David Hohn Illustration. davidhohn.com. AAC Children s Theatre activity guide

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1 David Hohn Illustration. davidhohn.com AAC Children s Theatre activity guide

2 about this guide This ACTIVITY GUIDE includes exercises that align with the Arkansas Department of Education Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core State Standards. The following icons provide an immediate recognition of the curriculum connections. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS FOREIGN LANGUAGES LIBRARY MEDIA MATH MUSIC PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HEALTH SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES THEATRE VISUAL ARTS enjoy! NOTE: Art is an ongoing process. Scripts are used as a road map, but the final destination may change based on a variety of factors. Because of this, please note that the content of the educational materials may vary slightly from the final version of the play. Content is the intellectual property of the Arkansas Arts Center.

3 about the play Because if you re a cat with wit, there s no foe that can t be beaten. Ladies and gentleman! Boys and girls! Cats and kittens! Welcome, one and all, to Charlie Perrault s World Famous Feline Fun-time Fairy Tale Theatre! Tonight, the amazing Charlie is proud to present an electric story set in song and dance, that timeless but never rhyme-less, world-rocking fable: Puss in Boots! Be amazed as swashbuckling Puss the Cat raises his master, Claude, from a down-and-out miller s son to the heights of happiness. Enjoy all the madcap fun as Puss brandishes, not his sword, but his superior feline intellect to conquer kings and ogres (and even a few rabbits along the way). It s all about brain over brawn. Oh, and you ll just love his shoes. about the original story Mister Cat or The Booted Cat is a European fairy tale. The tale more commonly known today as Puss in Boots features a cat that uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess for his penniless and lowborn master. The oldest record of the written tale is by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in The Facetious Nights of Straparola (c ). Another version was published in 164 by Giambattista Basille. Perhaps the best known version of the story was written by Charles Perrault ( Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood ) at the end of the 17th century. Though there are many versions, the AAC play is based on the Perrault story. play synopsis The play begins with the musical stylings of our narrators the Hat Trick Princesses. We are introduced to Puss (aka Master Cat) and Claude a shy, slow, and rather odd human. While his older brothers inherited their father s mill and mule, Claude was left only with his father s prized cat and a talent for poetry. He sulks about his future and wonders how he will be able to make a living. Puss assures Claude that he will help him make his fortune. This cat s cleverness will be the key to success, but he asks for a few things to help him on his way: a leather pouch; a hat with a feather; and of course a pair of boots. Puss attends a banquet at the castle. The king absolutely loves food and seems to ignore everything else, including his daughter Coquette. The princess summons the royal poetess who recites an ode to the king s excessive eating habits. Puss steps in to save the king from the foul poetry and offers a tasty rabbit from his master the Marquis Carabas. It seems that the king is as starved for food as his daughter is for love. Late at night, Puss and Claude spy the princess singing from her tower. Puss attaches one of Claude s poems to an arrow and delivers it to Coquette. The cat s master plan is underway! Puss visits the castle every day for two months. Each day, he brings food to the king and letters to the princess. While stuffing his face with savory gifts from the feisty cat s master, the king never notices that his daughter is falling in love with a secret suitor. The king insists on meeting Carabas and Coquette manages to put together the pieces of the puzzle Carabas must be her secret admirer! It is arranged for the princess to take the carriage down by the river where she can rendezvous with the mysterious marquis. Claude and Puss anxiously await the royal carriage, but Claude worries what will happen when the king catches sight of his peasant clothes. Puss solution is to have his master remove his rags and act as if he is drowning. When the carriage approaches, Puss tells the king that his master needs help. The king saves Claude and Puss proposes that they all ride to the Marquis castle for a celebratory feast. Just one problem Claude doesn t have a castle! But Puss knows just the palace to pursue. He tells his master to take the longer route while he takes the shortcut. Puss arrives at the castle well before the carriage and meets its ghastly owner, a proud ogre. The clever cat outsmarts the ogre and takes over the castle for his master. Once the king arrives, he is so impressed with the Marquis dwelling that he gladly accepts his daughter s desire to marry Claude. As promised, Puss helps his master attain his fortune in money and in love.

4 statement from the aac children s theatre KEITH SMITH Playwright As its resident playwright, I have written more than 90 plays for the Children s Theatre over the past 25 years. Depending on the type of story, I have approached the writing of these plays in many different ways, but I almost always start the process with the same set of considerations and questions. Whether it s a new story or an adaption of an existing work, the first thing I like to do is get to know the characters by identifying three things: each one s goals, what obstacles each one must overcome to achieve those goals, and how one character s goals may conflict with another s. What the characters do to cope with these obstacles and conflicts is one of the main elements that creates the action of the story. In our play Puss in Boots, most of the character goals are very broad and frivolous: the king wants nothing more than to eat all the time; the princess, Coquette, wants to find the boy of her dreams and spend all of her time reading romantic poems of ideal (and idealistic) love; Claude, the miller s son, wants to find an instant and easy path to wealth and comfort. Not only are all of these goals silly, they each reveal some weakness of character: gluttony; blind idealism; laziness. Through a type of comedy that overemphasizes each of these foibles, the story exposes the absurdity and pitfalls of each. Puss s goal is to elevate his own place in the world by helping his master, Claude, secure wealth and position. How he realizes this plan is what shapes the main action of the story: by recognizing and taking advantage of the king s, Coquette s, and Claude s weaknesses as illustrated by their absurd character objectives Puss achieves the seemingly impossible: he raises an impoverished, unsophisticated orphan to the station of a well-landed marquis set to marry a princess. Charles Perrault, who wrote his version of this story in the late 17 th century, offers this moral: ingenuity and perseverance (as exhibited by Puss) are much more valuable than an inherited fortune for which one does not have to work. I would suggest a second moral: keep your desires in check and indulge them in moderation, lest some clever cat come along to bend them to his advantage and your detriment. review theatre etiquette BEFORE THE PLAY Please turn off your cell phones so you can look at all the little things that make live theatre a great big experience. Save all food, gum, candy, and drinks for after the performance. They are not allowed in the theater and can be used as a reward for good behavior! Sit like a grown up in your seat. That way you won t miss a thing! Great theatre audiences listen, laugh when something is funny, and clap at just the right time. They never talk out loud during a performance. Keep your cameras tucked away and turned off. Photography is not allowed. Camera flashes blind the actors and can cause them to step off the stage. When the play is over, enjoy talking with your friends and grownups about all the details. See who can remember the most about the play. Start by sharing two things that an actor said that made you smile and two things that you remember about the stage set. Parents: What a great time to have a conversation about the difference between theatre, movies, and TV!

5 read the original story In order to prepare for the play, select and read a version of Perrault s Puss in Boots story. (If you are reading to children, please review the text beforehand to determine appropriateness for intended audience.) Think about how the original story was written. What language was used? How were the characters described? What actions took place in the story? Were there illustrations? How were the illustrations used to help tell the story? Library Media Personal Growth: Read, Connect, Respond, Reflect; English Language Arts Reading, Literature: Key Ideas and Details, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, Craft and Structure about adaptations The performance that you will see at the AAC Children s Theatre is a variation of the story, or an ADAPTATION. An adaptation is a change made in something so that it can fit a new use. This performance of Puss In Boots is an adaptation of a story (which is meant to be read or heard) into a play (which is meant to be performed and viewed). Keith Smith of the AAC Children s Theatre is the playwright (play-rite), meaning that he transformed the scenes from the original story into a stage production which is now produced and performed by the AAC Children s Theatre. Consider these questions for discussion before you attend the play:? What kinds of things does a playwright have to consider when writing a script?? Describe the characters in the story. What might the characters look like on stage?? What are some objects (props) that they might use to help tell the story?? Draw a picture of one of the scenes in the original story and imagine how it might appear on the stage.? If you were to write an adaptation of this story into a play, what choices would you make? How would you act out the story? Library Media Personal Growth: Connect, Respond; Theatre Creating; Evaluating; Reading learn the vocabulary Below is a list of words included in the play. Reviewing this list will help you gain new vocabulary and also help you better understand the performance. Try saying these words out loud so that you will know them when you hear the actors say them. The emphasis should be on the part of the word in bold. Once you know how to say the words, read the definition and try using them in a sentence. Bachelor (bach-ih-lur) - an unmarried man Billet-doux (beel-ay-do) love letter Clever (klev-ur) quick learning; intelligent Cupid (q-pid) Roman god of love often seen with a bow and arrow Feline (fee-line) cat; resembling a cat Marquis (mar-key) nobleman of hereditary rank in Europe Monarch (mon-ark) ruler with total power; someone who reigns over a kingdom Peasant (pez-unt) worker on small farm or farm laborer Proverb (prah-vurb) a brief popular saying expressing a wise thought Suave (swahv) persuasively pleasing; smoothly polite and agreeable English Language Arts Reading, Foundational Skills: Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Word Recognition; Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

6 DURING THE PLAY You have an important role to play! It wouldn t be a play without you! Your part is to pretend that the play is real. Part of this includes accepting certain things: 1. Actors tell the story with words (dialogue), actions (blocking), and songs. 2. Actors may sing songs that tell about the story or their feelings.. Actors may speak to the audience. 4. An actor may play several characters by changing their voice, costume, or posture. 5. Places are suggested by panels on the set and by props. HERE S HOW TO PLAY YOUR PART: A play is different than television or a movie. The actors are right in front of you and can see your reactions, feel your attention, and hear your laughter and applause. Watch and listen carefully to understand the story. The story is told by the actors and comes to life through your imagination! review Thank you for being a great part of our audience and enjoy the show! AFTER THE PLAY Do you remember what you learned about adaptations? Now that you have seen the play, discuss these questions. Share your answers with friends or family that also saw the play and compare your experiences.? In what way was the play different than the original story?? Were there any characters or events that were in the story but not in the play? Were any characters different? Why do you think these choices were made?? What did the set look like? Did it match the picture that you drew before the play? What do you think set and costume designers need to consider when bringing the story to the stage?? What objects (props) helped tell the story on stage? Library Media Personal Growth: Connect; Respond; Theatre Responding; Connecting critical thinking questions Read the following questions and either write your answers or tell someone in complete sentences. Make sure to use correct grammar and spelling.? Why did Puss want to help Claude?? What did Puss use to trick the king? What did he use to trick the princess?? What role did Puss boots play in the adventure?? How do the Hat Trick Princesses help Puss?? How does Puss defeat the ogre? English Language Arts Writing: Text Type and Purposes; Speaking & Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration; Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas; Language: Conventions of Standard English

7 writing exercise Write a brief answer to the following question. Make sure to write in complete sentences and use correct grammar, spelling, and organization. There are many ways to solve a problem. Describe a time when you used your brain to think through a problem. What was the problem? What were your options? What decision did you make? What was the outcome? How would the outcome have been different if you had used physical strength to solve the problem? What did you learn from this experience? English Language Arts Writing: Text Types and Purposes; Language: Conventions of Standard English puss new boots We all know that Puss boots are an important part of the story! Without these fantastic leather foot-coverings, our hero would not have been able to hunt throughout the forest for the king s bounty. To reward Puss for his bravery and wit, Claude has ordered a new pair of boots and you are the designer! Consider all of Puss actions in the play and design a new pair of boots that will help him on his next adventure. Be sure to include the colors, designs, and details that will make this pair of boots a perfect fit for such a great hero! Visual Arts Creating (Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work; Organize and develop artistic ideas and work; Refine and complete artistic work)

8 secret messages In the play, Claude secretly communicates with the princess. Now it s your turn! Using logic and skill, decipher the hidden picture found within the puzzle. A nonogram is a Japanese puzzle which has a picture encoded in numbers. The goal is to restore the picture in full. Here s how: 1 Numbers, shown to the left and above the grid describe the painted squares horizontally (across) and vertically (up and down). The order of these numbers describes the order of their location on the grid, but it is unknown where each group starts and finishes. Each separate number means a separate group of the given size. For example, 5 means a group of five squares together, 1 means a group of only one painted square. Between 5 each group of painted squares, there should be at least one unpainted square See the example of a solved nonogram on the right. A good place to start your puzzle is with the largest number. Here, you know that there are only 5 squares across, so you can fill in all 5 squares and work your way up from there. Now it s your turn to uncover the hidden picture in this 10 x 10 grid! HINTS AND TIPS: 1. Remember that there must be at least one blank square between each group of numbers. 2. It may help to place an X in the blank squares to help keep your place.. A row of 0 will have no painted squares. 4. If you get stuck, see the answer on the next page What do you see in the picture? ACTIVITY Visit for more hidden picture fun! If you get stuck, turn the page to reveal the answer. Math Operations & Algebraic Thinking: Add and subtract within 20

9 Answers: Fox, Bald Eagle, Black Bear, Rabbit, Squirrel secret messages: solution This is the solution for the activity on the previous page forests & feasts Puss in Boots takes place in a forest setting (though the exact location is unknown), much like the forests in Arkansas. Part of Puss plan to secure the fortune of his master, is to provide a bounty of foods for the hungry king. Forest ecosystems those dominated by trees house an assortment of life, such as mammals, birds, insects, flowers, moss, and microorganisms; they also include the non-living elements of soil, air, and water. Temperate forests do not get either really hot or really cold; there are four distinct seasons, lots of rain, and fertile soil. Review the images below and circle the animals that might be found in a temperate forest ecosystem. If needed, you may use appropriate references to review forest ecosystems or the ecosystem of each listed animal. Red Fox Bald Eagle Giraffe Black Bear Hippopotamus Penguin Rabbit Polar Bear Kangaroo Squirrel Science Life Science: Populations and Ecosystems; Library Media Information Literacy: Identify and Access; Evaluate; English Language Arts Reading Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details; Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

10 great kings: fact or fiction? In the play, Puss mentions several historic kings. Research each of the kings mentioned below to determine when and where they may have lived. This activity allows you to increase your research skills, learn the geography of each great king, determine whether or not the kings were fact or fiction, and organize your research into a timeline. For this activity, you will need to evaluate reference materials and select the most appropriate sources. KINGS MENTIONED IN THE PLAY: King Arthur Gilgamesh Alexander the Great Julius Caesar Odysseus Wenceslaus Xerxes I Genghis Khan ACTIVITY For each great king listed in the play, research the following to determine if each king was REAL or FICTIONAL. FULL NAME: BIRTH DATE: LOCATION OF BIRTH: DEATH DATE: LOCATION OF DEATH: DATES OF REIGN: COUNTRY OR AREA OF REIGN: PREDECESSOR (who ruled before them): SUCCESSOR (who ruled after them): MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Based on research, which kings were REAL? Which kings were FICTIONAL? ACTIVITY Organize your research into one timeline showing the dates of each king s reign. Your timeline should begin with the earliest reign and end with the most recent reign. ACTIVITY Using your research about country or area of reign, write each king s name next to correct region. Social Studies Geography: Geographic Representations; History: Chronology, Change Over Time, and Contextualization; Library Media Information Literacy: Identify and Access; Organize; Evaluate; English Language Arts Reading Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details; Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

11 further reading Puss & Boots by Ayano Imai (Ages 5-7) A poor shoemaker must close his business as there is no work, but his cat is determined to save the shoemaker from his plight. Using a magnificent pair of boots and a sly plan, the trusty cat tempts a monster and tricks the beast into using his own vanity against himself. With the monster defeated, the shoemaker reopens his shop and can once again sell his beautiful shoes to the townspeople. The Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan retold by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein (Ages 6+) When a daimyo's castle is besieged by an enormous, ferocious rat, the lord beseeches the abbot of a nearby monastery to send a samurai cat to drive the beast away. The first and second samurai to confront him are overwhelmed by the rodent's martial-arts skills, but the third, a tattered, disreputablelooking old feline, allows the rat's greed to work against him and emerges triumphant. Dog in Boots by Greg Gormley (Ages 7-10) Inspired by his favorite story about a cat with fantastic boots, Dog heads to the local shoe store and emerges with some splendid footwear. But Dog soon discovers that his fancy shoes won t let him do doggy things. He tries flippers, high heels, even skis, but can t find anything that is just right. Could the perfect solution be right under his nose? The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering (Ages 7-10) Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? Warriors: Dawn of the Clans #1: The Sun Trail by Erin Hunter, illustrated by Wayne McLoughlin (Ages 8-12) The first book of a thrilling prequel arc in Erin Hunter's #1 nationally bestselling Warriors series. In the action-packed Dawn of the Clans arc, discover how the warrior Clans came to be. Long before Firestar left his kittypet home to join ThunderClan, a band of cats from the mountains set off on a dangerous journey in search of a new home. Library Media Personal Growth: Read Visit your local library for more suggestions!

12 what was your favorite part of the play? Did you know that the play you saw was the result of many people working together? There are many roles in the theatre department and each of the people in charge of these tasks must do their very best as a team member in order to produce a great performance. Below is a list of some of these roles: The DIRECTOR is the person responsible for the overall artistic vision of a production. The SET DESIGNER is the person responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of the stage setting. The COSTUME DESIGNER is the person in charge of the clothing worn by the actors in a performance. The TECHNICAL DIRECTOR is the person in charge of the technical requirements of a production as well as the equipment. The STAGE MANAGER is the person responsible for overseeing all the backstage elements of a production (scheduling, rehearsals, etc.) The ACTOR is the one who performs a role or represents a character in a play. The CHOREOGRAPHER is the person who designs the dance steps to be used in a play. The MUSIC DIRECTOR is the person responsible for the musical content of a production. Which of these roles most closely matches your favorite part of the play? WANT MORE INFORMATION? If you would like more information about the Arkansas Arts Center Children s Theatre, visit our website at: or call We would love to hear from you! Write to us at:: ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER CHILDREN S THEATRE P.O. BOX 217 LITTLE ROCK, AR 7220 Presented by: Sponsored by: Media Sponsor: Arkansas Arts Center Children s Theatre is supported in part by: the City of Little Rock; the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; the City of North Little Rock; The Shubert Foundation and the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the National Endowment for the Arts.