Skates! Conceived by Joanna Greer Music by Matthew Gregory Maggie and the Pirate Music by David Evans Book & Lyrics Winnie Holzman
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Show Companion About TADA!, Using the Guide & Theater Etiquette .............................. Page 1 About Adventures from Ezra jack Keats ........................................................................ Page 2 Interview with Director/Choreographer of Skates ......................................................... Page 3 Who is Ezra Jack Keats? ..................... Page 4 Say What? ................................................. Page 5-6 (Glossary of Terms) Crossword Puzzle .................................. Page 7-8 Guide Activities ....................................... Page 9-13 General Theater Terms ......................... Page 14
Mission Statement
ABOUT TADA!
For three decades, TADA! has provided young people from all racial, economic and social backgrounds the opportunity to explore and perform musical theater together in an educational, supportive and professional environment. TADA!’s mission is two-fold: to present high-quality musical theater productions performed by talented kids for family audiences; and to provide a safe, creative nurturing place where kids can harness their inherent energy, build their self-esteem as well as realize their true potential through the unique, collaborative art form that is musical theater. Young people gain confidence as well as learn commitment, responsibility, communication and teamwork—skills that are critical to their success in both school and life.
USING THIS GUIDE This Show Companion is a practical, hands-on resource for group leaders, teachers, parents and kids that contain background information related to TADA!’s production and curriculum-based activities. The contents of this guide may be explored before and after attending the show.
Make The Most Of Your Visit (Tips on Theater Etiquette)
1. Laugh, cry, and sigh – but don’t talk. You hear the actors; they hear you. Any reaction that comes from your experience of the musical supports the performance, but shouldn’t distract from it. 2. Please enjoy food and beverages in the lobby – not the theater – and please put any garbage in the garbage cans before the show. Note: Actors will hear if you’re unwrapping food or hard candy. Please do that before or after the show – not during the performance. No food or drink is allowed in the theater. 3. Please silence all phones, tablets and anything else that might make noise or light up during the show. Then, after the show, be sure to like it, tweet it, post it and talk to your friends to tell them how much you enjoyed it! 4. Please stay in your assigned seat. 5. Photographs (with or without flash – and even on your phones) as well as the recording of the show in any way are not allowed. Recording the show is distracting and potentially dangerous to the actors as well as your fellow audience members. Additionally, recording is prohibited to protect the artistic work that went into making the show.
Tips for Group Leaders: - Please arrive approximately 15-30 minutes early. - Assign one chaperon for every fifteen students and ask your chaperones to seat themselves amongst the student group to help support best behavior.
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ABOUT THE MUSICAL Janine Nina Trevens, Artistic & Executive Director and The Resident Youth Ensemble presents
Adventures from Ezra Jack Keats
Skates! and Maggie and the Pirate
MUSICAL NUMBERS The Kind of Day Nobody Here The Cricket Song A Pirate The Cricket Song (resprise) This Feeling The Kind of Day (Resprise) The Cricket Song (Reprise) TADA! Here We Are
Skates! Conceived by Joanna Greer Skates! Music by Matthew Gregory Maggie and The Pirate Music by David Evans Maggie and the Pirate Book & Lyrics by Winnie Holzman Maggie and the Pirate Director Janine Nina Trevens Maggie and the Pirate Choreographer Joanna Greer Music Director Matthew Gregory Set & lighting Designer Steve O’Shea Costume Designer Megan Turek Production Stage Manager Amy Fisk Technical Supervisor Jacob Platt
THE BAND
Piano: Matthew Gregory Drums & Percussion: Ray Grappone 2nd KeyBoard: Katherine Learner Lee Saxophone for Skates!: Sam Perman Bass for Skates!: Reynaldo Nunez
SKATES! CAST Dogs ....................................................... Lauralie Mufute (12, New Jersey) and Zan Gerson (11, Queens) Kittens ............................................................................................................. Catori Crawford (10, New Jersey), Pauline Dayen (12, Brooklyn), Angela George (14, Bronx), Cassidy Mullin (13, Brooklyn) and Alysha Rivera (10, Staten Island) MAGGIE AND THE PIRATE CAST Narrator ................................................................................................................. Bluend Mulbah (14, Brooklyn) Maggie ........................................... Jesse Besca (14, Manhattan) and Maya Rosado (12, Manhattan) May ....................................................................................................................... Subiya Mboya (16, New Jersey) JJ ................................................................................................................................. Sam Perman (15, Manhattan) Paco ................................................................................................................... Michael Sanchez (11, Manhattan) Joey ................................................... Luke Bajema (10, Manhattan) and Bailey Emhoff (10, Brooklyn) Katie ............................................. Evelyn Lee (9, Manhattan) and Chelsea Paradiso (11, Manhattan) Savannah ........................................... Sophia Abehal (12, Queens) and Tomai Nelson (10, Brooklyn)
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Q & A WITH LYRICIST JOANNE BOGART Q: Is Skates! based from an Ezra Jack Keats story? A: Yes, Skates! is based on a 1973 picture book by Ezra Jack Keats.
Q: Can you tell us how TADA!’s version of Skates! came to life? A: TADA’s Artistic Director, Janine Nina Trevens approached me about conceiving a new version of Skates! to serve as the companion piece for Maggie and the Pirate. It was produced twice before in 1989 and 1996. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to create a new dance-theater piece for TADA!
Q: Given your role, how did you help develop this dance-theater piece? A: My first step was to get my hands on the picture book. I was amazed to see that the book contained very few words. However, the illustrations were so vibrant and rich that the story began to unfold for me right away. Immediately, I knew that music would play a key role in this dance piece. I approached a colleague of mine, Matthew Gregory, about creating an original composition for Skates! He happily agreed and soon we got to work. I began to storyboard ideas so Matthew could begin composing the score. Before I knew it, the music was ready to go and I began choreographing.
Q: What did you want to achieve with your version of Skates!? A: It’s my hope that this version of Skates! challenges our young performers to new heights. I plan to create an innovative, fast-paced, joyful ride that is sure to delight our summer audience.
Q: What do you find most interesting about Skates!? A: There are many things that are interesting to me about Skates! Obviously, I love that two of the characters are actually on roller skates for the majority of the show. The other aspect has to be telling a story without words. In this show, the performers rely on their bodies to convey the story through movement and dance.
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Who is Ezra Jack Keats? Ezra Jack Keats was an American writer and illustrator of children’s books. He won the 1963 Caldecott Medal for illustrating The Snowy Day, which he also wrote. It is considered one of the most important American books of the 20th century. Born: March 11, 1916 in Brooklyn, NY Died: May 6, 1983 Books: Apt. 3; Maggie and the Pirate; The Snowy Day; A Letter to Amy; Peter’s Chair; Whistle for Willie; Pet Show!; John Henry, An American Legend; Hi, Cat!; Jennie’s Hat!; Keats’s Neighborhood; One Red Sun, A Counting Book; My dog Is Lost!; God is in the Mountain; Kitten for a Day; The Little Drummer Boy; Clementina’s Cactus; Louie’s search; Psst! Doggie-- ; Willie’s Birthday; Over in the Meadow; The Trip; Regards to the Man in the Moon; Silba por Willie; Goggles!; Dreams; Louie; Skates! Awards: Caldecott Medal, Caldecott Honor Artwork: The techniques that give Ezra Jack Keats’s books an unique look include his use of collage with cutouts of patterned paper, fabric and oilcloth; homemade stamps; spattering of India ink with a toothbrush. He blended collage with gouache, an opaque watercolor mixed with a gum that produced an oil-like glaze. Marbled paper, acrylics, watercolor, pen, ink and even photographs were among his tools, which developed into complex and painterly com positions. Keats was first a fine artist (painter) then an illustrator of children’s books. His evolution from artist to illustrator, incorporated Ezra’s applied influences and techniques that had inspired him as a painter (e.g., cubism to abstraction, within a cohesive, and often highly dramatic, narrative structure). His artwork also demonstrates an enormous emotional range, swinging from exuberant whimsy to deep desolation and back again. Example of Keat’s artwork from Maggie and the Pirate.
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SAY WHAT?
A Glossary of Selected Terms from
Adventures from Ezra Jack Keats 1. Arithmetic: the method and process of using whole numbers to add, subtract, multiply, and divide math. 2. Buried: covered in the ground with dirt. 3. Cape: a garment without sleeves that hangs loosely over the back and shoulders. 4. Cricket: an insect that is related to a grasshopper. It has long antennae and strong hind legs for jumping. The male makes a chirping noise by rubbing his front wings together. 5. Cunning: skill used in a sly or tricky way. 6. Encyclopedia: a book or set of books that has information on a wide variety of subjects, or on many aspects of one subject. 7. Fault: something wrong with a thing or person that causes problems for someone or something else. 8. Flute: a woodwind instrument with a high pitch. It is a long tube with finger holes or keys along it and is played by blowing into a hole near one end. 9. Magnificent: very grand in size or splendid in beauty. 11. Narrator: a person who tells a story. 12. One on one: in direct, personal contact or confrontation with a single individual; playing oneon- one refers to playing sports such as football or basketball ball. 13. Parrot: any of numerous tropical birds that have brightly colored plumage, a heavy short hooked bill, and often the ability to imitate speech. 15. Raunchy: low in quality, appearance, or the like; careless, sloppy, cheap. 16. Recognize: to identify (someone or something) from previous experience. 17. Starve: severe hunger or to feel extremely hungry. 18. Studying: the act or process of using the mind to gain knowledge. 20. Tree House: a small house, especially one for children to play in, built or placed up in the branches of a tree.
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21. Walkman: trademark for a pocket-sized stereo cassette tape player used with headphones, used by a single individual. 22. Yodel: a song or refrain with frequent rapid changes between the natural voice and a very high voice, esp. popular among the mountain people of the Alps.
Quotes from the musical Maggie and the Pirate May and JJ from Maggie and the Pirate We’re looking things up in the encyclopedia! Savannah from Maggie and the Pirate Hey Maggie, wanna borrow my walkman! You can keep it for as long as you want.
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Adventures from Ezra Jack Keats Crossword Puzzle Across
Down
1. In MAGGIE AND THE PIRATE, Maggie’s family lives in an old ___.
1. What NYC borough does SKATES! take place?
2. In the beginning of MAGGIE AND THE PIRATE, what type of store do the kids go to and buy things?
3. In MAGGIE AND THE PIRATE, what do Maggie and Katie see as the pirate’s possible secret hideout?
4. In SKATES, what type of skates do two of the performers wear?
5. In MAGGIE AND THE PIRATE, what do May and JJ use while studying?
6. In MAGGIE AND THE PIRATE, who steals Niki?
9. In MAGGIE AND THE PIRATE, what device does Savannah offer Maggie to borrow?
7. In MAGGIE AND THE PIRATE, what is Niki? 8. In SKATES, what breed is the lead dog? 10. In SKATES, what type of dance class do the kittens take in the show? 11. In the end of MAGGIE AND THE PIRATE, who dies?
POSSIBLE ANSWERS: Cricket Ballet Grocery Encyclopedia Brooklyn Roller Dalmatian Pirate Walkman Treehouse
Post-Show Challenge - After seeing the show, go to the public library and sign out a copy of Ezra Jack Keat’s book, Maggie and the Pirate. (Alternatively, you could search online for a copy.) - Once you have a copy of the book, read through the pages and identify as many costume/set pieces and props from TADA!’s production that mirror the ones in the original storybook. - For answers see page 13
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ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES Focus: Character Education, Creative Writing and Language Arts, Theater Arts, Self-Expression Related Subjects: Behavior and Life Skills Level: Elementary School (and higher) THEME 1: STORYTELLING Storytelling is a very important part of the Adventures from Ezra Jack Keats: Skates! and Maggie and the Pirate. For one thing, the two parts, Skates!; Maggie and The Pirate, have both been adapted from picture books by the beloved children’s author Ezra Jack Keats. This stage adaptation explores the idea of story-telling through several different methods. In Skates we learn how a story can be told through movement. In Maggie and the Pirate we are introduced to a very important technique used in story telling – the narrator. In this story, the character of NARRATOR welcomes us to the world of the play by describing the setting and introducing the other characters. The narrator also guides us through the action of the story by telling us about the events of the story .
Storytelling through Movement & Sound
Activity in a large group
-Split into two groups: A & B -Ask Group A to secretly choose an environment that they wish to create (i.e, the beach, NYC, an amusement park, etc.) and come up with some activities or movements that might go along with that location. -While Group B acts as the audience, the students from Group A should come forward one person at a time. Each person in group A should demonstrate a repetitive movement that is related to their chosen environment (i.e., for a beach theme – one student might move their arms as if he or she is swimming, while another student might pretend to dig in the sand). The students should continue their movements as other Group A members join one-by- one, until the last member has joined the group and completed the scene. -Group B is then invited to guess what environment Group A was representing and reflect on Group A’s performance by noting which movements were clear from the start and what movements became clearer over time as more people joined in. -Direct Group A to continue their repetitive movements, but this time, ask each student to imagine a sound, a word, or a phrase, that they might hear at their chosen location (i.e., for the beach students might make the sound of the waves, or a seagull or say “I’m hot”) ask them to add their sounds to their movements by repeating both the movement and the sound over and over again. -Ask Group B to reflect on the new scene, how did the addition of sound alter the performance? Did the sounds make the picture clearer? -Now ask the groups to switch places and Group B should choose a new environment to represent through movement and then sound.
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Narration and Storytelling Activity in groups of 3 -Take a look! Below is an outline of the story of Maggie and the Pirate: 1. Maggie and her friends think that their lives are boring and so decide to go to the grocery store in hopes that something exciting will happen. 2. But then while they are away, Maggie’s cricket is stolen by the Pirate! 3. Maggie is very sad and tries to find her cricket but the Pirate is very sneaky. 4. Maggie and her friends search high and low for her cricket. They split up and some of them get lost in the dark but Maggie spots the Pirate and chases after him. She fights with him over the cricket cage resulting in the death of her cricket in the river. 5. The Pirate feels badly and gets Maggie a new cricket and a new cricket cage and they become friends. The friends learn that “…if somebody likes you, it makes you special. Even if you are…just a cricket.” -In groups of 5, read the story of Maggie and the Pirate as it is described above, by assigning each student in the group to act as a narrator for one of the 5 sections and read that section aloud. -While the first narrator is reading section #1, the other students in the group should create a panto mime of the story as it is being described by silently acting out the characters, emotions, and events the narrator is describing. -After section 1 is completed, the narrator for section 2 should step forward to read that section aloud while the other students continue to pantomime the story as it is described. Then continue on with sections 3-5. -Once your group has practiced reading through and pantomiming the entire story from beginning to end, try performing your narrated play for an audience. -Ask your audience to reflect on the following questions: How did the narration help to tell this story? Would you have known what was happening in the story without the narrated lines? -In your group reflect on the following questions: What stories can you think of that are told by narrators? Why is narration a useful technique for storytelling?
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THEME 2: FRIENDSHIP Friendship Mandala An Activity on your own Mandalas (meaning both circle and center in Sanskrit) are used in many cultures throughout the world for self-expression, reflection, and personal growth. Today we are going to create mandalas to explore the theme of friendship. Materials needed: Mandala handout (found on p. 12, crayons/colored pencils/markers, chart paper 1. Brainstorm the qualities of a great friend. (i.e., trustworthy, funny, kind, etc.) Record the answers on a chart or blackboard where they can be viewed throughout the activity. 2. Distribute the mandala hand out to each student. 3. Ask each student to choose the four most important qualities they look for in a friend. They may choose from the list, or come up with words on their own. Write one quality in each corner of the paper. 4. Create a symbol or small picture for each quality. Draw it below the word in each corner of the paper. 5. Using the four qualities you have chosen, choose which one you think is the MOST important quality in a friend. Draw the symbol for this quality in the center circle. 6. Choose the second most important quality in a friend. Using the first and second symbols, create a pattern in the second ring. 7. Using the two final symbols, create a pattern in the outermost ring. 8. Fill in any blank spaces. Make your mandala colorful! 9. On the back of the paper, have each student write a short reflection about how they have demonstrated one or more of these qualities as a friend. 10. Have the students place their mandalas together on the floor or table, creating a quilt pattern out of the mandalas. 11. Reflection: What do you notice about the mandalas? Are there any similar symbols, colors or patterns you notice? Is there a quality that a lot of people used? How can we make these beautiful mandalas a reality in our own friendships?
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How do we honor those we have lost?
Discussion Activity in a small group
In Maggie and the Pirate, Maggie’s beloved cricket, Niki, dies when she falls in the river because sadly, crickets cannot swim. Maggie and her friends hold a funeral for Niki and each character honors her in their own special way. Maggie buries Niki and writes her name on a piece of wood. Katie brings flowers and Paco says a eulogy, a speech about Niki’s life, and asks the kids to have a “moment of silence.” Lead participants in the following discussion: 1) Why do you think the kids did these things for Niki? 2) What are they trying to express through their actions? 3) What does it mean to have a moment of silence? 4) What does it mean to ”honor” someone? 5) Why do we honor those we have lost? 6) In what other ways could the kids show their love and appreciation for Niki?
Answer Key for Page 7 1. Maggie’s tire swing 2. Maggie’s top (costume piece) 3. The pirate’s hat 4. The antenna on the bus 5. The “Pirate was here” sign 6. The sign for the pirate that reads, “Keep cage…please return cricket.” 7. The clothes line 8. Paco’s hat
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A GLOSSARY OF SELECT TERMS & CAREERS IN THE THEATER BLOCKING: The actor’s movement on stage is known as “blocking.” The Stage Manager writes the blocking notation into the Prompt Script. BLACK BOX THEATER: The interiors of most black box theaters are painted black. The absence of color gives the audience a sense of “anyplace” and allows flexibility from play to play or from scene to scene. Since almost any open space in any building can be transformed into a black box, the popularity and appeal for theater companies to use this type of performance space is high. COSTUME: Anything that an actor wears on stage is referred to as a costume. The Wardrobe department (the department responsible for creating costumes) provides clothes, shoes, hats, and any personal accessories such as umbrellas, purses and eyeglasses. CYCLORAMA (a.k.a. CYC): A curved wall or drop at the back of a stage, used for creating an illusion of unlimited space or distance in the background of exterior scenes or for obtaining lighting effects. DROP: A drop is a large piece of painted canvas that is “flown in” by the flyman (see FLYMAN). DIRECTOR: The person who guides the actors during the rehearsal period as they stage the play. The director is responsible for presenting a unified vision of the play to the audience. DESIGNER: The people who work with the director to decide what the production will look like. Designers must choose the color, shape and texture of everything you see on the stage. There are several areas that need to have designers: costumes, set, lighting and sometimes sound. The designers work very closely with the director to create the environment in which the play will take place. FLYMAN: The person responsible for the manipulation of the scenery which is in the fly gallery (the space above the stage). The scenery is manipulated by ropes attached to a counterweight system. GREEN ROOM: The green room, usually near the entrance to the stage, is where the actors & crew sit while waiting for their turn to go on stage. LYRICIST: a person who writes the words to a popular song or musical. ORCHESTRA PIT: The orchestra pit is the place where the musicians perform during a musical. Usually the orchestra pit is between the front row of the audience & the stage. TADA!’s orchestra pit is located on stage left.
PROPS: Anything that the audience sees that is not worn by an actor & is not a structural part of the set such as: food eaten during a play, dishes, briefcases, books, phones, curtains, etc. PROPS MASTER: The person who buys items that will be used or adapted to become props. Props masters also purchase the raw material used to build props. PROSCENIUM: A term describing the physical characteristics of a theater. A proscenium theater is one in which the audience & the actors are separated by a picture-frame opening that the audience looks through to see the actors. Surrounding this opening is the PROSCENIUM ARCH. If there is an acting area on the audience side of the proscenium arch, it is referred to as the APRON. SCENIC ARTIST: The people who are responsible for painting & decorating the surfaces of the set. Some of the techniques they use include: wood graining, stenciling, marbling & brickwork. They also paint the drops & scrims that are flown in. SCRIM: A scrim is a piece of gauze that is painted and used as part of the scenery. When a scrim is lit from in front it is opaque, you cannot see through it. When a scrim is lit from behind it is transparent, you can see through it. This allows for many different visual effects to be created by the lighting & set designers. STAGE CREW: The people who ensure that everything runs smoothly on stage during a performance. The stage crew are responsible for changing the sets between scenes & acts. STAGE MANAGER: The person who makes sure that all rehearsals & performances run smoothly. During a performance the stage manager also makes sure that all of the technical elements (e.g., lights, sound, curtains flying in and out) happen at exactly the right time. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: The person who is responsible for coordinating all of the technical elements of a production. Technical directors work with the people who build the sets, props, costumes, wigs & special effects to make sure that everything runs smoothly. THRUST STAGE: A thrust stage is a stage that is surrounded on three sides by the audience.
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r e t a e h T l a c i s u M Week-Long Summer Camps Ages 6-8
at TADA! (15 W. 28th St.)
July 11-15
July 18-22 July 25-29 August 1-5 August 8-12 August 15-19 August 22-26 August 29-Sept 2
Pirates & Princesses * Lost Treasure * Arrr..me matey! * Skateland * iMusical Gobbledygook NY, NY...A Wonderful Town! Tic Toc Time to Stop
Ages 9-14
at TADA! (15 W. 28th St.) OR Simple Studios (134 W. 29th St.) July 11-15 July 18-22 July 25-29 August 1-5 August 8-12 August 15-19 August 22-26 August 29-Sept 2
Ages 6-11
July 11-15 July 18-22 July 25-29 August 1-5 August 8-12
Swab the Deck * The Caribbean Curse * Swashbucklers * Roller Derby Rumble * @insta_dram Rotten to the Core Sticky City Around the World in 80 Plays
at TRIAD Theater (158 W. 72nd St.) Runway Ready In the Jungle... Christmas in July Pet Secrets Mine Craft vs. Legos
Book Multiple
Camps And SAVE! 1 Camp: $485 (per camper) 2 Camps: $460 each (Save $50!) Enter discount code 2CAMPS online
3 Camps: $450 each (Save $105!) Discount code 3CAMPS
4 Camps: $435 each (Save $200!) Discount code 4CAMPS
Afternoon Adventures Can’t get enough of week-long camp? (Or can’t be picked up until later?) Kids ages 6-14 can sign up for an extended day program at TADA! that includes theater games, theatrical design, outdoor time in Madison Square Park and more! 2:30 to 5:30PM, Monday-Thursday
Last year most camps sold out!
Register Today! www.tadatheater.com 212-252-1619 x4
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