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AWorldPremiere

KennedyCenterCommission

THE(Mostly True)ADVENTURES OFHomer P. Figg

Adapted by Tom Isbell

from the book by Rodman Philbrick

Directed by Gregg Henry

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Performances for Young Audiencesis made possible by

OurStoryBegins

Twelve-year-old Homer P. Figg is on theloose in the American Civil War. Howcome? Well, Homer’s father died before

he was born, his mother died before the war,and now his big brother Harold has been soldinto service as a Union soldier. Homer isdetermined to find his brother and keep themboth safe and alive until the war ends. Howcan a kid do that?Fortunately, this kid can think on his feet and

lie through his teeth. Homer will crisscross theAmerica of 1863 on trains, boats, and hot-airballoons, colliding with a crazy cast of characters—from bounty hunters and clergymen tocarnival performers and tricksters. At the endof his journey, Homer meets the greatestchallenge of all—the war. But does Homerhave what it takes to be a hero?

Civil War

Slang

rapscallion:a rascal

A Crazy Cast of CharactersHomer encounters more than 25 characters.Here are just a few:

• Harold Figg, Homer’s 17-year-old brother• Squinton Leach, Homer’s uncle, and themeanest man in Maine• Samuel Reed, a conductor for theUnderground Railroad• Mr. Brewster, a wealthy and good-heartedQuaker

• Kate Nibbly, a beautiful young woman,but not to be trusted• Professor Fleabottom, a carnival trickster• Minerva, his red-haired, tattooed assistant• plus generals, colonels, soldiers, andseveral pigs

Travel Back to 1863

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“A person has only

two options in life:

to do something or

to do nothing.”

—Mr. Brewster

GoingtoWar

War happens when states or nationssend their armies to battle againsteach other. It can last weeks, months,

or even years. A civil war is a conflictbetween opposing citizens of the samecountry, typically over a government issue.During battle, soldiers are likely to be injuredor killed due to gunfire, explosions, or disease.For example, many deaths in the AmericanCivil War were the result of infections anddiseases like yellow fever and malaria.Citizens sometimes face the same risks as

soldiers when war is fought on their hometerritory, as happened in the Civil War. Suchwars create confusion among the peoplestruggling to protect their homes and families.When Professor Fleabottom tells Homer that“war is an awful thing,” he is speaking aboutthe personal hardships suffered duringwartime. Do you know anyone who has beenaffected by a war?

“War is an

awful thing.”—Professor Fleabottom

Civil War

Slang

scallywag:a rascal; see“rapscallion”

A Literary TraditionThe Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg followsa literary tradition known as the “picaresque”(pronounced pik-uh-RESK) novel in which a craftyyoung hero manages to outwit his opponents througha series of adventures. Other picaresque heroesinclude Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and HuckleberryFinn, both set in America just before the Civil War.

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withHomer P. FiggTaking Responsibility

When Mr. Brewster tells Homer a person hastwo options, he is telling Homer that one caneither become interestedand involved in otherpeople’s lives or remainisolated and alone.By protecting runawayslaves, Mr. Brewsterdemonstrates that hehas chosen to act onhis principles and to connect with other people—despite the risks. Have you ever been askedto accept the consequences of your actions?Have you ever thought how the decisions youmake affect other people?

MarchingOnward

At the end of hisadventures, Homerchooses to head towardnew challenges in thefuture. If you’ve had atough experience, didyou move forward orkeep looking back?

“We’re all of us

haunted by

yesterday, and

we got no choice

but to keep

marching into our

tomorrows.”

—Homer P. Figg

ALessonfromthePast

In 1861, President Abraham Lincolnwas determined to end the practiceof using African workers as slaves.

The people who agreed with him andalso wanted to abolish slavery wereknown as “abolitionists.” Elevensouthern states were so opposed tothat idea that they chose to leave theUnion. That decision resulted in theAmerican Civil War. For four years,the North fought against the Southin battles waged mostly through thesouthern states, until the Southsurrendered.By the end of the Civil War, 620,000

soldiers were dead from battles or disease—roughly equal to the same number of soldierslost in every other American military effort,from the Revolutionary War through the Warin Iraq. The Civil War is sometimes called “TheBoys’ War” because many of these soldierswere only in their teens. In fact, boys as youngas eight years old served as drummer boysand musicians on the battlefield.Throughout the war, many Southern slaves

found their way to freedom in the North bymeans of the “Underground Railroad,” anetwork of safe houses and contacts mostlytravelled by runaway slaves at night.

TheUndergroundRailroad

In his adventures, Homer meets SamuelReed, an African American who works as aconductor on the Underground Railroad.

Guided by “conductors” like Samuel Reed,runaway slaves followed a loose network ofsecret routes and safe homes to find their wayto freedom in the North. To avoid gettingcaught, they travelled by foot at night and hidin shelters during the day. Many members ofthe Quaker Church, like Mr. Brewster in theplay, were known to open their homes tofugitive slaves. Watch for Homer’s reactionwhen he looks into the Brewster’s basementand sees the frightened faces hiding there.

America”sCivilWar

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Civil War

Slang

roustabout:an unskilledlaborer

Civil War

Slang

ruffian:a tough orrowdy person

An 1893 painting of theUnderground Railroad by Charles T. Webber.

I Spy

It was not uncommon for Civil War spies totransport secret messages across both Unionand Confederate lines. Try creating your ownsecret message with this recipe for invisible ink.

1. Use lemon juice, either fresh lemons orbottled juice, as ink.

2. Dip a paintbrush or a stick into the lemonjuice and write on a blank sheet of paper.

3. Allow the paper to dry thoroughly.

4. Hold the paper up to warm sunlight or alight bulb.

5. The heat should cause the message to berevealed when the invisible lemon juiceturns a pale brown.

ATickettoRide

During the Civil War years, most peopletravelled by horse-drawn buggies or bylong marches on foot. New innovations

in travel were the railroad with its steamlocomotives and the steamboat. Hot-airballoons were usedduring the war as amethod of spyingon enemy activities—but typicallysuch balloonswere shot down.

rMusicoftheCivilWar

During the Civil War, a poet named JuliaWard Howe rewrote the words to the tune“John Brown’s Body” and provided the

North with a new musical anthem—“The BattleHymn of the Republic.” Filled with Biblicalimagery and wording, the song became apopular rallying cry as Northerners took comfortin the belief that God was on their side. Thewords also mirrored the many hardships, death,and destruction witnessed during the Civil War.

TheBattleofGettysburg

Many believe the turning point in the warwas the Battle of Gettysburg fought ona field in Pennsylvania in 1863. The

three-day battle was the bloodiest in the warwith great losses suffered on both sides. Fourmonths later, President Lincoln spoke of thesacrifices of war in the close of his famousspeech known as the Gettysburg Address:

‘ that we here highly resolve that

these dead shall not have died

in vain, that this nation, under God,

shall have a new birth of freedom and

that government of the people,

by the people, for the people,

shall not perish from

the earth.’

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MeetHomer

Ryan Mercer is the actor who will playHomer P. Figg. Before the play, thinkhow this young man can play the role of

a 12-year-old boy. During the performance,watch to see how Ryan“becomes” Homer.

MultipleCasting

In the productionof The Mostly TrueAdventures of Homer P. Figg, you will

often recognize the same actors portrayingseveral different characters in Homer’s story.“Multiple casting” describes the situation inwhich one actor plays many roles. Observehow the actors become a completely differentcharacter simply by changing their voice,posture, wig, or costume.

TheatricalEffects

Theater in the 19th century was a majorsource of entertainment. Before theinvention of movies, television, and radio

in the 20th century, audiences were drawn tolocal theaters to attend performances bytouring companies of actors. Typically, theseactors appeared in several plays, often playingtwo or more characters within a single play.The most popular type of play was the

melodrama, a story told with clearly definedheroes and villains who had a strong sense ofright andwrong. The hero in amelodrama facedoff against “bad guys” over a series of briefepisodes—and the hero always won in the end.Another popular attraction of nineteenth

century theater was the use of special stageeffects to depict some natural disaster ortechnological wonder.

TheShowMust Go On

Civil War

Slang

Johnny Reb:a nickname fora Confederate

soldier

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TheQuickChange

Quick change” refers to any fast costumechange that an actor must managebackstage during the play. In Homer P.

Figg, you’ll see actors walk offstage as onecharacter—and return seconds later as acompletely different character—with differentclothes, wigs or beards, hats or shoes. Inaddition to costumes, an actor might alsochange the way he or she walks, stands, ortalks to become another character.

CuetheSound!CuetheLights!

Many special effects in the theater areaccomplished with sound and lights.Listen for sounds during the play that

suggest where Homer is at that moment. Withonly the sound of a train whistle and a blast ofsteam, an entire train can “appear” onstage, atleast in the audience’simagination. In the same way,lights, shadows, andprojections can suggest aforest full of trees, a hot-airballoon, or a battlefield.Use your imagination andwatch for the way lightsflicker or change to captureHomer’s world.

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TrueLies

At an early age, children are taught not tolie. It doesn’t take long, however, for thetruth to get complicated. Sometimes lies

are justified as “little lies” or harmless. Othertimes, a gentle lie hides a harsher truth. Agood story gets improved by small details—whether true or untrue—until the story turnsinto a wildly exaggerated “tall tale.” And thensometimes, as Homer finds out, the truth canbe stranger than the craziest lie he ever told.

What Would You Do?

When you attend The Mostly True Adventuresof Homer P. Figg, pay attention to the lies andjudge for yourself whether Homer shouldsuffer the consequences of lying or whetherhis lies are justified under the situation. Putyourself in Homer’s shoes and ask yourself—what would you do if you were in Homer’ssituation?

Civil War

Slang

elixir:a sweetenedsolution ofalcohol andwater, oftenintended asmedicine

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During the performance, think about what role yourimagination plays in setting this scene.

SETDESIGNBYDANCONWAY

David M. RubensteinChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Additional support forPerformances for YoungAudiences is provided in part byAdobe Foundation; The ClarkCharitable Foundation; Mr. JamesV. Kimsey; The Macy*s Foundation;The Max and Victoria DreyfusFoundation, Inc.; The Morris andGwendolyn Cafritz Foundation;Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M.Angell Family Foundation; anendowment from the Ryna andMelvin Cohen Family Foundation;U.S. Department of Education;Verizon Foundation; WashingtonGas; and by generous contributorsto the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund,and by a major gift to the fundfrom the late Carolyn E. Agger,widow of Abe Fortas.

Major support for the KennedyCenter’s educational programsis provided byDavid and Alice Rubensteinthrough theRubenstein Arts Access Program.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Cuesheets are produced byARTSEDGE, an education programof the Kennedy Center. ARTSEDGEis a part of Verizon Thinkfinity, aconsortium of free educationalWeb sites for K-12 teaching andlearning.

Learn more about Education at theKennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet do notnecessarily represent the policy of the U.S.Department of Education, and you shouldnot assume endorsement by the FederalGovernment.

© 2012 The John F. Kennedy Center for the

Performing Arts

Please recycle this Cuesheet bysharing it with friends!

Before:ReadthisCuesheet.

• Turn off your cell phones. Remind adults toturn them off, too.

• Put away wrapped candy. (The crinkle canruin a performance.)

• Say what’s on your mind to friends andfamily sitting with you so you can stoptalking and stay quiet during the play.

During:Respecttheperformers.• It’s okay to laugh and applaud when there’ssomething funny said or done on stage.

• Respect the person in front of you. Don’tkick his or her chair.

• Respect the person behind you. Don’t floparound too much or talk to your neighbor.

• Have a good time!

After:Workontheexercises

inthisguide.• Talk about your impressions of the playwith other people who saw it.

• Describe the performance to someone whodidn’t see it.

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Before YouGo