EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RESOURCE GUIDE
March 9–April 9, 2017 Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon Book by John Caird Directed by Ted Pappas
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s education and outreach programs are generously supported by BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Additional funding is provided by the Grable Foundation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Theater Etiquette………………………………………………………………………………………………3 Introduction and Synopsis…………………………………………………………………………………4 About Jean Webster and Daddy-Long-Legs……………………………………………………….5 Women’s Education in the Early 20th Century……………………………………………………7 Newsletter article……………………………………………………………………………………………..9 Cast of Characters…………………………………………………………………………………………….11 Vocabulary and References………………………………………………………………………….…..12 Scene-by-scene Summary………………………………………………………………………………..18 Costume Design………………………………………………………………………………………...…….23 Set Design…………………………………………………………………………………………………...…..27 Themes and Discussion questions…………………………………………………………..….……29 Pennsylvania Academic Standards…………………………………………………………………..31 About This Guide and Bibliography……………………………………………………………………35
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THEATER ETIQUETTE Know before you go! Attending a live theater performance is different than watching TV or a movie. The actions of the audience can either help or hinder the cast on stage, live in front of you. Check out these reminders that will help you and your fellow audience members enjoy the show.
Turn off all cell phones, beepers, watches etc. (This means no texting!) Do not take pictures or record anything during the performance. Do not eat or drink in the theater. Do not place things on the stage or walk on the stage. Do not leave your seat during the performance unless it is an emergency. o If you do need to leave for an emergency, leave as quietly as possible and know that you might not be able to get back in until after intermission. Do clap and laugh when appropriate—let the actors know you are enjoying yourself! Do enjoy the show and have fun watching the actors. Do tell other people about your experience and be sure to ask questions and discuss the performance. But please wait until intermission and after the performance to do so. Even whispering during the show is distracting to the cast and audience!
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INTRODUCTION AND SYNOPSIS Daddy Long Legs is a musical with music and lyrics by Paul Gordon and book by John Caird. It is based on the 1912 Daddy-Long-Legs, the most popular work by the American writer Jean Webster. Daddy Long Legs premiered at the Rubicon Theater Company in Ventura, CA, in 2009, and opened OffBroadway in New York in 2015 at the Davenport Theater. A few months later, on December 10, it became the first Broadway or Off-Broadway production to be live-streamed online, where it was watched by 150,055 people from 135 different countries.
Daddy Long Legs tells the story of Jerusha Abbot, an orphaned girl living an unhappy life in an orphanage. Having read her essays, one of the trustees of the orphanage decides to send Jerusha to college so that she can study to become a writer. His only stipulation is that Jerusha should write to him once a month, not to thank him but to tell him about her life and studies. The donor wants to remain anonymous and tells Jerusha to address him as Mr. Smith, but she sees his gangly silhouette when he leaves the orphanage and it reminds her of a daddy-long-legs, so she decides to address him as ‘Daddy Long Legs’ in her letters. The story follows Jerusha’s experiences in college through her letters to Daddy Long Legs, whose initially straightforward role in her life takes an unexpected turn.
Megan McGinnis and Robert Adelman Hancocki
About the Authors: Paul Gordon has achieved critical acclaim for his work on the musicals Emma (2006), and Sense and Sensibility (2016), as well as Jane Eyre (1995), on which he collaborated with John Caird. Caird, who also directed the premiere and Off-Broadway productions of Daddy Long Legs, is a multiple Tony Award winning director and writer. He co-directed the first English-language production of Les Miserables in 1985, which is still playing in London today, and is an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Pittsburgh Public Theater
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ABOUT JEAN WEBSTER AND DADDY-LONG-LEGS Jean Webster was born in 1876 in Fredonia, NY. Her mother was Mark Twain’s niece, and her father was Twain’s business manager and the head of his publishing company, named Charles L. Webster and Co. after Jean’s father. Webster attended Fredonia Normal School and then Vassar College, where she majored in English and economics, graduating in 1901 (see page x for more information about women’s education at the turn of the century). While at Vassar, she became interested in politics and social issues, particularly poverty, orphanage reform and women’s suffrage (women would not have the right to vote in the USA until 1920, when the Nineteenth Amendment was passed). Webster’s career as a writer also began during her college years, when her short stories and articles were published in local and student publications.
Jean Websterii
After college, Webster traveled and began publishing novels, many of which were set at an all-female college much like Vassar. Daddy-LongLegs was her seventh and most successful work, receiving high praise from reviewers for its amusing tone and charming story. It was so successful that Webster adapted it into a play in 1914. In 1915, Webster married Glenn Ford McKinney, the brother of a college friend. They were visited on their honeymoon by former president Theodore Roosevelt, who was a fan of Webster’s novels. A year after her marriage, Webster gave birth to a daughter, also named Jean. Sadly, Webster passed away the next morning due to complications from childbirth. Cover of the 1919 editioniii
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Daddy-Long-Legs enjoyed continued popularity into the 20th century. Film adaptations of the novel were released in 1919, 1931, 1935 and 1955, the last starring Fred Astaire as Jervis.
iv(left) v(right)vi(below)
FUN FACT: DADDY-LONG-LEGS IN ASIA Daddy-Long-Legs continues to be very popular in Asia, particularly in Japan, where two anime versions of the story have been produced for television. There is even a Japanese organization dedicated to giving orphaned children educational scholarships named Ashinaga, meaning ‘daddy-long-legs’ in Japanese!
A scene from Watashi No Ashinaga Ojisan, the 1990 anime series based on Daddy-Long-Legs
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WOMEN’S EDUCATION IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY Daddy Long Legs is set “in the first decade of the 20th Century” (Caird). During this period, women – particularly wealthy white women – were becoming more active in social and political life. This included increased participation in higher education, although women’s options continued to be very limited compared to men’s. There were three basic options for a young woman who wanted an education beyond high school: 1) Public universities: Some public colleges, such as the Universities of Michigan and California, began admitting women towards the end of the 19th century. In the South, several public colleges established separate women’s colleges, so that women could attend a public college while the sexes remained separate. Although some institutions allowed women to enroll is the same degree programs available to male students, women were generally encouraged to study subjects considered feminine, such as home economics, and to aim for careers in professions deemed appropriate for women, such as teaching or nursing.
Vassar Lake at Vassar College, 1800svii
colleges that were affiliated with nearby men’s colleges. For example, professors at Harvard University would repeat their lectures for the female students at Radcliffe College (founded in 1879). Other schools were established specifically for the education of women. These included Vassar College, attended by Jean Webster, as well as Mount Holyoke College, Wellesley College and more. These colleges were very
2) Private universities: Elite private colleges, mostly in the Northeast, were resistant to admitting women at the turn of the 19th century. In some cases, this resulted in the establishment of women’s Pittsburgh Public Theater
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Vassar College student room, c. 1878viii
A Greek lesson at Vassar in 1881x
expensive and generally attended by girls from wealthy families. Many of the colleges founded for women in the late 19th century remain expensive, academically challenging and elite institutions today. Some, such as Vassar and Radcliffe, have become coeducational or been absorbed into the previously male-only colleges associated with them. Many others remain womenonly today. Discussion questions: Based on your knowledge of the musical, which type of school does Jerusha attend? Would you like to attend a single-sex school? Why or why not? How would you feel if you lived in a time when many people thought women and girls didn’t need much education? Site of the first public normal school in the US, Lexington, MAix
A Physics lesson at Vassar in 1887xi
3) Normal Schools: Normal schools were where teachers trained. Their name comes from the idea that they would ensure a norm across the education system by training all teachers in the same way. Normal schools were a cheaper option for young women who were not married or from extremely wealthy families, and so needed to work to provide for themselves. In the 1800s, teaching was seen as a good career for women because they were seen as nurturing and moral, and therefore wellsuited to working with children. Pittsburgh Public Theater
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NEWSLETTER ARTICLE Coming soon!
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CAST OF CHARACTERS Characters who appear on stage: JERUSHA ABBOTT – An orphan; the recipient of a college scholarship based on her merit as a writer JERVIS PENDLETON/DADDY LONG LEGS – The wealthy man funding Jerusha’s education; uncle of Julia Pendleton
Adam Halpin and Megan McGinnisxii
Characters who are mentioned but do not appear: MRS. LIPPETT – The woman who runs the John Grier Home SALLIE MCBRIDE – Jerusha’s college roommate and best friend JULIA RUTLEDGE PENDLETON – Jerusha’s other college roommate, niece of Jervis Pendleton MR. AND MRS. SEMPLE – The couple who live at Lock Willow Farm, where Jerusha stays during her summer vacations her freshman and sophomore years JIMMIE MCBRIDE – Sally McBride’s older brother MRS. CHARLES PATERSON – Hires Jerusha to tutor her daughter Florence during the summer before Jerusha’s senior year FLORENCE PATERSON – The little girl that Jerusha tutors Pittsburgh Public Theater
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VOCABULARY AND REFERENCES A Lady with a Lamp – see the entry for ‘Florence Nightingale’ A man's reach should exceed his grasp – from Robert Browning’s poem ‘Andrea del Sarto’ (published 1855). The full quote is “Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?” Abstain – to hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy Abyss – a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm Academe – the campus activity, life, and interests of a college or university; the academic world Algonquin – a group of North American Indian tribes, historically living in Canada, New England and the Midwest Ambuscade – an ambush Archangel – a chief or principal angel Asylum – an institution for the maintenance and care of the mentally ill, orphans or other persons requiring specialized assistance Belasco, David – American playwright. Most famous for adapting ‘Madame Butterfly’ for the stage Bigoted – utterly intolerant of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own Blasphemous – disrespectful behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless Brandenburg Concerto – six instrumental works by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are widely regarded as some of the best orchestral compositions of the Baroque era. Brick – an admirably good or generous person. Pittsburgh Public Theater
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O Captain! My Captain! – an 1865 poem by the American poet Walt Whitman, written in response to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln C'est Tres Amusant – French, meaning ‘it’s great fun’ Claude Monet – a famous French impressionist painter, active during the 19th century Contravention – action counter to something; violation or opposition. Crème de la crème – a French expression meaning ‘the best of the best’ Dover Beach – a poem by the English poet Matthew Arnold, first published in 1867 Electra – Electra is a Greek tragedy written by Euripides. Electra is famous for plotting revenge against her mother for killing her father. Enrico Caruso – a famous Italian opera singer Fabian - To be a Fabian means you are a part of The Fabian Society. The Fabian Society is a British socialist organization whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism Florence Nightingale – a celebrated English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. She came to prominence while serving as a manager of nurses trained by her during the Crimean War, where she organized the tending to wounded soldiers. She gave nursing a highly favorable reputation and became an icon of Victorian culture, especially in the persona of ‘The Lady with the Lamp’ making rounds to care for wounded soldiers at night. Foundling – an infant or small child found abandoned; a child without a known parent or guardian. Chopin polonaises – a specific type of music composed for dance, written by the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin Freudian – of or relating to Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, who achieved great fame in the early 20th century Pittsburgh Public Theater
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George Eliot – George Eliot is the pen name of the influential 19th century writer Mary Ann Evans George Michael Cohan - American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and producer. Some of the more notable songs written by Cohan are "The Yankee Doodle Boy" and "You're a Grand Old Flag" Gingham – cotton fabric usually striped or checked. Great Expectations – a novel by Charles Dickens written in 1861 Hannibal – a Carthaginian general who famously crossed the Alps with elephants in 218 BC in an attempt to conquer Rome Henry the Eighth – the King of England from 1509-1547; part of the Tudor dynasty. He was married six times and beheaded two of his wives. He is also known for his consequential role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church Hitching post – a post to which horses, mules, etc., are tied Impertinent – rude Impetuous – of, relating to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc. J.P. Morgan – famous banker who founded General Electric Jane Eyre – a novel by the 19th century British novelist Charlotte Brontë, about an orphan who attends a school for poor an orphaned girls where the students are treated cruelly Junket – a milk-based dessert Lillian Russell – a famous singer and actress in the late 1800s and early 1900s Literati – persons of scholarly or literary attainments; intellectuals Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy – four sisters who are the main characters in the 19th century novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Pittsburgh Public Theater
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Melville, Herman – an American writer, most famous for his novel Moby-Dick Methodist – a Protestant Christian denomination Metropolitan – characteristic of a city Milton’s Heaven – an allusion to John Milton, who in the 17th century wrote an epic poem entitled Paradise Lost which describes the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve Misconceit – a misunderstanding Moonlight Sonata – a famous piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven Octogenarian – a person who is between 80 and 90 years old. Oscar Hammerstein – part of Broadway duo Rogers and Hammerstein who wrote and produced famous and beloved musicals such as Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. Postscript – writing added to a letter that has already been concluded and signed by the writer. Often abbreviated as P.S. Proletariat – a term for working-class people, often used with reference to socialism Promptitude – the quality of being on time or ready immediately Punic Wars – Three wars waged by Rome against Carthage, resulting in the destruction of Carthage and the annexation of its territory by Rome. Puritan – A member of a group of Protestants that arose in the 16 th century within the Church of England, demanding the simplification of doctrine and worship, and greater strictness in religious discipline. Between 1620 and 1640, many Puritans immigrated to New England in search of freedom to practice their religion Quixotic – romantic and idealistic Rendezvous – a meeting at an agreed time and place
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Sackcloth – a very coarse, rough fabric, worn as a symbol of mourning or submission Shelley - Percy Bysshe Shelley, an English poet Socialist – a supporter of socialism, a political and economic system in which most forms of economically valuable property and resources are owned or controlled by the public or the state. Socialists believe that a society like this would be fairer, and benefit the very poor. Socialism became popular in America in the early 20th century, when many members of the Socialist Party of America won seats in government, including in Congress Sophomoric – pretentious and conceited Stoical – enduring pain and hardship without showing one's feelings or complaining Suffragette – a female advocate for women’s right to vote Summa Cum Laude - with highest praise: used in diplomas to grant the highest of three special honors for grades above the average Summer on the Lakes - is an 1843 nonfiction book by American writer and transcendentalist Margaret Fuller, based on her experiences traveling to the Great Lakes region of America The Brontë Sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë were 19th century English writers. Because female authors were frowned upon, they originally wrote under the pen names Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. The Count of Monte Cristo – a novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. Dumas also wrote The Three Musketeers. The Merry Wives of Windsor – a play by William Shakespeare The Met – the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City Toilers of the Sea – a novel by the French writer Victor Hugo, published in 1866 Trepidation – fear
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Two Nobel Kinsmen – a play by William Shakespeare Valedictorian – a student, usually the one ranking highest academically in a school graduating class, who delivers the speech at graduation Vanity Fair – from The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, a place created by the devil where everything is beautiful, glitzy and for sale. This may also be a reference to the 1848 novel Vanity Fair by William Thackeray, which is set in upper-class English society Verbiage – writing or speech that uses too many words
Jerusha’s books It would take approximately 220 hours, or over 9 days, to read all the literary texts mentioned in Daddy Long Legs.
If you had a friend like Jerusha who had not grown up with the opportunity to read a lot, which books would you recommend to her?
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SCENE-BY-SCENE SUMMARY Daddy Long Legs begins in the John Grier Home for Orphans, where we meet Jerusha Abbott, the oldest orphan who lives at the home. An 18-year-old, Jerusha explains that she holds a lot of responsibility as the oldest orphan, and is charged with making sure the John Grier Home is in top condition for the trustee visit that is occurring that afternoon. Another orphan, Little Tommy Dylan, comes to tell her that Mrs. Lippett, the home’s director wants to see Jerusha, she panics. Jerusha is certain that she must have forgotten something that has caused the trustees to comment. On her way to Mrs. Lippett’s office, she sees a shadow of a very tall man. The way the light projects on to the man makes him look like a daddy long legs spider. To Jerusha’s surprise, Mrs. Lippett has good news, not bad. She tells Jerusha that the trustee who has just left has read some of Jerusha’s writing and been impressed by it. So, he has offered to pay for her to go to college with the goal of becoming a writer. In addition, Jerusha will receive $35 a month (about $835 in today’s money), so she can fit in socially with her peers. In accepting this scholarship, there are a few interesting strings attached. Jerusha must write a letter to the trustee, who is posing as a ‘Mr. Smith’, Megan McGinnisxiii wishing to remain anonymous. The letter must be similar to one she would write to a family member. Another condition of the letters is that Jerusha may never thank Mr. Smith. In addition, Mr. Smith will never respond to the letters. Jerusha, surprised but excited, accepts the scholarship under these terms. Freshman Year The scene changes to Jerusha’s freshman year. Jerusha’s first letter to Mr. Smith reveals that she is the first girl that he has offered this scholarship to, his reason being that men are more likely to use the degree after marriage. So Jerusha, in response, contemplates calling him Mr. Girl Hater, instead of Mr. Smith. She also considers calling him Mr. Rich Man, Clothes Pole, and Hitching Post. She ends up settling on Daddy Long Legs, because of the shadow she saw when he was leaving the John Grier home.
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Over the course of the next few letters, Jerusha becomes more interested in the person Daddy Long Legs might be. She assumes that he is an old man and asks if he has gray hair or is bald. Jervis is shocked by this, for in reality he is an attractive young man. Jerusha also tells him that she has made a friend, her Sallie McBride. Contrasting this positive development, Jerusha is certain that she has also made an enemy, a girl named Julia Rutledge Pendleton. In the stage directions, it is noted that Jervis is unpleasantly surprised by the mention of Julia. Jerusha’s transition into college proves to be difficult socially, since the other girls at her college come from wealthy backgrounds and have received more education than she has. Jerusha is eager to learn, but she is also painfully aware of her past. She describes how Julia cannot stop talking about her very old and rich family. When asked about her family, Jerusha does not feel comfortable revealing that her last name was picked from the front page of the phone book and her first name was chosen from a tombstone nearby. Jerusha confides all of these insecurities to Daddy Long Legs, and despite never receiving a response, she starts to care about him, and sends her love to the fictitious old man she has created. She especially feels close to Daddy when describing her Christmas holidays, which she spends by herself at school, having no home to go back to. After the holidays, Jerusha reports that she has failed Latin and math, but is determined to retake the exams. She is extremely embarrassed. Following this setback, she reports that she has been in the infirmary for almost the week. Jerusha breaks down and claims that Daddy cares not at all for her and that she feels very alone in the world. Jervis’s growing fondness for Jerusha impulsively causes him to send her pink roses to cheer her up. Jerusha is extremely grateful, her faith and fantasy restored. Jervis contemplates revealing himself as Daddy Long Legs, having already broken his own rule by responding to Jerusha, but decides against it. Instead, he introduces himself to Jerusha as the man he actually is, Julia’s real uncle. He visits the college and ends up spending the afternoon with Jerusha when Julia is in class. They get along swimmingly and Jerusha describes the whole event to Daddy Long Legs in a letter. Jervis starts to realize that he has real affection for Jerusha. Summer Jerusha’s next letter is quite distressed; Mrs. Lippett has summoned her back to the orphanage to do chores for her room and board for the summer. Jervis again reaches out to Jerusha as Daddy Long Legs, offering to send her to Lock Willow farm for the summer with the Semple Family, so she may work on her writing in peace. Jerusha is ecstatic! The farm proves to be very relaxing. While at the farm she discovers that Jervis had stayed there as a child during the Pittsburgh Public Theater
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summers and had given the farm to the Semples as a thank you for being a family to him. Jervis thinks his cover is blown, but Jerusha just accepts the information as a happy coincidence that Daddy knows the Pendleton Family. Sophomore Year Back at school, Jerusha is fitting in just fine and is continuing her vigorous studies. Socially, she is starting to thrive and has been invited to spend the Christmas holidays with Sallie McBride and her family. Jerusha is thrilled, but nervous. She is still self conscious about her social and cultural knowledge. At the McBrides, Jerusha thrives. They throw a party in her honor and she dances with Jimmie McBride, Sallie’s older brother. She is happy to report this to Daddy Long Legs. Jervis is jealous and after the winter holidays, stops by the college once again, with three pounds of chocolate to visit his niece Julia. In reality, he Rob Hancock and Megan McGinnisxiv
has come to see Jerusha, and they talk about Lock Willow. Jervis invites Julia, Sally, and Jerusha all to come to New York City with him. The trip to New York proves to be quite a thrill; Jerusha is in awe of the city and all its inhabitants. Back at school, Jerusha again updates Daddy on the new subjects she is learning, and also mentions she has been invited to spend the summer with Sallie and her family at the Adirondacks. Jerusha mentions that Jimmie will be there along with his college buddies. Jervis’s jealousy causes him to abuse the power he has by supporting Jerusha and breaks his own rules by forbidding Jerusha from accepting the McBride’s invitation. She is to go back to Lock Willow. Summer Jerusha is hurt and angry. She does not write for many months, when she does, she writes how awful her summer is. Knowing how miserable Jerusha is, Jervis takes this as a chance to bond with her and visits the farm. They have a wonderful time doing all of the activities that Jerusha described earlier that she would have done at the Adirondacks. Pittsburgh Public Theater
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Junior Year At the start of her junior year, Jerusha expresses how happy she is to be back at school. Over the summer she has had the chance to write some poetry and short stories and is excited to submit it to publishers. She also describes that she is beginning to be interested in charity and reform, and how her studies on this subject has inspired her to run an orphanage of her own one day. Later in the semester, Jerusha reports that she will be spending the winter holidays with Julia and her family. Jerusha is not excited but Julia asked her before Sallie did so she had to accept. At Julia’s house, Jerusha pities the Pendleton’s obsession with material wealth. Jerusha finds the conversations very boring. However, they do gossip about Jervis. They dislike how he spends his money on frivolous things like charity, how he grows his hair long, that he is probably a socialist, and worst of all he keeps refusing all of the heiresses that Julia’s mom keeps setting him up with. Jerusha reports all of this to Daddy Long Legs. Summer Nearing the end of the school year, Jerusha is now a self proclaimed socialist and has announced that she will be spending the summer with a family called the Patersons, where she will be paid to tutor a little girl named Florence. She takes this job instead of accepting Julia’s invitation to Paris and Sallie’s invitation to the Adirondacks. Jervis is furious and jealous that Jerusha has made this decision without consulting Daddy Long Legs and writes to Jerusha as Mr. Smith and as Jervis to implore her to go to France. Jervis’s anger over Jerusha’s independence is conveyed in his letters, which makes Jerusha even more steadfast in her decision to work during the summer. In another power move, Jervis tells Jerusha that he will be at Lock Willow Farm the last week in August, and expects to see Jerusha there. Jerusha does not comply and tells Daddy Long Legs that she has already committed to spend the rest of her summer with the McBrides in the Adirondacks. Jervis, knowing this, writes to Jerusha saying he will not actually be able to make it to Lock Willow, and plays it off that he has had a change of plans and will be yachting with some friends. Jerusha sees through this, for she knows Julia has told Jervis that Jerusha was spending the rest of the summer at the Adirondacks. Senior Year Going into her senior year, Jerusha has finished her first novel! She submits it to a publisher who rejects it and sends very harsh criticism back. This rejection prompts Jerusha to burn the novel in a furnace. However this despair is short lived as Jerusha comes up with a brand new Pittsburgh Public Theater
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plot that takes place in an orphanage based on the John Grier Home. Time skips to April and Jerusha writes that she and Sallie have gone to Lock Willow for Easter holidays. She reminisces about spending time there with Jervis. Graduation is quickly approaching, and Jerusha is desperate for Daddy Long Legs to attend. Jervis is there as Julia’s guest, upset that he is afraid to reveal his true identity. Consequently, Daddy does not show up. Jerusha is valedictorian, but feels that her graduation is meaningless without her benefactor’s presence. Post Graduation After graduation, Jerusha sends Daddy a letter telling him she will be in Lock Willow for the summer, trying to finish her novel. She also mentions that Jimmie McBride will be stopping by sometime to see her. Jerusha tells Daddy that she has given up hope of ever meeting him, and is going to cut him out of her life. Jervis is hurt and conflicted. He sings about how he is the one in need of help now, rather than Jerusha. Despite swearing off Daddy, Jerusha writes one last letter to him, telling him that Jervis has proposed to her. She has rejected the proposal because she feels embarrassed by her origins and would not want to subject Jervis to her past. This rejection haunts her. Jerusha realizes she loves Jervis and misses him. She asks Daddy for advice. Jervis, as Daddy, responds for the first time! He tells Jerusha to meet him at his home in Manhattan, where he reveals that Jervis and Daddy are the same person. Jervis explains that he didn’t know how to tell her the truth, and Jerusha is initially shocked and angry. However, she soon realizes that she wants to marry Jervis anyway, and the play ends with the two embracing. Megan McGinnis and Adam Halpinxv
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COSTUME DESIGN Coming soon!
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SET DESIGN Coming soon!
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THEMES AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Privilege and choice Jervis is a man of great privilege who is able to give generously to charity while remaining hugely wealthy himself. Jerusha is in the exact opposite position, relying on Jervis in order to move up in the world. Jervis, as Daddy Long Legs, uses his privilege to help Jerusha, but things become more complicated when he becomes jealous of her potential relationship with Jimmie McBride.
Discussion Questions
What obligations does Jerusha have to Daddy Long Legs for funding her education? Why do you think Jervis hid his identity from Jerusha? Did you notice a shift as the lines blurred between Daddy Long Legs and Jervis? Does she have an obligation to appease Daddy’s wishes because he is supporting her education? Is her education really a gift if Jervis is making changes in the original agreement? Does this power dynamic make for a healthy relationship? What was your reaction to the ending?
Feminism and women’s rights Jerusha: “Don’t you think I’d make an admirable voter – if women had their rights? I was twenty-one last week. This is an awfully wasteful country to throw away such an honest, education, conscientious, intelligent citizen as I would be. Oh, and that reminds me! At church yesterday – a preacher from Georgia said we girls must take care not to develop our intellects at the expense of our womanly natures. It’s always the same! Why on earth don’t they go to men’s colleges and urge the students there not to allow their manly natures to be crushed by too much mental activity?”
Discussion questions
What does Jerusha mean by calling America “wasteful” in the quotation above? What do you think the preacher from Georgia means by “womanly natures”? Do you think this story has feminist values? What connections can you draw between Jerusha’s talent as a writer and her freedom as a young woman?
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Literature, writing and imagination Jerusha: “You see, Daddy, I think the most important quality for any person to have is imagination. It helps people put themselves in other people’s shoes. It makes them kind and sympathetic and understanding. It ought to be cultivated in children.”
Discussion questions
What is the role of imagination in this play? Who imagines what, and what effect does it have?
How do you think this story would be different if it wasn’t an epistolary narrative? An epistolary narrative is a story told through letters written by the characters, from the word ‘epistle,’ meaning ‘letter.’
How much does the audience have to imagine, compared to other plays you have seen or read? Why do you think Jerusha wants imagination to be cultivated in children? Do you agree with her? Why do you think there are so many literary and cultural references in this play? Did you understand all the references? If you didn’t, how did that make you feel?
Letter writing When was the last time you wrote a letter? Why do you think people write fewer letters now than they did in 1912, when Daddy-Long-Legs was published? Imagine that Daddy Long Legs is helping you attend school like he helps Jerusha. What would you want to tell him about your life? How would you handle not knowing his identity?
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Then and now How do you think the story of Daddy Long Legs would be different if it was set in the present day instead of the early 1900s? Imagine that you are adapting the story to 2017, and write down five important changes you would make.
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PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMIC STANDARDS The plays of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s 2016-2017 season are a wonderful celebration of some of the greatest works in theatrical history, with rich benefits for school students. The 2015-2016 lineup features renowned composers and playwrights that hold a special place in any theater enthusiast’s heart. This will provide examples of the wittiest dialogue, the sharpest characters, and the most captivating scores. Applicable to All Plays and Productions: Arts and Humanities Standards and Reading-WritingSpeaking-Listening Standards Attendance and participation by students at any play produced by Pittsburgh Public Theater bears direct applicability to the PA Education Standards in Arts and Humanities and ReadingWriting-Speaking-Listening (RWSL). These applicable standards are summarized first. Then, each play for Season 42 is taken in turn, and its relevance to standards in other Academic Content Areas is cited. All standards are summarized by conceptual description, since similar concepts operate across all the grade levels served by The Public’s Education-Outreach programs (Grades 4 through 12); the principal progressive difference is from basics such as Know, Describe and Explain, moving through grade levels towards more mature activities such as Demonstrate, Incorporate, Compare-Contrast, Analyze and Interpret. 1.0: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening • Make inferences and/or draw conclusions based on information from text. • Cite evidence from text to support generalizations. • Identify the author’s intended purpose of text. • Summarize the key details and events of a fictional text as a whole. • Identify and apply meaning of content specific words used in text. • Explain, interpret, compare, describe, analyze, and/or evaluate character actions, motives, dialogue, emotions/feelings, traits, and relationships among characters within fictional and literary nonfictional text. • Explain, interpret, compare, describe, analyze, and/or evaluate: o The relationship between characters and other components of text. o The setting of fiction or literary nonfiction. o Elements of the plot (conflict, rising action, climax and/or resolution). o Relationship between the theme and other components of text. 9.1: Production, Performance and Exhibition of Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts Elements • Scenario • script/text • set design • stage productions • read and write scripts • improvise • interpret a role • design sets • direct.
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Principles • Balance • collaboration • discipline • emphasis • focus • intention • movement • rhythm • style • voice. • Comprehensive vocabulary within each of the arts forms. • Communicate a unifying theme or point of view through the production of works in the arts. • Explain works of others within each art form through performance or exhibition. • Know where arts events, performances and exhibitions occur and how to gain admission 9.2: Historical and Cultural Contexts • The historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts. • Works in the arts related chronologically to historical events, and to varying styles and genres, and to the periods in which they were created. • Analyze a work of art from its historical and cultural perspective, and according to its geographic region of origin. • Analyze how historical events and culture impact forms, techniques and purposes of works in the arts. • Philosophical beliefs as they relate to works in the arts. 9.3: Critical Response
Know and use the critical process of the examination of works in the arts and humanities. o Compare and contrast o Analyze o Interpret o Form and test hypotheses o Evaluate/form judgments
• Analyze and interpret specific characteristics of works in the arts within each art form • Identify and classify styles, forms, types and genre within art forms (e.g., modern dance and the ethnic dance, a ballad and a patriotic song). • Evaluate works in the arts and humanities using a complex vocabulary of critical response. • Interpret and use various types of critical analysis in the arts and humanities. • Contextual criticism. • Formal criticism. • Intuitive criticism. • Apply the process of criticism to identify characteristics among works in the arts. • Compare and contrast critical positions or opinions about selected works in the arts and humanities (e.g., critic’s review and comparison of Alvin Ailey’s Revelations to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake). 9.4: Aesthetic Response • Compare and contrast examples of group and individual philosophical meanings of works in the arts and humanities (e.g., group discussions on musical theatre versus the individual’s concept of musical theatre). • Compare and contrast informed individual opinions about the meaning of works in the arts to others (e.g., debate philosophical opinions within a listserv or at an artist’s website). • Describe how the attributes of the audience’s environment influence aesthetic responses (e.g., the ambiance of the theatre in a performance of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Cats). • Describe to what purpose philosophical ideas generated by artists can be conveyed through works in the arts and humanities (e.g., T. Ganson’s Destructive Periods in
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Russia During Stalin’s and Deniken’s Leadership conveys her memories and emotions of a specific incident). Application of Pennsylvania Academic Standards to Daddy Long Legs 1.0 Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening • Interpret the effect of various literary devices (e.g., personification, simile, alliteration, symbolism, metaphor, and imagery). • Understand literary devices in fictional and nonfictional text. • Identify, interpret, and describe figurative language in fiction and nonfiction. • Identify and/or apply a synonym or antonym of a word used in text. • Define and/or apply how the meaning of words or phrases changes when using context clues given in explanatory sentences. • Explain, interpret, compare, describe, analyze, and/or evaluate the setting of fiction or literary nonfiction. • Explain, interpret, compare, describe, analyze, and/or evaluate elements of the plot (conflict, rising action, climax and/or resolution). • Explain, interpret, compare, describe, analyze, and/or evaluate the theme of fiction or literary nonfiction. • Explain, interpret, compare, describe, analyze, and/or evaluate character actions, motives, dialogue, emotions/feelings, traits, and relationships among characters within fictional or literary nonfictional text. 5.0 Civics and Government • Outline how different systems of government function • Explain why participation in government and civic life is important • Describe the citizen’s role in the political process • Analyze the major arguments advanced for different systems of government. 6.0 Economics • Explain how limited resources and unlimited wants cause scarcity. • Examine government's role in providing public goods and services. • Compare the standard of living in different times and places. • Evaluate the social, political, and economic costs/benefits of potential changes to taxation policies. • Define wealth and describe its distribution within and among the political divisions of the United States. • 8.0 History • Evaluate patterns of continuity and rates of change over time, applying context of events. • Evaluate how continuity and change have impacted the world today. o Belief systems and religions o Commerce and industry o Technology o Politics and government o Physical and human geography o Social organization Pittsburgh Public Theater
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16.0 Student Interpersonal Skills • Analyze impact of a variety of personal traits on relationships and achievement throughout life. • Analyze internal and external factors that influence relationships. • Analyze factors that impact communication. • Analyze various types of conflict and determine appropriate resolutions.
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ABOUT THIS GUIDE Contributions to the Resource Guide were made by Margie Romero, Communications Manager, Katie Conaway, Director of Education & Outreach, and interns Anna Béar and Maddie Sieber.
Bibliography www.daddylonglegsmusical.com en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Webster jeanwebstersdaddylonglegs.weebly.com/critical-reception.html www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/timeline.html vq.vassar.edu/issues/2013/01/vassar-today/daddy-long-legs.html i
Fuller, Tim. Phoenix New Times, www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/arizona-theatre-companys-daddy-long-legs-isa-perfect-play-6579869. Accessed De.r 1 2016. ii Bain, George Grantham. “Jean Webster.” Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Webster. Accessed 1 Dec. 2016. iii commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daddy_Long_Legs_frontespizio.png. Accessed 1 Dec. 2016. iv www.imdb.com/title/tt0010040/. Accessed2 Dec. 2016. v www.imdb.com/title/tt0047969/. Accessed 2 Dec. 2016. vi owlmemories.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/daddy-long-legs-jean-webster/. Accessed 2 Dec. 2016. vii “Vassar Lake at Vassar College.” Vassar College Archives and Special Collections, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. digitallibrary.vassar.edu/islandora/object/vassar%3A10497. Accessed Dec. 2 2016. viii Pach. G. W. “Vassar College student room, ca. 1878.” Vassar College Archives and Special Collections, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. digitallibrary.vassar.edu/islandora/object/vassar%3A10497. Accessed Dec. 2 2016. ix Phelan, John. “Simon W Robinson Masonic Lodge, Lexington Massachusetts, July 2010.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_school#/media/File:Simon_W_Robinson_Masonic_Lodge,_Lexington_MA.j pg. Accessed 2 Dec. 2016. x Vail Brothers. “Vassar College Greek class, 1881.” Vassar College Archives and Special Collections, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. digitallibrary.vassar.edu/islandora/object/vassar%3A10388. Accessed 2 Dec. 2016. xi De. M. Brown, Margaret.” Vassar College physics class, 1887.” Vassar College Archives and Special Collections, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Accessed 2 Dec. 2016. xii Daniel, Jeremy. The Associated Press. www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2015/11/30/musicaldaddy-long-legs-to-be-broadcast-for-free-worldwide. Accessed 2 Dec. 2016. xiii http://t2conline.com/dont-miss-daddy-long-legs-tonight/ xiv Frohna, Mark, “Rob Hancock and Megan McGinnis.” www.skylightmusictheatre.org/shows-events/pastperformances/daddy-long-legs. Accessed 2 Dec. 2016. xv http://davenporttheatre.com/portfolio/daddy-long-legs-2/
Pittsburgh Public Theater Education programs are supported by: BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania, EQT Foundation, The Grable Foundation, A. Sanford Levy and Hasele Deutsch Levy Fund and Helen M. Knepper Memorial Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation. Additional support provided by: Henry C. Frick Educational Fund of The Buhl Foundation, Jack Buncher Foundation, McKinney Charitable Foundation, Richard W. Moriarty, M.D., Richard Rauh, American Eagle Outfitters, Bayer Healthcare, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group Inc., Hefren-Tillotson, Inc., Kinder Morgan Foundation, Levin Furniture, UPMC Health Plan, Vision Benefits of America. Pittsburgh Public Theater
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