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Moby-Dick in Rehearsal Photo: Maria Baranova Photo: Welcome! TOOLKIT 2019/20 Season Manik Choksi and the cast of of Moby-Dick in rehearsal Photo: Maria Baranova Photo: Welcome! This Toolkit contains resources meant to encourage a deep dive into Moby- Dick, which sails into the A.R.T. in December 2019. This new musical, written and composed by Dave Malloy and directed by Rachel Chavkin, is an adaptation of Herman Melville’s classic American novel. After publishing Moby-Dick in 1851, Melville went from reputed author to one facing a great deal of criticism from the literary community. However, over 150 years later, his book is considered one of the great American novels. This production of Moby-Dick uplifts the genius of Melville’s novel while also bringing contemporary conversations to the story through music, dance, puppetry, and more. The articles, resources, and activities in this Toolkit are curated for the use of learners of all ages, in and out of the classroom, who are looking to take a close look into the world of Moby-Dick. Inside these pages, you will find materials on the development and context of Moby-Dick, including insights from the playwright and an overview of the play, as well as information about the set, costumes, and history of whaling. See you at the theater! BRENNA NICELY ALEXANDRA DANIELS Education & Engagement Education Apprentice Director JULIA SCHACHNIK KATIE HEVERAN Community Engagement Education Intern Apprentice 2 MOBY-DICK TOOLKIT Table of Contents MOBY-DICK: IN PRODUCTION Moby-Dick Summary...................................................................................................................5 Meet the Crew...............................................................................................................................6 Whale Songs: Interview with Adaptor and Composer Dave Malloy.........................7 Nothing is Ever Just One Thing: Interview with Director Rachel Chavkin..............10 American Wood: Interview with Scenic Designer Mimi Lien.......................................14 Creating Conversations Through Costumes: Interview with Costume Designer Brenda Abbandandolo...............................................................................16 The Puppets of Moby-Dick......................................................................................................19 The Choreography of Moby-Dick........................................................................................20 IN CONTEXT A Herman Melville Timeline.....................................................................................................22 The Reviews Are In: Critical Reception of Moby-Dick in the 1800s........................25 “The Gospels in This Century” from Why Read Moby-Dick?....................................29 What is Whaling Now?.......................................................................................................33 “Deconstructing White Privilege”....................................................................................35 Understanding Colorblind vs. Color-conscious Casting..............................................36 EDUCATION ACTIVITIES Lesson Plan Index.......................................................................................................................37 Lesson Plan: The Author as a Character............................................................................38 Lesson Plan: A Whale of a Debate......................................................................................40 Lesson Plan: What is Your Whale?......................................................................................42 BIBLIOGRAPHY & RESOURCES................................................................................44 MOBY-DICK TOOLKIT Thank you for participating in the A.R.T. Education Experience! EDITORS Alexandra Daniels and Brenna Nicely If you have questions about using this Toolkit in your class, or to schedule CONTRIBUTORS Brenda Abbandandolo, Eric Avery, Diane Borger, an A.R.T. teaching artist to visit your Rachel Chavkin, Alexandra Daniels, Chanel DaSilva, classroom, contact A.R.T. Education Robin DiAngelo, Robert Duffley, Katie Heveran, and Engagement at: Dave Malloy, Nadra Kareem Nittle, Nathaniel Philbrick, Joel Zayac [email protected] 617.496.2000 x8891 Moby-Dick in Production Kalyn West in rehearsal for Moby-Dick Photo: Maria Baranova Photo: When theater artists craft an adaptation of a popular piece of literature, many moving parts have to have to be synthesized to create the show you see on stage. The Moby-Dick in Production section of this Toolkit (pages 5-20) contains resources on how the show all comes together. Read on to hear from the playwright (page 7), director (page 10), scenic designer (page 14), costume designer (page 16), puppet director and puppet designer (page 19) and choreographer (page 20) about their sources of inspiration for the show and how each played a unique role in bringing their ideas to life. GUIDING QUESTIONS • What inspired this show? • Who do you think will most enjoy this play? Why? • What excites you about this adaptation? • Why is it important to continue retelling classic stories in new, diverse ways? 4 MOBY-DICK TOOLKIT Moby-Dick Summary Moby-Dick, a new musical written and composed by Dave Malloy, directed by Rachel Chavkin, follows the tale of Ishmael, a young, sprightly man, as he boards the whaling ship, the Pequod. Once aboard, Ishmael meets the various crew members who hope to profit from this lucrative business. The crew An illustration of the final consists of first mate Starbuck, chase in Moby-Dick. second mate Stubb, and third Image: I. W. Taber in Moby Dick - edition: Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York [Public domain] York Dick - edition: Charles Scribner’s Sons, New in Moby Taber Image: I. W. mate Flask. In the book, these characters are all white men, though this theatrical adaptation casts these characters differently. The mates oversee the harpooners, Fedallah, Queequeg, Tashtego, and Daggoo. In the book, these characters are composites of specific indigenous and non- European cultures from around the world, a choice which this adaptation honors. There are also a number of other characters on the boat including a carpenter, a blacksmith, and a young, Black cabin boy named Pip. Captain Ahab leads this diverse crew on an obsessive quest for revenge on Moby Dick, a giant white sperm whale. On a previous voyage, Ahab’s leg was taken by Moby Dick, spurring his quest for revenge. As Ahab pursues Moby Dick across IN PRODUCTION the oceans, the crew of the Pequod and passing ships warn the captain of the danger of his quest. These warnings do not calm Ahab’s lust for revenge; ultimately, Ahab leads his ship and crew to complete wreckage. 5 MOBY-DICK TOOLKIT Meet the Crew The following list of characters is taken directly from the script of Dave Malloy’s Moby-Dick. Ishmael Non-white male, 20s-30s. Baritone/Tenor. A depressed wanderer; a dork. Ahab White male, 50s+. Tenor. A fierce and unshakeable Old Testament patriarch; monomaniacal, ruined, obsessed with vengeance. With a glimmer of sadness. Starbuck Non-white, any gender, 20s-30s. Mezzo. Strict and good. The moral compass of the ship. Stubb Non-white, any gender, 20s-30s. Mezzo. Goofy and pragmatic, with a mean streak. Flask Non-white, any gender, 20s-30s. Soprano. Crude and cruel. Lackey. Queequeg Pacific Islander male, trans and/or queer encouraged, 20s-30s. Tenor. Outlandish and enlightened. Tashtego Native American male, 20s-30s. Baritone/Tenor. Strong, dry, and a little world-weary. Ecologist. Daggoo Black male, 20s-30s. Bass. Strong, fun, and a little naive. Hedonist. Fedallah Black male, 20s-30s. Bass. Smart-aleck. Pip Black, any gender, early 20s or younger. Soprano. Strange and haunted. Sailor 1/Elijah/The Blacksmith Non-white, any gender, 20s-30s. Tenor. A Beat poet with a very old soul. Sailor 2/Shanty Singer/The Carpenter Non-white, any gender, 20s-30s. Mezzo. Rowdy. Father Mapple/Captain of the Albatross/Captain Boomer of the Bachelor/ Captain Gardiner of the Rachel Black female, 40s-60s. Alto. Ancient. Pilot of the living God. IN PRODUCTION DISCUSSION QUESTIONS • The casting of the show based on race and gender differs from the book. Why might the playwright (the person who wrote the script) have made the choice to steer away from the book’s depiction of some of these characters? Why did the playwright keep some characters the same, specifically Anab and the harpooners? • There is a hierarchy on the boat when it comes to rank and roles. How might that affect the relationships between the various characters? What groupings or pairs do you see? 6 MOBY-DICK TOOLKIT Creator Dave Malloy in conversation with Executive Producer Diane Borger Photo: Evgenia Eliseeva Evgenia Photo: Whale Songs A conversation between A.R.T. Executive Producer Diane Borger and Moby-Dick adaptor and composer Dave Malloy After Beowulf, Three Pianos, Ghost Quartet, and Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, this will be the fifth show you’ve done with us here at the A.R.T. What drew you to Moby-Dick? More than anything, it was the form of the novel. It’s just an insane, messy IN PRODUCTION novel. The narrator disappears in the middle; some chapters are written as plays with stage directions; there are long digressions into cetology and paintings of whales. The writing is sometimes Biblical and Shakespearean, other times hilarious and downright crude. But when you absorb all that on its own terms, you see Melville playing with the form of the novel, and you see this character
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