ONSTAGE 2017/ 18 RE SOU RC E G UIDE STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE

Transcription

1 ONSTAGE 2017/ 18 RE SOU RC E G UIDE STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE

2 ABOUT OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS RESIDENT ORGANIZATIONS Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society Children's Theater of Madison Forward Theater Company Kanopy Dance Company Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company Madison Ballet Madison Opera Madison Symphony Orchestra Wisconsin Academy s James Watrous Gallery Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra RESOURCE GUIDE CREDITS Executive Editor Writer/Designer Overture Center for the Arts fills a city block in downtown Madison with world-class venues for the performing and visual arts. Made possible by an extraordinary gift from Madison businessman W. Jerome Frautschi, the center presents the highest-quality arts and entertainment programming in a wide variety of disciplines for diverse audiences. Offerings include performances by acclaimed classical, jazz, pop, and folk performers; touring Broadway musicals; quality children s entertainment; and world-class ballet, modern and jazz dance. Overture Center s extensive outreach and educational programs serve thousands of Madison-area residents annually, including youth, older adults, people with limited financial resources and people with disabilities. The center is also home to ten independent resident organizations. Internationally renowned architect Cesar Pelli designed the center to provide the best possible environment for artists and audiences, as well as to complement Madison s urban environment. Performance spaces range from the spectacular 2,250-seat Overture Hall to the casual and intimate Rotunda Stage. The renovated Capitol Theater seats approximately 1,110, and The Playhouse seats 350. In addition, three multi-purpose spaces provide flexible performance, meeting and rehearsal facilities. Overture Center also features several art exhibit spaces. Overture Galleries I, II and III display works by Dane County artists. The Playhouse Gallery features regional artists with an emphasis on collaborations with local organizations. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters Watrous Gallery displays works by Wisconsin artists, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art offers works by national and international artists. Meri Rose Ekberg Danielle Dresden

3 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 1 Dear Teachers, In this resource guide you will find valuable information that will help you apply your academic goals to your students performance experience. We have included suggestions for activities which can help you prepare students to see this performance, ideas for followup activities, and additional resources you can access on the web. Along with these activities and resources, we ve also included the applicable Wisconsin Academic Standards in order to help you align the experience with your curriculum requirements. This Educator s Resource Guide for this OnStage presentation of Go, Dog. Go! is designed to: Extend the scholastic impact of the performance by providing discussion ideas, activities and further reading which promote learning across the curriculum; Promote arts literacy by expanding students knowledge of music, science, storytelling and theatre; Illustrate that the arts are a legacy reflecting the values, custom, beliefs, expressions and reflections of a culture; Use the arts to teach about the cultures of other people and to celebrate students own heritage through self-reflection; Maximize students enjoyment and appreciation of the performance. We hope this performance and the suggestions in this resource guide will provide you and your students opportunities to apply art learning in your curricula, expanding it in new and enriching ways. Enjoy the Show! Curriculum Categories Language Arts Social Emotional Social Studies Caption Table of Contents About Go, Dog. Go!... 2 Bringing the Page to the Stage... 3 Dogs in Real Life...4 Resources...5 Pre- and Post-Show Questions...6 Arts Education Activity Academic Standards About Live Performance...11 We Want Your Feedback! OnStage performances can be evaluated online! Evaluations are vital to the future and funding of this program. Your feedback educates us about the ways the program is utilized and we often implement your suggestions. Survey:

4 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 2 About Go, Dog. Go! By Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz Based on the book by P.D. Eastman Music by Michael Koerner Director Dog: David Saar Music Director Dog: Alan Ruch Choreographer Dog: Molly Lajoie Costume Designer Dog: Kish Finnegan Scenic Designer Dog: Aaron Jackson Lighting Designer Dog: Tim Monson Stage Manager Dog: Sam Ries Performed by Childsplay About Childsplay Childsplay is a professional non-profit theatre company of adult actors, performing for young audiences and families.their mission is to create theatre so strikingly original in form, content or both, that it instills in young people an enduring awe, love and respect for the medium, thus preserving imagination and wonder, those hallmarks of childhood that are the keys to the future. With its home base in Phoenix Arizona, Childsplay was founded in Since then, the company has educated and inspired more than four million young people and families, developing a national and international reputation for innovative, thoughtprovoking, and award-winning theater for young audiences. Childsplay maintains a strong commitment to arts education, conducting workshops and activities in more than 40 communities each year. The cast of this preschool favorite has gone to the dogs: with rollicking results! No one is safe not even the strolling accordionist as they bound onto the scene. There s cars, hats, audience participation, even a wild game of ball as this laugh-a-minute visual spectacle manages to sneak in some important lessons about life between innings. Based on the beloved book by P.D. Eastman, Go, Dog. Go! is a musical romp full of surprises. The result is a production full of color, clowning, vaudeville, singing/barking, and of course, six lovable dogs!

5 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 3 Bringing the Page to the Stage, and More A Word from the Playwrights, Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz This play is adapted from a book renowned for its ability to generate fun, learning, adventure and surprise with a minimum of text. P.D. Eastman s timeless work honors the joyous simplicity of the world around us. Therefore in crafting a stage version of Go, Dog. Go!, it is not our intention to fill out or open up the story in the style of many traditional adaptations. We have, in fact, added virtually no words of our own. Expanding the book in this way would, we believe, rob it of its essential wondrous and loopy anarchy. Instead, we hope to celebrate and explore the existing words and pictures; to look not outside the book, but more closely within it in the same way that a child (and parent) can read through Mr. Eastman s book night after night and find something new and remarkable with every turn of the page. Animals Acting Like People In Go, Dog. Go! you ll see dogs doing extraordinary things; driving, playing the banjo, and more. Along with being fun to watch, these activities share an important characteristic they re all things people do and animals generally don t. This artistic device of having animals act like people is called anthropomorphism, and it s a common feature in books, theater, movies, and, of course, cartoons. The use of anthropomorphism in stories for children has many function, including: Teaching children about desired behaviors, attitudes, and values, as well as commenting on adult behavior Stimulating children s imaginations and encouraging them to consider other ways of thinking and being Thinking about animals who have feelings like they do promotes empathy Discussion Prompts Ask students to discuss books, movies, cartoons, and plays where animals and objects behave like people. Ask students to describe the human qualities these characters showed. How believable were they? Discuss what this behavior reveals about human nature, and the challenges that people face. About P.D. Eastman Born Phillip Dey Phil Eastman in 1909 in Amherst, Massachusetts, was an illustrator, children s author, and screenwriter. After graduating from Amherst College and the National Academy of Design, Eastman went to Hollywood to work as a cartoonist for Walt Disney, Warner Brother s, and other production companies. Then came World War II, and Eastman was assigned to the Signal Corps Film Unit, where he work on animation for orientation and training films, as well as the Private Snafu series. But, more importantly, he came to the attention of the head of that unit, a man named Theodor Geisel, who is much better known today as Dr. Seuss. After the war, Eastman worked as a writer and storyboard artist at United Productions of America (UPA), where he helped develop the character of Mister Magoo, co-wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-winning Gerold McBoing- Boing, and worked on educational films. By the late 1950s, Eastman had reunited with his old boss, Ted Geisel, to write for his BEGINNER BOOKS series at Random House. P.D. Eastman s first children s book, Sam and the Firefly, was published in He wrote and/ or illustrated a total of 15 books, most of which are still in print, and died in 1986.

6 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 4 Dogs in Real Life It may be hard to imagine, but the fluffiest Labradoodle and friendliest puppies you know all have one common ancestor the wolf. Still, the friendship between dogs and humans began long ago probably about 100,000 years ago and dogs are thought to be the first animals humans domesticated, which means that humans tamed dogs and kept them as pets and as helpers. Dogs have been a big part of human life ever since. Images of dogs have been found on everything from the walls of ancient caves to mosaics from Ancient Rome. Today, from Afghan hounds to Yorkshire terriers, chihuahuas to Saint Bernards, you can find many different kinds of dogs. The World Canine Organization, officially known as the Fédération Cynologique International, has identified 339 distinct breeds of dogs, which are divided into categories based on the work they were bred to do and their general appearance or size. Dogs have a much better sense of smell than people. People have about 5 million scent receptors in their noses, but a dog like a German shepherd has 220 million! Dogs are also better at hearing and have a great ability to tell where a sound came from. They have a highly-developed sense of touch on their paws and around their mouths and eyes. Although their vision is great at detecting movement, dogs don t see colors the way people do. Their sense of taste is not as strong as humans, which might explain why they can eat dog food. Even though dogs can t actually talk in real life, they find many ways to communicate with humans and other dogs. Instead of using words, they use their voices and bodies in different ways to express themselves and take note of what s going. A dog may bark one way to welcome its people home and another way to announce that there is a squirrel in the yard. A dog may growl in warning or yip when someone accidentally steps on its tail. Dogs use their bodies in different ways, depending on what they re feeling, or wanting. A dog who wants to play will stand differently from a dog who has just been caught going through the garbage. Discussion Questions & Activity Prompts Can you give examples of the different sounds dogs make to communicate greetings? Fear? Pain? The feeling of a good scritch behind the ear? Do people ever communicate with their voices without using words? How do people show excitement with their voices, but no words? Fear? Sympathy? Sadness?

7 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 5 Resources Our Lives with Dogs Almost half (48%) of the U.S. population owns a dog, according to the National Pet Owners Survey. That works out to an average of 1.49 dogs for 60.2 million households, or about 89.7 million dogs in this country. Roughly one out of every 10 dog owners has health insurance for their pets, 95% give their dogs treats, and 78% buy them gifts, purchasing an average of five gifts a year for $14 a gift. Dogs give their people plenty in return. Eighty percent of dog owners say they get happiness and emotional support from their dogs, 66% say their dogs help relieve their stress, and 55% report less anxiety and depression. Activity Use these statistics to create math problems, such as: If 48% of the population has a dog, what percent doesn t? If 60.2 million households have dogs, and one out of 10 dog owners buys health insurance for their pets, how many households probably buy pet health insurance? Other Books by P. D. Eastman Are You My Mother? The Best Nest Flap Your Wings Sam and the Firefly Red, Stop! Green, Go! Big Dog Little Dog Websites A fun site about dogs, with quotes, fun facts, and movie and book lists www. dogquotes.com A simply funny montage of dogs who don t want to take a bath Kids Discover Online has lots of information on dogs and much more. Free registration required. Physical comedy clips and background

8 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 6 Childsplay s Questions... Before Seeing Go, Dog. Go! 1. What is the difference between seeing a play and seeing a movie? 2. If you could be any kind of dog, what kind of dog would you be? What would your name be? 3. How are dogs similar to humans? How are they different? 4. How can you make a play out of a book with very few words? What do you think the play will be like? What do you think the songs will be about? 5. What do you think the dogs in the play will look like? How do you think they will move and sound? After Seeing Go, Dog. Go! 1. Who were the characters in the story? 2. What were the problems in the story? 3. Where did the story take place? 4. How was the play like the book? How was it different from the book? 5. What part of the play do you remember best? 6. Which character was your favorite and why? 7. Share a moment from the play that made you laugh. What other funny bits do you remember?

9 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 7 Activity - A Dog s Life By Aimee S. Reid, Teaching Artist Target Grades: pre-k to 3rd Length of Lesson: minutes Supplies: None Overview: Students act out a day in the life of a dog. Teaching Objectives: Students will use their bodies to show distinct characteristics as dogs. Students will communicate actions and objects using pantomime. Students will use individual tableaux to show emotions. Warm-up - Ask students to stand in their own space. Explain that as you count down from 10, they must change their bodies into dog bodies, so when you say 10 they are humans, when you say 5 they should be half and half, and when you say 0 they must be all dog. Let them explore their new dog bodies, going fast, going slow, sitting, rolling over, etc. Are they big dogs? Little dogs? Puppies? Old dogs? If noise becomes an issue, let them to try barking loudly, then softly, and say the soft barking is better for the activity, which means soft barking only from now on. Target Activity - Instruct students to curl up to sleep as dogs perhaps turning off some lights. After a few seconds, turn the lights back on and announce it s time for the dogs to wake up! Tell them to stretch and shake out the sleepies they are going to have a dog day. Walk the dogs over to one section of the room and have them gather together, sitting. Step into role as all the dogs owner. Ask students to try various dog tricks, first all at once, and then one-by-one so others can see. Emphasize doing tricks using specific parts of the body, such as Beg for a treat using your face (expression) or Scratch your belly with your paws. Next, call out one of the five senses (sight, hearing, etc.) and ask students to pantomime using the body part connected to each sense (without touching the other dogs). Tap each student on the head and ask what they see, hear, etc. from the dog s perspective. Announce that it s time to eat. But there is no dog food! Ask students to sit in a circle and brainstorm things to eat. Pantomime opening a lunch box and taking a specific food (ie a sandwich). Emphasize what it looks like (size), what it smells like, what it feels like (hot/cold/sticky). Take a bite and pass it on, asking students to pantomime sharing the food. They should use their bodies and faces to show whether or not they like it. After everyone has tried the pantomimed food, either take out another, different food item, or ask another student to open his/ her lunch box and pantomime eating a different food item, passing it on. Repeat as desired.

10 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 8 Activity - A Dog s Life (continued) Announce that the day is nearly over and it s time for bed. Ask the dogs if they would like to go to sleep now (presumably they will say no). Ask students to use their bodies to show how they feel about going to bed in a tableau (frozen picture). Walk around the room and tap a student on the head, and ask them to say one thing to try to convince you they should not go to bed. Repeat as desired. After they have shared, walk over and turn off one of the lights. Talk them through getting sleepy: eyes are tired, rub your eyes, stretch, curl up, and sleep. Tell students when they wake up, they will be boys and girls again. Let students sleep for a few seconds and then turn on the light. Assessment Sit in a circle together and ask: 1. What did you do with your bodies to show you were dogs? 2. When we were eating food, how did you know what we were eating? 3. How did you know if someone liked it or not? 4. When you showed me how you felt about going to bed, what did you do with your bodies and faces to show how you felt? Extensions Art - Provide students with magazines with pictures of dogs and other animals. Ask them to cut out pictures of the animals and create a collage of animals. Science - Using the art project above, ask the students to observe the differences and similarities between the animals (color, number of legs, wings/no wings, etc)

11 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 9 Academic Standards Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards I. Health and Physical Development C. Sensory Organization C.EL. 1 Uses senses to take in, experience, integrate, and regulate responses to the environment. II. Social and Emotional Development A. Emotional Development A.EL. 2 Understands and responds to others emotions. C. Social Competence C.EL. 3 Demonstrates understanding of rules and social expectations. C.EL. 4 Engages in social problem solving behavior and learns to resolve conflict. III. Language Development and Communication A. Listening and Understanding A.EL.1 Derives meaning through listening to communications of others and sounds in the environment. A.EL. 2 Listens and responds to communications with others. A.EL. 3 Follows directions of increasing complexity. IV. Approaches to Learning A. Curiosity, Engagement, and Persistence A.EL. 1 Displays curiosity, risk-taking, and willingness to engage in new experiences. A.EL. 3 Exhibits persistence and flexibility. B. Creativity and Imagination B. EL. 1 Engages in imaginative play and inventive thinking through interactions with people, materials, and the environment. B. EL. 2 Expresses self creatively through music, movement, and art. C. Diversity in Learning C. EL. 1 Experiences a variety of routines, practices, and languages. V. Cognition and General Knowledge A. Exploration, Problem-Solving, and Discovery A. EL. 1 Uses multi-sensory abilities to process information. A. EL. 3 Applies problem solving skills. C. Scientific Thinking C. EL.1 Uses observation to gather information. B. Speaking and Communicating B. EL. 2b Uses vocalizations and spoken language to communicate. B. EL. 2c Uses vocalizations and spoken language to communicate.

12 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 10 Academic Standards (continued) Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Speaking and Listening Standards Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grade appropriate topics and texts, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail Model Academic Standards for Theatre Education (Theatre standards are not spelled out below Grade 4.) A. Play Reading and Analysis A.4.1 Attend a live theatre performance and discuss the experience Explain what happened in the play Identify and describe the characters Say what they liked and didn t like Describe the scenery, lighting and/or costumes

13 Go, Dog. Go! Overture Center OnStage 11 About Live Performance Theater, unlike movies or television, is a LIVE performance. This means that the action unfolds right in front of an audience, and the performance is constantly evolving. The artists respond to the audience s laughter, clapping, gasps and general reactions. Therefore, the audience is a critical part of the theater experience. In fact, without you in the audience, the artists would still be in rehearsal! Remember, you are sharing this performance space with the artists and other audience members. Your considerate behavior allows everyone to enjoy a positive theater experience. Prepare: Be sure to use the restroom before the show begins! Find Your Seat: When the performance is about to begin, the lights will dim. This is a signal for the artists and the audience to put aside conversations. Settle into your seat and get ready to enjoy the show! Look and Listen: There is so much to hear (dialogue, music, sound effects) and so much to see (costumes, props, set design, lighting) in this performance. Pay close attention to the artists onstage. Unlike videos, you cannot rewind if you miss something. Energy and Focus: Artists use concentration to focus their energy during a performance. The audience gives energy to the artist, who uses that energy to give life to the performance. Help the artists focus that energy. They can feel that you are with them! Talking to neighbors (even whispering) can easily distract the artists onstage. They approach their audiences with respect, and expect the same from you in return. Help the artists concentrate with your attention. Laugh Out Loud: If something is funny, it s good to laugh. If you like something a lot, applaud. Artists are thrilled when the audience is engaged and responsive. They want you to laugh, cheer, clap and really enjoy your time at the theater. Discover New Worlds: Attending a live performance is a time to sit back and look inward, and question what is being presented to you. Be curious about new worlds, experience new ideas, and discover people and lives previously unknown to you. Your open mind, curiosity, and respect will allow a whole other world to unfold right before your eyes! Please, don t feed the audience: Food is not allowed in the theater. Soda and snacks are noisy and distracting to both the artists and audience. Unplug: Please turn off all cell phones and other electronics before the performance. Photographs and recording devices are prohibited.

14 STEVE WINTER COLIN BRENNAN RACHEL NEVILLE Series funder American Girl s Fund for Children with additional support from the DeAtley Family Foundation, Kuehn Family Foundation, A. Paul Jones Charitable Trust, Promega Corporation, Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, Stoughton Trailers, LLC, Nancy E. Barklage & Teresa J. Welch and by contributions to Overture Center for the Arts. Help make arts experiences real for hundreds of thousands of people at o v e r t u r e. o r g / s u p p o r t SPONSORS