Yao Yao

Cuesheet Performance Guide

Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences

Unwind Your Yao and her Papa LOVE to play together. That’s why when it’s time for Papa to go to work, Yao (pronounced yow) doesn’t want him to leave. So, what will our young friend do? Watch how her imagination takes us all on a magical, fun-filled adventure.

Papa and Yao play a lot— mostly without talking (except some words in Korean). Simply use your imagination and watch their actions and faces to know what’s going on.

The Power of Imagination Yao’s imagination is her superpower, and you have it, too. Imagination helps you pretend or make-believe.

When you imagine, you “see” things differently and create amazing new ideas, stories, and worlds.

Try using your imagination right now. Look at your shoes. What else could they be? Roller skates?

Flippers? An airplane? Use your superpower to imagine your shoes as something else and create an adventure you could have with them.

Creating Yao’s Story on Stage Yao, Papa, and a few other helpers create the whole show—watch and listen for how they set up the backdrop, make music and sound effects (sounds, like wind, created to tell the story), and perform everything Yao can think of with everyday objects, lights, and shadows. You can do this, too. Here are some things to try in your own storytelling: Sound Effects. Use items from around your • Fun house to create sounds, such as flapping gloves

together for the sounds of a bird’s wings or shaking a large piece of aluminum foil for thunder.

Puppets. Grab a a flat shape (or make a • Playful shape with your hands like Yao does). Turn out

the lights, hold the shape near a wall, and shine a flashlight on it. Then have fun moving your shadow puppet any way you want.

Imagination What Will Yao Think of Next?

During the performance, a few more things to watch for:

different ways you see and hear an elephant.

• the many objects and actions Yao creates from yarn.

• the Yao makes and moves a bird shadow puppet.

• how • what Yao does with a pair of pants and dancing shoes.

Add to Yao’s adventure by coloring the scene at left, then draw a new picture or tell a new story about what happens next.

ALL PHOTOS AND COLORING ARTWORK COURTESY OF BRUSH THEATRE.

After the Show, Spin Your Yarn The Great Pretend: Everything YOU Can Imagine Here are more ways to use your imagination after the show: World. Like Yao, you can create a story without words.

•TryAnimal telling one about your favorite animal using just hand and

Some Ideas to Think and Talk About

your favorite part and why • Discuss you liked it.

Yao. How are you similar to and • Describe different from her? what made Yao feel better when she was • Identify bored or angry. How can your imagination help

you when you feel the same way?

What adventures will your imagination take you on?

body movements, facial expressions, and animal sounds.

Move as your animal, make its sounds, and show it trying to get something it wants. See whether friends or family members can guess what you are.

Boxes. Yao created all sorts of things •fromMagic a box of clothes and toys. Try it yourself.

Collect some items (like clothes, toys, kitchen utensils, or pillows) in a box. Use them as costumes, puppets, or other objects and imagine stories with them. Next, play with a friend—trade boxes and try those objects. Then take turns creating a brand new story using items from both boxes—and don’t forget you can add to your storytelling with sound effects, shadow puppetry, and even backdrops.

Sensory-Friendly Performance on Saturday, February 29, at 11 a.m.

Sensory-friendly performances are designed to create a performing arts experience that is welcoming to all patrons with sensory sensitivities. To learn more about sensory-friendly programming please visit: kennedy-center.org/visit/accessibility/sensory/

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Jordan LaSalle Interim Senior Vice President Education

Additional support for Yao Yao is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Anne and Chris Reyes; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Funding for Access and Accommodation Programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

International programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2020 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts