Something Rotten!

EDUCATIONAL GUIDE BOOK BY KAREY KIRKPATRICK B JOHN O'FARRELL MUSIC & LYRICS BY WAYNE KIRKPATRICK B KAREY KIRKPATRICK Conceived by Karey Kirkpatrick B Wayne Kirkpatrick Illustrations by Peter de Sève BOOK BY KAREY KIRKPATRICK B JOHN O’FARRELL MUSIC & LYRICS BY WAYNE KIRKPATRICK B KAREY KIRKPATRICK CONCEIVED BY KAREY KIRKPATRICK WAYNE KIRKPATRICK Kate Reinders and John Cariani B WRITTEN BY VICHET CHUM CONTRIBUTING EDITORS MARTY JOHNSON MARIANNE PHELPS LAURA JO SCHUSTER Welcome PRODUCTION PHOTOS JOAN MARCUS DESIGN AND LAYOUT DANIELLE JOHNSON > HERE YE, HERE YE! Welcome to KEVIN M. JOHNSON the Something Rotten! Educational Guide, where quills and cre- SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR ative minds rule, and there’s nothing wrong with going back SUSAN FULLER to school… in the Renaissance. Running eight performances a week at the St. James Theatre on Broadway, Something Rotten! CREATED BY follows Nick and Nigel Bottom, a pair of writing brothers who are trying desperately to find the perfect story to put on the stage. The show imaginatively explores the intersection of Eliz- abethan drama and modern musicals while teaching lessons about overcoming obstacles and achieving true collaboration itheatrics.com and friendship. So, pack your quill and put on your tap shoes. Copyright iTheatrics 2015 Let’s head to the Renaissance! Brian d’Arcy James, Brad Oscar and company TABLE P CONTENTS > PREPRODUCTION > POSTPRODUCTION Theater Etiquette ......................................2 What Inspires the Something How to Use This Guide ............................2 Rotten! Creative Team .............................18 Plot Synposis .............................................3 Developing & Honing Your Creativity ..........................................22 The Characters .........................................5 Honoring Someone’s Ideas .....................23 The Writers & Composers .......................6 Poetic Writing ...........................................24 The World of the Show .............................8 Creative Writing as Self-Expression ......26 The Writers of 1595 ................................10 Writing for the Stage ...............................27 Shakespeare The Man, The Myth ................................11 Reaching Your Goal .................................28 Musicals 101 ............................................14 Being Proud of Who You Are .................29 Shakespeare Sings! ..................................16 Art and Religion Through the Ages ......31 Careers in Theater ....................................32 RottenBroadway.com Something Rotten! Educational Guide 1 Theater Etiquette ark! When you step into THOU SHAN’T TWEETETH. THOU SHALT KEEP THY the St. James Theatre on 1 No cell phones, no texting, no 4 LIMBS TO THINE SELF. HBroadway, just remember: phone calls and no social media! You’re not a groundling or a stand- this isn’t exactly 1595. You The Renaissance created some ing patron at Shakespeare’s Globe are still in a Broadway theater. pretty cool things… the cell phone Theatre. There are seats in the Here are a couple of tips to rock is not one of them. Broadway house, so remember to out in the Renaissance with keep your feet off them. THOU SHALT FLUSHETH. proper etiquette. 2 Make sure to use the restroom THOU SHALT APPLAU- before the show. By this point, the 5 DETH. It is standard to first flushing toilet had been invent- applaud at the end of the show. The ed… so flush away! performers and everyone behind the scenes put together this show THOU SHAN’T SELFIETH. for you. Show them the proper Photography and filming of 3 support for all their hard work. any kind is strictly prohibited at the theater. Save your selfie for the THOU SHALT HAVE A stage door where the actors meet 6 GREAT TIME. The theater the audience members. is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Unlike a movie or a television show, you’re at the theater with audience members, performers, technicians, house staff and more, sharing this story in real time. Sit back and enjoy the show! all you need to know plore further on their own the imaginative and artistic about the show. It gives or with minimal teacher journey. Created for all HOW TO USE you an in-depth look at the guidance. This fun-filled ages, this guide can be THIS GUIDE musical’s story, characters, section includes activities used independently or authors and background on developing a student’s applied to enrich a pre-ex- information on the Renais- creativity, creating goals, isting curriculum. Each The Educational Guide is broken into two parts: sance, the man and myth cultivating self-confidence page is built so the fun of Preproduction and Post- of Shakespeare, and the and investigating careers Something Rotten! doesn’t production. The Prepro- evolution of musicals. in the theater. Additionally, have to end at the the- duction section is crafted The Postproduction inside you’ll find exclusive ater. Use thisguide in the for teachers to share with section is specifically de- interviews with the show’s classroom or at home – the their students and includes signed for students to ex- creative team exploring Renaissance waits for you. 2 Something Rotten! Educational Guide RottenBroadway.com PREPRODUCTION Plot Synopsis > Jewish money lender, who ACT 1 is there to collect on Nick’s Welcome to the Renaissance – where debt. However, Shylock has art and science reign and the bubonic an offer: he will forgive plague is so yesterday. It’s 1595 in South Nick of his loans if he can London, and the town’s MINSTREL become an official in- and the TOWNSPEOPLE are celebrat- vestor in the Bottoms’ ing the Renaissance of England (Wel- next play. Unfortunately, come to the Renaissance) with artists having a Jewish patron is and writers like John Webster, Ben illegal, and with interest for Shy- Johnson, Christopher Marlowe and lock’s loan doubling soon, Nick is several others. But who’s the “whiz under a great deal of pressure. Inside Nick employs to look into the future of the Elizabethan stage”? Who’s “in- the house, BEA, Nick’s wife, is serv- and foresee what the next big thing in credible, unforgettable, and just so ing boiled cabbage she found at the the theater well be. The answer? Mu- freakin’ awesome”? WILLIAM SHAKE- stocks where the crowd was throwing sicals! Nostradamus shares with Nick SPEARE! All other writers might as it at criminals. Times are tough for the the most informational, spectacled well pack up their quills and go home. couple, which is why Bea suggests premonition either of them have ever At a theater not too far away, a that she get a job and even sug- experienced (A Musical). Nick has his pair of playwright brothers, NICK gests she could be an actor in one idea! The next day outside the the- and NIGEL BOTTOM, run rehearsal of the Bottoms’ plays (even though ater, Nigel runs into a Puritan woman of their new play, Richard II, with fel- it’s against the law to put women named PORTIA for whom he instant- low actors TOM SNOUT, ROBIN, onstage). Though Nick is proudly ad- ly falls. But before they can share their PETER QUINCE and the rest of the amant that he can get them out of love of poetry, Portia is pulled away TROUPE. LORD CLAPHAM arrives to poverty on his own, Bea reminds him by her Puritan father, BROTHER JER- inform them that Shakespeare is doing that she can be his second-in-com- EMIAH, who adamantly opposes the exact same idea – and his opens mand (Right Hand Man). Bea leaves to the sinful ways of theatrical arts. Nick sooner! If the Bottom brothers don’t hunt for some meat to eat, and Nigel returns with a game plan while Ni- come up with a new play ‘on the mor- falls asleep, daunted by the idea of gel confesses his love for Portia. Nick row,’ they’ll lose Clapham’s patronage. writing anymore. Nick is left with no warns Nigel against falling in love with Nick, the older brother and driving good ideas (God, I Hate Shakespeare – a Puritan and then reveals that a mu- force of the partnership, goes on a ti- Reprise)… except maybe for one. sical is their ticket to success. All they rade about his hatred for Shakespeare Nick heads to Soothsayer Al- need now is the perfect subject. At (God, I Hate Shakespeare), while the ley where he runs into an array of the theater, the Troupe rehearses their rest of the gang, including Nigel, the eccentric characters. He’s looking new idea, a musical about the bu- shy, insecure and unrecognized poet- for a soothsayer and inadvertent- bonic plague called The Black Death!. ic genius, are in complete adoration. ly comes upon NOSTRADAMUS. When Lord Clapham hears it, he is baf- The Bottom brothers are stumped But not the Nostradamus. This is fled and confused. He’s not the only for an original idea and head to Nick’s his nephew. THOMAS. That’s right. one. Brother Jeremiah has heard about home, where they find SHYLOCK, a THOMAS NOSTRADAMUS, who the inclusion of singing in their show RottenBroadway.com Something Rotten! Educational Guide 3 and arrives to warn the brothers that if and Shakespeare erupt into blows, imagine a life where their love is per- they continue sinning, he will use his Brother Jeremiah arrives to retrieve missible with the Puritans (We See the relationship with the Master of the Jus- Portia, who has been drinking alco- Light). Unexpectedly, Brother Jeremiah tice to end their theatrical careers. With hol. Her father takes her away in a and other Puritans find Portia and pun- that pressure, Clapham withdraws his rage. Nick reprimands Nigel for falling ish her by locking her in a tower where patronage. for Shakespeare’s false friendship and she will stay until her exile to Scotland. Nick and Nigel leave to regroup for falling in love with a Puritan. Nigel As a result, a heartbroken and artis- and run into Bea, who is dressed as runs after Portia while Nick is left to tically inspired Nigel has written new a man.

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