Activity Packet for Students

Thanks to CIRCA’ 21 Dinner Playhouse for use of this study guide. About The Show

‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS Author KEN LUDWIG

“‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” BUT WAIT! A mouse is stirring- because Santa missed his house last year. Before you can say “Merry Christmas”, we’re off on a wild adventure to the North Pole with a mouse, an elf, and a spunky little girl who just won’t take no for an answer.

MEET THE AUTHOR KEN LUDWIG is an internationally-acclaimed playwright whose work has been performed in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages. He has had 6 shows on Broadway and 6 in the West End. He has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Awards, the Edgar Award, the SETC Distinguished Career Award, and the Edwin Forrest Award for Services to the Theatre. His first play on Broadway, , which the New York Times called "one of the two great farces by a living writer," won three and was nominated for nine. His other best-known Broadway and West End shows include (5 years on Broadway, Tony and Olivier Award Winner for Best Musical), , Leading Ladies, , The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Game’s Afoot, The Fox on the Fairway, Midsummer/Jersey, The Three Musketeers, Treasure Island and The Beaux’ Stratagem. His book How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare was published in June 2013 by Random House, and his work has been published by the Yale Review. He is a McCarter Theatre/Sallie B. Goodman Fellow, and he has degrees from Harvard, where he studied music with Leonard Bernstein, and Cambridge University. For more information, please visit www.kenludwig.com BEFORE THE SHOW

1. Read “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas” to the class. 2. Have a brief discussion about the differences between reading a story and seeing a live play. The stage version of the story will be different, but all the themes and major events will stay the same. a. Has anyone seen a play or musical before? What do you think makes a good performance? b. Discuss expectations and theatre etiquette. Sheet attached.

3. What Is A Poem? a. Ask the class if they know what a poem is and if they can give any examples of other books that are told in poem form. Explain rhyming and how it can be used. Can your pupils give you any examples of rhymes – either identifying a poem that has a rhyme scheme, or offering words that rhyme? b. Rhyme-Time Worksheet (attached) c. For older children you can expand upon the different types of poetry.

4. Set Design! a. One of the scenes in the show takes place at Santa’s Workshop. Use the attached worksheet to design what you think Santa’s Workshop would like. AFTER THE SHOW

1. Discuss What You’ve Seen As soon as possible after the performance, engage your class in a discussion about the show. Who were their favorite characters and why? What were their favorite parts in the show?

2. Dream It, Believe It a. Young Emily went on the trip of a lifetime- she got to visit the North Pole! What do you think the North Pole looks like? Use the attached writing sheet and don’t forget to be as descriptive as possible. Think about painting a picture with words. Is there snow? Does the snow sparkle? Are there animals? What kind, and describe their fur and coloring.

3. Themed Activity on Courage a. Sheet Attached

4. ELVES! a. Review as a group the attached elf history worksheet. b. Have the children (in teams or individually) create their own elf. The elf will need a name, a job, and personality traits. Have them sketch a picture of what their elf would look like. THEATRE ETIQUETTE GUIDELINES * Once inside the theatre, please turn off all cell phones, beepers, video games, and alarms. These sounds could disrupt your neighbors and the actors on stage.

* No outside food or drinks are allowed in the theatre.

* Once the show has begun, please keep your focus on the stage and do not talk to your neighbors. Unlike a television show or movie, the actors on stage can hear you!

* Let yourself be part of the magic! Even though you shouldn’t discuss the show with your neighbors during the performance, please feel free to have fun! You can laugh if you see something that’s funny, or even cry if you see something that’s sad. You can also clap with the music, or even sing along if you know the words!

* At the end of the show, please show the actors your appreciation for performing for you by cheers and applause. Remember, the actors on stage can hear you, and they love having your support and encouragement.

* Pay attention to the show’s message or themes. Ask yourself how they relate to your life.

* If you had a good time, share your theatre experience with a parent or friend!

ELF-HISTORY

History of Elves (from www.the holidayspot.com)

Elves are known to be tiny, dwarf-like creatures, either male or female, with pointed ears. They are youthful but immortal and have magical powers that can control what you see and experience. Their homes are said to be underground, in forests, or in springs and wells, but no one really knows about it because they keep their location a secret!

Some people say that Santa employs six elves, while others think that he has nine elf assistants. Others think that there are as many as 13 elves living with Santa to help him. Elves are the children of Gryla and Leppaludi and are very clever. They help Santa to design toys and process requests of children that are sent to them through snail mail or emails.

The popular Western names of the Christmas elves helping Santa Claus are:

1. Alabaster Snowball (Administrator of the Naughty & Nice list).

2. Bushy Evergreen (Inventor of the magic toy-making machine).

3. Pepper Minstix (Guardian of the secret of where Santa's village is located).

4. Shinny Upatree (The oldest friend of Santa and the cofounder of the secret village in Lapland).

5. Sugarplum Mary (Head of the Sweat Treats, she is also known as Mary Christmas. She is an assistant to Mrs. Claus and helps her in the kitchen).

6. Wunorse Openslae (Designer of Santa's sleigh and responsible for its maintenance. He also looks after the reindeers and it is believed that his reindeers reach speeds faster than Christmas tree lights).