2019–2020 Season

PRESENTING SPONSOR: The Hazen PLAYGUIDE Family

BOOK, MUSIC AND LYRICS BY: December 6–22 James W. Rodgers Van Fleet INSPIRED BY A.A. MILNE’S: Theatre Winnie-the-Pooh CPAC

The Story A very special Friend-and-Relation, tells the story of a Christmas Eve very long ago (about last year) when , everyone’s favorite old gray donkey, was absolutely miserable because he had lost his tail. Of course, A.A. Milne’s classic characters Pooh and set out to find the tail and meet other classic residents of the 100 Acre Wood along the way! Fun, excitement, and delightful songs illustrate themes of caring, sharing, and the importance of cultivating friendships.

About the Playwright: James W. Rodgers James W. Rodgers is a playwright, director, and actor who has written many scripts for both stage and screen. It’s a Wonderful Life–the Musical, A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail, and the play version of It’s a Wonderful Life are just a few of his most popular stage shows. Rodgers has directed more than 100 productions at all different levels: professional, community, and educational. He is also the co-author of the Play Director’s Survival Kit. The other co-author is his wife, Wanda.

About the Author: A.A. Milne Alan Alexander Milne was born in London, England in January of 1882. He attended college at the University of Cambridge’s Trinity College, where he studied mathematics. While attending university, he edited and wrote for the school’s student magazine Granta. He realized that writing was his true passion, and upon his graduation in 1903, he moved to London and began writing for the literary magazine Punch in 1906. He served in World War I in 1915 and even wrote some stories and plays before the war ended. After the war, he achieved success as a playwright. However, his best remembered stories are his children’s books. He wrote two collections of poems for his son called When We Were Young and . Milne is most well-known for his two books full of stories of Winnie-the- Pooh and Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh and . The stories of Winnie-the-Pooh were based on real people and toys. Check out the Fun Facts section for more information!

CATCO IS GRATEFUL SEASON PARTNER SEASON PRESENTING SEASON SPONSOR SPONSOR SUPPORT MEDIA SPONSOR SPONSOR Activities Activities Connections Curriculum CATCO IS GRATEFUL IS CATCO SEASON Curriculum Curriculum Curriculum Connection Connection Connection Cognitive & Creative Processes: &Creative Processes: Cognitive &Creative Processes: Cognitive Drama/Theatre: Grade 2 Grade Drama/Theatre: Drama/Theatre: Grade 3 Grade Drama/Theatre: Producing/Performing 5PR Producing/Performing 1PR Literacy.RL.1.3 CCSS.ELA standards that correspond with the different activities listed. activities different with the correspond that standards academic you find will and icon the for Playguide our throughout Look Department of Education and the Common Core State Standards Initiative. by Ohio the schools in required standards curriculum the meet students to visit CATCO your and your You Playguide to this help use Kids is can BEFORE THESHOW PRESENTING SPONSOR sounds. Share both versions of the scene with another family member or peer. or member family with another scene of the versions both Share sounds. animal your you? are to through convey Try of animal best feelings your kind What make. would character your sounds the only use Instead any words. using without again scene the out acting After, try words. and movement both using once out scene the Act you say? should What character? you move the you are to pretend should How animals. Pooh Winnie-the- in characters the all that peer. or Remember member with afamily out part that act and story favorite your the event Pick from end. to the middle to the beginning from order right the in are events the sure Make story. the from events and characters at Pooh Corner 3. After reading a story from Winnie-the-Pooh from astory reading After 3. writing. in feelings and thoughts acharacter’s Express 2. key astory, details. using in events major and settings, characters, Describe different? be they will How similar? be will stories two the you think do How friends. and family for ideas your Perform story. of the favorite your part and place, takes story the where are, characters the who out act created, you that list the Using story. the in happens what and place, takes it where story, the in characters of the create alist adult, an from them celebrating Christmas together. With guidance and support Tail Christmas the-Pooh AWinnie- than story adifferent tells movie this Although member. Year Pooh Merry AVery film version the find and library local the visit guardian, or aparent With 1. Express a character’s thoughts and feelings in writing. in feelings and thoughts acharacter’s Express peer. or member afamily for them perform and character each about scenes to own create your short letters your Use Howaresimilar? they different? letters two your are How process. the repeat and character letter, the another you may pick completing After story? the in happens what about feel character this does How characters? other the see character this does How of view. point character’s chosen your from Robin to Christopher to write aletter list this Use story. the from of events sequence the of matches view that point character’s that from of events alist Create story. the from character favorite your animal about With a family member, read a story from either Winnie-the-Pooh either from astory read member, afamily With are toy animals (except for Christopher Robin), (except toy have they are so to animals move like Christopher those for SUPPORT SEASON . You can find these books at your local library. Create a list of the of the Createlist a library. local at your books . You these find can , it has the same characters and is about about is and characters same the , it has , and watch it with a family watch it with afamily , and The House at Pooh Corner at Pooh House The or or The House or Connection Curriculum SPONSOR PARTNER SEASON MEDIA , think , think Activities SPONSOR CATCO IS GRATEFUL IS CATCO SEASON Curriculum Curriculum Curriculum Connection Connection Connection Drama/Theatre: Grade 1 Grade Drama/Theatre: Cognitive 2Cognitive Grade Music: Cognitive and Creative and Cognitive Processes: Responding and Creative Learning Learning Processes: and Reflecting 3RE Reflecting and Performing 6PR Literacy.RL.2.9 Producing and CCSS.ELA PRESENTING AFTER THESHOW SPONSOR by different authors or from different cultures. different from or authors by different stories) (e.g., Cinderella story same of the versions more or two contrast and Compare friend. or member with afamily thoughts your same?Share How the they were different? stories were the How story. of the own version Tail Christmas at CATCO your and the-Pooh Kids is similarities and differencesbetween AWinnie- the shows that create aVenn diagram out, story CATCO your you have Once acted with. show the you saw that peers or members family the for it out own your act story, creating After story. your in happen that things change to free Feel story. Christmas to own create your to Winnie-the-Pooh give you ideas list Now, story. this the use from you remember that events ofwrite the down all Tail Christmas of AWinnie-the-Pooh CATCO the watching production After Kids 3. is meaning. and images moods, feelings, communicates music how Describe member or peer! with afamily thoughts your how? Share so, If emotions? characters’ the understand you help music the Did feel? characters the did How about? were singing they What sang. characters the which in favorite of your scenes write alist performance, Kids is CATCO the seeing After feel. them how it makes and to them happening is what about sing Tail characters The Christmas at CATCO amusical. is Kids is AWinnie-the-Pooh 2. pantomime. or improvisation atableau, to present Work cooperatively friends. and with family them share and actions new of these each for atableau Create do. Tiggers you above think that list the in not are that words other three to choose friend or member with afamily work tableaux, you have your created After action. each in happening is what show clearly you must you freeze, When book. apicture in picture to the similar by created actors, afrozenis picture Atableau action. of each create atableau and list that from favorite words three your Choose bounce. and dive, dip, twirl twist, slide, slip, swirl, spin, are mentions A few that do! Tiggers that things the all lists he song, his In song. Christmas Tail AWinnie-the-Pooh you have that Now seen 1. SUPPORT SEASON at CATCO is Kids. Think about Tigger’s Tigger’s about at CATCO Think Kids. is SPONSOR PARTNER SEASON MEDIA , FUN FACTS

Fun Facts about Winnie-the-Pooh and A.A. Milne A.A. Milne’s and his son Christopher A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail is all about friendship and what the holidays mean. Robin Milne Check out these Fun Facts below about the Winnie-the-Pooh stories and A.A. Milne.

• Christopher Robin was named after A.A. Milne’s own son, .

• The animal characters in Winnie-the-Pooh were inspired by Christopher Robin Milne’s real stuffed animal toys!

• Owl, , and were not original Winnie-the-Pooh characters. They were added later.

• Christopher Robin Milne’s real stuffed toys can be seen in the New York Public Library, except for who was lost.

• The characters Kanga and Roo are named after two parts of the name for what kind of animal they are: Kangaroo.

Winnipeg • Winnie was the name of Christopher Robin Milne’s , and the teddy bear was actually named after a real bear cub named . Winnipeg was the pet of a Canadian soldier who fought in World War I. After the war, Winnipeg became a resident of the London Zoological Gardens.

• The “Pooh” part of Winnie-the-Pooh’s name actually came from another character Milne created. In his poem “The Mirror” there is a swan named Pooh.

• The and its different locations were inspired by The in Sussex, England, where Milne bought a house in 1925.

• The book Winnie-the-Pooh has been translated into more than 50 languages, including Afrikaans, Czech, Finnish, and Yiddish. Ashdown Forest • Winnie-the-Pooh was even translated into Latin, a language people to not speak to communicate anymore. The Latin version of the book sold 125,000 copies, making it the only Latin book in history to be on the New York Times Best Seller List.

• The original drawings of Winnie-the-Pooh were created by illustrator E.H. Shepard, who based his drawings on his son’s teddy bear. That means that the character Winnie-the-Pooh at Disney Winnie-the-Pooh was inspired by three separate bears!

• Winnie-the-Pooh did not wear his famous red shirt until 1932 when an American producer named Stephen Slesinger was working on a Illustrated by E. H. Shepard Pooh cartoon.

• Disney purchased Winnie-the-Pooh in 1961 from A.A. Milne’s wife, Daphne. To this day, Winnie-the-Pooh is one of Disney’s most popular properties.

• Winnie-the-Pooh has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

CATCO IS GRATEFUL SEASON PARTNER SEASON PRESENTING SEASON SPONSOR SPONSOR SUPPORT MEDIA SPONSOR POOH’S CRAFT CORNER

Winnie-the-Pooh Ornament The stories of Winnie-the-Pooh always remind us that friendship is one of the greatest things in life. With an adult’s help, follow the steps below to create your own Winnie-the-Pooh hanging ornament. You can hang this ornament anywhere you want as a reminder of Pooh’s adventures.

Supplies needed: • A blank round ornament • yellow craft foam • red ribbon • a paintbrush • yellow craft paint • a black paint pen • scissors • a hot glue gun • small Santa hat (optional)

Directions: 1. Cut two ear shapes out of the yellow foam as pictured. See image 1. 2. With an adult’s help, glue the ears onto the blank ornament.

3. Use the yellow craft paint to paint the ornament blank. If needed, you can paint the yellow foam ears too to make sure they match the face. Let the paint dry!

4. Using the black paint pen, draw a face on the ornament that looks like Pooh’s. See image 2. Let the paint dry!

5. Take the red ribbon and use the scissors to cut a length of ribbon. Feed the ribbon through the hole in the top of the ornament and tie the two ends together.

6. (Optional) If you purchased small Santa hats, glue one onto the top of your ornament with an adult’s help. These hats can be found on Amazon and at your local craft stores.

7. Hang up your ornament wherever you would like!

2 1 2 CATCO IS GRATEFUL SEASON PARTNER SEASON PRESENTING SEASON SPONSOR SPONSOR SUPPORT MEDIA SPONSOR