STUDY GUIDE Prepared by Dramaturg Andy Knight The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane • SOUTH COAST REPERTORY •1 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: THE PLAY 3. The.Characters 3. The.Story 4. Going.by.the.Book:.An.Excerpt.from. ......The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane 5. Awards.for Edward Tulane. 5. Meet.the.Playwright:.Dwayne.Hartford. 5. Meet.the.Author:.Kate.DiCamillo. 6. An.Interview.with.Author.Kate.DiCamillo. 7. From.Page.to.Stage:.Bringing Edward Tulane.to.Life PART II: CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES Before the Show 8. Questions.for.Discussion.and.Activities.. 8. American.History.in.Edward Tulane 9. Words,.Words,.Words! After the Show 10. Discussion.About.the.Theatre 10. Discussion.About.the.Play 11. Activities. PART III: AT THE THEATRE 12. .Welcome.to.the.Julianne.Argyros.Stage 12. .Theatre.Etiquette 12. .Student.Tips.for.Theatre.Trips 12. .Programs PART IV: EDUCATION STATION 13. California.Visual.and.Performing.Arts.Framework 14. Five.Strands.of.Art.Education 15. Basic.Theatre.Vocabulary PART V: RESOURCES 16. More.Information.on. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. 16. More.About.Author.Kate.DiCamillo. 16. More.About.the.1930s 2 • SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Part I: The Play THE CHARACTERS • The Traveler, the storyteller who portrays: Pellegrina, the Society Lady, Martin, Lolly, Jack, the Watchman, the Old Lady, Marlene and Lucius Clarke • The Woman, the storyteller who portrays: Abilene, Nellie, Lucy the Dog, Sarah Ruth, Neal, the Doll, the Old Doll and the Shopper • The Musician, the storyteller who portrays the voice of Edward’s thoughts and emotions • The Man, the storyteller who portrays: Abilene’s Father, Amos, Lawrence, Bull and Bryce THE STORY he Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane hobo named Bull, calls the china rabbit Malone, and begins in a house on Egypt Street in the for seven happy years the threesome travels the open mid-1920s. There, a young girl named roads. But one night, a train watchman catches them Abilene Tulane receives a large china rab- hitching a ride and throws Edward from the boxcar. bit from her grandmother, Pellegrina, on An old woman picks up Edward by the train her birthday. The rabbit is exceptionally well made tracks and uses him as a scarecrow in her garden. Tand handsome, with ears and a tail made of real fur All the crows frighten Edward, so he feels fortunate and an entire wardrobe of dapper outfits. Abilene when a young boy named Bryce rescues him. Bryce loves the rabbit very much and names him Edward. and his sister, Sarah Ruth, are very poor and live in a Edward, however, cares for no one but him- shack with their cruel father. Sarah Ruth loves Edward self and doesn’t respond to Abilene’s declarations of (whom she calls Jangles) deeply, but she is extremely love. (Not that he could, anyhow, with his painted-on ill—and even the joy that the china rabbit brings her mouth.) He passes the days thinking of his magnifi- can’t cure the sickness. After she dies, both Edward cent appearance and little else. Years go by, and Ed- and Bryce are heartbroken. Bryce, with only Edward ward’s life of comfort stays the same. and a few other belongings in tow, heads to Memphis One day, Abilene, Edward and the Tulane fami- to escape both his pain and his father. ly embark on a trip to England aboard a ship. Many of Soon after arriving in Memphis, Bryce runs into the passengers admire Edward, but when two young some trouble when he can’t pay for his meal at a lo- boys spot the china rabbit, they snatch him away and cal diner. Neal, the owner, is furious and crushes Ed- throw him around—which eventually sends Edward ward’s head on the counter. The china rabbit, who has overboard. Edward sinks to the bottom of the ocean, been able to weather so much, is finally destroyed. where he stays, alone with his thoughts, for quite Edward awakens in the shop of doll mender Lu- some time. cius Clarke; the impact broke Edward’s head into 21 A great storm brings Edward back to the sur- pieces, but Lucius, who’s very skilled, found a way face, where he gets caught in a fisherman’s net. The to repair the china rabbit. Lucius places Edward on fisherman, Lawrence, decides to bring Edward back a shelf in the shop, hoping to sell him. But Edward, to shore as a gift for his wife, Nellie. Nellie repairs heartbroken over all the loss he’s faced, doesn’t know Edward and names him Susanna (a terrible indignity if he’s strong enough to love or be loved ever again. in Edward’s mind, to be mistaken for a girl!). Just as Then one day, after Edward has sat on the shelf Edward settles in to his new life, however, Lawrence of Lucius’ shop for years, a woman walks through the and Nellie’s arrogant adult daughter, Lolly, steals him, door, looking to buy a doll for her daughter. Edward takes him to the town dump and throws him on the recognizes her: it’s Abilene, now all grown up. She trash heap. Edward is, once again, left alone. recognizes Edward, too, and is overjoyed. And so, af- After 180 days at the dump, a dog named Lucy ter many years, Edward finally returns home—but this digs Edward out of the garbage pile. Lucy’s owner, a time he knows exactly how to love. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane • SOUTH COAST REPERTORY •3 GOING BY THE BOOK: AN EXCERPT FROM THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE BY KATE DICAMILLO This excerpt from chapters eight and nine of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane begins just after Lawrence, the fisherman, rescues Edward from the sea. n land, the old fisherman Do they all have names? he won- apron. When she saw Edward, she stopped to light a pipe, dered. dropped the apron and clapped her and then, with the pipe hands together and said, “Oh, Law- clenched between his “Listen at me,” said the fisherman, rence, you brung me a rabbit.” teeth, he walked home, carrying Ed- “talking to a toy. Oh, well. Here we Oward atop his left shoulder as if he are, then.” And with Edward still on “Direct from the sea,” said Lawrence. were a conquering hero. The fisher- his shoulder, the fisherman walked He took Edward off his shoulder man balanced him there, and stood him up on the placing a callused hand at floor and held on to his Edward’s back. He talked hands and made him take to him in a soft, low voice a deep bow in the direc- as they walked. tion of Nellie. “You’ll like Nellie, you “Oh,” said Nellie, “here.” will,” said the old man. She clapped her hands “She’s had her sadness, together again and Law- but she’s an all-right girl.” rence passed Edward to her. Edward looked at the small town blanketed in Nellie held the rabbit out dusk: a jumble of build- in front of her and looked ings huddled together, him over from tip to toe. the ocean stretching out She smiled. “Have you in front of it all; and he ever in your life seen any- thought that he would thing so fine?” she said. like anything and any- body that was not at the Edward felt immediately bottom of the sea. that Nellie was a very dis- cerning woman. “Hello, Lawrence,” called a woman from the front “She’s beautiful,” breathed of a shop. “What have Nellie. you got?” up a stone-lined path and into a little For a moment, Edward was con- “Fresh catch,” said the fisherman, green house. fused. Was there some other object “fresh rabbit from the sea.” He lifted of beauty in the room? his cap to the lady and kept walking. “Look here, Nellie,” he said. “I’ve brought you something from the “What will I call her?” “There you are, now,” said the fish- sea.” erman. He took the pipe out of his “Susanna?” said Lawrence. mouth and pointed with the stem “I don’t want nothing from the sea,” of it at a star in the purpling sky. came a voice. “Just right,” said Nellie. “Susanna.” “There’s your North Star right there. She looked deep into Edward’s eyes. Don’t never have to be lost when “Aw, now, don’t be like that, Nell. “First off, Susanna will need some you know where that fellow is.” Come and see, then.” clothes, won’t she?” Edward considered the brightness of An old woman stepped out of the And so Edward Tulane became Su- the small star. kitchen, wiping her hands on an sanna. 4 • SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT wayne Hartford is a playwright, actor and director living in Phoenix, Ariz. He is an associate artist and playwright-in- residence at Childsplay, the nationally recognized theatre for young audiences and families. His plays have been developed through the company’s Whiteman New Plays Program. Following Dpremieres at Childsplay, his plays have gone on to productions around the country and Canada. In 2005, his play Eric and Elliot received the distinguished play award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education. The Imaginators was produced and aired by the Phoenix PBS affiliate. A Tale of Two Cities was developed through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The play also was chosen for further development at NYU’s New Plays for Young Audiences Program at the Provincetown Playhouse in New York City.