Presents

The Rainbow Fish

Thursday, March 9, 2005 10am, Concert Hall

Study Guides are also available on our website at www.fineartscenter.com - select Performances Plus! from Educational Programs, then select Resource room.

The Fine Arts Center wishes to acknowledge MassMutual Financial Group for its important role in making these educational materials and programs available to the youth in our region.

Table of Contents

This Study Buddy™ published byArtsPower National Touring Theatre isdesigned to help you and your studentsprepare for, enjoy, and learn from ourmusical The Rainbow Fish, based onthe popular book by Marcus Pfister. Itcontains background information aboutthe production as well as cross-curricularactivities to present to your students bothbefore and after the performance.

About Our Show andArtsPower 2Activity Page 3Learn More 4Your Turn 5All About Theatre 6Write to Us! 7

GARY W. BLACKMAN

MARK A. BLACKMAN

GREG GUNNING

THE RAINBOW FISHBased on the book by Marcus Pfister.Published by North-South Books, Inc.New York.

Adapted by Greg GunningMusic by Richard DeRosaLyrics by Greg Gunning

Original Direction by Greg Gunning

Incidental Music by Ron Drotos

Sets by Tom Carroll Scenery

Costumes by Fred Sorrentino

STUDY BUDDY™Veronica Heller, WriterDan Helzer, DesignerMark Blackman, Editor

© ArtsPower 2004Please photocopy any of the following pages.

Generously Funded by

TheRAINBOWFISHTheRAINBOWFISH

Study Buddy

Additional support provided byThe Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation

ArtsPower 39 South Fullerton Avenue Montclair, NJ 07042-3354 973.744.0909 www.artspower.org

Artistic Director

Founding Co-Director

Founding Co-Director

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ounded in 1985 by Gary Blackman and Mark Blackman, ArtsPower is one of America'slargest producers of professional Actors' Equity Association theatre for young and family

audiences. We tour our original musicals and plays across the United States - 43 states in all - inmany of our nation's first-run Broadway theatres, cultural centers, university auditoriums, andschools. With nearly 900 performances annually, ArtsPower has amassed an audience of sevenmillion people.

ArtsPower's mission is to create and tour nationally-recognized, professional Equity theatre ofexceptional quality that nurtures in both children and adults a deeper connection to family,peers, and their own feelings, and instills in them what it means to be a good person in heart,mind, and deed. ArtsPower's productions speak to the rewards associated with overcomingadversity, standing up to prejudice and inequity, and of the American ideals of freedom andrespect for others.

ArtsPower's main offices are located at 39 South Fullerton Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey. Ourtoll-free number is (888) 278-7769. We welcome your questions or comments.

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f all the fish in the deep blue sea, the RainbowFish is the most beautiful. She is the only one

with lovely shiny scales, and she certainly knows it; shespends most of her time looking at herself in themirror. But when she will not share her scales withthe Green Fish and the Blue Fish, they do not want tobe friends with her anymore.

Rainbow is very confused. How can they ask her togive away the one thing that makes her special?Remembering what her teacher told her, she decidesto look for the Wise Old Octopus and ask for help.

Along the way, she meets a stuck-up Star Fish and ascary Shark. She begins to find out that there are

other fish in the sea. When she meets the Octopus atlast, the advice she gets is simple: share your gift withothers, and you will find happiness. This is still toohard for Rainbow, and she leaves thinking she hasmade the journey for nothing.

Once the Rainbow Fish returns home, though, shesees her old friends playing and realizes how badly shewants to join them. Do you think she will share herscales with her friends?

A Narrator helps us through the story, using a magicmirror to show the actors in their "fishy" forms.

Study Buddy

About Our Show

TheRAINBOWFISH

Teachers: Please read "About Our Show" to your students before seeing the performance.

Who goes where?

1) IHSF 2) LLSEH

3) CBAR 4) AKSHR

5) sadn

Study BuddyTheRAINBOWFISH

Try These: Activity for (Grades K-1)Teachers: Please photocopy and distribute to your students.

The Rainbow Fish feels all mixed up when her friends get angry at her. The letters in some of thewords below have gotten mixed up! Can you make these scrambled letters spell the names ofthings you might find under the sea? Hint: look at the pictures for help!

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1) Which of these do you use in the same way a fish uses its scales?

2) Which of these do you use in the same way a fish uses its gills?

3) Learn how to draw a fish. Follow the pattern below. Be sure to add scales and gills to your fish!

R eady for some fun fish facts? After your teacherreads to you about fish, think about what you

have learned and try the activities below.

Fish are covered in hard plates called scales.These scales protect the fish.

How can fish breathe underwater? They use smallslits called gills. Through the gills, fish can breathewater as easily as you breathe air!

Did you know that fish were around before thedinosaurs? They come in many different shapes andsizes. A whale shark, for example, can grow to morethan fifty feet long!

Study BuddyTheRAINBOWFISH

Learn MoreTeachers: Please read LEARN MORE to your students and then distribute this page.

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W hen the characters in The Rainbow Fish look into a magic mirror, we can see them as they reallylook. Imagine your own magic mirror. When you look into it, what do you see? What do you like

most about yourself, and what would you like others to see when they look at you?

Draw yourself in the imaginary mirror below.

Your TurnTeachers: Please read YOUR TURN to your students and then distribute this page.

Study BuddyTheRAINBOWFISH

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W atching a play is not the same as watching a movie or a television show. In the audience, you can see the performanceas it is happening; it is live and not on tape. For this reason, actors use special ways of telling the story onstage.

Music: This production is called a musical. That means the actors use music and songs instead of simplytalking. They can sing to each other or to the audience. Often, music helps to show how a character is feeling.

Think About It: Why might music be a good way to show feelings? How might itbe better than talking?

Doubling: When one person acts out more than one part, this is called doubling. ArtsPower uses only fouractors to play eleven parts. For example, the Green Fish and the Shark are played by the same actor.

Think About It: Why didn't ArtsPower just use eleven actors? Why mightdoubling be a better way?

Props: The Rainbow Fish and her friends live under the sea, but this play does not actually bring youunderwater! Instead, props are used. Props are objects used by the actors as they perform. You, in theaudience, have an important job: you must use your imagination to help turn props into the real thing.

Think About It: What if you had to pretend the stage were really underwater?What props might you use? During the performance, see if ArtsPower used anyof your ideas!

Adaptation: This play is called an adaptation. That means it came from a different source and was changed.Marcus Pfister's book The Rainbow Fish is the source for ArtsPower's play. Read the book!

Think About It: After you read The Rainbow Fish, you can watch to see how theplay is different. Why do you think some parts were changed?

Other Books by Marcus Pfister:Milo and the Magical Stones

Sun and MoonThe Magic Book

Dazzle the DinosaurJust the Way You Are

All About TheatreTeachers: Please read this page to your students. Discuss their responses to the "Think About It" questions.

Study BuddyTheRAINBOWFISH

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W e would love to hear from you. Please let us know what you thought of the play!: Send your letters toArtsPower, 39 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042-3354 or e-mail us at info@artspower.org.

Teacher's Name:Your School:City, State:Date:

Dear ArtsPower,

My favorite character in The Rainbow Fish was

My favorite part was when

Here's what else I have to say about the show:

Sincerely,Your Name:

Write to usTeachers: Please photocopy this page and distribute it to your students.

Study BuddyTheRAINBOWFISH

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NOTICE TO ALL TEACHERS AND CHAPERONES

PERFORMANCES BEGIN PROMPTLY AT 10AM OR NOON. Many of our performances sell-out. This means we can have up to 1,600 students to seat. Please help us by arriving at least 30 – 15minutes prior to the start of the performance. This will allow our ushers to get everyone seated and for you and your students to visit the rest rooms and get settled. It is important that we begin our performances on time so that all schools can meet their lunch and/or dismissal times.

PLEASE CHECK LOCATION OF PERFORMANCE WHEN MAKING YOUR BUS RESERVATION. The staff of the Fine Arts Center need your help! An increasing number of students are coming into the performance space with gum, food, beverages and portable music players. None of these items is allowed in the halls for performances. Many of these items are stowed in backpacks and are not easily noticed. Our goal is to offer high quality performances for young people. In order to enhance the experience, we ask for your cooperation in preventing these items from entering the hall.

For the comfort of all concerned, we ask that backpacks, lunches and other gear be left on the bus. Our long-standing policy of no cameras or tape recorders still is in effect.

At the conclusion of the performance please remain in your seats until your school group is dismissed.

We hope that you and your students enjoy your theatre experience!

PARKING POLICY

FOR GROUPS NOT TRAVELING BY SCHOOL BUS We are pleased to announce that we have made arrangements with the UMass Parking Services to allow our patrons to park in the Campus Parking Garage for the reduced rate of just $1 during your stay. This rate is available to home school families and schools that will arrive by private transportation rather than by bus. Please let us know at the time you make your reservations that you will be traveling by car. Parking passes will be mailed with your invoice approximately one month prior to each performance. You will be sent a sheet that includes 10 parking passes that you may cut and give out to drivers in your group. Should you require additional passes, please photocopy the sheet. The passes are valid for the garage only on the date of your reserved performance. You may park in the garage for performances in either the Concert Hall, Rand Theater or Bowker Auditorium. Parking at meters on campus does not apply. We hope that this policy will better meet your needs. Please do not hesitate to call our office if you have questions. Programming Office: (413) 545 – 0190.

PARKING AND DIRECTIONS FOR THE FINE ARTS CENTER

CONCERT HALL and RAND THEATER

CONCERT HALL

School Bus Parking : Students should be dropped-off at Haigis Mall off of Massachusetts Avenue. University Security will direct buses to an appropriate parking lot during the performance (typically by the football stadium). PLEASE BE SURE YOUR BUS DRIVER KNOWS THAT ALL PERFORMANCES LAST APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AND THEY SHOULD RETURN A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED END TIME. If drivers are not with the buses, they may miss the radio call from security asking them to return for pick-up, resulting in unnecessary delays returning to your school.

Individual cars: If necessary, individuals may drop-off students with a chaperone at Haigis Mall (you will be directed by security to the mid-point turn of Haigis Mall – see map) prior to parking. We recommend parking in the Campus Center Parking Garage to avoid searching for a metered space. It is a five-minute walk to the Concert Hall. All other available parking during weekdays is at meters. Available lots and pricing (current as of 9/1/04) are listed below:

Parking in the Garage is available to our patrons at a discounted rate of $1. To receive this rate you MUST give the Garage attendant a parking pass. To receive your pass, please call our office to let us know that you will be arriving by car. Parking passes are sent with the invoices. (413)545-0190

Parking meters are enforced Monday – Friday, 7AM – 5PM. Meter rates are $1.00 per hour.

Parking Garage – near Campus Center, across from the Mullins Center off Commonwealth Avenue

Lot 34 – Behind Visitors Center with 3, 5 & 10 hour meters available Haigis Mall – 2 hour maximum on meters Lot 62 - Adjacent to Fernald Hall with 3 hour maximum on meters, limited spaces available.

From the North: (Vermont, Greenfield) I-91 south to Route 116. Follow signs on 116 “To the University of Massachusetts.” Exit ramp leads to Massachusetts Avenue. Turn left (east) on to Massachusetts Avenue toward the campus. Continue through one light and watch for Lot 34 by the Visitors Center on your right and the entrance to Haigis Mall on your left.

From the South: (Springfield, Holyoke) I-91 north to Route 9. East on Route 9 over the Coolidge Bridge and through Hadley. Left at Route 116 (across from Staples) heading north toward campus. Right at first exit at “University of Massachusetts” bear right onto Massachusetts Avenue toward campus. Continue through one light and watch for Lot 34 by the Visitors Center on your right and the entrance to Haigis Mall on your left.

From the West: (Northampton, Pittsfield) Route 9 east through Northampton and over Coolidge Bridge. Follow remaining directions from “From the South” above.

From the East: (Belchertown, Ludlow) North on Routes 21, 181 or 202 to Route 9 into Amherst. Right on to North Pleasant Street (main downtown intersection), north through center of town. Turn left at Triangle StreetBertucci’s Restaurant on your right), rejoining North Pleasant Street. To reach Lot 34 and Haigis Mall continue on main road, which becomes Massachusetts Avenue. Haigis Mall will be on your right, Lot 34 on your left.

Bowker Auditorium (in Stockbridge Hall)

Concert Hall & Rand Theater (in Fine Arts Center building)

For Concert Hall, Rand Theater and Bowker Auditorium – Patrons traveling by car are encouraged to park in the parking garage. Discounted parking is available in the garage for $1. A parking permit is required for discounted parking in the garage. Call the Programming Office if you require permits at (413) 545 – 0190. All other parking on campus is at available meters at the rate of $1 per hour. Parking is enforced Monday – Friday, 7AM – 5 PM. Buses will drop-off students as indicated on map. Buses will be given parking instructions by Campus Security.