Preview Guide for Parents and Teachers to Childsplay’s Production of Sleeping Beauty We hope you find this guide helpful in preparing your children for an enjoyable and educational By Charles Way theatrical experience. Included you’ll find things to talk about before and after seeing the performance, Directed by Samantha K. Wyer classroom activities that deal with curriculum connections and education standards, and resource Scenic Design by Robert Klingelhoffer materials. Costume Design by Cathy Hunt The Story Similar to the Grimms’ Brothers version but with Lighting Design by Tracy Odishaw several twists! King Peredur and Queen Guinevere desperately want a baby and have all but given up Sound Design by David Temby on their wish when they discover a baby girl abandoned in the forest. Sisters (and witches) Choreography by Laurie Trygg Branwen and Modron fight over the destiny of the child. While Branwen wants the King and Queen to Fight Direction by David Barker have the child, Modron wants the child for her own. During the christening of Briar Rose, Branwen is Stage Manager: Sam Ries asked to bestow thirteen blessings upon the child. Angry that she wasn’t invited to the christening, The Cast Modron appears anyway to bestow a blessing of her Branwen. .Jodie L. Weiss own: on her sixteenth birthday, Briar Rose will Modron. Katie McFadzen prick her finger on a spinning wheel’s spindle and Gryff. Jon Gentry die. Branwen cannot destroy her sister’s spell but King Peredur/Spider King. Dwayne Hartford she can amend it: instead of death, Briar Rose will Queen Guinevere/Tylwyth Teg. .Debra K Stevens sleep for one hundred years, to be awakened only Princess Briar Rose. Alette Valencia by the kiss of her true love. Terrified for his Prince Owain/Bishop. .D. Scott Withers daughter’s safety, the King has all spinning wheels banished and keeps the young girl behind the castle September, 2006 walls. Branwen sends her servant Gryff, half man Herberger Theater Center half dragon, to watch over and befriend Briar Rose. Since there are no spinning wheels, there is a This production is supported in part by: shortage of cloth so the King has to rely on nearby kingdoms for cloth. As a favor to one of the cloth supplying kingdoms, the King agrees to take in a prince for the summer. Prince Owain has low self- esteem and really isn’t good at anything. He and th Briar Rose develop a strong friendship. On her 16 birthday, Briar Rose does indeed fall under Modron’s spell and is imprisoned by her. It is Arizona Commission on the Arts Owain (with the help of Gryff) who finds his inner Bashas’ Markets strength and overcomes obstacles as he makes his City of Tempe/Tempe Municipal Arts Commission way through the forest to rescue Briar Rose. In the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and Civic Plaza end it is obvious that the two young friends will Department Theatre Division indeed live happily ever after. Things to Talk About and Do and/or watch the Disney film jealous wife is replaced by the Before Seeing the Show (internet links to Perrault’s and prince’s jealous ogress of a Grimms’ version can be found mother. Theater Etiquette: (2AT-R2, on the back page of this guide). *1729: Histories, or Tales of 3AT-R2) It’s helpful to review Talk about what you think the Past Times. Robert Samber the rules of theater etiquette live production will be like. translates Perrault’s tales to before seeing a show, English for the first time. The History of Sleeping Beauty especially since this may be the * 19th century: Little Briar The play that you and your first live theater experience for Rose. From Children’s and children will see has many some of your students. Please Household Tales (1812–1815). similarities to the familiar take a moment to discuss the Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm version of Sleeping Beauty with following pointers prior to publish their ‘sanitized’ version many twists. Variations of the seeing the performance. of Sleeping Beauty, although story have been documented ~Stay seated during the they deny the connection to since the 13th century and have performance. Perrault’s tale. Briar Rose is evolved over time into the ~ Be respectful to the awakened when a prince kneels popular version we know today. performers and other people in by her side, and the story ends * 13th century: Volsunga Saga. the audience by not talking when the Prince and his bride A Nordic tale describing the during the performance. get married. banishment of Brynhilde to the ~ Appropriate responses such * 1959: Sleeping Beauty. Walt earth. Contains the most basic as applause or laughter are Disney’s animated film based on aspects of the plot. always welcome. Perrault’s and the Grimms’ * 1528: Perceforest. An ~Use of cell phones, cameras versions of the story. or any other recording device is Arthurian romance known as not allowed in the theater at any Histoire de Troylus et de Fairytales Zellandine. A vast tale linking In general, fairy tales are short, time! legends of Alexander the Great gripping narratives that evolved The Characters with King Arthur of Great from the oral tradition of Reviewing the list of characters Britain. The story of Zellandine, storytelling. The stories were before seeing the play will help who falls into an enchanted passed on from generation to the students to better follow the sleep while spinning flax, is generation and across cultures story: recognizably similar to Sleeping and countries. Fairytales are ~Branwen, The Bright Witch Beauty. filled with fantastical characters ~Modron, The Dark Witch, * 1636: Sun, Moon, and Talia. like witches, queens, giants, sister to Branwen Giambattista Basile’s Italian tale elves, princes, dragons, talking ~Gryff, half dragon, half man; from Il Pentamarone (Day 5. animals, ogres, princesses, and Branwen’s servant Tale 5). This tale is the most sometimes even fairies. Magic ~King Peredur & Queen explicit and violent. While she is is a big part of fairytales. The Guinevere, adoptive parents of in her enchanted sleep, Talia is plots are very improbable and Briar Rose raped by a married king and good almost always wins over ~The Bishop, performs the gives birth to twins. The king’s evil. French fairy tales were christening of Briar Rose wife finds out and is jealous, the first to be written down, but ~Princess Briar Rose (a.k.a. and attempts to eat Talia’s there are fairy tales from Sleeping Beauty) children, Sun and Moon. practically all cultures. There ~Prince Owain, Briar Rose’s * 1697: The Sleeping Beauty in are amazing similarities in fairy best friend, awkward and not the Wood. Charles Perrault’s tales from different cultures: confident tale from his book Histories ou For example, stories from two ~The Tylwyth Teg (tu-LOO- contes du temps passe. Very distant cultures, recorded uth TEG) manipulative fairy similar to Basile’s tale, except around the same time period people that Sleeping Beauty’s can be very much the same. ~The Spider King, evil, likes enchanted sleep lasts for 100 The stories probably spread riddles years, and she is rescued by a across cultures by storytellers prince instead of a king. This is and changed ever so slightly Preview the Story the first version where she is with every re-telling. Read one or more of the story awakened by a prince. The versions of Sleeping Beauty Things to Talk About And Do the Tylwyth Teg so that he improve. Write a spell that After the Performance: doesn’t have to stay with them would make that something ①(3AT-R1)All plays have three for eternity. Brainstorm ideas happen! Perform your spell P’s: People in a Place with a for the scene, rehearse and (add movements if you want) Problem. Where does the play share with the rest of the class. for the class. take place (setting)? Who are the people (or characters)? Art Activities: A Time for Bravery Owain has What are the problems Half and Half (1AV-R1, 1AV- low self-esteem and thinks he (conflicts)? What happens at R6) Gryff is half man half is not good at anything until he the beginning of the play? The dragon. What other interesting discovers his strength and middle? The end? creature/person combinations courage on his quest to find ②For older students: Identify can you come up with? If you Briar Rose. Write about a time the five components of story were half-person, half-creature when you did something brave. structure in the play: what would you look like? Exposition (character and Draw a picture of your creature Letter of Support Write Briar setting), rising action, climax, or find pictures from magazines Rose a letter encouraging her to falling action and resolution. or the internet that you can explore the world beyond the ③How is this stage version of combine to create a creature. castle. Explain to her what she Sleeping Beauty different or Give the creature a name and might see and experience. similar to the movie or any hang them in your classroom. Focus on the positive but also written version you know? make her aware of what she The 100 Year Forest (1AV-R1, ④(3AT-F2)Throughout the should be cautious of. 1AV-F6, 1AV-E1, 3AV-R2) whole play, Briar Rose wants to Think about a forest and how leave the castle to explore the Riddles Owain guesses the much it could grow and change woods. When she finally has a answers to three riddles from in one hundred years. Using chance to do it at the end of the the Spider King in exchange for colored pencils, crayons and/or play, she is afraid.