps forwards or backwards as they are lead by the text. Encourage them to follow their impulses! • Additionally, they can turn and face a different direction whenever there is a new idea, or if they are ignoring a character. Note: This exercise isn’t supposed to be resemble realistic blocking. The director should observe and take note of their actors’ impulses. • Blocking the Scene: The director should now set the location for their actors- choosing things like where the doors are, or setting a chair if needed. Additionally, the director should give a few realistic blocking directions to build the scene. As time allows, have students continue to rehearse and build their scene. • Have students present their scenes to their classmates. Following each presentation, ask a few observing audience members, What happened in the scene? What did they find most memorable about each character? Then ask student-directors about their choices.

CLOSING DISCUSSION An engaging aspect of English and literature is its interpretation. What were some similarities and differences between the scenes you saw? Which of your classmates scenes resonated with you? In your own scene, how did your own interpretation change? What was it like to collaborate with your group members?

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 Don’t let this experience end with the drop of the curtain. Keep the conversation going with your students and reflect on the performance that you just attended. Here are a few questions to get the conversation started!

• What do you think the key take home message was from this performance?

•What was your part of the performance?

•Which moment do you remember most from the performance? What was happening?

•What did you think of the language? How much did you understand? What scene or section that was clearest?

•What were some similarities between Shakespeare’s characters and people from your own life?

•How many different days elapsed over the course of the play? How many different locations did we go to? How could you tell?

•What do you remember about the lights and sound effects? What did they mean to you?

•Hamlet is viewed as one of the greatest pieces of literature- particularly for how it answers the question “What makes us human?” How do you think the production answered this question?

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 BOOKS “Teaching Shakespeare with Purpose: A Student Centered Approach” by Ayanna Thompson & Laura Turchi

“Creative Shakespeare: The Globe Education Guide to Practical Shakespeare (Arden Shakespeare)” by Fiona Banks

“Magna Shakespeare: Hamlet” by and Emma Vieceli

VIDEOS Hamlet- The Prince of Denmark - Unabridged: 1996 film directed by Kenneth Brannagh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbcfaZX7qgY

Hamlet- The Prince of Denmark- Unabridged: 2009 BBC Production, featuring David Tenant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-NLnsq3P7Y&list=PL8653490E2C680C5C

Hamlet- Abridged: 8 Minute Summary of Hamlet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0CqUTmwKiM

WEBSITES No Fear Shakespeare – Sparknotes online Shakespeare materials, including the original and modern translated scripts of Hamlet, as well as study guides, character analysis, plot summaries, and videos. http://nfs.sparknotes.com/hamlet/

The Globe– The Globe’s educational resource site, including fact sheets, images, teachers guides, and videos on Hamlet, the Globe, and Shakespeare’s life and times. http://teach.shakespearesglobe.com/library

Facebook Hamlet- An adaptation of Hamlet told through Facebook Statuses. https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hamlet-facebook-news-feed-edition

This educator resource guide is created as part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage Education Program.

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726 THANK YOU TO OUR SERIES PARTNERS FOR MAKING THIS PERFORMANCE POSSIBLE!

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