12
PROMPT ARRIVAL gives your students plenty of time to arrive, find their seats, and get situated. We ask that you arrive 30 minutes prior to the performance. BUSSES should load and unload students on Broadway in front of the Lyric Theatre. After unloading turn left on Court Street, go two blocks and park in the Front Street Parking Lot. USHERS will escort you to your seats. We request that teachers and chaperones distribute themselves among the students, and help us to keep students in their seats once seated. BACKPACKS, cameras, food, and drink are not allowed into the theatre, nor can we store them. Please leave these items at school or on the bus. PHOTOGRAPHY and video recording performances are illegal, disruptive, and sometimes dangerous. Cameras and other recording devices, including cell phones, will be confiscated. RESTROOMS are located in the main lobby, but please only allow students to exit during a performance in the case of an emergency. GOOD NOISE, BAD NOISE Instead of instructing students to remain totally silent, please discuss the difference between appropriate responses (laughter, applause, participation when requested) and inappropriate noise (talking, texting, etc.). to life hen the first cave- dweller got up to tell a story, theatre began. Almost every culture has some sort of live performance tradition to tell stories. Television and film may have diminished the desire for access to theatre, but they have not diminished the importance. Live theatre gives each audience member an opportunity to connect with the performers in a way he/she never could with actors on a television or movie screen. The emotions can be more intense because the events are happening right in front of the audience. In the classroom, theatre can be an effective teaching tool. We at Tupelo Community Theatre hope that this Study Guide will help you discover a multitude of possibilities for integrating this son’s productions into your lesson plans. We encourage you to delve deeply into our plays with your students and examine not just the story and its themes, but also the manner in which it is told — the casting, visual design, sound design, movement and choreography, and dialogue. If we can be of any further assistance toward this end, please feel free to call our office at (662)844-1935, email us at [email protected], or visit www.tct.ms. “Theatre brings life .”

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Page 1: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

PROMPT ARRIVAL gives your students plenty

of time to arrive, find their seats, and get situated. We ask that you arrive 30 minutes prior to the performance.

BUSSES should load and unload students on Broadway

in front of the Lyric Theatre. After unloading turn left on Court Street, go two blocks and park in the Front Street Parking Lot.

USHERS will escort you to your seats. We request that

teachers and chaperones distribute themselves among the students, and help us to keep students in their seats once seated.

BACKPACKS, cameras, food, and drink are not

allowed into the theatre, nor can we store them. Please leave these items at school or on the bus.

PHOTOGRAPHY and video recording

performances are illegal, disruptive, and sometimes

dangerous. Cameras and other recording devices, including

cell phones, will be confiscated.

RESTROOMS are located in the main lobby, but

please only allow students to exit during a performance in the case of an emergency.

GOOD NOISE, BAD NOISE Instead of

instructing students to remain totally silent, please discuss the

difference between appropriate responses (laughter, applause,

participation when requested) and inappropriate noise

(talking, texting, etc.).

to life

hen the first

cave- dweller got up

to tell a story, theatre

began. Almost every

culture has some sort of

live performance

tradition to tell stories.

Television and film may

have diminished the

desire for access to

theatre, but they have

not diminished the

importance.

Live theatre gives each audience

member an opportunity to connect with

the performers in a way he/she never

could with actors on a television or movie

screen. The emotions can be more intense

because the events are happening right

in front of the audience.

In the classroom, theatre can be an

effective teaching tool. We at Tupelo

Community Theatre hope that this

Study Guide will help you discover a

multitude of possibilities for

integrating this son’s productions into

your lesson plans. We encourage you to

delve deeply into our plays with your

students and examine not just the

story and its themes, but also the

manner in which it is told — the casting,

visual design, sound design, movement

and choreography, and dialogue. If we

can be of any further assistance toward

this end, please feel free to call our

office at (662)844-1935, email us at

[email protected], or visit www.tct.ms.

“Theatre brings

life .”

Page 2: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

T

Ahe

Any piece of theatre comprises multiple

art forms. As you explore the play with

your students, examine the use of:

WRITING

VISUAL ART/DESIGN

MUSIC/SOUND

DANCE/MOVEMENT

Most (but not all) plays begin with a script — a story to be told and a blueprint of how to tell it. In his

famous treatise, The Poetics, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle outlined

SIX ELEMENTS OF DRAMA that playwrights are mindful of to

this day:

Plot What is the story line?

What happened before the

play started?

What does each character want?

What do they do to achieve

their goals?

What do they stand to gain/lose? Theme What ideas are wrestled with in the play? What questions does the play pose? Does it present an opinion on those questions, or leave it t o the audience to decide? Character Who are the people in the story? What is their relationship to one another? Why do they do what they do? How do their ages/status/etc. affect them?

Language What do the characters say? How do they say it? When do they say it? Do they speak to one character differently than another? Why?

Music How do music and sound help to tell this story?

Spectacle What visual elements support the play? This could include: puppets, scenery, costumes, dance, movement, and more. Other Elements: Conflict/Resolution,

Action, Improvisation, Non-verbal

communication, Staging, Humor,

Realism and other styles, Metaphor,

Language, Tone, Pattern and

repetition, Emotion, Point of view.

Page 3: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected
Page 4: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

Most plays utilize designers to create the visual world of the play

through scenery, costumes, lighting, and more.

These artists use ELEMENTS

OF DESIGN to communicate information about the world within the play and its characters.

Have students discuss these

elements BEFORE attending the performance and ask them to pay special

attention to how these elements are used in the production’s design. Whether

your students are observing a piece of visual art like a painting or a piece

of performance art like a play, allow them first to notice the basic elements,

then encourage them to look deeper into why these elements are used the

way they are.

LINE can have length, width, texture,

direction and curve. There are 5 basic varieties: ver- ticle, horizontal, diagonal, curved, and zig-zag.

SHAPEis two-dimensional

and encloses space. It can be geometric (eg. squares and circles), man-made, or free-form.

FORMis three-dimensional. It encloses

space and fills space. It, too, can be geometric (eg. cubes and cylinders), man-made, or free-form.

SPACEis defined and determined

by shapes and forms. Positive space is enclosed by

shapes and forms, while negative space exists around

them.

COLORhas three basic properties:

HUE is the name of the color (eg. red, blue, green), INTENSITY is the strength of the color (bright or dull), VALUE is the range of lightness to darkness.

TEXTURErefers to the “feel”

of an object’s surface. It can be smooth, rough,

soft, etc. Textures may be ACTUAL (able to be felt) or IMPLIED (suggested visually through the artist’s

technique).

Page 5: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

Based on the motion picture by Jean Shepherd,

Leigh Brown and Bob Clark

Adapted by Philip Grecian

A smoking furnace, a bully named Farkus, a pack of thieving-baying hounds, a dingblang-fuzzle-whizzin-mouthed

old man, a prized leg lamp that’s more leg than lamp—and a bunny suit: Is this the stuff of Christmas? It is for Ral-

phie, and all he really wants is a legendary official Red Ryder 200-Shot Carbine Action Range Model Air Rifle with a

compass and this thing which tells time built right into the stock. Brighten the holidays with this hilarious and criti-

cally acclaimed stage adaptation of Jean Shepherd’s wry and witty tale of a special Christmas past and journey back

to a time when we all had less and it felt like more.

The film A Christmas Story opened in theatres in 1983 and has since become an American classic. Since 1997, the

movie has been shown on television every year on Christmas Eve into Christmas Day in a 24-hour marathon. Based

on a series of short stories by Jean Shepherd, the film was adapted into a stage play in 2000 by Philip Grecian and

has enjoyed successful runs in every corner of the United States and parts of Canada.

A special thanks to SYRACUSE STAGE for allowing use of the material in this study guide.

Page 6: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

A look at

A Christmas Story As our Narrator, the Adult Ralphie, describes it, fictional Holman, Indiana, where

the Parker family is looking forward to Christmas, offers a Norman Rockwell view of American life

in the late 1930s. Ralphie Parker, our nine-year-old hero really, really, really wants an “official Red

Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a

compass in the stock, and this thing that tells time.” Whiney little brother Randy, who has not

willingly eaten a meal for as long as Ralphie can remember, is forcing the spunky Mrs. Parker to

resort to some pretty desperate means to get some food into him. Mr. Parker

(The Old Man), the bumbling but well-meaning dad, is anxiously awaiting a “Major Award”

from a contest submission.

Christmas fever has also taken hold in school, where Ralphie unsuccessfully tries to enlist his teacher, Miss Shields, in his

campaign for the Red Ryder Rifle. After school, Ralphie and his pals Flick and Schwartz work to avoid bully Scut Farkus, who

strikes terror in the hearts of all those poor souls just trying to walk home from school.

Ralphie’s hilarious rush toward Christmas includes an encounter with a frozen flag pole, a visit to Santa, and a pink bunny

suit on the big morning. Could the Red Ryder rifle still be under the tree?

Created in 1938 by comic book artist Fred Harman, the fighting cowboy

character Red Ryder enjoyed a long life in comic books, novels, radio shows, movie

serials, and on TV. Red Ryder was also a merchandising face for Daisy Air Rifles,

which sold air rifles and BB guns similar to — but not exactly the

same as — the one Ralphie Parker wants to see under the tree.

Harold Grey’s comic strip Little Orphan Annie, featuring a plucky little girl and her faithful

dog Sandy, first hit the funny papers in 1924. By the time the Great Depression hit, the optimistic

tot with curly red hair was a national icon. A 15-minute daily radio series featuring her

adventures began in 1930 and continued through 1942. The show, sponsored by Ovaltine, a

popular chocolaty drink mix, offered kids like Ralphie a secret decoder pin so they could

decipher coded messages, usually previews of the next episode. Little Orphan Annie slipped

quietly back into the comic strips until 1977 when she reappeared as the heroine of the

megahit Broadway musical Annie, which has been made into a film twice.

nnie

Little Orphan When the Chicago Tribune Syndicate dropped the Little Orphan Annie in

June of 2010, the once ubiquitous strip was carried by only 20 papers. But

never fear. The spunky kid and Sandy may live on in merchandising deals, and

the musical Annie is slated for a revival.

Page 7: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

G

ean hepherd was born on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, on July 26, 1921. He earned his amateur radio

license when he was just 16. Shepherd’s career

began in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he had a

television program called Rear Bumper. In 1957,

he was recommended to replace Steve Allen

on NBC’s Tonight Show, but NBC executives

were contractually obligated to offer the job

to Jack Paar. However, Shepherd’s work in

television continued, and in the early 1960s,

Shepherd ran his own weekly television show

on WOR in New York. Between 1971 and 1994, he wrote and produced numerous works for both

television and cinema and was the writer and narrator of the show Jean Shepherd’s America. The

show followed Shepherd as he told his famous narratives, visited unusual locales and interviewed

local people of interest. He used a similar format for his next show, Shepherd’s Pie. Shepherd had a

gift for relating to a wide audience, and it is believed that he performed entirely without scripts. In

addition to his radio and television work, Shepherd also performed regularly at various local colleges

and universities. Due to his popularity, these shows were sometimes broadcast live on the radio. Eight

record albums of live and studio performances of “Shep”, the nickname Shepherd was known by, were

released between 1955 and 1975.

The Film Shepherd’s most famous work is the

1983 feature film A Christmas Story, which is

now considered a holiday classic. A Christmas

Story was based on collected short stories

from Shepherd’s books In God We Trust, All

Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey’s Night

of Golden Memories. Several of the stories

were ones Shepherd had shared with his

radio audience including “Duel in the Snow,

or Red Ryder Nails the Cleveland Street Kid”

and “Flick’s Tongue.”

In the film, Shepherd provides the voice

of the adult Ralph Parker. He also has a cameo

role playing a man overseeing the line at the

department store where people are waiting

for Santa Claus. A Christmas Story, which has

remained popular since its debut, is just one

example of Shepherd’s ability to create some

of the most nostalgic and truly American

pieces of humorous storytelling. Shepherd’s

simple and relatable style has often led to

his being compared to Mark Twain. Shepherd

died on October 16, 1999.

Philip recian

began his show

business career at the age

of four as a ventriloquist and a

magician. […] Other works

include Dickens’ A Christmas

Carol, The Velveteen Rabbit, The

Dragon of Nitt, Lion

and the Lyre (translated and

performed in Russia), Little Pills

(based on Moliere’s

Imaginary Invalid), Toby Saves

the Farm, and a translation of

Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Mr.

Grecian has also adapted

many novels and films into plays for staged radio

dramatization, including Dracula!, Frankenstein, Twisted

Tales of Poe, The Blood Countess, and It’s a

Wonderful Life. Other plays include his widely popular

children’s classic, The Velveteen Rabbit and the official stage

adaptation of the motion picture A Christmas Story, which

is produced annually by a number of professional,

educational and community theatre companies throughout

the English-speaking world.

Page 8: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

M

Jean Shepherd’s A Christmas Story is based in part on In God We Trust, All

emories Others Pay Cash, a collection of his short

story memoirs first published in the 1960s.

Shepherd’s writing is precise: he knows

exactly how to use a phrase to evoke a

ake emoirs

memory. That’s one reason A Christmas Story is so special. Even its most outrageous moments feel grounded in reality, and the

reader experiences it along with the characters.

What is a Memoir?

A memoir is a piece of autobiographical

writing, usually shorter in nature than a comprehensive autobiography. Like most

autobiographies, memoirs are generally written from the first person point of view;

however, memoirs are structured differently from formal autobiographies, which tend

to cover the writer’s entire life. Memoirs focus on the development of the writer’s personality.

Memoirs are often more emotional and concerned with capturing particular scenes, or a series

of events, rather than documenting every fact of a person’s life. The development of a memoir is

determined by the work’s context and is therefore more flexible than the traditional chronological

development of an autobiography. The narrative structure of a memoir is also different from an

autobiography in that it has many of the same qualities as a traditional piece of fiction. Memoirs

have a setting, plot development, imagery, conflict, characterization, foreshadowing, flashback,

irony, and symbolism.

Who writes Memoirs? Historically, memoirs have dealt with public matters rather

than personal. Many older memoirs contain little or no information about the writer and are almost

entirely concerned with other people. Traditionally, memoirs tended to be written by politicians, military leaders, or businessmen. The books often dealt exclusively with writers’ careers rather than their private lives. Modern expectations, however, have changed this, even for heads of government. People are interested in seeing the human side of others. Memoir writing is becoming popular with people from all walks of life, including Holocaust survivors, actors, teachers, musicians, petowners, and former first ladies. What is special about a memoir is that it allows the reader to learn about a small moment in another person’s life, a moment that might have had a dramatic effect on the beliefs and attitudes of the writer.

OTHER MEMOIRS FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT…

Home

by Julie Andrews

Growing Up

by Russell Baker

An American Childhood

by Annie Dillard

Marley & Me

by John Grogan

The Life You Imagine:

Life Lessons for

Achieving Your Dreams

by Derek Jeter

Teacher Man

by Frank McCourt

Dreams From My Father

by Barack Obama

Page 9: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

B

10

ullying among children and

teenagers has been considered a

normal and expected part of growing up

in the United States. Only in recent years

have people really started to consider the

damage that is done by bullying and the

lasting effects it can have on those who

suffer from it. In A Christmas Story, Scut

Farkus plays the role of that era’s typical

neighborhood bully. Twist an arm, make

a kid or two cry and then go on your way.

BULLYING In the past, the victim of bullying who ran to the teacher or his parents would have been

despised as a “snitch.” Children either suffered in silence or fought back, much like Ralphie.

The Effects of Bullying Almost 30 percent of teens in the United States

are estimated to be involved in bullying as either

a bully, a target of bullying, or both. Researchers

have found that bullying is the worst among young

teens and that boys are more likely to engage in

physical bullying, while girls more often bully

each other emotionally. Those who are the victims

of either type of bullying can suffer from a number

of negative effects. People who feel isolated

because of being bullied sometimes cannot cope

with the situation and feel as if they are helpless.

Depression, anxiety and antisocial behavior are

more common among those who are bullied, as is

alcohol and drug use. Some people who are bullied

may even resort to violence against themselves or

others.

ullying Yesterday and Today What makes bullying from the past so different

from today is that it was often confined to minor

scuffles. Unfortunately, in recent years it has

morphed into a complex selection of methods for

tormenting another person. Bullies of today can use

technology to ruin the lives of people they’ve never

even met. Bullying includes a wide

variety of behaviors, including direct

attacks such as hitting, threatening or

intimidating, maliciously teasing and

taunting, name-calling, making

sexual remarks, stealing or

damaging belongings or more

subtle, indirect attacks such

as cyber bullying, spreading

rumors or encouraging others to

reject or exclude someone.

hat to Do if You’re Bullied There are things that victims of bullying can do to help alleviate the

situation. First, talking to a parent, a teacher, school counselor, or principal can be

beneficial. Many teens who are targets of bullies do not talk to adults because

they feel embarrassed, ashamed, or fearful, and they believe they should be able

to handle the problem on their own. Others believe that involving adults will only

make the situation worse. However, education professionals have the training and

the resources to handle a bullying situation so that there is a positive outcome.

Students who are bullied should avoid being alone, and should ask their friends for

support. Building self-confidence is important because bullies often target those

they see as weak or insecure. Playing sports, joining a club, or participating in an

after school program can help those who are being bullied to make new friends

and build self- esteem.

Page 10: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

a

IN

Writing a Memoir

Instructional Procedures:

Lesson Summary Students will use memoir

writing as a way to explore

the significance of an event

or an important moment in

history. Modifications are required by the Individual teacher to meet the appropriate grade level and skill of each student.

1. Discuss with students the idea of memories […]

2. Next, discuss the idea of a memoir. Is it different from an autobiography?

Memoirs are more than just an account of the past. They are an opportunity for

individuals to explore, to discover and to make connections.

3. Explain that history is more meaningful once we as humans are able to see

the whole picture in reflection. Getting into the mind of a historic character is

one way to shed more light on a historical subject. Likewise, making life con-

nections to events allows us to create a connection that results in a deeper

understanding or sometimes the yearning to know more [...]

4. Have students brainstorm a timeline of their lives, adding key events as well

as important and even not-so-important experiences. ie: illnesses, schooling,

moves, sports, girl/boyfriends, losses, etc.

--adapted from material from The Cleveland Play House

Avarice:

Desperado: VOCABULARY excessive desire for

wealth or gain

Celluloid: a tough, flammable

substance used in

motion-picture film

Consummation: the act of completing or

finishing something

Delusion:

a persistent false belief

a bold or violent criminal; a

bandit of the western U.S. in the

19th century

Festering: to cause irritation or

bitterness; to exist in a state of

deterioration

Insensate: lacking sense, understanding or

feeling

Invective: abusive or insulting speech,

expression or language

from the script Lexicon: the vocabulary of a language, an

individual speaker or a subject

Malevolent: vicious ill will, spite or hatred;

producing harm or evil

Ovaltine: a brand of powdered milk

flavoring similar to Nesquik

the weasel

family from which the

domesticated ferret

is derived; slang for a

despicable person

Simoniz: a brand of car wax

Zenith: the culminating point; the

highest point reached in

the heavens by a celestial

body

Page 11: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

IN

a Persuasive theme Lesson Summary Students will use

their persuasive writ-

ing skills to convince

a group or person to

believe their message.

Modifications are required by the individual teacher to meet the appropriate grade level and skill of each student.

Instructional Procedures: . Introduce the idea that there are two sides to every

story. Good example to illustrate this point is to read

the story of The Three Little Pigs followed by the reading

of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs written from the

point of view of the wolf.

. Discuss with the students how the two stories differ.

A Venn diagram would be useful for recording student

responses, either individually or together on the board.

. Once students are familiar with the concept of two

sides to every story, discuss how the wolf tells his

version of the story – leading to the notion of persuasion.

. Ask students for forms of persuasion that they are

familiar with such as various advertisements.

5. Next discuss the elements of persuasive writing:

• Convincing arguments without sarcasm or name-calling • Evidence to support viewpoint (facts, examples, etc.)

• Appeal to the reader’s sense of logic

• Anticipate and address opposing views

• Strong conclusion summarizing the importance of the writer’s

view point – often with a memorable thought

. Instruct the students that they will have the op-

portunity to argue the side of a character that may

have been “unjustly” accused or misunderstood. Some

possible characters include: Cinderella’s stepmother or

stepsisters, the Evil Queen in Snow White, Goldilocks,

the Wicked Witch of the West, Rumpelstiltskin, Prince

John, the Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook – just to name

a few (For younger students it is easiest to give the class

the same topic or character: Tom Turkey at Thanksgiving

trying to convince a hungry holiday celebrant not to have

the turkey for dinner.)

. Students need to brainstorm the reasons they might

use to argue his point of view. They also must brain-

storm as many reasons as possible to support the oppos-

ing view in order to effectively counter any opposition.

. Have students present their arguments in a well

formatted essay while following the writing pro-

cess. Guidelines and rubric should be determined by the

teacher based upon desired outcomes.

APPROPRIATE GRADES: 2-6

(This lesson addresses NYS English Language Arts Language

Standards 1, 2, 3 and 4.)

Extension • Students could give a speech

to the class as their “accused”

character with the classmates

rendering a secret ballot ver-

dict.

• Students can write a persua-

sive advertisement for a favor-

ite novel

• Students can invent a new

product idea and write a pro-

posal for a company to buy it.

Materials and Resources: “The True Story

of the Three Little Pigs” by Jon Scieszka

Courtesy of The Cleveland Play House

Page 12: to life › documents › Achrismasstorystudyguide.pdf · 1983 feature film A Christmas Story, recianwhich is ow considered a holiday classic. A Christmas Story was based on collected

TEACHING THEATRE/ARTS

ArtsWork.com

http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/teachers/resources/theatre1.htm

ChildDrama.com

http://www.childdrama.com/lessons.html

Educational Theatre Association

http://www.edta.org/publications/teaching.aspx

Kennedy Center

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teach/hto.cfm

Viola Spolin

http://www.spolin.com/

INFORMATION SOURCES & RESOURCES

The Cleveland Playhouse

http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

by Jon Scieszka; Illustrated by Lane Smith

Education.com

Stopping Bullying Behaviors: Advice for Parents and Caregivers

http://www.education.com/reference/article/bullying-advice-

parents-caregivers/

Bullying: An Age-old Problem That Needs New Solutions

http://www.education.com/reference/article/bullying-about-

power-and-abuse-of-power/

14