SHOW GUIDE

Theatre and Dance at WayneMaggie Allesee Department of Theatre and DanceCollege of Fine, Performing and Communication ArtsWAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

BOX OFFICE Hilberry Theatre, 4743 Cass Ave., Detroit, MI 48202 313-577-2972 ADMINISTRATION 4841 Cass Ave., Ste. 3206, Detroit, MI 48202 313-577-3508MARKETING 4841 Cass Ave., Ste. 3206, Detroit, MI 48202 313-577-3010 John Wolf, Chair and Executive Producer

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SHOW GUIDE

Content borrowed with permission from Syracuse Stage.All rights reserved. With the exception of classroom use by teachers and individual personal use, no part of this Show Guide may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Some materials published herein are written especially for our Guide. Others are reprinted by permission of their publishers.

InsideA FEW AUDIENCE REMINDER

General Info 2Common Questions 2

THE PLAYThe Plot 3Breaking World Records 3Ashrita Furman 3

GREEK GODS 4

ELECTRICITY 5

BULLYING & EMPATHY 6

CLASSROOM PROJECTS 7

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 8

ELEMENTS OF THEATRE 9

MORE TO SEE 10

Dear Educators,

Wayne State University is proud to produce plays for young people’s enjoyment and to actively explore the beauty, diversity, complexity and challenges of the world around them through the dramatic arts. We wish to support the development of their creative voice, imagination, and understanding of drama and its role in our global society.

This play guide is designed to be a tool in helping you prepare your students for our performance as well as extend the production experience back into the classroom.

Your comments and suggestions about this guide, presentation and/or programming are welcome. Email theatrepr@wayne.edu.

Your Students’ Role

You may wish to have a discussion with your students before attending the play. Remind your students that they have an important role to play at the performance being the audience. It is because of the audience that the theatre exists. It will be their energy and response that will directly affect the actors onstage.

Young audiences should be reminded that live theatre is not like watching TV, a movie or DVD; the actors cannot pause or be rewound, there are no commercial breaks for running to the bathroom, the volume cannot be turned up to hear better if someone other than the actors are talking.

Encourage your students to listen and watch the play. They can laugh and cheer for their favorite characters. At the end of the play, applause is appropriate and is the opportunity for your students to thank the actors while the actors are thanking you for the role you played as the audience.

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Welcome As you take your students on the exciting journey into theworld of live theatre we hope that you’ll take a moment tohelp prepare them to make the most of their experience.Unlike movies or television, live theatre offers the thrill ofunpredictability.

With the actors present on stage, the audience responsebecomes an integral part of the performance and the overallexperience: the more involved and attentive the audience, thebetter the show. Please remind your students that they playan important part in the success of the performance.

Be PromptGive your students plenty of time to arrive, find their seats, and get situated. Have them visit the restrooms before the show begins.

Respect OthersPlease remind your students that their behavior and responses affect the quality of the performance and the enjoyment of the production for the entire audience. Live theatre means the actors and the audience are in the same room, and just as the audience can see and hear the performers, the performers can see and hear the audience.

Please ask your students to avoid disturbing those around them. Please no talking or unnecessary or disruptive movement during the performance. Also, please remind students that cellphones should be switched off completely. No texting or tweeting, please. When students give their full attention tothe action on the stage, they will be rewarded with the best performance possible.

Good Noise, Bad NoiseInstead of instructing students to remain totally silent, please discuss the difference between appropriate responses (laughter, applause, participation when requested) and inappropriatenoise (talking, cell phones, etc).

Stay With UsPlease do not leave or allow students to leave during the performance except in absolute emergencies. Again, reminding them to use the restrooms before the performance will helpeliminate unnecessary disruption.

Common Questions

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?Wear what makes you comfortable. There is no dress code.

CAN I BRING DRINKS OR SNACKS INTO THE THEATRE?Few things are as distracting as the noise from a candy wrapper or a spilled drink making the floor sticky. This is why we ask that you finish your concessions in the lobby, although bottled water is acceptable inside the theatre.

CAN I TAKE PHOTOS OR RECORD VIDEO OF THE SHOW?Elements of the show may be copyrighted, so it’s illegal to photograph or film the show. A more significant reason we ask you to refrain from taking pictures or filming the show is that it’s very disruptive to your fellow audience members. The glow of a camera dramatically lights up the theatre. However, we encourage you to take photos before the show, at intermission, or afterward and share your experience on social media. Be sure to tag us!

WHAT ABOUT MY CELLPHONE?A ringing or the glow of a cellphone screen takes the audience (and the performers) out of the show. Please turn your phone to airplane or silent mode or, even better, off, so that everyone can enjoy the show.

IF I ENJOY THE SHOW, WHAT’S NEXT?We’re thrilled you enjoyed the show! The best thing you can do is tell your friends about your experience. Word of mouth is the number one way people learn about us, so telling others how much you enjoyed yourself is truly appreciated. Share your experience on your favorite social media site, call a friend, or tell your colleagues at work.

You’ll find our social media sites below:

• Facebook: TheatreandDanceatWayne• Twitter: @tndwayne• Instagram: @theatreanddanceatwayne• Youtube: WayneStateTheatres

A Few Audience Reminders

The Play

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The Plot

Miss Electricity is the story of a fifth-grade girl named Violet who is determined to show the world, not to mention the kids at school, just how special she is. How can she focus on something like learning the state capitals when she’s trying to become famous?

With the help of her assistant Freddy, she sets out to break a world record, any world record, but keeps facing obstacle after obstacle. Frustrated with not being special and facing bullies Connie and Billy, Violet becomes accidentally extraordinary when she is struck by lightning–twice–and gains control over all things electric. Under the name Miss Electricity, Violet zaps her way through circuits, bullies, and schoolwork. But does she really control electricity? Or is maybe Freddy more friend than assistant? With the help of Athena, the goddess of wis-dom, Violet learns that being a good friend is special in itself and that maybe her mom does have a point about learning the state capitals after all.

Ashrita Furman

Ashrita Furman (pictured) has captured the public’s imagina-tion by breaking Guinness World Records under outrageous conditions and in the most exotic places. He currently holds more than 120 Guinness records, including the official record for holding the most records! Since setting his first record of 27,000 jumping jacks in 1979, Ashrita has broken more than 300 records overall. What compels this 56th old health food store manager from Queens, New York, to perform these fantastic feats? “I’m trying to show others that our human capacity is unlimited if we can truly believe in ourselves,” he says. Ashrita maintains that while some of his records may draw more laughter than respect, each one requires a great deal of determination, concentration and fitness.From https://www.ashrita.com/about/

Breaking World Records

On November 10, 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Breweries, went on a shooting party in Ireland.

After missing a shot at a golden plover, he became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover or the red grouse (it is the plover. ) That evening, he realized that it was impossible to confirm in ref-erence books whether or not the golden plover was Europe’s fastest game bird. Beaver knew that there must be numerous other similar questions debated nightly throughout the world, but there was no book with which to settle arguments about records. He realized then set out to make such a book.

Beaver’s idea became reality when Guinness employee Chris-topher Chataway recommended University friends Norris and Ross McWhirter, who had been running a fact-finding agency in London. The twin brothers were commissioned to write what became he Guinness Book of Records in August 1954.After the founding of The Guinness Book of Records, the first 198 page edition was bound on August 27, 1955 and went to the top of the British best seller lists by Christmas. The follow-ing year, it launched in the US, and sold 70,000 copies.

Since then, Guinness World Records has gone on to become a record breaker in its own right; with sales of more than 100 million copies in 100 different countries and 37 languages, Guinness World Records is the world’s best selling copyright-ed book ever!

Here are some records to break:Most leapfrog jumps in one minute by a team of two..................................................

Most baked beans eaten with a chopstick in 1 minute..............................................................

5771

Greek Gods

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In Miss Electricity, Violet thinks she gains the power to control all things electric. Her friend Freddy suggests that Zeus may have played a part. The ancient Greeks told stories about their gods. These stories are called myths (short for mythology, or stories about gods.) Stories about the ancient Greek gods are still told today. Each storyteller told the stories in their own way, but what-ever power and personality a god had was consistent from story to story.

Zeus

Zeus was the king of all the gods. Zeus ruled the entire universe - no one was mightier than the mighty Zeus. Magi-cally, Zeus was the only god who could throw lightning bolts. He could shape shift, and look like anybody. As king, he had powers that came from being king of all the gods. He was dominating, powerful and could be terrifying when angry. His symbols were the thunderbolts, the eagle, and the scepter, or rod.

Athena

Athena was a powerful and popular goddess in ancient Greece. Athena did not have a mother. She was born directly out of Zeus’ brain, which is how she received her remarkable cleverness. She is sometimes also considered the goddess of war because Athena had the power to give skill, courage, and victory in battle to those who deserved it (in her opinion.) The other gods counted on Athena to be fair. Zeus admired Athena for her wisdom, kindness, and understanding. She was very competitive and is often pictured with her helmet and a spear. She carried Zeus’s shield, called the aegis. She is often seen with her bird, the owl.

Electricity is the most widely used form of energy. Its uses range from the miniature batteries that operate your phone to huge motors that power trains and ships. Electricity operates our lights, runs our refrigerators and powers motors. It first must be changed to other forms of energy such as heat, light or mechanical to be useful. You can’t see electricity but you can see what it does - like when you turn on a light.

Here are some words about electricity you might like to know:

Electricity!

AmpsThe measurement of the flow of an electric current through a conductor.

ConductorA substance or material that allows electrons, or electrical current, to flow through it.

CircuitsA complete or partial path followed by a flow of electric cur-rent.

VoltA unit for measuring the force used to produce an electric current; the push or force that moves electric current through a conductor.

WattsA unit for measuring electric power.

1 Kilowatt = 1000 watts.

1 Megawatt = 1,000,000 watts.

Lightning

Lightning is pure energy. It can be frightening and dan-gerous as well as one of nature’s most beautiful displays of power. Lightning is usually associated with thunder-storms Thunderstorms form as masses of warm air rise up into the atmosphere.

Sometimes this activity is matched by the downward movement of heavier, colder air from the atmosphere. As this movement of air is happening, an imbalance of electrons in the clouds occurs as the air particles rub against one another creating friction. Some particles lose electrons and become positively charged (+) and other atoms gain electrons and become negatively charged (-).

The exchange of electrons between charged atoms in the cloud attracts positive charges from the ground. When this attraction is strong enough, the electric charge is released in a large rush of voltage, or moving electrons, called lightning.

The electricity in your home is supplied by the same type of electron exchange, only its flow is controlled through a conductor.

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Bullying is very complex and does not just mean a bigger person hitting a smaller person. According to the National Bullying Prevention Center, bullying is when a person or student is emotionally or physically harmed by another person or student. Bully behavior includes what is called an “imbalance of power” when a person with more power or social capital, such as being physically stronger or more popular, tries to hurt a person with less power. By doing this the person with more power normally hopes to feel more powerful by taking someone else’s power away.

Physical bullying can include hitting, kicking, and shoving. This aggression can either be done in an obvious way, such as in front of a teacher, or in a hidden way, such as hidden on a playground. Emotional bullying can include name calling, using bad words toward a person, gossip-ing, or excluding people on purpose from games or groups. Almost everyone at some point has both exhibited bullying behavior and had bullying behavior used on them. It is important to focus on empathy as a way to see how our actions can hurt people, even when we don’t mean to.

Bullying & Empathy

How can you build empathy?1. Labeling Feelings: Ask children to describe and label how they might feel in these three different bullying situations:

• If they saw someone being bullied• If they were being bullied themselves• If they bullied someone

Explain that bullying can lead to strong feelings, such as anger, frustration, and fear. While it’s okay to feel these feelings, it’s never okay to react by doing violent things, such asintentionally hurting someone. Say that if we all work together to prevent and stop bullying, no one in our group willever need to experience these feelings as a result of bullying.

2. Similar & Different: Discuss the main ways that childrenare different from one another. Prompt them with examples,if needed.

• Some children are big, and others are small.• Some children run fast, and others run slowly.• Ask, “What would our group be like if we were all thesame?”

Prompt students that while at first it might be fun, sincewe’d all agree on everything, eventually it would get boring.Since we would never try anything new, every race wouldend in a tie, etc. Explain how the differences among us makeour group stronger, more interesting, and better able to dodifferent things. Discuss the fact that bullies may bully otherchildren simply because they are different—they try tomake differences seem like bad things or weaknesses, ratherthan the strengths they are.

Now discuss the many ways children are similar to one another.

For example: All children eat, sleep, grow, and havefeelings. And, most importantly, all children feel hurt whenthey are bullied.

Summarize by explaining that we should all agree to appreciate our differences, recognize that no one likes to bebullied, and never bully someone simply because he or she is different, stop untrue or harmful messages from spreading.

If someone tells you a rumor that you know is untrue orsends you a message that is hurtful to someone else, standup and let the person know this is wrong.

3. Helping Others Feel Better: First, use these questions todiscuss with the group what children can do to help othersfeel better:

• How can you know how someone else feels?Possible answers: Listen to what they say, ask themhow they feel, look closely at their face and body,watch what they do• How can we recognize when another child is feelingbad or left out?Possible answers: Making a sad face, not laughingwhen others laugh, crying, not looking at anyone,playing alone• How can we cheer up children who feel bad and helpthem feel better?

Possible answers: Pay attention to them, pat themon the back, ask them if they’d like to play with you.

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Classroom Projects

Create your own charactersExplore different ways of making characters like a costume designer does. Think of your favorite character from a book, what do they look like in your mind? What type of clothes do they wear? How do they do their hair? Draw what you think a character looks like, or think of different clothes that Violet and Freddy could wear.

Write a ReviewAfter students have outlined the story and discussed the production elements, they can write reviews. Have them read their reviews aloud or post them online for other classes to read and respond. Reviews usually include the following:

• a brief summary of the story• comments on the quality of the play itself• a description of the costumes and set and a comment on whether these were interesting and appropriate• comments on the actors’ character portrayals and on the director’s skill at pulling the whole thing together

Be a Good FriendAsk the children to think about how Miss Electricity dealt with friendship. Ask what someone in the show did that made him or her a good friend or a bad friend.• Write on the board, “To have good friends, you must be a good friend.” Ask the children to explain that statement and to tell you why they either agree or disagree with it. Ask them to think of ways that good friends treat each other. List their answers on the board and discuss each one. Compare their list with the one on the opposite page.• Divide the class into groups of four or five. Each group’s task is to choose one group member to play the role of a new kid in class. The new kid’s challenge is to try to gain acceptance into the group. After the role-plays, discuss with the class how it felt to be the new kid and how it felt to be part of the “in-group.” Discuss some of the different ways of “breaking in” to a new group.

Break a World Record!There are many world records that elementary-age students can try to break, the Guinness Book of World Records has some great lesson plans here: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2018/3/kids-can-break-a-guinness-world-records-title-in-their-science-class-517525

How about some classroom records? Here are a few to try:

• Most sticky notes put on a face in one minute (Current record is 58)• Most Tennis balls balanced on one hand for at least five seconds (Current record is 26)• Most coins stacked into a tower in 30 seconds (Current record is 51)• Fastest time to assemble a Mr. Potato Head while blindfolded (Current record is 16.17 seconds)

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Questions for DiscussionThe PresentationHave students respond in small groups or conduct a group discussion based on questions such as:

• Why did the playwright use songs in the play? What does the music bring to the story?• Was the play funny or serious? How did that affect the story?• How did the actors use movement and voice to create their characters?• The designers made many choices when they created the set and costumes for Miss Electricity What did their designs add?

The StoryStudents can respond verbally or in writing to questions such as:

• How would you describe each character in this play to someone who has not seen it?• How did each of them change during the play?• What parts of the play are specific to where the characters live? Could this story take place where you live? Why or why not?

More Questions

1. Write on the board, “To have good friends, you must be a good friend.” Ask the children to explain that statement and to tellyou why they either agree or disagree with it. Ask them to think of ways that good friends treat each other. List their answers onthe board and discuss each one. Compare their list with the one on the opposite page.

2. Have the children look for examples of friendship behaviors in magazines or make pictures of them (see our list in “How toBe a Good Friend” at the top of this column). Then have them use the pictures to create a classroom collage. They could alsocontribute slogans or mottos about friendships.

3. Divide the class into groups of four or five. Each group’s task is to choose one group member to play the role of a new kid inclass. The new kid’s challenge is to try to gain acceptance into the group. After the role-plays, discuss with the class how it felt tobe the new kid and how it felt to be part of the “in-group.” Discuss some of the different ways of “breaking in” to a new group.

4. Ask the children to think about how a movie or TV show dealt with friendship. Ask what someone in the show did that madehim or her a good friend or a bad friend.

5. Brainstorm ways kids can be more tolerant and accepting of each other. Write them on the board. Then have the childrenwork in small groups to create posters about accepting others. Display the posters in the classroom hallway.

ACTIVITYAt its core, drama is about characters working toward goals and overcoming obstacles.

Ask students to use their bodies and voices to create characters who are: very old, very young, very strong, very weak, very tired, very energetic, very cold, very warm.

Have their characters interact with others. Give them an objective to fulfill despite environmental obstacles.

Later, recap by asking how these obstacles affected their characters and the pursuit of their objectives.

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Elements of Theatre

Learn various elements of theatre that impact the story and how you enjoy the production.

PLOTWhat is the story line? What happened before the play started? What do the characters want? What do they do to achieve their goals? What do they stand to gain/lose?

THEMEWhat ideas are wrestled with in the play? What questions does the play pose? Does it present an opinion?

CHARACTERWho are the people in the story? What are their relationships? Why do they do what they do? How does age/status/etc. affect them?

LANGUAGEWhat do the characters say? How do they say it? When do they say it?

MUSICHow do music and sound help to tell the story?

SPECTACLEHow do the elements come together to create the whole performance?

Other Elements: Conflict/Resolution, Action, Improvisation, Non-verbal communication, Staging, Humor, Realism and other styles, Metaphor, Language, Tone, Pattern & Repetition, Emotion, Point of view.

Any piece of theatre comprises multiple art forms. As you ex-plore this production with your students, examine the use of:

WRITINGVISUAL ART/DESIGNMUSIC/SOUNDDANCE/MOVEMENT

INQUIRYHow are each of these art forms used in this production? Why are they used? How do they help to tell the story?

More to see Our 2019-2020 season is full of exciting plays, musicals, and dance concerts. Included below is a list of each production that offers a 10 a.m. school matinée performance for your students to experience. If you’d like to bring a school group to any of these, please contact our group sales manager at 313-577-0852 or visit our website to submit your reservation online.

SWEATWINNER OF THE 2017 PULITZER PRIZE!Hilberry TheatreBy Lynn Nottage

Available School Matinée Dates• Tuesday, Nov. 5 • Wednesday, Nov. 13

Filled with warmth humor and tremendous heart, Sweat tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on the factory floor. But when layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat.

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A CHRISTMAS CAROLBonstelle TheatreBased on the story by Charles DickensAdapted by John Wolf and Tom Aulino

Available School Matinée Dates• Wednesday, Dec. 4• Thursday, Dec. 5

Join Ebenezer Scrooge on a ghostly adventure in Dickens’ classic story. When the miserly old Scrooge is visited by his former business partner, now deceased, he begins a journey into the past, present and future to learn the true meaning of Christmas. Will the old codger redeem himself? Can the spirits inspire him to a greater purpose? Find out this Christmas at the Bonstelle Theatre.

THE WINTER’S TALEHilberry Theatreby William Shakespeare

Available School Matinée Dates• Tuesday, Feb. 11 • Wednesday, Feb. 19

A romance, a comedy, a fairy tale, two worlds in contrast. These are the elements that have made Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale a delight for audiences for almost 400 years. In Sicilia, King Leontes believes his wife, Hermione, is having an affair with his childhood friend Polixenes. As his unfounded jealousy consumes him, he puts his wife on trial and abandons their newborn child, Perdita, in the wild. But as with all fairy tales, the child survives and, now living in Bohemia, blossoms into a free-spirited young woman. Here she meets and falls in love with a young man who, unbeknown to her, is son to her father’s former friend. In a magical twist that must be seen to be believed, she might just find the homecoming she’d never expected.

COMPANY ONE DANCE CONCERTBonstelle Theatre

Available School Matinée Dates• Friday, March 1

Company One, one of our acclaimed student-produced dance companies, present a one-concert only performance of their work at the Bonstelle Theatre.

TOBACCO ROADUnderground at the Hilberry Please note the Underground is accessible by stairs. If you or your students required mobility assistance, please let our staff know in advance.By Jack Kirkland. Based on the novel by Erskine Caldwell

Available School Matinée Dates• Tuesday, March 24 • Wednesday, April 1

During the Great Depression, a family of Georgian farmers struggled as their once profitable tobacco crop slowly dies. Jeeter Lester, the father, lives in squalor with his wife Ada, their two children, Dude and Ellie May, and his mother. When the family learns that the house and property are now owned by the bank, Jeeter is given a chance to earn money so that they may keep living there, but he refuses. Desperate to save their family, the once-proud father makes sacrifices that will impact their lives in ways unimaginable.

STAGE KISSHilberry Theatreby Sarah Ruhl

Available School Matinée Date• Tuesday, May 5

Art imitates Life. Life imitates Art. When two actors with a history are thrown together as romantic leads in a forgotten 1930s melodrama, they quickly lose touch with reality as the story onstage follows them offstage. Stage Kiss captures Sarah Ruhl’s singular voice. It is a charming tale about what happens when lovers share a stage kiss—or when actors share a real one.

MARY POPPINSBonstelle TheatreOriginal Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. ShermanBook by Julian FellowesNew Songs and Additional Music and Lyrics by Anthony Drewe and George StilesCo-Created by Cameron MackintoshA Musical based on the stories of P. L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film

Available School Matinée Dates• Tuesday, April 14 • Friday, April 17

Everyone’s favorite practically perfect nanny takes the stage in this supercalifragilisticexpialidocious musical adventure. Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances and received nominations for nine Olivier and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. An enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers and theatrical magic.