Aesop's Fables: on Stage!
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On tour (formerly merry-go-round youth theatre) AESOP’S FABLES: On Stage! Adapted by Vivian & Larry Snipes Originally produced by Lexington Children’s Theatre Lexington, KY TEACHER STUDY GUIDE - 2ND GRADE Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre has rebranded to: Over the past decade, our organization has seen significant programmatic expansion in our education division, increased attendance in our professional musical theatre division, sophistication of our products and deliverables and bold implementation of new innovative engagement and enrichment programs. Our steady growth has resulted in an organizational transformation. As such, it became evident that our many programs and outreach efforts were not being represented cohesively by our existing brand. Our existing brand names (The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival and Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre) housed within the parent company title, Merry Go Round Playhouse, Inc., were confusing, fractured and creating great challenges to all facets of our identity. As such, it was clear that a rebranding effort was critical. Fall of 2019, after eighteen months of intense strategic planning, we officially re-branded asThe Rev Theatre Company. THE REV is short for many words but for us, not one in particular. It is not a symbol or an acronym. THE REV references our creation and infusion of energy into Auburn and the Finger Lakes region; THE REV references the original carousel that once revolved in our flagship venue, and THE REV stands for our reverence for our 60-year legacy and our incredible community. While we have changed our overall brand name, all of our programs have remained the same. We still provide the same professional arts education through the Sequential Dramatics Program to your school. Thank you for being our partner in education. Summary Aesop’s famous fables come to life in this upbeat performance. Tidbits of Aesop’s life and the traditions of Greek Theatre, as well as literary devices such as personification and rhyme, are interwoven among such well known tales as The Milkmaid and Her Pail, The Lion and the Mouse and, of course, The Tortoise and the Hare. Our actors use rap, rhyme, and masks to give these famous fables a modern twist. Students will be entertained as they learn the moral for each tale. Pre-Performance Preparatory Workshop To ensure the students will actively view the performance, they will participate in a workshop with one of the actors prior to the show. With the goals of the New York State Learning Standards in mind, the purpose of the preparatory workshop (“prep”) is to give students the tools to “unpack,” or to dissect and think critically about, a text - the text in this lesson being the performance of Aesop’s Fables On Stage. Rather than attempt to outline the performance in its entirety, the intent of the prep is to introduce students to the language, characters, settings, and the types of stories they will see. Based on that knowledge, students will then be able to make their own predictions about the show, allowing for critical thinking to continue throughout the performance. • The Woodcutter and His Axe • The Fox and the Crow “Honesty is the best policy.” “When strangers seem to be too kind, be careful what they have in mind.” • The Goose and the Golden Eggs “Never kill the goose that lays the • The Ant and the Grasshopper golden eggs.” “Don’t put off to tomorrow what you should do today.” • The Fox and the Grapes “It is easy to despise what you cannot get.” • The Dog and the Bone “It is foolish to be greedy.” • The Tortoise and the Hare “Slow and steady wins the race.” • The Milkmaid and Her Pail “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” • The Lion and the Mouse “Kindness is never wasted.” PAGE 3 About Aesop Aesop was an Ancient Greek story teller known for authoring a number of fables now collectively called “Aesop’s Fables.” There is very little information about his life as some speculate if he even existed. Several ancient sources such as Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch mention details of Aesop’s life in their writings, estimating he was born around 620 BC. It is said that he was a slave who was eventually set free by his third owner because of his wit and wisdom. The fables credited to Aesop were told and passed down by word of mouth through the oral tradition. It was not until about 200 years after Aesop’s presumed death that any of his fables were published. The stories have remained very popular throughout the centuries as clever teaching tools. Aesop’s Fables mostly center around animal characters and highlight both positive a n d n e g a ti v e h u m a n b e h a v i o r s t h r o u g h t h e a n i m a l s . Aesop pictured in a 1640 painting by Spanish court painter, Deigo Velazquez Elements of Greek theatre in our production Several elements of our production of Aesop’s Fables On Stage are taken directly from Ancient Greek theatre. First, some sections of dialogue are written in rhyming verse, which is how many Greek plays were written. Our production also borrows the Greek convention of using masks to indicate character. While we will only use masks in one scene, the use of costumes is also derived from the Greeks. Our play also briefly uses a chorus, which, in the Greek theatre, was a group of performers who collectively commented on the action of the play. Finally, the Greek theatre used a building called a skene, where the performers would change costumes out of sight of the audience. It was also used as scenery. The backdrop used in our performance will serve as our skene as it helps create setting and hides our actors as they execute their many costume changes. Glossary Moral: a lesson learned from a story or experience. “Aesop told both fables and parables. Both are stories that teach a lesson or moral.” Errant: behaving wrongfully, moving about without purpose. “He heard the tale of the errant ax that went splash.” Quiver: to move with a slight shaking motion. “How my poor heart does quiver.” Aesop pictured in a 1640 painting by Weary: worn out, no energy. Spanish court painter, Deigo Velazquez “Weary from the day, the lion fell asleep.” Convey: to communicate. “A simple thought I’d like to convey…” Lunacy: extremely foolish. “To race with me is lunacy!” FABLE FACTS •Fables are stories that include a moral. •A person who writes fables is called a “fabulist.” •Fables often have animals as their central characters, although some give personalities to the wind, sun, trees, or other inanimate objects. •The word “fabulous” literally means “pertaining to fables” but its meaning has been changed over the years to mean “incredible,” “beyond belief,” or “marvelous.” Student Learning Objectives - Aesop’s Fables On Stage 30-minute preparatory session, 45-minute performance Students: •Identify different fables and deduce their morals. •Differentiate between fables and parables. •Relate examples of positive moral behavior. •Recognize the use of rhyme in story telling. •Dramatize a popular fable. •Identify and recall details of Aesop’s life and elements of Greek Theatre. NYS Learning Standards included with Aesop’s Fables On Stage NYS Learning Standards for the Arts: • TH:Cr1.1.2, TH:Cr3.1.2, TH:Pr4.1.2, TH:Pr5.1.2, TH:Pr6.1.2, TH:Re7.1.2, TH:Re8.1.2, TH:Re9.1.2, TH:Cn10.1.2, TH:Cn11.1.2 NYS Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards: • 2SL1, 2SL2, 2SL3 For more information on specific grade level standards, please visit our website at www.TheRevTheatre.com. Additional Resources Websites http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/schoolradio/subjects/english/ aesops_fables — Audio recordings of 40 different Aesop’s Fables. www.aesopsfables.com — Hundreds of Aesop’s Fables in one place. Books Aesop. Aesop: Five Centuries of Illustrated Fables selected by John H. McKendry. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1964. Aesop. Belling the Cat and Other Aesop’s Fables Retold in Verse. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1990. Kheridan, David. Feathers and Tails: Animal Fables from around the world retold by David Kheridan. New York: Philomel Books, 1992. Video/DVD: The Golden Age of Cartoons: Aesop’s Fables. Van Beuren Studios, 2006. Activities Pre-performance 1. Working in groups of 3 or 4, try coming up with an original fable. First, discuss what the moral will be. Then, decide what kind of person needs to learn that moral. If that person was an animal, what kind of animal would it be? Who is the main character? Who will the main character come in contact with? How will the story be resolved/ how will your animal learn its lesson? Share your story with the class. 2. One of Aseop’s most popular fables is The Tortoise and the Hare. The moral of the story is, of course, “Slow and steady wins the race,” but what if the moral was, “Winning isn’t everything?” In what ways would the characters and plot of the story need to change? Would they even have to change? As a class, re-write the story of The Tortoise and the Hare to illustrate this new moral. 3. Thousands of years ago when Aesop was believed to have lived, talking face-to-face was the most common way to communicate. How do we communicate today? Make a list on the board of all the different ways to communicate. Which way do you use the most? Why? With all these ways to communicate, do you think face-to-face communication is still important? Why? Have a discussion with your class.