What to expect at the BCPA? When you enter the lobby you see a very elegant entrance with a dual staircase and period 1920’s neoclassical design elements. The lobby will afford students a “wow” factor when they walk inside the building. There will be usher staff directing students to the proper staircase to enter the theater and if you look up, a beautiful mobile hanging from the center of the ceiling. This mobile was created as part of our “Mobilizing the Community” art project and designed by SchoolSculptures founder Kevin Reese. Students from area schools helped shape, cut, and place the mobile pieces. A live performance is very different from a movie. Unlike at the movies, the audience at a live performance can make a difference in the quality of each performance. An audience that pays attention will encourage the performers to give their best without distractions. We hope you will give your full support and attention to the performers and here’s how you can do that. To be a good audience member, a person needs to: Be open to new sights and sounds Let go of expectations and preconceived notions Be willing to suspend belief Focus attention on the stage You might even want to wear special “dressed up” clothes. Save your conversation until after the performance. Remember that live performers can see and hear you from the stage. It’s very distracting to the performers and audience if you talk during the performance. Who are the people with the name tags? What do they do? The ushers are present to help your bus driver find a parking space, to help your class find seats, and to help make the performance as enjoyable as it can be for your class. In case of any kind of emergency, the ushers will help guide your class to safety. Please follow the instructions of the ushers at all times. What are some of the “rules” that need to be followed while you are at the BCPA? 1) Turn off cell phones and electronic devices. 5) Do not eat, drink or chew gum in the theater. 2) Do not put your feet on the back of the seats. 6) Please do not wear a hat inside the theater. 3) Please use the restroom before the performance. 7) Never throw anything in the theater. 4) Cameras and video are not allowed during a show. Lights will dim indicating that the performance is beginning. This tells the audience to stop conversation and focus their attention on the stage. A person will come out and make an announcement before the performance begins with any special instructions for that show. Respect the hard work of the performers. You may not enjoy every live performance you see. Nevertheless, we hope you will recognize that each performance requires a tremendous amount of dedication and practice on the part of the performers and those who work backstage making it all happen. Give a standing ovation if you really enjoyed the performance. If you really enjoyed the performance, you are welcome to stand and applaud during the curtain call. This is called a standing ovation, and is reserved for performances you feel are truly outstanding! AlphaBet Soup Productions Entertaining & Educating Children of All Ages Since 1987! PO Box 85 Lombard, IL 60148 | (630) 932-1555 |www.absproductions.com STUDY GUIDE Curriculum Connections: Language Arts, Communication, Music & Dance, Teamwork, Family Values Dear Educator, As an organization that values the arts and education, we have created this Study Guide as a resource for teachers. Our Study Guides are designed to be a valuable tool for teachers in two ways: helping you to prepare your students and enriching and extending their performance experience. Our goal is to serve principals, teachers and students in their pursuit of Illinois State Standards and to integrate the arts with your core curricular subjects. -- The ABS Team Mission Statement: About Us: AlphaBet Soup Productions exists to provide Chicago - Winner of the 2008 Illinois Theatre Association Award area youth, teachers, and their families a theatrical for Excellence in Theatre for Young Audiences experience that will entertain, inspire, and educate through our professional theatre company. - Winner of two National Children's Theatre Awards for the scripts Beauty and the Beast & The Jungle Book Pre-Performance Questions 1. How many of you have experienced a live theater performance? What performance did you see? 2. What are some of the differences between going to the theater and watching television or going to a movie? A. Theater features live on-stage actors. They have spent many weeks rehearsing for the performance. B. The audience is a very important part of the performance. Appreciation and enthusiasm for the performers is shown by close attention and participation and applause at the proper times. The success of the play often depends on the audience. C. The theater is a very special place. Its atmosphere is entirely different from your home where the television is always available. D. It is easy to identify with live actors. You can see how they use their bodies and voices to convey different emotions. E. Actors wear clothing and make-up to help create the impression of the characters they play. F. There is much more to most live performances than actors. Special sets, effects, lighting, music, costumes, and of course, the audience add to the total experience. 3. Introduce your students to the following theatrical terms: Box Office • Reserved Seats • Acts & Scenes • Producer • Program • Overture • Spotlights • Costumes • Props • Director • Stage • Curtain Call • Stagehand • Lobby • Usher • Musical Theater • Orchestra Pit • Proscenium arch • Playwright • Scenery • Makeup • Actor • Balcony • Play 4. Discuss the role of the audience and proper theater etiquette. A. Arrive on time so that you do not miss anything and so that you will not disturb the rest of the audience while trying to get comfortable in your seat. After the lights go out finding your seat is very difficult. B. It is easier for you (and the rest of the audience) to see and hear the performance if you stay in your seat and listen very carefully. C. In this theater you are not allowed to eat or chew gum. Not only does it ruin the theater, but it also distracts from your concentration. D. Try your best to remain in your seat once the performance has begun. In long performances, there will be an intermission. There is no intermission in a performance of AlphaBet Soup Productions since they are less than one hour in length. E. Although you may wish to say something to the actors while they are on stage, you need to hold your thoughts. You may disturb their concentration. F. Sing or participate if and only if you are invited to do so. Your participation is often very important. G. Listen to how the music sets the moods and affects your own feelings. H. Show the cast and crew your appreciation for their hard work with applause. Do this when you like a song or dance or joke at the end of the show. About The Snow Queen History : x The Snow Queen is a classic fairy tale written Hans Christian Anderson first published in December of 1844. x The story was originally written in Danish and has since been translated into hundreds of different adaptations. x The most notable adaptation is the highly acclaimed Disney movie Frozen released in 2013. About Hans Christian Anderson: Hans Christian Anderson was a Danish author known for his plays, travelogues, novels, and poems. However, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, and have become culturally embedded throughout the world. All of his stories present various lessons and themes that have been used as teach tools for centuries. Some of his most famous fairy tales include The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, and many more. His stories have inspired ballets, both animated and live-action films, and plays. Post-Performance Questions 1. MUSIC Was music used in the performance? Was it live or recorded? How could you tell? When was the music used? Why? Did it help develop the plot? What types of music was used, or was different types used? Can you describe how different kinds of music would make you have different kinds of feelings? When a play is a musical, an actor must have additional skills. Can you name some? A musical costs much more to produce. Can you name some additional expenses? (i.e. orchestra members and director, a practice piano, a choreographer, etc.) 2. SETS Describe the sets used in the play you just saw. What props or details were used to suggest specific times or settings? How could lighting be changed to create a mood, season, time of day, etc.? What materials might have been used in building the sets? How were the sets and props moved on and off the stage? Describe a simple scene (a day in school, a trip to the mall, a ride in the car or on the bus), ask students to describe a basic set for the scene. 3. COSTUMES What would you need to know to create costumes for a play (Historical research, sewing, theatrical effects, etc.)? Why is the right costume important to the character in the play? 4. DANCE Describe the kind of dancing, if any, in the play. How is it different from the kinds of dancing that the class might know? What purposes could dance have in a play? 5. PRODUCTION Make a list of all the personnel needed for a play.