Study Guide: Atlantic for Kids H EA TE R COMPANY
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A T L A N T I C T STUDY GUIDE: atlantic FOR KIDS H EA TE R COMPANY Director of Education Written by Education Coordinator Designed by Marketing Manager HEATHER BAIRD FRAN TARR CECILE ORESTE Edited by Education Intern Book, Music & Lyrics by Based on the Books by ARIELLA SEGAL SCOTT ELMEGREEN ANNIE BARROWS Directed by Illustrated by ALISON BEATTY SOPHIE BLACKALL A T L A N T I C T TABLE OF CONTENTS H EA TE R COMPANY SECTION 1: THE PLAY Synopsis, Characters, Setting, Themes SECTION 2: CAST & CREATIVE Playwright, Director, Author & Cast Bios SECTION 3: YOUR STUDENTS AS AUDIENCE Theater Vocabulary, A Letter From The Cast, Getting To Know You, Expressive Characters SECTION 4: YOUR STUDENTS AS ACTORS Ivy + Bean Scene, Character Analysis SECTION 5: YOUR STUDENTS AS ARTISTS Story Structure, Which Witch?, Diction and Dramatization, Post Card Activity, Drawing To Write, Partner Discussions & DOE Theater Blueprint SECTION 6: THE ATLANTIC LEGACY Atlantic Theater Company, Atlantic Acting School IVY + BEAN I 2 A T L A N T I C T SECTION 1: THE play H EA TE R COMPANY TEACHER OBJECTIVE To introduce students to the characters, setting and story of Ivy + Bean. STUDENT GOAL To understand that the actors will simply and truthfully create the story of the play. SYNOPSIS The moment they saw each other, second graders Bean and Ivy knew they would never like each other. Bean is loud and wild and goofy while Ivy is quiet and full of ideas. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, and needs a place to hide, Ivy comes to the rescue. The two become fast friends and when they join forces, they discover the joys and challenges of family, friendship and love. CHARACTERS BEAN - loud, wild, and goofy, Bean loves to make up games and is determined to have fun with her friends on Pancake Court... and if that means she has to beat her sister Nancy in the process -- all the better! IVY - quiet, “proper,” and full of ideas, Ivy spends most of her time reading... and learning how to be a witch. SETTING NANCY - eager to be a teenager, Nancy is always trying to dis- Pancake Court, a pleasant little cul-de-sac with pleasant tance herself from Bean and Bean’s friends, and she’s never little houses lining the way impressed with Ivy and Bean’s games or plans, which can often make her stand-offish. THEMES DAD - goofy, fun-loving, and optimistic, Bean’s father is Friendship amused by Ivy and Bean’s antics -- when he’s not saying “no Respecting your friends/family way.” Don’t judge a book by its cover The Golden Rule MOM/IVY’S MOM - Bean and Ivy’s mothers are patient and caring, but they know how to keep their daughters in check when they have to... even if they would rather laugh along. ZUZU/SOPHIE W./LEO/ERIC - friends of Bean’s who live in the neighborhood and are always ready for the next adven- ture! IVY + BEAN I 3 A T L A N T I C T SECTION 2: CAST & creatiVE H EA TE R COMPANY SCOTT ELMEGREEN (Book, Music & Lyrics) Scott Elmegreen is a playwright, composer, and lyricist whose work has premiered on Broad- way, television, and in film, as well as off-Broadway, on tour, and in regional theatres national- ly and internationally. His shows include TIANANMEN: A New Musical (in development with Stafford Arima) College The Musical (Hippodrome State Theatre; pub. Dramatic Publishing Company), Vote For Me: A Musical Debate (New York Musical Theatre Festival; commissioned by Tony Award-winning Aged in Wood Productions), Thucydides (Samuel French Play Festival winner; pub. Samuel French), Straight (under option by Tony Award-winning producer Andy Sandberg), and the children’s shows Ivy + Bean: The Musical. ANNIE BARROWS (Author of Ivy + Bean) Annie Barrows attended UC Berkeley and received a B. A. in medieval history. She was a proofreader at an art magazine and later an editor at a textbook publishing company. In 1996, Annie received her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Mills College. She wrote several non-fiction books on topics ranging from fortune-telling to opera before turning her attention to children’s books. In 2006, the first book in her children’s series,Ivy + Bean was published. This title, an ALA Notable Book for 2007, was followed by nine others. In addition to her children’s books, Annie is the co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which was published by The Dial Press in 2008. SOPHIE BLACKALL (Illustrator of Ivy + Bean) Sophie Blackall is a Brooklyn based Australian artist. She has illustrated over twenty books for children, including Ruby’s Wish (Chronicle Books, 2003) which won the Ezra Jack Keats Award, Meet Wild Boars (Henry Holt, 2005) which won a BCCB Blue Ribbon Picture Book Award and the Founders Award from the Society of Illustrators, Big Red Lollipop (Viking, 2010) which was a New York Times Top Ten Picture Book for 2010, and the ongoing Ivy and Bean series (Chronicle Books), which has over a million copies in print. Blackall has collab- orated with many notable authors, including Aldous Huxley, Judith Viorst, Jane Yolen and Meg Rosoff. Her editorial illustrations have appeared in the New York Times and many others. ALISON BEATTY (Director) Alison Beatty is the current School Artistic Director of the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School, where she programs and produces a season of 15 shows annually with Atlantic’s con- servatory acting students, as well as two Atlantic for Kids productions. Additionally, she has directed/ choreographed several Atlantic for Kids musicals, including The Hundred Dresses (NY Premiere), Miss Nelson is Missing, and Really Rosie and served as choreographer on productions of Tilly the Trickster (World Premiere), The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (NY Premiere), No Dogs Allowed (World Premiere), Strega Nona, The Big Stew, and You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown. NATE WEIDA (Musical Director) Nate Weida is a composer and writer living in Hell’s Kitchen. His last two musicals were Byuioo (2013), produced by Pipeline Theatre Company at The Gym at Judson, and The New Hopeville Comics (2009), performed at the Chernuchin Theatre. His music for Fordham Uni- versity’s production of Brecht’s Life of Galileo was performed at Lincoln Center in 2011. He is a member of and regular contributor to services at Judson Church. He currently plays in a bluegrass band called “Great Dog Almighty” and is writing an epic poem called I’s Twinkle. IVY + BEAN I 4 A T L A N T I C T SECTION 2: CAST & creatiVE H EA TE R COMPANY MK LAWSON (Choreographer) MK Lawson has been working as a choreographer, director, and actor in and around New York for the last five years. Over the years she has provided choreography for a number of NYU productions including Carousel, the Marvin Hamlisch tribute production of Sweet Smell of Success, and the New York premiere of The Fix. As a director/choreographer, she has staged productions of Smile, Bat Boy: the Musical, Celebration, and See What I Wanna See. MK has also directed a number of new works and concerts around NYC including works by Joshua H. Cohen, Caleb Hoyer, Will Reynolds, and Joe Iconis. MK directed, choreographed, and co-con- ceived the original revue One Step Closer: the music of Alan Menken. EMILY IDE (Nancy) Emily Ide is excited to be back with Atlantic for Kids after appearing in The Stinky Cheese- man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. Other favorite credits include My Sweet Edible You! (Joe’s Pub), Thoroughly Modern Millie, Urinetown, Assassins, Oliver!, Finian’s Rainbow, and Swing! Swing! Swing!. BFA NYU/CAP21. www.emilyide.com JAKE KINNEY (Dad/Eric) Jake Kinney is so excited to share the stage with such a talented cast! He is a recent gradu- ate of NYU’s Steinhardt School Graduate Program where he received his Masters Degree and studied voice with Michael Ricciardone. While at NYU, Jake played Ben Marino in Fiorello and was featured in a new 15 minute musical (4@15). Jake performed recently for the Met- ropolitan Opera Guild as the Narrator in 2wice Upon a Birthday, a new opera for kids. Other roles performed include George in Sunday in the Park with George and Caleb in The Spitfire Grill, Jesus in Godspell, and Travis in Footloose and Selkirk McCoy in Hatfields and McCoys. MELISSA MAHONEY (Bean) Melissa is a recent graduate of the Atlantic Acting School and a soon to be graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts BFA Drama program. At the Atlantic Acting School, she played Joan in Melancholy Play, Jacques in As You Like It, and Ellen in The Actor’s Nightmare. She is a founding member of The Joust Theatre Company, and played Myrrha in their inaugural production of Metamorphoses. Other recent credits: Political Snorts ’13 and Books Cook! (NYU Tisch, dir. Liz Swados), Exploded Shakespeare: As You Like It (Grey Room Theater Company). SYDNEY MATHEWS (Zuzu) Sydney Matthews is thrilled to be returning to Atlantic, after appearing in Bekah Brunstetter’s “Run” in 10x25. Recent Off-Off Broadway: Byuioo (Pipeline at Judson), Set in the Living Room... (Theater Reconstruction Ensemble at Soho Rep), Savage/Love (DeFacto at HERE). Regional: Urinetown (Pennywise, Fabrefaction), The Wedding Singer (Linda, Fabrefaction), An Evening with Andrew Lippa and Friends (Segerstrom Center for the Arts). Proud member of Pipeline Theatre Company, and Theater Reconstruction Ensemble. BFA: NYU/ Tisch School of the Arts - Atlantic and Viewpoints.