STUDY GUIDE for PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE’S Touring production of February 21 - March 9, 2012 & May 1 - May 18, 2012 Study Guide by: Andrea Rouch Playhouse on the Square 66 South Cooper St. Memphis, TN 38104 Theatre for Youth: (901) 728-5631 Business Office: (901) 725-0776 Box Office & Group Sales: (901) 726-4656 www.playhouseonthesquare.org table of contents Part One: The Play.................................................................1 Synopsis................................................................................................................................................1 Vocabulary...................................................................................................................................................2 Part Two: Background...........................................................3 About the Playwright......................................................................................................................3 Origins of the Play..............................................................................................................................3 About Brothers Grimm....................................................................................................................4 Part Three: Activities and Discussion.................................5 Before Seeing the Play...................................................................................................................5 After Seeing the Play......................................................................................................................5 Themes.....................................................................................................................................................5 Curriculum Ties...................................................................................................................................6 Comic Strip Coloring Activity........................................................................................................8 How To Make Your Own Fairy Tale............................................................................................10 Frog Word Search............................................................................................................................11 Theatre Word Search and Play Review.....................................................................................12 Part Four: The Theatre.........................................................13 History.......................................................................................................................................13 Theatre For Youth............................................................................................................................17 Elements of Production................................................................................................................15 The Audience.....................................................................................................................................16 Glossary of Theatrical Terms........................................................................................................18 Part Five: Bibliography.......................................................19 Production Sponsors 1 The Play SynopSiS The story takes place “many, many years ago, and yet not too far in the future at the same time.” The play begins with the Narrator on the stage. He begins chanting a rhyme and soon the Witch, Number 1, Number 2, Princess, and Frog Prince come onstage and chant different ryhmes. Everyone constantly swats at flies throughout the play because there is an infestation of them. The Narrator begins telling the “Frog Tale” while creating a rulebook for the Frog Tale as he goes. Peter Pan comes flying into the scene with Tinker Bell, and the Narrator ushers them away, explaining that The Frog Prince is a Frog Tale and not a Fairy Tale. The Narrator explains that the Witch, although “mean and tyrannical, is in love with the handsome, young Prince Joe because he always tells the truth.” Prince Joe comes onstage and expertly swats a bunch of flies. The Witch proposes to Prince Joe, but he says no because her wart is too ugly. To teach him a lesson, the Witch turns the Prince into a Frog. The spell can only be broken if a princess lets the Frog Prince sit next to her, eat from her plate, sleep in her bed for three nights, and kisses the Frog Prince’s wart. The Frog Prince finds a nice, ­comfortable wishing well to live in right next to a castle that 3 princesses live in. He waits in the well for months and months but no princess comes to rescue him. Finally, a princess arrives carrying a lovely golden ball. She throws her ball up and down and accidentally drops it into the well. The princess begins to whine and cry about dropping her ball. The Frog Prince then makes a deal with the princess that he will bring her ball back if she promises to sit next to him, let him eat from her plate, let him sleep on her bed for three nights, and kiss his wart. She agrees and the Frog Prince retrieves her ball. The princess takes her ball and then darts away as fast as she can, leaving the Frog Prince behind. Much to his dismay, the Frog Prince begins hopping his way to the castle, which is a very long trip for a frog. Finally, he arrives at the castle where the French Maid is serving dinner to the Princess and her father. Prince Charming arrives at the house with a glass slipper and says that whoever fits in the shoe will be his wife. The Narrator kicks him out, though, because he is from “Cinderella” which is a fairy tale. The Kings other daughters, Princess Opie and Princess Dopie, arrive at the dinner table and bicker about silly, petty things. The Frog Prince arrives and calls for the Princess asking her to fulfill her promise. She screams and whines, but eventually lets him sit next to her, eat from her plate, and sleep on her bed for three nights. The Frog Prince asks her to fulfill the final 1 promise and kiss his wart. She refuses and leaves in a huff just as the French Maid is entering. The French Maid offers to kiss him on the wart to see if it will break the spell. She tries, but it still does not break the spell. Instead, the French Maid offers him a plan she has come up with. Suddenly, Annie arrives singing “Tomorrow, tomorrow...” and the Narrator, after having a nervous breakdown, makes her leave the stage. The Narrator then continues with the story and explains the French Maid’s plan to disguise the Frog Prince as Prince Charming and ask for a kiss. The Princess notices the disgusting smell and figures out that it is the Frog Prince in disguise. The Frog Prince tells her that if she doesn’t kiss his wart, he will never, ever, ever, ever, ever go away. But if she does kiss his wart, she will never, ever, ever, ever, have to see him again. She kisses him on the wart and he turns into a Prince in front of her very eyes. Each of the three princesses confesses her love to Prince Joe, but he has fallen in love with the French Maid who loved him unconditionally. The French Maid then reveals herself as the Witch and the Prince honestly finds her very beautiful, wart and all. The Witch and Prince Joe forbid the Narrator to make any more rules and they go live happily ever after. Vocabulary- found in the show A R Absurd: ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous Retort: a sharp, angry or wittily incisive reply to a remark Retrieve: to get back again, to regain C Rugged: physically strong and able to endure harsh Condition: a state of being, how someone feels conditions; tough D S Despair: to lose all hope or confidence Specialty: an unusual, distinctive, or superior mark or quality Disguise: to change the customary dress or appearance of Dramatic: over-the-top, highly emotive T Tainting: to spoil someone’s reputation or idea about F something Faithful: steadfast in affection and allegiance, loyal Tale: a narrative or account of events Features: the structure, form, or appearance especially of a Threatening: expressing an intention to cause someone harm person or pain Tormenting: to tease persistently H Trembling: to shake continuously out of fear Hesitation: an act or instance of hesitating Tyrannical: ruling with absolute power over a population cruelly kept submissive and fearful N Noble: possessing outstanding qualities U Unconditionally: complete with no conditions or limitations O attached Offensive: causing displeasure or resentment Unfortunately: used when someone wishes something were not true P Plague: an epidemic disease causing many deaths and W sickness Wary: cautious and watchful Potential: the capacity or ability for future development or Witnesses: somebody who saw or heard something that achievement happened and can verify it 2 2 Background about the playwright Catherine Gray wrote her first play, Alice in Wonderland, for the Barter Theatre in 1999. Since then, she has written a play a year specifically for the Barter Players. Her other works includeThe Frog Prince, Sword in the Stone, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, and A Beatrix Potter Christmas. Catherine was also an actor in Barter’s First Light Company, during which time she toured schools all over the East Coast. Catherine, a member of Actor’s Equity, was also a part of the Resident Acting Company at Barter Theatre from 1998 to 2002 and has also appeared in numerous films while not on stage. Catherine now lives in Los Angeles, California with her husband and two daughters.