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VICTORIA GARDENS CULTURAL CENTER | HTTP://WWW.VGCULTURALCENTER.COM 12505 CULTURAL CENTER DRIVE, RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA 91739 | 909.477.2775

B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S- -

GO, DOG. GO!

A Resource Guide for Teachers and Parents

PUBLIC SHOWTIMES… OCTOBER 18 – NOVEMBER 3, 2007 FR IDA YS – 7PM, SATU RDAYS – 2P M & 7P M

ABOUT THE BOOK’S AUTHOR…

Philip Dey Eastman (better known as P.D.Eastman) (November 25, 1909--January 7, 1986) is often confused with Dr. Seuss, but the two are actually two different people. A writer, illustrator, and film producer, Eastman was born in Amherst, Massachusetts where he also went to college. Mr. Eastman began his career as a member of the story department of Walt Disney Productions, and later worked for Warner Brothers. In the 1950's, he began to write children's books, the most popular one being ARE YOU MY MOTHER? which was published in 1960. Eastman authored many books for children, in his own distinct style under the Dr. Seuss brand Beginner Books. He also collaborated with Dr. Seuss on THE CAT IN THE HAT DICTIONARY.

INSIDE THE GUIDE…

Introducing the play………………2

Bringing the play into the classroom………………………………3

Extending the learning……...…4

About the Theater.……………...5

About the Library………………...6

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHTS: Steven Dietz and Allison Gregory wrote GO, DOG.GO! for the Seattle Children’s Theatre, where it was produced in 2002. Mr. Dietz directed the original production, while Ms. Gregory did the choreography. Steven Dietz's other plays include HONUS AND ME (adapted from Dan Gutman), STILL LIFE WITH IRIS (awarded the Kennedy Center's Fund for New American Plays Award) and THE REMEMBERER (adapted from Joyce Simmons Cheeka). These plays have been seen at some of America's leading theatres for young people, including Seattle Children's Theatre, The Children's Theatre Company (Minneapolis), Childsplay (AZ), Dallas Children's Theatre, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, and the Chicago Children's Theatre. Mr. Dietz has directed the world premieres of Kevin Kling's LILLY'S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE (CTC) and Allison Gregory's EVEN STEVEN GOES TO WAR (Childsplay), among many others. Allison Gregory's plays include FORCING HYACINTHS (Julie Harris Playwrighting Award, South Coast Repertory Theatre's California Playwright's Award); FALL OFF NIGHT; CLIFFHOUSE; POINT DECEPTION; and most recently, BURNING BRIDGET CLEARY. She has received commissions from South Coast Repertory, ACT in Seattle, and A.S.K. Theatre Projects in L.A. Her plays for young audiences include EVEN STEVEN GOES TO WAR ("Zoni" Best New Script Award, AATE and UPRP awards, Kennedy Center New Visions/New Voices series), directed by Steven Dietz. Steven Dietz and Allison Gregory are married and live in Texas with their two sons.

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A C T I – IN T R O D U C I N G T H E P L A Y

CHARACTERS Unlike most plays, the characters in GO, DOG. GO! (except for “Hattie”) have no names or pre-determined personalities. The actors on stage created their characters based on the pictures from the book and improvisation during the rehearsal process. The playwrights intended for the actors to portray dogs, but that there be nothing overtly “dog-like” in their characterizations. As in the book, there is no barking or panting or yelping or other stereotypical “dog” behavior. In fact, the dogs in the books go about their business in very people-like ways!

THEATER GOLDEN RULES Before coming to the Victoria Garden’s Cultural Center’s Lewis Family Playhouse, you may want to prepare your students for the experience by going over the basic rules of theater etiquette.

• Please remain quiet (silent) and seated during the performance. Remember, the actors on stage can hear you. Of course, laughter and applause at appropriate times are always greatly appreciated!

• Photography is not allowed inside the theatre at any time. This is not only against our union agreements, but can

be dangerous to the performers.

• Please leave all food, candy and drinks (including water) outside the theater. Eating during a performance is very distracting and could be very messy.

• Because the theater will be dark during the performance, if you need to use the restroom, leave the theater or

come in late, please alert an usher who can help you find your way during a break in the action on stage.

• PLEASE turn off all pagers, cell phones and other electronic devices as they may interfere with theater equipment and everyone’s enjoyment of the performance.

• After the show, please stay in your seats until an usher guides you out. Your bus may not be in the same

place it dropped you off!

PLAY VOCABULARY One of the most enjoyable things about this adaptation of GO, DOG. GO! is that the playwrights deliberately didn’t try to “open up” the book, but only used the language found in P.D. Eastman’s text. The language is simple and easy for even the youngest children to understand. Both the play and the book use colors and the language of opposites to engage children’s imaginations. Out vs. In Up vs. Down Day vs. Night Over vs. Under Hello and Good-by Work vs. Play Stop vs. Go Blue, Green, Red and Yellow

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A C T I I – BR I N GI N G T H E P L A Y IN T O T H E CL A S S R O O M

AFTER THE SHOW ACTIVITIES ϖ Create your own dog story – The language in P.D.

Eastman’s book and in the play is very simple, using simple language to create a very imaginative story! Have your students sit in a circle and create their own ”dog” story. Each student adds a word until they make a complete sentence. Continue the game until a complete story is written! The story doesn’t need to be about dogs. Have fun choosing different topics to write about. (Have someone write it down and send it to us! We’d love to see what you come up with!) Language Arts – Written and Oral English Language conventions, Listening and Speaking Grades 1-2

ϖ Dog Facts! Research or observe different kinds of

dogs. Compare their similarities and differences. Describe what real dogs do and compare real dog behavior to the way dogs in the play behave. Do different varieties of dogs need different things? Science – Life Sciences. Grades K -3

ϖ Hats! Throughout the book and the play, Hattie

appears in various hats. The big dog doesn’t like any of her hats until the very end. Have your students create their own hats using paper, felt or other objects. Embellish the hats using paint or collage. See how elaborate the hats can be! Have a “hat” day where everyone wears their favorite hat to school. Visual Arts – Creative Expression

ϖ Can you name the musical instruments? This

production of GO, DOG. GO! uses music in very imaginative ways. Have your students identify and write down all the instruments they heard or saw in the show. Remember – some things that aren’t usually instruments might also be used to make music! Music – Artistic Perception

ϖ Counting!! Use the book of GO, DOG.GO! and

count the different types of dogs found in the book. Notice how many different types of hats they wear! Are there more dogs than hats? How many more? Make it a game and have different students pick an object in the book to count. For the youngest children, remind them that even though a hat or a dog may look differently, they are still considered dogs or hats! Math – Number Sense grades K - 3

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ϖ At the end of the book and the play, the dogs go to a

dog party. What do the dogs do at their party? Ask the students to discuss their favorite party. What kind of food did they have? What did they eat? Compare the dog party to a child’s birthday party.

ϖ The dogs use different types of transportation to get

around – cars, roller skates, boats. Discuss different types of transportation that people use. See how many you can come up with, no matter how silly they may be.

ϖ The dogs go to bed when it is night. Discuss the

difference between night and day. What types of things do people do at night – and are they different than what they do during the day? What might they do that is the same? Why?

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A C T I I I – E X T E N D I N G T H E LE A R N I N G

BRINGING THE PERFORMING ARTS INTO THE CLASSROOM

Bringing the performing arts into the classroom can be difficult with tight budgets and a demanding curriculum. Despite those hurdles, 89% of Americans believe arts education can and should be part of the standard curriculum. California’s Visual and Performing Arts Framework outlines the content standards for arts education in the classroom with good reason:

• According to Americans for the Arts, students perform better and show increases in their test scores.

• The Information Literacy skills students need to succeed in the 21st Century, effective communication, critical thinking and problem solving, are all strengthened and enhanced through participation in arts related activities.

• Performing Arts lessons address students’ different learning styles, give them the opportunity to see subjects

from a variety of perspectives and make them more confident learners.

• Many excellent lesson resources, like The Kennedy Center ArtsEdge, are available online to help teachers integrate music, dance, theatre, and visual arts into their regular classroom curricula.

Useful Websites…

• www.artsandkids.com Children can browse galleries of other kids' drawings or submit their own. Includes prize giveaways, online coloring books, puzzles, and art contests.

• www.artsology.com Artsology aims to teach kids about the arts through fun games and activities.

• www.playmusic.org A fun site where kids can learn about musicians, music terms, compose music, and all sorts of great musical activities.

• www.jacksonpollock.org

Move your mouse at different speeds and see how it mimics the painting style of Jackson Pollock!

• dance-kids.org/

Features games, pictures, stories, and competitions for kids who love to dance.

• www.pbs.org/jazz/kids/ Jazz history and interactive fun.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The Victoria Gardens Library has over 1000 books and media in the Performing Arts collections for Adults and Children.

• The Library also offers extensive online

resources and tools you can use to bring technology and arts into the classroom.

• The Library and Playhouse present joint

performing arts programming that supports state curriculum standards.

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ABOUT THE THEATRE…

THEATRE AND MUSIC VOCABULARY Improvisation: A spontaneous style of theatre in which scenes are created without advance rehearsing or scripting Ensemble: A group of theatrical artists working together to create a theatrical production Score: The organized notation of all of the instrumental and/or vocal parts of a composition Tempo: The speed of music or a dance Volume: How loud or soft sounds are played or voices are spoken Gesture: An expressive movement of the body or limbs. Pantomime: Acting without words through facial expression, gesture, and movement Mime: An ancient art form based on pantomime in which conventionalized gestures are used to express ideas rather than represent actions; also, a performer of mime Production Values: The critical elements of a production, such as acting, direction, lighting, costuming, sets, and makeup Theatrical Games: Noncompetitive games designed to develop acting skills.

THEATRE RELATED ACTIVITIES: • Have students write a “review” of the show,

using theatre vocabulary to describe the set, costumes and performances. How do the costumes help to define the dog characters without making them look exactly like dogs? (Younger children can be asked to draw the set or the costumes) (Artistic Perception/ Aesthetic Valuing) We’d love to read your reviews! If you e-mail them to us, we’ll post your reviews on the “Kids Corner” part of our web site.

• Create your own orchestra. In the show, the

actors use various objects and musical instruments to create the sounds in the world of GO, DOG. GO!. Have one student start a rhythm or a melody with an object or a musical instrument. Have others join in one at a time until everyone is playing their unique instruments together. Conduct them (or have the older students take turns conducting) and explore tempo, pace and volume. (Creative Expression)

• Improvisation Games! Break up into teams

and take turns improvising some of the concepts in GO, DOG.GO. Without using words, how would you act out IN vs. OUT? UP vs. DOWN? DAY vs. NIGHT? See if the other teams can guess which concepts are being portrayed. (Creative Expression)

THE LEWIS FAMILY PLAYHOUSE has 536 seats, on 2 levels. The part of the theatre that the audience sees is called the “Front of House”. The part of the theatre the audience doesn’t see is called “Backstage”. The Front of House has many components. When you first walk into the theatre, you enter the Theatre Lobby. The Lewis Family Playhouse lobby has been designed to look like a street, called Main Street. In the lobby you will also find the box office, which is where you buy tickets. In order to take your seat, you enter the auditorium. The Lewis Family Playhouse auditorium has two levels: The orchestra is downstairs, and the mezzanine (sometimes also called the balcony) is upstairs. The ushers are the people who tear your ticket and show you to your seat. They will also give you a printed program, which has information about the actors and the other people responsible for bringing the play to life.

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HE L P F U L HI N T S FR O M T H E LI B R A R Y!

BOOKS @ THE LIBRARY

If you have any questions about any library

resources, call the reference desk at 909.477.2720.

LIBRARY TOUR INFORMATION

As part of your class visit to the Lewis Family Playhouse, why not take a tour of the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center Library? The second of two physical branches of the library (RCPL also offers an extensive virtual library), the facility has over 100,000 volumes housed in a beautiful, 23,000 square foot facility. Among the facility’s unique features are its 20 seat technology center, teen study area and a special performing arts collection. Pre- and post- show tours last approximately 15 minutes and are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. To arrange a tour, call Casey Macarello, Adult Services Librarian at (909)477-2720 ext. 5064.

Making the Classroom Come Alive! Performing Arts are important in every child’s life. Researchers say that using art in the classroom has a positive impact on a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. Teachers are working hard on ways to incorporate arts in the classroom. Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators is a categorized list of sites useful for enhancing curriculum and professional growth. It is updated often to include the best sites for teaching and learning. With the California Standards at the forefront of teaching, many educators may find it difficult to integrate performing arts into their classroom. PBS has a standards based resource list that makes integrating the arts in the classroom easy! Incorporating Performing Arts in the classroom inspires new ways of teaching and learning. Differentiating the learning environment enhances the learners’ experience while tapping into their individual talents.

This Curriculum guide was prepared by the staff of the Lewis Family Playhouse. Library information compiled by Library staff. For questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact Mireya “Murry” Hepner at (909) 477-2775 x3734.

Going to a Concert Melinda Beth Radabaugh J 780.78 RAD Juvenile Performing Arts Section Backstage at a Play Kimberly M. Miller J 792 MIL Juvenile Performing Arts Section Live On Stage Carla Blank and Jody Roberts J 792.02 BLA Juvenile Performing Arts Section Break a Leg: The Kid’s Guide to Acting and Stagecraft Lisa Friedman J 792.028 FRI Juvenile Performing Arts Section Theatre for Young Audiences J 812.008 THE Juvenile Performing Arts Section

Books by P.D.Eastman: Go Dog Go P.D. Eastman Easy Eastman Big Dog…Little Dog P.D. Eastman Easy Eastman Fred and Ted go Camping P.D. Eastman Easy Eastman Are You My Mother P.D. Eastman Easy Eastman Performing arts books: A Play’s the Thing Aliki Easy Aliki Juvenile Performing Arts Section Pamela’s First Musical Wendy Wasserstein J Fic Wasserstein Juvenile Performing Arts Section Theaters Janet Halfmann J 725 HAL Juvenile Performing Arts Section