Study Guide for Educators

PRESENTS Study Guide for Educators Music by RICHARD RODGERS Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II New book by DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE Marian Theatre: Nov. 12 – Dec. 23, 2015 Original book by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II PCPA – Pacific Conservatory Theatre Table of Contents Welcome to PCPA/Theater Etiquette……………………………………………….. 3 How to Use This Guide…………………………………………………………….... 4 Production Team and Cast…………………………………………………………... 5 Elements of the Story Plot Synopsis………………………………………………………………… 6 Themes and Key Words……………………………………………………... 8 A History of Fairytales……………………………………………………….. 9 Elements of the Production About the Authors………………………………………………………….... 10 About the Production………………………………………………………... 11 Design Concept……………………………………………………………… 12 Activities Discussion Questions………………………………………………………... 13 Preshow Games…………………………………………………………….... 14 Ruling the Kingdom Game…………………………………………………... 15 Coloring Castle………………………………………………………………. 16 2 Welcome to the Royal Palace at PCPA A NOTE TO THE TEACHER Thank you for bringing your students to PCPA at Allan Hancock College. Here are some helpful hints for your visit to the Marian Theatre and our Royal Ball. Our top priority is to provide an enjoyable day of live theater for you and your students. We offer you this study guide as a tool to prepare your students prior to the performance, and to prompt discussion, critical thought, and creativity before and after the performance. ETIQUETTE FOR YOUNG LORDS AND LADIES ATTENDING THE BALL Notable behavior is a vital part of theater for youth. Going to the theater is not a casual event. It is a special occasion. If students are prepared properly, it will be a memorable, educational experience they will remember for years. 1. A royal chaperone should always be with the students. Ushers are available to help with seating. We suggest that teachers sit in between students to help maintain order during the palace festival. Remember, courtiers in waiting must always be accompanied by an experienced adult! 2. Please remind our special invitees that we do not permit: food, gum, drinks, smoking, hats, backpacks, or large purses disruptive talking disorderly and inappropriate behavior (stepping on/over seats, throwing objects, etc.) cell phones or any other recording devices Light up or noise making objects (including shoes) (Adults are asked to put cell phones on silent or vibrate) 3. Before attending the show, teachers should take time to remind students of the following about a live performance: Sometimes we forget when we come into a theater that we are one of the most important parts of the production. Without an audience there would be no performance. Your contribution of laughter, quiet attention, and applause is part of the play. When we watch movies or television we are watching images on a screen, and what we say or do cannot affect them. In the theater the actors are real people who are present and creating an experience with us at that very moment. They see and hear us and are sensitive to our response. They know how we feel about the play by how we watch and listen. An invisible bond is formed between actors and a good audience, and it enables the actors to do their best for you. A good audience helps make a good performance. PCPA welcomes you as a partner in the live theater experience from the moment you take your seats. We hope that your visit will be a highlight of your school year 3 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE This study guide is a companion piece designed to explore many ideas depicted in the stage production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (2013 revival). Although the guide’s intent is to enhance the student’s theatrical experience, it can also be used as an introduction to the elements of a play and the production elements involved in the play’s presentation. While many students are familiar with a variation of the story Cinderella in pop culture, this specific stage adaptation offers a fresh perspective on the tale of the underdog. It inspires conversation about community and symbiosis in a contemporary world characterized by division and hostility. The guide has been organized into three major sections: Elements of the Story Elements of the Production Activities Teachers and group leaders will want to select portions of the guide for their specific usage. The discussion questions provided are meant to provoke a line of thought about a particular topic. Frequently, the answers to the questions will initiate a process of exploration and discovery of varied interpretations sometimes deviating from original ideas. It is recommended that these thoughts be encouraged and discussed. This can be as insightful and rewarding as the wonderful experience that Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella creates onstage. Outside resources from literature and pop culture are a wonderful way to make learning immediately relevant to everyday life. Listed below are a variety of materials which can be used in conjunction with lesson plans and the discussion of the theatrical elements and themes of the stage production: Films: • Cinderella (1950), the animated film produced by Walt Disney. Rated G. This is the most popular film adaptation of the story. Take a moment to compare the difference between how Cinderella gains opportunity in this version versus earning it in the stage adaptation. • Ever After (1998), the live action film directed by Andy Tennant. Rated PG-13. This version is set in 16th-century France and closely mirrors the version of story depicted in the stage adaptation. Books: • Cendrillon by Charles Perrault, published in 1697. This is the first time a fairy godmother, glass sippers and magic pumpkins appear in a version of the story. English translations are in the public domain and available for free online. • Aschenputtel by the Brothers Grimm, published in the 19th century. A wonderful telling that can be used to introduce the concept of Fairy Tales, collectors of folklore, and the international scope and versions of the Cinderella story. English translations are in the public domain and available for free online. Note: Egyptian, Greek, and Native American versions of Cinderella can also be found and used in coursework. 4 Music by RICHARD RODGERS Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II New book by DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE Original book by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II CREATIVE TEAM Director/ Choreographer Michael Jenkinson Music Director Brad Carroll Voice & Text Director Andy Philpot Scenic Design Jason Bolen Costume Design Eddy Barrows Lighting Design Jennifer ‘Z’ Zornow Sound Design Elisabeth Weidner Assistant Director Nicholas Kowerko Assistant to the Choreographer Alex Stewart Production Stage Manager Jahana Azodi* Stage Manager Ellen Beltramo CAST OF CHARACTERS Ella Molly Wetzel Topher Jordan Stidham Madame Kitty Balay* Sebastian Peter Hadres* Marie Elizabeth Stuart* Gabrielle Karin Hendricks Charlotte Annali Fuchs Jean-Michel Matt Koenig Lord Pinkleton Spencer Hamilton Giant Erik Stein* ENSEMBLE George Walker, Alex Stewart, William Hoshida, Zach Johnson, David Miller, Blake Brundy Sierra Wells, Courtney Reece, Natalie Graham, Catherine Evangelho, Libby Hawkins, Brittany Law MAGIC ENSEMBLE Julia Towers, Jenny Nelson, Madeline Moeller, Ari Lagomarsino, Quinn Farley Garrett Gibbs, Tux Johnson, Devin Cunningham * Member, Actors’ Equity Association 5 “CINDERELLA”: A SYNOPSIS ACT ONE: Once upon a time, in a forest far away lived ELLA, a young woman who dreams of a beautiful and kind world while doing chores for MADAME, her stepmother (The Hills Are Every Shade of Yellow). On the other side of the kingdom, PRINCE TOPHER has defeated a giant in battle. Despite his success and his upcoming coronation to the kingship, he struggles to find his purpose in life (Me, Who Am I?). Prince Topher comes upon Ella in the forest and is impressed by her friendliness to a homeless woman named MARIE. Political activist JEAN-MICHEL arrives to share his newest ideas about the problems between the Molly Wetzel as Ella and Jordan Stidham as Prince Topher rich and poor just as the Prince and his party are heading back to the palace. When Madame and her daughters, GABRIELLE and CHARLOTTE, return from shopping, Jean-Michel offers a book to Gabrielle, whom he secretly loves. Madame quickly rejects the book, causing Jean-Michel to give it to Ella instead. With the stories, and the help of her imagination, Elle dreams of life beyond her rags (In My Own Little Corner). Back at the palace, preparations are made to host a ball to find Prince Topher a wife (An Announcement). The prominent members of society are excited about the ball (The Prince is Giving a Ball), but Jean-Michel gathers the poor to stand up for themselves (Now is the Time). Marie watches all the chaotic excitement from a distance while talking to herself (Folderol). The Lord Chancellor, SEBASTIAN has a private audience with Madame to plan for Gabrielle and the Prince to marry. Madame throws Jean-Michel out when he calls with flowers for Gabrielle. After everyone leaves and starts for the ball, Marie magically reveals herself as Ella’s Fairy Godmother and begins the process of getting Ella ready for the ball. Marie magically transforms the world around her into royal attendants, a pumpkin carriage, and glass slippers, proving to Ella that practically anything is possible (Impossible / It’s Possible)! Donning her new outfit, Ella is unrecognizable as she arrives to the ball just as it is beginning. The attendees are playing a royal game, “Ridicule,” where complaints and insults are hurled at each other. Ella and Madame match off and everyone is surprised when Ella compliments Madame. Enamored by the concept of kindness, the castle fills with warmth and joy. Prince Topher immediately becomes infatuated by this beautiful stranger (Ten Minutes Ago). The bell tolls twelve as they are about to kiss. In haste, Ella tells the Prince of many people suffering in his kingdom and pleads with him to help establish peace. Ella leaves, dropping one of her glass slippers. 6 ACT TWO: Prince Topher organizes his guard in an effort to search for Ella (The Pursuit).

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