John Steinbeck:" the Pearl," Adapted by Warren Frost and Dramatized For

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AUTHOR Carr, John C. TITLE John Steinbeck: "The Pearl," Adapted by Warren Frost and Dramatized for the Kennedy Center by Nick Olcott. Cue Sheet for Students. INSTITUTION John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC. SPONS AGENCY Department of Education, Washington, DC. PUB DATE 1995-00-00 NOTE 14p.; Additional funding provided by The Kennedy Center Corporate Fund and The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. AVAILABLE FROM http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/cuesheet/theater.html. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Learner (051) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Audiences; Class Activities; Cultural Activities; Elementary Secondary Education; Novels; Production Techniques; *Theater Arts IDENTIFIERS *Drama in Education; *Pearl (The); Steinbeck (John)

ABSTRACT This performance guide is designed for teachers to use with students before and after a performance of "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck, adapted by Warren Frost and dramatized for the Kennedy Center by Nick Olcott. It is in the form of a Director's Notebook--a scrapbook/journal of clippings, memos, lists, illustrations, notes, and other items--to show students how a director finds and develops ideas to make a playwright's script come to life on stage. The "Cuesheet" contains 10 sheets for use in class, addressing: (1) Locale and Origin of "The Pearl" (looking at the original folktale heard in Baja, California);(2) The Story and Characters of the Play;(3) Important Dialogue (with important lines from the play for discussion);(4) Social Background and Resources (looking at social and power relationships in the story, and listing resources for further exploration);(5) Design Problems To Solve (looking at set, sound and music, and costume design issues that contribute to the play's effectiveness);(6) Pearl Lore (with information about how pearls are formed, their value, where they are cultured, and beliefs about pearls);(7) Why a Theatre Audience Is Unique (discussing the important role of the audience in live theatre); and (8) About John Steinbeck. (SR)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. John Steinbeck: "The Pearl," Adapted by Warren Frost and Dramatized for the Kennedy Center by Nick Olcott. Cue Sheet for Students.

by John C. Carr

EDUCATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OFand Improvement Office of Educational Research INFORMATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES CENTER (ERIC) This document has beenreproduced as received from the person ororganization originating it. been made to O Minor changes have improve reproductionquality.

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BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 4 JOHN STEINBECK

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nri From The Director

I am sharing my Director's Notebook--a UnitedStates scrapbook/journal of clippings, quotations, illustrations. notes. and other items--so you may see how a director finds and develops ideas to make a playwright's script come to life on stage. A director is like other leaders, e.g., an athletic coach, a musical conductor, the president: of a business. Like other leaders, mexiC0 directors guide people as they work to achieve goals. For The Pearl. our goals were to tell a good story theatrically, to create an overall effect of suspense, and to leave the audience thinking about important: issues that affect all of us. After I read John Steinbeck's novella (short novel) The Pearl and did some research, I began to work collaboratively The Notebook with many other playmakers -the playwright includes: Locale as well as the set, sound, lighting, and and Originof The Pearl, costume designers. and actors. This Notebook page 3 The Storyand Characters shows you my thoughts and interactions of the Play, with many of the playmakers for The Pearl. pages 4-5 ImportantDialogue, I have placed a shell near some page 6 Social items you may want to talk about Backgroundand with your friends, classmates, or Resources, Design page 7 family. Problemsto Solve, page 8-9 Pearl Factsand Lore, page 10 Whya TheaterAudience is Unique,page 11 Dived-or'sIlot..e000k avkok AboutJohn Steinbeck, i-o wea`oeu,k- t-lAe page 12 yowlu,vokersavtdivt3 neetrls, lnotu lvt,01.kevtced, I look-Porwayd, TkePearl. Depari-wNevti-, pyoeku,ck-Iv Pearl,E.,Au,cal-lovt Ceskeei-/-rke PeyFovvAivt5Av+s, Frown you,. Certi-er;or k-tAe. 'Tine JolAvtF. It.evivtedy D.C. 20544 viaskIvt51-ovt, 2. BEST COPY AVAILABLE 4 Locale and Origin of The Pearl

Baja California is a peninsula that is a part of Mexico. In the northern part of the peninsula is the state of Baja Cali Norte. To the south is Baja California Sur, where the largest city is La Paz. The land of Baja California is vast and dry. It is mostly desert, with some mountains. It is in La Paz that some parts of The Pearl take place. Baja California extends from the border of the United States 760 miles south into the Pacific Ocean. Until 5 million years ago it was part of the Mexican mainland, but it separated in a huge earthquake. The Sea of Cortes, also known as the Gulf of California, stands between the mainland of Mexico and Baja California. It is named for Hernan Cortes, the 16th-century explorer- conqueror of Mexico who overcame Montezuma, King of the Aztecs. Lei-'s look al- i-lAe Mot? ov, page 2. IA oydev- 106. +-e e.F. at% idea play's sei+iho

rehearsalwith Notes forthe first THE 1179i K Srouv cast: Pearl are An Indian boy accidentally found a huge pearl. Basic partsof The folk storyJohn He realized that he would not have to work similar tothose of a again. He could "be drunk as long as he wished, traveling by Steinbeckheard while marry any one of a number of girls...." He could of Baja ship alongthe coast give money to the priest to say masses to ask reported thathe Steinbeck forgiveness for his sins, and to aid the souls of California. the storyhad his relatives, too. The pearl buyer to whom he wastold that recentyears:' wanted to sell the gem offered only a small "happened atLa Paz in amount. The boy refused to sell the pearl and of the ship The captain at the that "inthat area buried it underneath a rock. He was attacked remembered of mythsabout and beaten two nights in a row by people time. therewere lots searching for it. On the third night he was great value boys findingpearls of ambushed and tortured, but he did not reveal them backinto the its hiding place. After deep thought he and throwing removed the pearl from its hiding place and sea."* Sparky Enea aslaid to Stainbeck in theSea of Cortes" by "With River Press. 1991. Osos. CA: Sand threw it back into the sea. Audry Lynch. Los BESTCOPYAVAILABLE Scorpi(sis are ayacktAids, STOZY Or ru:F. PLAY at class o-Patiii+als that Kino, a young Mexican Indian pearl diver, lives with Juana ihcltndes spiders, and their infant son, Coyotito, in a village at the edge of theotx A wiles. They ate it% sea. When a scorpion bites Coyotito, they go to the citysize ;vow 1/2. tog itAckes, of La Paz to seek a doctor's help. The doctor refuses to treatott.tot carry poisch itt their the child because Kino can only pay him with seed pearls. Juana cares for Coyotito the best she can. In a frantic effort to getmoney for the doctor, Kino and Juana go out in their canoe to dive for pearls. As he collects oysters, Kino sees one that is larger than all the others. When he opens it, he finds a pearl so large that it comes to be known as the Pearl of the World. Kino believes the pearl is a source of good, saying that Seed pearls are when he sells it his family's life will "be better... our son's very swat) atd life will be better yet." usually itmpey-Peci-. Soon everyone in the village knows about Kinds luck. They Gave tmitAitmal Word spreads to the town. The priest arrives, suggesting valiAe. No ImotAder that Kino make a contribution to the church. The greedy the ckceeLts says doctor, saying that he is concerned about Coyotito, visits 4 i-key are "tA51y, and pretends to cure the baby. ly ay 111-1-le likvAps. At night, Kino hides the pearl under his mat on the dirt floor. Later, he is attacked by a robber, but the pearl They are worfkless." remains safe. Juana urges Kino to throw the pearl back into the sea, but he does not. By now, everyone envies Kino and Juana and turns against them. Kino tries to sell the pearl to pearl buyers, who try to cheat him. At night, intruders try to steal the pearl and Kino kills one of them. ' . . To escape, Kino and Juana decide they must leave the wkick I village, but they find their canoe smashed. Then their but isThe city irt destroyed by fire. In an effort to escape their part oP the story 84 l enemies, they go into the nearby mountains, but quicklyocctAYs IS 1.aPaz., for realize they are being followed by armed trackers. tolAicln Is Spotvtisk II "peace." Note tine i Juana hides with Coyotito in a cave, while Kino attacks .1 iroiny oP the have-t$N the resting trackers. He kills them but in the process a rifle fires, killing Coyotito. yeloti-iovt to t-ke viol etceoP Kino can no longer deny the truth: The pearl is a source I spirit arid body of evil, not of good. He and Juana return to the village and 01 I. wlniclnoccur throw the Pearl of the World back into the okce lemo.Nrds tine sea. Pearl oP tineWorld.

4 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 6 Notes for the second rehearsal with cast: From AISCkSSioviwil is P1okYv4v19k4' * In the folk story which inspired John me:kg:NO-NI Awork o-c Tine clnallehse cluAyack-eYs' Steinbeck to write The Pearl, the only io A-kne s1.0t9eis know 1-o k-t.4,04 letokyvaki-10h ihi-0 character is the young pearl diver, whose ihwayd }-lnotAolni-sothd ovnd aci-iohs c00% name is not given. si5hirtcenhi- evehi-s Add44ohal scehescAhd 1^0tilev% ohs1atge- * Steinbeck added more characters in heeded i-o clAmycNci-eys owesovnel-ivnes his novella. otccovAplisk The play retains all the major characters from Steinbeck's novella: 1.e1-'sdisclAss kow i-lnese people ihi-eYokci-, Kino--a young Indian pearl diver lnow}.lney -Peel 00,otAt- ovke a,oi-ker, evAd Juana--Kino's wife winavi-e,cln ohe oP Flnevn wathfs ih platy. Coyotito--Kino and Juana's infant son Juan Tomas--Kino's brother Apolonia--Juan Tomas' wife The Doctor--A greedy and heartless physician The Priest--a local Clergyman who wants money to repair the church C, The Pearl Buyers--three nameless people who represent the society that exploits the Indians The Chorus--actors who tell the story of the Pearl to the audience. and who also play .: many characters in the story

Director FromThe

To: The Cast Look at thisdictionarydefinition. that asimple story Parable: lesson. amoral or illustrates talk At our nextrehearsal, let's quote fromSteinbeck's about this I I I Pearl: introductionto The "If this storyis aparable, takes his own perhapseveryone and readshis meaningfrom it ownlife intoit." BEST COPYAVAILABLE theOltectol Vologve In4-kebeginningo; 1-he si-oy, life is pev;eci-avid whole. He has VIrtvortainilikeyoti love, ;aurally, and fitAt 1 QUO tall: becounSe oP i-he thescript Let's choices he 'makes, Cast he,19 he destroys 'The Trorn rehe-assal..lines each o; 1-kese.We To sixlines second these wake are our how the since the auidiehce 1-i.ere for and surethaN. realizes that- about theplay taube kitio is hofwrohotc tothin in. we wood- gmove For kimsel; thenles and kis thernes. VOportan.ce. ;aurally. IhSteotd, about O.-lose their 1-key tmtAs+- convey Loidersi-and i-kai- to understands 1-he wiisfakekind audience makes is choosingvioleviceas a imeetr,s 1-o 5e+- what- he watif-s.By L1SiVl) violetice hebecomes 1-ke 1-ay,ge o; violenceavid ends p every{ -kitA CHORUS he desired. As with all the tales in people's hearts, there are only good and bad things...

APOLONIA of us,]nano. Ilesnot one

JUAN TOMAS The godsGoddoesn't give you things just becauseyou want them.

KINO My son will make numbers, and these things will make us free because he will know. He will know, and through him we will know.

Notes from discussion with playwright:

Two scenes were added to help the JUAN TOMAS as long asthey audienceunderstand the story by protect you.But only Your friends!Yes, they'll seeing the events from the discomfort fromit. in dangeror community's perspective: are not * A party to celebrate Kino's good 4 fortune, at which a belligerent neighbor, reveals his resentment at JUANA Kino's good fortune. The pearl isevil! Destroy it before * Two fisherman mending fishing it destroysus. nets to show the commuhity's reaction to Kino's interest in getting the help of the doctor.

lace"- rnov AVAII A1:11 C Social Background and Resources To: AssistantDirector Please locate these resourcesthat all of uscan use. Benson, JacksonJ. Lite From The Director ldv .nt . lGihosays Consider weAY Attu,. NewYork: VikingPress, To: The Cast ays, a rA.:7A 1984. Bear in mind that this story depicts Fonterose, Joseph.John traditional life in a remote area of 51MabeccisAndatraductiaLuaid Mexico 50 to 60 years ago. That InteratatatianNew York: Barnes means that... and Noble, 1963. Hayashi, Tetsumaro,ed. A_Ltew the relationship of men and women 5111dyausklasieinakiar is unequal: men make decisions and Works usbcaucatiaplicwjsam women accept them. Women some- Metuchen. NewJersey: Scarecrow times expressed their opinions and Press, 1993. cautioned men about their actions, Ito, Torn. The jaipariancalluthia Steinhesk San but, ultimately, they did what men Diego: LucentBooks. 1994. decided.Nana tAvoes kino i-o 4-krow i-he pearl back irti-o i-he sea, N'tki- she Moore, HarryThornton. Ilae

ccerfs kis decision 1-o keep II-. eelsri'John i there is tension that is usually Criticautus4vChicago: Normandie unspoken between the Indian House, 1939. population (Kino, Juan, Juan Tomas, Steinbeck, Elaineand Robert Apolonia) and the Hispanic population Wallsten (editors).atainbackLA Jae (the Doctor, the Priest, the Pearl kaaltersNew York: Penguin. 1976. .Buyers). The descendants of Spanish settlers had social power, controlled Watt, F.W. lohnstelnbackNew the economy, and frequently exploited York: GrovePress. 1962. the Indians. be at good idea In 'many ;or all o4 ways, MexicanIndianswere Las i-o see +-he video Frecti-ed of i-he 1948 same way A4ericanIndians The Pear/. (f.'solVotiloil were freolfeck in i-kis grOIM eii-her COLAtIfyy. Mk1f.itmedia,lnc.1517 West- Filler{ -on Aventke, Chicago,IL 40414 OrMasi - envision,Inc., 951 Park Avenke,Net+, York NY 10022. Design problems to Solve imaginations. to usetheir the IDESIGO men clearthat audience make probably 1F412, inviting musthelp play is minimal, the set timeof the that 11DEAS be suggested, realize setshould only ofMexico.The audience time. 1.The are part the at any things and poor ashelping place Whilemost be inany in aremote not asimportant could storyoccurs butthat is andevents 1910s or'4()s, characters the timeless.The thestory IS 2. A wall stretches across the back of the stage. On the might which representregshetnbtet hweaGulff of California, where the pearl is found. There might be two doors in the center. An opening in the wall on the right side and higher up could serve as the win- dow of later, as the cave.

3. The floor should be painted in an abstract design with a variety rya of colors that suggest the earth and water.

Tentative PropList Sleeping mat Scorpion Table Boat IDEAS ripla 'ILIA ID 81.7. 11.1110:$ C F 114 .14 Grate for fire Sun 1. Before the play begins, let's help the audience focus on the Knife Moon play by making a soundscapea kind of landscape using sounds. This pre-show soundscape might include the sound Rifle together tosuggest an of waves, village noises, barnyard animals. Blankets wrapped 2.Let's try to reflect the actors' daily routine infant audience and dialogue in the sounds of the chorus. The pearllargeenough for the 3. How might we use percussion to imply a to realize itsunusual size. sense of place and a mood? (R Si-eihbeck's vtovel ke says 1-tie pearl is 4 How can we use sound/music at the end of the play to imply i-ke size et sect 5 e55, wkick is otboui- that life in the village is as it was in the beginning? Nckes 10%5 athal 2 ihckes avotold, otbAd wei5ks alooki- 2. a pokhAs.)

10 BEST COPY AVAILABLE COSTUMES, iNirvErs, WASIKS

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r-n-r rv-tbv MIA II API P "-tine PeotO PEARL FACTS i-Vte vJovickn was If they are large and perfectly shaped, Pearl-oyster beds are found in ovioNoki pearls are among the most valuable gems.. -rlAe tropical waters. The chief ones are near Unlike most other gems, pearls are not Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. Pearls are also Pearl tiutAeb, 4. mined from the earth but are taken from wets ptAblistneol,-on found off some islands of the South shellfish called mollusks, especially oys- Tine Wooievt's Pacific, along the coast of Australia. In ters and mussels. Pearls are among the Home Compartiort North America, they are found in some organic gems made by animal or veg- otoi5otetrie parts of the Mississippi River, in the etable processes; others include ivory, 194c. Caribbean, andinthe Gulfof coral, and amber. California, where The Pearl takes place. °it light. Pearls are the result of a natural giving Some pearls are called oriental pearls, defense against a tiny foreign substance,Luminescence.. not because they are found in the Orient such as a grain of sand, that enters a (or Far East) but because jewelers refer to 9 mollusk and causes irritation to its mem- kitio says he the "orient of a pearl" to mean a pearl's branes. Cells which produce nacre, the i-he Pearl luminescence. lustrous layer inside the shell, begin to he World is Most pearls are silver-gray, but they WOYHA C0,000 form around the foreign substance. pesos. can be pink, orange, black (actually dark Iv, I930,ohe peso Layers of nacre, also called mother ofwas wori-k 47 gray), gold, cream, or purple. Cultured pearl, build up around the substance and pearls are pearls which grow when Atmericabi eventually form a pearl. cuirrevicy. I-P kiho pearl farmers insert beads of mother of The shape and lustre of a pearlis correch 1-he pearl inside oysters and allow them to are important in determining its value.pear) was worfk develop for seven years. Round pearls are the most sought after,$23,500.Todoty, Imitation pearls are made of but there are also button-shaped, drop-i-he pearl wouild glass. shaped, and irregular-shaped pearls calledbe wort -k $2 10,T00. baroque. 4 P

BEST COPYAVAILABLE 12 kotes for Atli Hence Program

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AudienceisUnique aTheater forms of and playsare rockconcerts, kinds of elevision, that askfordifferent entertainment audiences to it, responsesfrom begs us totalk back almost Television s arewatching of us doWhen othet and most aboutwhat's on Theater is a also talkto them things as collaborative ail with us, we other sometimes We r requrres-th thescreenand the room. ranbined, efforts also leaveand re-enter well. We movearound all of manypeople in listen andtalk and i kinds of watch and ,.many. time. work. Whenthe at thesame join inthe musi- insistthat we playwright, Rock concerts clapping,shouting, director,designers, by singing, calcelebration talk a lotabout [...actors, and.:.' dancing.We also audience work listen, sing, t.. andsometimes We watch, result experiencing. f together, the whatwe're time. iis a play towhich at thesame K, dance all all-- - talk, and forsomething ift eachand the otherhand, ask "have contributed. Plays, on andintellec- They requestemotional and different. onlyfrom close that cancome applaud at tualcommitment laugh and While wemay good quietattention. listen.There are times, wewatch and appropriate televi- reasonswhy. unfold than30-minute longer to them fully, Plays take appreciate that meansthat to actors programs; what the sion closeattention to necessaryto pay it is and sayand do. who arelistening of theaudience soundsand Members distractedby the closely areeasily watching members. of otheraudience room asthe audi- movements in the same Actors in aplay are behavior. affected byaudience therefore film and, enceand are arefixed on televisionperformances activity.Actors Film and affected byaudience therefore, arenot their linesandreactions must time the basis must moveprecisely, adjustments on makesubtle their carefully,and must activity candestroy Unexpected of themoment. concentration. BEST COPY AVAILABLEAV 13 THE Nosit:PRtzEs were established to-honor people AIROLIT 401114 STEIPAIRECK "regardless of nationality" Born in Salinas. California, in 1902, John Steinbeck grew up fascinated by who hive made valuable books and people. In high school he worked as a hired hand on ranches in contributions to the "good of humanity, Prize categories the Salinas Valley, observing both the people and countryside that would include physics; chemistry, play important roles in many of his books. physiology, medidne, eco- He moved to New York City when he was 23 to become a full-time nomics:and literature. The prize for literature is ustigy writer, but he was not successful. After he returned to California, his first given for *an author's life's three novels were work rather:than for one published. but crit- book:The literature must be of "an idealistic nature." ics did not like them Some Americans v.ihr, and they did not sell have received the prize well.Hiswriting besides John Steinbeck are Sinclair Lewis, Eugene career changed in O'Neill, Pearl Buck, `,.".',';,am 1935 with his next Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, novel, Tortilla Flat. In and Toni Morrison. 1939, his novel The Grapes of Wrath won the Pulitzer Prize. From then until his death in 1968 he pub-

lished many works it p of fiction and non- . . fiction, and received many awards and i honors. it Steinbeck liked to write about subjects based on fact. Many of his stories take place in his native California and deal with subjects and people he knew and observed. He was an enthusiastic traveler who also wrote about places and people he visited. Steinbeck was deeply concerned about social injustice, as shown par- ticularly in The Pearl and The Grapes of Wrath The citation for his Nobel Prize for Literature noted, '...his realistic as well as imaginative writings, distinguished by a sympathetic heart and a keen social perception."

i-A.,";u. 7

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