2014–15 Season Presented by Book by Kim Esop Wylie Music by Joe Dreyer, Lyrics by Sheila Schultz Directed by Kat Singleton contents 2 The Emperor's New Clothes 3 Setting the Scene • Who’s Who? 4 What’s the Story? 5 Words to the Wise 6 Information and Activities theatre company theatre company theatre company theatre company by Kim Esop Wylie Music by Joe Dreyer, Lyrics by Sheila Schultz Directed by Kat Singleton Musical Director Larry Pry Scenic Designer Scott Loebl Costume Designer Dorothy Marshall Englis Stage Manager Mike Dowdy* Director of Education Marsha Coplon Associate Director of Education Sarah Brandt Education Programs Manager April Strelinger Study Guide Writer Laura Schlereth The Company Jason Contini* EMPEROR Alan Knoll* MINISTER OF FINANCE, PRIME MINISTER, BOY Financial assistance for this theatre has been provided by the Laurie McConnell* URLEEN, NARCISSUS National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency; the Arts and Education Council of Greater Kristen McGuire* PACHYSANDRA St. Louis; and the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission. *Member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. 2 Setting the Scene Welcome to the Emperor’s palace! You’re not catching him on one of his good days–though, to be honest, he hasn’t had many of those lately anyway. Today’s specific distress is mostly about how his precious pooch, Narcissus, can’t be found. It turns out she was actually just outside enjoying nature and the outdoors, a concept totally foreign to the Emperor who is mostly concerned with decorum, etiquette, reserved manners, and most importantly, style. The Emperor's wife, Pachysandra, laments that he wasn’t always like that, but it seems that power has made him mostly care for material things. It breaks Pachysandra’s heart because she misses the days when the two of them used to climb trees and fly kites. However, things change when Pachysandra’s servant Urleen, who has the least patience for the Emperor’s narcissistic ways, comes up with a scheme to put the Emperor in his place and remind him what’s truly important in life. But will the trick actually work? Or will it only embarrass and anger the Emperor, making him even more difficult than before? Who's Who? Emperor: a self-absorbed prima donna Minister of Finance: employee of the who prefers fittings and fabric swatches to Emperor who seems to have a hopeless crush trees and fresh air on Urleen Pachysandra: the Emperor’s Prime Minister: employee of the introverted, loyal wife who loves him deeply Emperor who speaks in rhymes when he gets but is tired of playing second fiddle to fittings anxious...which happens a lot and fabric swatches Narcissus: the spoiled royal poodle who Urleen: Pachysandra’s sharp-tongued, would really rather just go play outside faithful servant who wants to teach the Emperor a lesson Boy: a young lad who speaks his mind 3 What's the Story? The Emperor is not happy. No one can castle interior decorator to review fabric find his dog Narcissus, and even though his swatches. He suggests buying her a new gown employee, the Prime Minister, is searching or robe instead. But Pachysandra has no desperately for her, he is only making the interest for material things and doesn’t Emperor more agitated because he keeps understand her husband’s obsession. talking in his rhymes (a symptom of his Seeing how unhappy and lonely her frazzled nerves), and rhymes are strictly mistress is, Urleen devises a plan. Without against the law by the Emperor’s order. Just giving Pachysandra much detail, she advises when he thinks things can’t get any worse, the her to just follow her lead. She tells the Emperor realizes all his fidgeting has resulted Minister of Finance that she and Pachysandra in wrinkling his clothes! Fortunately, before are going on a trip for three days. things erupt into total chaos, his wife's maid Urleen volunteers to go find the dog. The two women come back later disguised as men, and Urleen tells the While the Emperor waits, he talks Emperor that they’re famous tailors who will about how much he loves Narcissus and how make him magical clothes that no one has she’s the only one he trusts, and he can’t for ever seen before. She and Pachysandra the life of him imagine why she keeps pretend to drape beautiful fabric around running off. He then launches into a love themselves, while Urleen informs the song…only it’s about how much he loves Emperor that the magic is that only smart, himself. sophisticated people can see the fabric. After he’s finished singing his own Although hesitant at first, the Emperor praises, the Prime Minister runs in to inform doesn’t want anyone to think he’s a the Emperor that his pooch has been found, nincompoop, so he pretends to see the fabric, and from the looks of her it appears she was and orders Urleen and Pachysandra to make taking a walk with the Empress, him a new royal suit at once. Urleen even Pachysandra. The Emperor tells his wife he suggests he wear it to a parade in his honor. doesn’t like her taking the dog outside, but Delighted, the Emperor agrees. Pachysandra insists the walks are good for At the parade, the Emperor steps out in her; she mentions the sun, the birds and the his new “suit,” and the crowd is shocked. A fresh air, and reminisces about how she and young boy yells out that the Emperor is not the Emperor used to take walks together and wearing any clothes! The Emperor realizes how happy they made her. But all the he’s been tricked–though he still doesn’t Emperor can remember is the dirt and realize the tailors are his wife and her servant splitting his royal knickers when climbing a in disguise. He runs away deeply humiliated. Please feel free to tree. Pachysandra then mentions her adapt these materials to suit your classroom birthday and how all she wants is to take a Later on, Pachysandra and Urleen return needs and reproduce walk with her husband, but he says he’s from their “trip.” Urleen encounters the them for future use. terribly busy. He has a new line of men’s wear Minister of Finance who tells her he knew it coming out and then a luncheon with the was her and Pachysandra all along, but 4 loving Urleen, he chose not to snitch. him a better person. He then gives Charmed, Urleen begins to return the Pachysandra her birthday gift. Already Minister’s feelings. touched by the Emperor’s kind words, Pachysandra is beyond excited when she Meanwhile Pachysandra finds the opens the present to find a large kite. Emperor, who tells her how much he missed Together, they go outside to enjoy some her. In fact, while she was away, he realized sunshine. how important she is and that she makes Words to the Wise Levy: the collecting of a tax by an Sumptuous: luxurious authority, often royalty Decorum: dignified behavior, speech and Napoleon and Josephine: a dress French military and political leader and his wife who are famous for not only their Etiquette: proper social behavior important place in history during the French Dialect: a different spin on a language Revolution but also for their love letters based on the region King Henry: also known as Henry VIII, Aristocratically: characteristic of who ruled over England during the 16th nobility or wealth century and was famous for having six wives Pomp: splendor usually displayed in Mon amour: French for “my love” ceremonies MEMORY GAME ANSWER KEY Ravishing: extremely beautiful and Emanate: radiate or send out Sploondoopy = wrinkled enchanting (The Emperor said his ruffles Looking glass: a mirror were getting all sploondoopy.) Derrière: French for “rear end” Tinkerdoodled = agitated (When the Emperor can’t find Tailor: a person who makes clothes Narcissus, he gets very Splendiferous: splendid or magnificent tinkerdoodled.) Temperamental: moody or delighted beyond measure Swelligant = wonderful Enraptured: unpredictable (The Emperor refers to himself as “elegant” and swelligant.) the Muse of dancing and Terpsichore: Apropos: appropriate or just right Moogelish = not good choral song in Greek mythology (The Emperor says outside makes Narcissus all moogelish Loom: an apparatus for weaving clothes – he says he’s not sure exactly Narcissus: a character in Greek what it means yet, but he knows it’s “not a happy word.”) mythology who was so fixated on himself he Ornate: highly decorative, fancy Binkerlicious = better than good inspired the term “narcissistic” (Pachysandra says she can’t Austere: severe or uncompromising think of a word that “means better than good” and the Bosh: absurd or foolish talk Emperor happily offers up Pheasant: a large long-tailed bird binkerlicious.) Knickers: loose-fitting short trousers Chunkadilly = excited gathered in at the knees Cherubim: angels (The Emperor says that when he thinks about the many different kinds of fabric, he gets all Dunce: an unintelligent person chunkadilly.) 5 Hans Christian Andersen You’ve probably heard the story of The Emperor’s New Clothes before. It’s one of those stories that seems to have been around so long that no one remembers who wrote it. But actually, we know very well who wrote the story–it was none other than Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who produced some of the most famous fairy tales of our time, including The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid and The Snow Queen, among countless others.