This section is part of a full New Victory® School ToolTM Resource Guide. For the complete guide, including information about the New Victory Education Department check out: newvictory.org/schooltools
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inside | MEASURE FOR MEASURE
BEFORE EN ROUTE AFTER BEYOND INSIDE
Inside the Show/Company • Closer Look • Where in the World
Inside the Art Form
Creativity Page: Behind Closed Doors
WHAT IS “INSIDE” MEASURE FOR MEASURE? INSIDE provides teachers and students with a behind-the-curtain look at the artists, the company and the art form of this production. Use this resource to learn more about the artists on the New Victory stage, how far they’ve traveled and their inspiration for creating this show. In addition to information that will enrich your students’ experience at the theater, you will find a Creativity Page – a handout to build student anticipation around their trip to The New Victory.
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO LEARNING STANDARDS
New Victory School Tool Resource Guides align with the Common Core State Standards, New York State Learning Standards and New York City Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts. We believe that these standards support both the high-quality instruction and deep engagement that The New Victory Theater strives to achieve in its arts education practice.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS NEW YORK STATE STANDARDS BLUEPRINT FOR THE ARTS
Speaking and Listening: 1 The Arts: 4 Theater: Developing Theater Literacy; Language: 1; 4 ELA: 1; 4 Making Connections
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inside | MEASURE FOR MEASURE
BEFORE EN ROUTE AFTER BEYOND INSIDE
Inside the Show/Company • Closer Look • Where in the World
Inside the Art Form
Creativity Page: Behind Closed Doors Ensemble-Based Theater + Shakespeare + City Life + Justice = where in the world MEASURE FOR MEASURE is measure for measure [ ] from? New York's Fiasco Theater sheds new light on one of Shakespeare's NORTH darkest comedies with live music and moxie. When the Duke of Vienna AMERICA X disguises himself as a friar among his people, he finds the city unraveling in ATLANTIC OCEAN an ethical free fall. Before he reclaims his dukedom, can he help the chaste
Isabella save her brother from the condemnation of the villain Angelo? Last PACIFIC seen performing on the New Vic stage with their acclaimed production OCEAN SOUTH AMERICA of Cymbeline, Fiasco's creative and collaborative ensemble will once again color complex characters and illuminate perplexing plots to tell this singular tale of morality and manipulation in MEASURE FOR MEASURE.
MEASURE FOR MEASURE N closer look at ew York • Fiasco Theater is a New York City-based ensemble theater company created by graduates of the Brown University/Trinity Rep M.F.A. acting program. They last performed on the New Victory stage in 2011 with their rendition of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, which was NYC met with rave reviews by both audiences and critics alike! X • Fiasco offers dynamic, joyful, actor-driven productions of both classic and new plays, as well as providing performance workshops and actor training to the theater community. New York, New York
• In MEASURE FOR MEASURE, Fiasco explores the disparities of city • Theater in New York City came into form in life. The company is interested in how people from different walks of 1750 at the Theatre on Nassau Street, which life live together in one city, while occupying separate domains. This featured Shakespeare’s plays. show will highlight how politicians, criminals, and religious leaders all interact in the city landscape. • There are approximately 20 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions of Shakespeare's • This production of MEASURE FOR MEASURE will be performed in plays in the 2013-14 season in New York City a non-descript time and place. The idea is that this story could take alone. Almost 400 years later, and Shakespeare place in any city, and at any time. is still topping the charts!
• All of the sound and music played in the production will be generated by the performers themselves!
• Watch to see how the performers contribute to the action even when they are not in a particular scene.
The New VICTORY® THEATER / NEWVICTORY.org/schooltools © The New 42nd Street, Inc. 5 ®
inside | MEASURE FOR MEASURE
BEFORE EN ROUTE AFTER BEYOND INSIDE
Inside the Show/Company • Closer Look • Where in the World
Inside the Art Form
Creativity Page: Behind Closed Doors
INSIDE THE ART FORM WHAT DO YOUR Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets and 37 plays (allegedly), many of STUDENTS KNOW NOW? which were performed before Queen Elizabeth I and King James I during Shakespeare's lifetime, making him both an Elizabethan and Jacobean writer. Prior to exploring MEASURE FOR MEASURE with Shakespeare’s theater company was known as The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, your students, find out how much they already who, in 1599, collectively opened the venue that would showcase much know about Shakespeare and ensemble-based of their work—The Globe Theatre in London. In addition to playwriting, theater. In addition, allow them to explore the Shakespeare was also an actor who performed not only in his own plays, but themes of justice and city life. those of other playwrights as well. Use the Prior Knowledge questions below, and Fiasco Theater is a prime example of an ensemble-based theater the Creativity Page handout to get a sense of company, where all of the performers play a significant role in shaping the your students’ understanding of the art forms and development and presentation of the play. As an ensemble, Fiasco chooses plays to present based on roles and themes they are all interested in themes in the show. You may be surprised by how exploring. The material they select typically does not have a single lead role, much they already know, and in the process of but rather a variety of characters who are all equally valuable to the story. exploring these areas, you’ll spark their curiosity When necessary and desired, the company “doubles” up on roles, meaning about the show and enhance their anticipation for one actor takes on multiple parts. In addition, Fiasco has been known to do the trip. many of their own theatrical effects on stage. The ensemble will be providing the music and soundscape for this production. Have you ever seen or read anything by Shakespeare? What was it like?
What do you know about Shakespeare? What do you know about his plays?
Do you know anyone who loves Shakespeare? If so, do you know why they love his work?
What is an ensemble?
Have you ever worked as part of an ensemble? What are the qualities that make a successful ensemble?
What is your favorite thing about living in a city? Why?
Who are the different types of people you find in a city?
What makes something unjust?
Have you ever witnessed or been part of an unjust situation? How do people abuse power?
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® NEW VICTORY THEATER SHOW SUMMARY Behind Closed Doors
A city hosts people from all walks of life, the rich and poor are separated by mere blocks (or floors); the spiritual and the non-believers preach their opinions side by side; the righteous and the sinners are regular passers-by on the street. Often, the only thing separating one person from another in a city is a door.
MEASURE FOR MEASURE takes place in the city of Vienna, and the Fiasco company uses the idea of doors to tell their story.
Character List or dramatis personae • Duke Vincentio: The Duke of Vienna, who also appears disguised as Friar Lodowick • Angelo: The Deputy, who rules in the Duke's absence • Escalus: Duke Vincentio’s worthy counselor and Angelo’s chief advisor • Mistress Overdone: The woman in charge of the brothel • Lucio: A gentleman and citizen of Vienna • Claudio: A young gentleman • Pompey: A tapster (bartender) at Mistress Overdone's brothel • Isabella: Claudio's sister • Mariana: Angelo’s ex-fiancée • Barnardine: A prisoner in jail with Claudio
Behind the Door of Justice:
Duke Vincentio decides to leave office for a while and transfers his powers and duties to a deputy named Lord Angelo, and leaves his advisor Escalus as second in command. Angelo decides to rid the city of brothels and other unlawful activities.
Behind the Door of the Brothel:
Mistress Overdone, the head of the brothel, learns that Claudio has been arrested and sentenced to death for impregnating his fiancé, Julietta, before they were married.
Behind the Door of the Church:
Lucio visits Claudio’s sister, Isabella, at the nunnery and convinces her to beg Angelo to have mercy on her brother. When she hears of her brother's arrest, she leaves the nunnery and heads to Angelo. © The New 42nd Street, Inc.
® NEW VICTORY THEATER CrEATIVITY PAGE
Back to the Door of Justice:
Isabella pleads with Angelo to spare her brother's life. When he propositions her by saying that he will let Claudio live if she agrees to have sexual intercourse with him, she is shocked and immediately refuses.
Behind the Door of the Prison:
The Duke (in disguise as Friar Lodowick) comes to the prison to bless the condemned. Isabella arrives and tells Claudio of Angelo's black mail. The Duke, still in disguise, reveals a plan: Mariana, Angelo's ex-fiance, will pretend to be Isabella when she goes to Angelo's sleeping quarters. Angelo is fooled but plans to behead Claudio anyway.
The Duke convinces Escalus to execute Barnadine, another prisoner, and deliver his head to Angelo, making it look like Claudio's. When the plan to execute Barnadine fails, the Duke and Escalus remember that another prisoner, Ragozine, died in the prison the previous night and happens to look like Claudio! They send the head of Ragozine to Angelo pretending it's Claudio's. When Isabella enters, the Duke, still in disguise, tells her that Claudio has been beheaded.
At the City Gate
The Duke, no longer in disguise, "returns" to the city. Isabella comes to him and tells her story in a public forum. The Duke pretends to doubt her story and condemns her to prison. Mariana tells everyone that she was the one with Angelo last night. The Duke reveals he was disguised as the friar. He marries Angelo and Mariana, then sentences Angelo to death. Mariana and Isabella beg the Duke to spare Angelo, to which he finally agrees. The Duke also frees Barnardine and reunites Claudio with Isabella. To end the play, the Duke declares that he and Isabella are to be married. He says, "Dear Isabella, I have a motion much imports your good, Whereto if you’ll a willing ear incline, What’s mine is yours, and what is yours is mine."