PORTLANDSTAGEwhere great theater lives P L A Y N O T E S R e s o u r c e G u i d e Season: 42 Issue:2 EDUCATION IN THEATER FOR KIDS Grades 5 – 8 Thursdays, February 25 – March 24 $125 | 4:30 – 6 PM Middle school students will delve into the wild and wacky BIG KIDS world of the bard. This class will culminate in a performance celebrating the arrival of William Shakespeare’s first folio at the Portland Public Library. Ages 4-10 Saturday Mornings, 10:30 AM to Noon January 9th- April 16th $15 each for one child with an adult / $7 per additional person Experience the Fun & Magic of Theater Saturday Mornings with Play Me a Story! Two books per session with an interactive workshop! See our upcoming schedule of books at portlandstage.org Theater for Kids is made possible by the generous support and vision of Susie Konkel. PLAY ME A STORY PLAY PORTLANDSTAGE Register: 774.1043 x104 where great theater lives www.portlandstage.org by Hans Christian Andersen Dec. 5–Dec. 24 for performance dates and times for both evening shows and student matinees, visit www.portlandstage.org. Portland Stage Company Educational Programs are generously supported through the annual donations of hundreds of individuals and businesses, as well as special funding from: The Robert and Dorothy Golfberg Charitable Founda- tion & George and Cheryl Higgins & Funded in part by a grant from: The Maine Arts Com- mission, and independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts Table of Contents Portland Stage ProduceS The Snow Queen About the Play 8 Daniel Noel, A Snow Queen Veteran 9 Hans Christian Andersen 10 Interview with Assistant Director 12 Production History 14 Emily Dickinson 15 the World of The Snow Queen The Hero’s Journey 18 Rites of Passage 20 Fairy Tale Origins 22 Mother, Maiden, Crone; Fairy Tale Women 24 From Aslan to Peter Rabbit; Animals in Children’s Literature 25 Activites Page 27 The Snow Queen in the claSSroom Snow Queen Recipes 28 Instant Lessons & Glossary 29 Your 2014/2015 PlayNotes Editorial Staff Hannah Cordes Grace Weiner Education & Theater for Kids Intern Education & Theater for Kids Intern Benn May Connor Pate Directing & Dramaturgy Intern Directing & Dramaturgy Intern Mariele Fluegeman Kerry Randazzo Directing & Dramaturgy Intern General Adminstration Intern “I am convinced that most people do not grow up...I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies, and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are innocent and shy as magnolias.” -Maya Angelou PlayNotes 5 Thoughts From... My high school literature class was watching the 2008 mini-series of Tess of the D’Urbervilles. After the parson denied Tess’ illegitimate baby a Christian burial, Tess says, “Then I do not like you and I do not like your God and I will not set foot in your church again.” My teacher paused the film, looked us all in the eye, and told us that we are allowed to reject things that go against our moral standards, we don’t have to put up with voices in our lives if they are harmful. This was a huge moment for me. I grew up in a conservative Catholic setting, which became difficult when I realized I was queer. I was devout, so it was difficult for me to see myself in any positive light compared to what I read in school and heard on Sundays. Hearing Tess and my teacher say that to me gave me the courage to realize that I was only hurting myself in defining myself according to theseCatholic teachings and that I needed to separate myself from them until I better knew who I was. On October 2nd, 2011, a frigid and rainy morning, I ran 13.1 miles. It was the annual Maine Half Marathon, a race that I had spent months preparing for. What it took to get me to the starting line on that day required much more than enduring legs. Struggling with obesity for the better part of my childhood, I had been teased and excluded by almost everyone I knew, even my friends. When the bullying was at its worst, I would frequently go whole days without speaking for fear of being mocked and ridiculed. When I was 14, I decided to make a change, losing 50 pounds just in the year leading up to the race. I did not do this because I wanted to prove anyone wrong, I did it because I needed to prove to myself that my life was in my own control. As I bounded across the finish line, I felt cold, soaked, and exhausted but despite my trembling legs, I walked away with deeper understanding of myself. As I upturned my head to welcome fresh air into my lungs, I could see the sun behind the clouds. Part of me hopes I never grow up fully because I love the whimsy that childhood supplies. However, one moment when I really felt the reality of being my own person was when I became a mitzvah clown for my Bat Mitzvah project. Before your Bat Mitzvah, you do a year of public service, so I chose to go to a seminar and became a mitzvah clown- a clown that visits nursing homes, children’s hospitals, and does birthday parties for free. I chose it because I thought it would be the most fun! But I quickly realized how much happiness I could bring to people. I loved that feeling and took it on as a responsibility. To always try and brighten the lives of others. This turning point is very memorable to me and is something I still try to do everyday in my teaching. 6 The Snow Queen The Editorial Staff To choose to be yourself when you know others will not agree is one of the hardest things I can a person can do. At the age of 13, I knew I was different, by the age of 14, I was ready to talk about it. I started telling my friends first, and then as is the nature of small towns, word got out, and soon the entire school knew. That lead to my brother telling my mother, and me being completely exposed. I wish I could say I was met with cheers and joy but instead I was met with hatred, violence, and ignorance. My life was threatened daily, and I was discouraged from being myself by both students and teachers. I cannot say that it was easy, but I can say it was worth it. I have been out for over a decade now. I know who I am, and I do not apologize for choosing to be open about it. I have been fortunate enough that inspite of ignorance and its lovely companions, I have had caring and wonderful people in my life. I have had people lift me up over the last 10 years to become the man I am today. I can promise you, it takes time, but it really does get better. On the bank of the Ohio River, in downtown Louisville, we sat and toasted him. In 2013, my younger brother, the baby of the family graduated high school. No longer that of a pink nosed cherub, his face was slightly bearded and lean. Four years earlier, his face was round and prone to blushing when asked who he was dating. At his graduation, the baby of the family had a girlfriend, one he unabashedly introduced to every guest present. On the bank of the Ohio River, in downtown Louisville, one of the last and most important vestiges of my youth peeled away. The inexorable march of time had slowly dissolved the pedestal reserved for the older, infallible brother. His first step into adulthood was in many ways mine. College was on the horizon for him, he would soon reside in the same world as me and my occupation as protector and translator would no longer be necessary. The river carried away the brother of my childhood and thrust me into the real world. From the age of 7, my dream was to be a professional musical theatre actress. When I was 19 years old, the possibility of accomplishing that dream vanished as the result of a series of vocal surgeries. I believe that people face many of rites of passages and coming-of-age moments throughout their lives, but the moment I learned that my dream could never be a reality was when I was forced to mature at an accelerated rate. During my recovery, I focused on my second love: teaching. I began to realize that the joy I received from encouraging young people to be creative thinkers and artists was even more fulfilling than performing myself. Growing up is about taking responsibility for your own sense of fulfillment, no matter the circumstances. Coming-of-age moments are often made up of a choice: the choice between despair and happiness. Personally, I am proud to say I picked the latter. PlayNotes 7 About the Play Hans Christian Andersen believed that fairy tales are not just for children. Fairy tales are often geared towards younger audiences, but successful fairy tales resonate with the imaginative powers of all age groups and all time periods. The Snow Queen is such a fairy tale: a well-loved story that has entertained and captured the hearts of generations. The Snow Queen is considered one of Hans Christian Andersen’s greatest literary achievements. Andersen’s fairy tale has inspired popular works such as C.S.