Content Guide: A Year with Frog and Toad

A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD • PRESCHOOL - 2ND GRADE Content Guide Information by Rylee Coppel

“ONE THING THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE: FROG AND TOAD WILL ALWAYS BE GOOD FRIENDS.”

Charleston Stage, now celebrating its 47th Season, is South Carolina’s largest professional theatre company in residence at the Historic Dock Street Theatre.

Charleston Stage’s acclaimed full-scale productions light up the stage with stunning scenery, dazzling costumes, and brilliant lights! Productions feature a Professional Resident Acting Company and over 100 professional actors, singers, designers and theatre artists. All performances take place at the Historic Dock Street Theatre, “America’s First Theatre,” in the heart of downtown Charleston.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Brief Synopsis, Characters and Age Recommendation

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Background Info: The Creative Team

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Content Warnings

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Fun Facts and Vocabulary

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Dock Street Theatre

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Theatre Education

Charleston Stage In Residence at the Historic Dock Street Theatre • “A Year with Frog and Toad”

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Music by Robert Reale Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale Based on the Books by Arnold Lobel Originally Presented on Broadway by Bob Boyett, Adrianne Lobel, Michael Gardner, Lawrence Horowitz and Roy Furman World Premiere at The Children’s Theatre Company Minneapolis, Minnesota Direction and Choreography by Rylee Coppel Music Direction by Sam Henderson Family Series Presenting Sponsor: Katherine Schob Glenn

BRIEF Synopsis: A Year with Frog and Toad is a heartwarming and whimsical musical that brings to life the charming adventures of the two best friends, Frog and Toad, based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved children’s books. As the seasons change, so do the delightful escapades of these lovable amphibians, from planting gardens to sledding down hills. With catchy tunes and endearing characters, the musical unfolds as a series of vignettes capturing the essence of friendship, nature, and the simple joys of life. Featuring a refreshing blend of humor, warmth, and toetapping melodies, A Year with Frog and Toad is a joyful celebration of the enduring magic found in the everyday moments shared between friends.

CHARACTERS: age recommendation: Preschool - 2nd FROG TOAD BIRD GIRLS AND BIRD MEN MOUSE SNAIL MOLES TURTLE LIZARD SQUIRRELS LARGE AND TERRIBLE FROG YOUNG FROG FATHER FROG MOTHER FROG

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Background Info the creative team Robert Reale (Composer) Shortly after graduating music school and several years touring in jazz and rock bands, Rob moved to New York in the mid-80’s where he responded to a demand for authentic, hi-end music for film and television and founded the production music library, 8118 Music. He gigged in clubs and pits off-Broadway and also began collaborating with his brother Willie creating musical theater. They are a winning combination: Rob provides the music, Willie, the words. They had several Off-Broadway successes before their production, A Year With Frog and Toad brought them to Broadway and garnered Rob a Tony nomination for Best Original Score Music.

Willie Reale (Playwright/Lyricist) With his composer/brother, Robert Reale: A Year With Frog and Toad, Childrens’ Theater Company in Minneapolis, New Victory Theatre, and Cort Theater on Broadway (two Tony nominations for book and lyrics); Once Around The City, New York Stage and Film and Second Stage Theatre in New York; Quark Victory, Williamstown Theatre Festival; and The Dinosaur Musical, The Arden in Philadelphia. Founder and Artistic Director for 18 years of The 52nd Street Project, an organization that brings innercity children together with professional theater artists to create theater. For the Project, he has written dozens of plays, the lyrics to hundreds of songs and “52 Pick Up,” the Project’s how-to manual. The programs of The 52nd Street Project are currently being replicated at many sites across the country and Europe.

In 1994, he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in recognition of his ingenuity in creating theater and theater education programs for young people. Television credits: “Damages,” “Homicide: Life on the Streets,” “Deadline,” “Mr. Sterling,” “Keen Eddie,” “The Jury,” and “Tilt.”

He created a series called “Out There” for Sesame Workshop and the BBC shot in Australia (Australian Film Institute Award, Prix Jeunesse, and Writers’ Guild of America nominations).

He served as head writer and Co-Executive Producer on the team that reinvented “The Electric Company,” now airing on PBS. Film work: Dreamgirls (lyrics to the song “Patience,” Oscar nomination).

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Background Info the creative team Arnold Lobel (Author of Book Series) The author and illustrator of the beloved picture book series of Frog and Toad, Arnold Stark Lobel was born in Los Angeles in 1933. As a young child, Lobel moved to Schenectady, New York, where he was raised. When his parents divorced, he was sent to live with his grandparents who were German Jewish immigrants.

Arnold Lobel was a sickly boy who was often bullied at school.

He tended to keep himself occupied with drawings, which mostly consisted of animals. In fact, he used his drawings and wild storytelling abilities to befriend other children. It is believed that the Frog and Toad series was based on these early childhood experiences. He described himself as a sad child who often took refuge in the local library. He particularly enjoyed picture books; he found them “capable of suggesting everything that is good about feeling well and having positive thoughts about being alive.”

After graduating high school, Lobel attended the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to pursue a degree in fine arts. He intended to focus his education in developing his skill and passion for illustration. During his time at the institute, he met his future wife, Anita; a talented illustrator.

They married and settled in Brooklyn in an apartment right across the street from the Park Zoo, where they worked side by side on their own projects and collaborations. They had two children and would go to the Park Zoo often. The animals at the zoo provided the inspiration of his first book, A Zoo for Mister Muster (1962). Lobel did not get his first real break until 1971, when his book Frog and Toad earned the Caldecott Honor. An editor convinced Lobel to try his hand at writing “early readers,” a book made popular by Dr. Seuss. The inspiration for using a frog and toad as the protagonists for the series derived from his childhood summer memories in Vermont; where he was allowed to adopt frogs and toads as pets. In 1981, he won the Caldecott Medal for most distinguished picture book of the year Fables, which is a morally instructive book that he wrote and illustrated.

content warnings There will be fog used in this performance. The character “Large and Terrible Frog” from the story Shivers, might be scary for some of our younger audience members.

Charleston Stage In Residence at the Historic Dock Street Theatre • “A Year with Frog and Toad”

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fun facts • • • •

Frog and Toad was one of the first children’s musicals to be on Broadway.

Frog and Toad received 3 Tony Nominations (Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score) The Musical was commissioned by Arnold Lobel’s daughter.

The Composer and Lyricist are brothers in real life.

vocabulary Adieu - French for “farewell” or “goodbye” Bamboo Shoot - the hard, woody stem grass Hibernation - to spend the winter in a dormant (sleeping) state Hubbub - loud noise Indisputable - certain to be true Undeniable - without a doubt Magnanimous - unselfish, generous in forgiving Rutabaga - a root vegetable somewhat like a turnip Underrated - underestimated, rated too low, not given enough credit Aghast - shocked and amazed Agog - eager and excited Chew the fat - to chat, have a lengthy talk Dusky - somewhat dark Escargot - an edible snail dish, often served as an appetizer before the meal Exhausting - very tiring Fleeter - faster

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dock street theatre For almost 300 years audiences have delighted in performances at the Historic Dock Street Theatre which stands on the site of the very first theatre building in America which opened its doors in 1736.

The current building, originally The Planter’s Hotel was built in 1803 and in 1937 was converted into the Dock Street Theatre know today. Charleston Stage presents over 150 performances at the Historic Dock Street Theatre playing to theatre goers from every state in the union and many foreign countries. The Dock Street Theatre, newly renovated in 2010, is currently owned and managed by the City of Charleston. Other performing arts groups including Spoleto Festival USA perform here annually.

On February 12, 1736 the Dock Street Theatre opened with a performance of The Recruiting Officer. Built on the corner of Church Street and Dock Street (now known as Queen Street), the Historic Dock Street Theatre was the first building in America built exclusively to be used for theatrical performances. Flora, the first opera performance in America, took place at the Historic Dock Street Theatre.

The original Dock Street Theatre was probably destroyed by the Great Fire of 1740 which destroyed many of the buildings in Charleston’s French Quarter. In 1809, the Planter’s Hotel was built on this site and in 1835 the wrought iron balcony and sandstone columns of the Church Street facade were added. A number of notable persons worked and patronized the Planter’s Hotel including the noted 19th Century actor Junius Brutus Booth (father of Edwin and John Wilkes Booth). Robert Smalls, an African-American Civil War hero, who stole a steamboat in the harbor and sailed it out past the Confederate-held Ft. Sumter and turned it over to the blockading Union Fleet, served as a waiter in the hotel’s dining room prior to the war. Charleston’s famed Planter’s Punch was first introduced here.

After the Civil War, the Planter’s Hotel fell into disrepair and was slated for demolition.

But in 1935, after Milton Pearlstine made the property available to the City of Charleston and at the urging of Mayor Burnet Maybank and other notable citizens, the original building became a Depression Era WPA (Works Progress Administration) project. At that time, the present theatre was constructed within the shell of the Charleston Stage In Residence at the Historic Dock Street Theatre • “A Year with Frog and Toad”

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dock street theatre

Planter’s Hotel. The hotel’s grand foyer became the grand foyer of the theatre and the hotel’s dining room now serves as the box office lobby. The beautiful woodwork and mantels of the second floor drawing room were salvaged from the Radcliffe-King Mansion (circa 1799) which stood at the corner of George and Meeting Streets and was razed to build the College of Charleston gymnasium, another WPA project. Modeled on eighteenth century London playhouses by Charleston architect Albert Simons, the present Dock Street Theatre’s new stage house and auditorium were built in the hotel’s courtyard. The local carpenters who were put to work as a part of this Depression era relief effort utilized locally grown and milled native black cypress for the beautiful warm wooden interior. Following this $350,000 renovation, The Historic Dock Street Theatre’s second grand opening took place on November 26, 1937. Notables in the audience included author DuBose Heyward (Porgy) who was named writer-inresidence.

The Historic Dock Street Theatre reopened for the third time on March 18, 2010 after a three year, $19 million dollar renovation by the City of Charleston. This extensive fullscale renovation brought the historic theatre into the 21st century with state-of-theart lighting and sound, modern heating and air conditioning, and new restrooms and seating. In addition, the theatre was made seismically secure and fully handicapped accessible. Extensive sound-proofing was added to ensure that outside noises no longer intruded on performances inside.

Charleston Stage In Residence at the Historic Dock Street Theatre • “A Year with Frog and Toad” EDUCATION GUIDE

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Theatre Education Acting Classes 200+ Students Attend Acting Classes After School Charleston Stage’s TheatreSchool offers classes year round for students from kindergarten through 8th grade at Charleston Stage’s West Ashley Theatre Center. Acting classes for students of all ages and abilities are taught by members of Charleston Stage’s Professional Resident Acting Company. Classes range from beginning classes to performance workshops and performance troupes. We are now offering a new full-year registration. Tuition scholarships are available for need-based students. Register online today at CharlestonStage.com/education!

ArtReach In-School Workshops Bringing Professional Actors Into the Classroom Charleston Stage’s Professional Resident Actors provide dynamic workshops in area schools throughout the Lowcountry. Workshops use theatrical skills to teach academic subjects and can be combined with a school matinee performance experience. For information on booking ArtReach workshops, contact Rylee Coppel, Director of Education and Engagement, at rcoppel@charlestonstage.com or (843) 225-3900.

TheatreWings High School Apprenticeships A Tuition-Free Apprentice Program For Teens The TheatreWings High School Apprentice Program is designed to allow talented young people the opportunity to work directly with theatre professionals and gain first-hand experience in professional theatrical production. Students explore stage management, lighting and sound, as well as set, prop, and costume design and construction. Designed for highly dedicated students, TheatreWings requires more than 100+ hours of apprenticeship each season. For more information, email TheatreWings Co-Coordinators Ravyn Meador or Caleb Garner at wings@charlestonstage.com.

For more information on our Education programs, call the Education Office at (843) 225-3900 or visit CharlestonStage.com/education.

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Charleston Stage In Residence at the Historic Dock Street Theatre • CharlestonStage.com