LWW Educational Guide - OPEN ARTS · PDF fileThe Man Behind Narnia Born on November 29, 1898, in Belfast Ireland, C.S. Lewis went on to teach at Oxford University and became a renowned

EDUCATIONAL GUIDE

© Open Arts Alliance, 2014. To be used for educational purposes only.

Narnia is a magical place! Here are some of the characters

you will meet in our play!

Aslan: The creator / ruler of Narnia, who appears as a Lion.

Mr. Beaver: Talking creatures of the forest who shelter the Pevensie children and take them to Aslan.

Jadis: The White Witch. She makes her first appearance in The Magician’s Nephew. Jadis is immortal because she ate a magic apple. Jadis tempts Edmund and corrupts him.

Edmund Pevensie: Younger of the two Pevensie boys. He is the second to travel to Narnia and later betrays his siblings to the White Witch. He is claimed by the Witch, but is redeemed by Aslan’s sacrifice.

Lucy Pevensie: Youngest of the Pevensie children. She is the first to discover Narnia and the most consistently faithful to Aslan.

Peter Pevensie: Oldest of the Pevensie children. He is named High King by Aslan.

Susan Pevensie: Oldest of the two Pevensie girls. Susan is witness to Aslan’s death and resurrection.

Maugrim: The wolf who serves as the Captain of the White Witch’s secret police.

Mr. Tumnus: A faun who befriends Lucy. He is punished for doing so by The White Witch.

The White Witch: See Jadis


The Man Behind Narnia Born on November 29, 1898, in Belfast Ireland, C.S. Lewis went on to teach at Oxford University and became a renowned writer. He is known throughout the world as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series, which have been adapted into various films for the big and small screens.

Lewis's mother died when he was 10, and he went on to receive his pre-college education at boarding schools and from a tutor. During WWI, he served with the English army and was sent home after being wounded by shrapnel. He then chose to live as a surrogate son with Janie Moore, the mother of a friend of Lewis's who was killed in the war.

During the 1950s, Lewis started to publish the seven books that would comprise The Chronicles of Narnia children's series, with The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) being the first release. The story focused on four siblings who, during wartime, walk through an armoire to enter the magical world of Narnia, a land resplendent with mythical creatures and talking animals.

In 1954, Lewis joined the faculty of Cambridge University as a literature professor, and in 1956 he married an American English teacher, Joy Gresham, with whom he had been in correspondence. Lewis was full of joy during the years of their marriage, though Gresham died of cancer in 1960. Lewis grieved deeply for his wife and shared his thoughts in the book A Grief Observed, using a pen name.

In 1963, Lewis resigned from his Cambridge position after experiencing heart trouble. He died on November 22, 1963, in Headington, Oxford.


Class Discussion: Critical Thinking Discuss these questions before seeing the performance of the play.

1. Based on the title, what do you think this play might be about? 2. Has anyone heard of, seen or read The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe before? 3. Make a hypothesis or guess about what might happen to the characters in the story. 4. Who has seen a play before? 5. How is a play different than a book? 6. How might the actors in the play

Discuss these questions after seeing the performance of the play

1. Who was your favorite character in the play? Why? 2. What was the conflict in the play? How did the characters try to solve this conflict? 3. What was the theme or “big idea” of the play? 4. Was it brave of Lucy to journey into Narnia alone? 5. What do you think of Edmund? 6. What lesson does Edmund learn throughout the play?

Words, Words, Words… Here are some of the unique words you will hear in today’s performance. Teachers may wish to discuss these as a class in advance of seeing the performance. Eldest: (adj) The oldest or first born child. Brave: (adj) Appearing to be courageous. Not afraid. Wardrobe: (noun) A piece of furniture meant to hold clothing like clothes and dresses. Centaur: (noun) A mythological creature with the head and torso of a man, and the legs of a horse. Turkish Delight: (noun) A candy made of fruit juice and jelly. Prophecy: (noun) A prediction. Harness: (noun) Straps, bolts and gears that allow an animal to pull a sleigh or plow. Steep: (adj.) A very high incline, pitch or slope. Ogres: (noun) A hideous giant monster usually found in fairy tales.


Theatre Etiquette It’s important to be a good audience member, and a great performance begins with YOU. Follow these simple guidelines to have a great time at the theatre!

• Arrive promptly to the theatre or auditorium. • Take care of bathroom business and drinks of water before taking your

seat. • Enter the seating area quietly and in an orderly manner • Do not distract your neighbor’s attention from the stage by talking or

making noise during the performance. • Avoid leaving your seat during a performance unless it is an emergency

situation. • Show respect for the actors by giving them your full attention during the

performance. • Taking photographs is distracting to the other members of the audience,

and taking flash pictures may cause serious accidents to the performers who may be momentarily blinded.

• Show your appreciation for the work of the actors and technicians by applauding at the end of the performance and when the actors take their bows. Whistling and shouting are not polite.

• When the performance is over, wait patiently for your turn to exit.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Green, Roger Lancelyn., and Walter Hooper. C.S. Lewis: A Biography. London: HarperCollins, 2002. Print. Lewis, C. S., and Pauline Baynes. Chronicles of Narnia. the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print. Shepherd, Michael, and Keith Vasconcelles. A Guide for Using The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in the Classroom, Based on the Novel Written by C.S. Lewis. Westminster, CA: Teacher Created Materials, 2001. Print. http://www.biography.com/people/cs-lewis-9380969#synopsis http://www.stageone.org/wp-content/uploads/Theater-Etiquette.pdf http://www.cslewis.org/resources/studyguides/LWW%20answer%20key.pdf http://www.shmoop.com/lion-witch-wardrobe/ http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/lion-witch-and-wardrobe-discussion-guide http://dictionary.reference.com


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LWW Educational Guide - OPEN ARTS · PDF fileThe Man Behind Narnia Born on November 29, 1898, in Belfast Ireland, C.S. Lewis went on to teach at Oxford University and became a renowned