First Folio Teacher Curriculum Guide The Beaux’ Stratagem by George Farquhar adapted by Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig directed by Michael Kahn November 7— December 31, 2006 First Folio Teacher Curriculum Guide Table of Contents Page Number Welcome to the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s productionproduction of An EnemyofThe ofBeaux’ the PeopleStratagemby Henrikby George Ibsen! Farquhar, adapted by A Brief History of the Audience……………………..1 Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig! Each season, the Shakespeare Theatre Company Eachpresents season, five theplays Shakespeare by William Theatre Shakespeare Company and About the Playwright otherpresents classicfive plays playwrights. by William ShakespeareThe goal andof all Farquhar’s Biography………………………………….…3 Educationother classic Department playwrights. Programs The is to goaldeepen of all Biographies of the Adapters…... ……………………4 Educationunderstanding, Department appreciation Programs and connectionis to deepen to The End of an Era—Restoration Comedy……..5 understanding,classic theatre appreciationin learners and ofconnection all ages. to One On the Adaptation………………………………………….8 approachclassic theatre is thein publicationlearners ofFirst of all Folio:ages. One Writing and Rewriting—The Road to approachTeacher Curriculum is the publication Guides. ofFirst Folio: Teacher Adaptation……………………………………………………..10 Curriculum Guides. 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The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Education • After the Performance………………………………15 DepartmentThe Shakespeare provides Theatre Company’san array Education of School, Happily Ever After? Community,Department Trainingprovides and Audiencean array Enrichment of School, Lady Bountiful’s Medicine Cabinet programs.Community, TrainingA full listing and Audienceof our programs Enrichment is Inn vs. House programs. A full listing of our programs is Do the Ends Sometimes Justify the Means? available on our website at Formula for Comedy www.ShakespeareTheatre.orgavailable on our websiteor inat our EducationShakespeareTheatre.org Programs Brochure. or inIf youour would Education like morePrograms information brochure. on how If youyou can would participate like inmore Suggested Reading otherinformation Shakespeare on how Theatre you can Company participate programs, in other The Beaux’ Stratagem Resource List…….…….16 pleaseShakespeare call Theatrethe EducationCompany programs,Hotline at 202.547.5688.please call the Education Hotline at 202.547.5688. Enjoy the show! Enjoy the show! A Brief History of the Audience I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged. — Peter Brook, The Empty Space The nature of the audience has changed throughout history, evolving from a participatory crowd to a group of people sitting behind an imaginary line, silently observing the performers. The audience is continually growing and changing. There has always been a need for human beings to communicate their wants, needs, perceptions and disagreements to others. This need to communicate is the foundation of art and the foundation of theatre’s relationship to its audience. In the Beginning with what the Christians called “morally inappropriate” Theatre began as ritual, with tribal dances and festivals dancing mimes, violent spectator sports such as gladiator celebrating the harvest, marriages, gods, war and basically fights, and the public executions for which the Romans any other event that warranted a party. People all over the were famous. The Romans loved violence and the world congregated in villages. It was a participatory kind of audience was a lively crowd. Because theatre was free, it theatre; the performers would be joined by the villagers, was enjoyed by people of every social class. They were resting on the belief that villagers’ lives depended on a vocal, enjoyed hissing bad actors off the stage, and loved successful celebration— the harvest had to be plentiful or to watch criminals meet large ferocious animals, and; soon the battle victorious, or simply to be in good graces with after, enjoyed watching those same criminals meet their their god or gods. Sometimes these festivals would last for death. days, and the village proved tireless in their ability to celebrate. Many of these types of festivals survive today in The Far East the folk history of areas such as Scandinavia, Asia, Greece In Asia, theatre developed in much the same way it has and other countries throughout Europe. elsewhere, through agricultural festivals and religious worship. The Chinese and Japanese audiences have It’s Greek to Me always been tireless, mainly because their theatre forms, The first recorded plays come from the Greeks (fourth and such as the Japanese “Kabuki” and “Noh” plays and fifth centuries B.C.E.). Their form of theatre began in much Chinese operas, could last anywhere between a full day, if the same way as previous forms did. It stemmed from the not three days, beginning between six to nine in the celebration of the wine harvest and the gods who brought morning! In China, the audience was separated; the higher citizens a fruitful harvest— specifically Dionysus, the god of classes sat closer to the action of the play, and the lower wine. Spectators had a great deal of respect for their gods, classes, generally a louder, more talkative bunch, would be and thousands would flock to the theatre to experience a placed in stalls at the back. The audience expected a full day of celebration. The day of drama and song made superior performance, and if it lacked in any way, the for a lively crowd. Staff•bearers patrolled the aisles to keep audience could stop the production and insist on a different the rowdies under control. While theatre was free, your presentation. In Japan, theatre began with all•day rice seat was determined by your station in life. The rich had festivals and temple plays sponsored by priests. These cushioned seats at the front, while the peasants, artisans evolved into “street performances” where the performers and women were forced to take seats at the back. In the led the audience on a trip through the village. In theatre later years, after a full day of drink, Greek audiences were houses, the upper classes sat in constructed boxes, and not above showing disapproval at a less•than•spectacular women in disguise (it was not considered proper for a performance. Stones were thrown, as well as other sloppy respectable woman to be seen at the theatre) and lower objects, hissing was popular, and loud groanings ofclasses would stand below with the “inspector” standing on discontent could usher any actor into early retirement. a high platform in the middle, keeping a strict eye on everyone. The Romans, or the inspiration for Gladiator A Couple of Hundred Years Without Art The Romans took the idea of “spectator” an inch or so Tolerance takes a holiday during the period of European further. Their theatre (first through third centuries B.C.E.) history known as the Dark Ages. During this time period developed in much the same way as the Greeks— with culture of all kind goes on hiatus— most especially that comedy, tragedy and festivals— but unfortunately ended frivolous, godless display of lewd and licentious behavior 1 known as theatre. Fortunately it reemerges with someof the very wealthy and often performed plays exclusively severe restrictions during the Middle Ages. in the salons of the rich, famous and powerful. A few hundred years later, Opera composer Richard Wagner Pageant Wagons figured out that to focus the audience’s attention away from Western theatre further develops from the Greek andthemselves and onto the stage, the lights needed to be Roman traditions through the Middle Ages with “Mystery off— forcing the audience to watch the performance. Since Plays” sponsored by the church. Organized theatre was that time, the audience has taken its cue that the frowned upon, as it was a place for congregation of the