My Son Pinocchio Enrichment Guide - First Stage

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Inside the Guide A Note to Teachers and Parents Setting the Stage preparing for the play Synopsis. ................ 2-4 About the Composer Lyricist. ... 5 About the Playwright ......... 6 Recommended Reading. ....... 6 My Son Pinocchio. ........... 7 Pre-Show Questions. ......... 7 For Teachers Curriculum connections before or after the play HISTORY The History of the Fairy Tale..... 8-9 Disney’s Pinocchio.............. 10 Language Arts When You Wish Upon a Star... 11-12 Modern Day Fairy Tales....... 21-23 ART I’ve Got No Strings............. 16 FOREIGN LANGUAGE An Italian Dictionary............ 18 HUMANITIES Lie Detectors.................. 15 Consequences................. 17 Citizenship’s Five Themes..... 24-25 SCIENCE Star Clock................. 13-14 Whales...................... 19 A Whale of a Tale.............. 20 Dear Teachers and Parents, Thank you for joining us this holiday season to witness this remarkable retelling of the classic fairytale, Pinocchio. MY SON PINOCCHIO, written by the highly acclaimed composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, tells the story of Pinocchio through the eyes of Geppetto. Filled with beloved songs from the animated Disney classic, as well as a number of new songs and a holiday twist, MY SON PINOCCHIO explores themes of unconditional love, bravery and consequences. Enclosed in this enrichment guide is a range of materials and activities intended to help you discover connections within the play through the curricula. It is our hope that you will use the experience of attending the theater and seeing MY SON PINOCCHIO with your students as a teaching tool. As educators and parents, you know best the needs and abilities of your students. Use this guide to best serve your children—pick and choose, or adapt, any of these suggestions for discussions or activities. We encourage you to take advantage of the enclosed student worksheets— please feel free to photocopy the sheets for your students, or the entire guide for the benefit of other teachers. Best regards, Julia Magnasco Education Director (414) 267-2971 First Stage Policies Curtain Call Post-Show Discussion Questions ... 25 Who Said It?.................. 26 Who Said It? (Answers).......... 27 • The use of recording equipment and cameras are not permitted during the performance. • Food, drink, candy and gum are not permitted during the performance. • Electronic devices are not permitted in the theater space. • Should a student become ill, suffer an injury or have another problem, please escort him or her out of the theater space. • In the unlikely event of a general emergency, the theater lights will go on and the stage manager will come on stage to inform the audience of the problem. Remain in your seats, visually locate the nearest exit and wait for the stage manager to guide your group from the theater. Seating for people with disabilities: If you have special seating needs for any student(s) and did not indicate your need when you ordered your tickets, please call our School Sales Specialist at (414) 267-2962. Our knowledge of your needs will enable us to serve you better upon your arrival to the theater.
Setting the Stage: Synopsis A s the lights come up, we see the Blue Fairy and her fairies in training. The Blue Fairy shares with the audience her holiday tradition: celebrating the fact that she grants perfect wishes. This year, she helped lonely toy-maker Geppetto bring to life the puppet boy Pinocchio. As she sings, she is suddenly interrupted by a loud whisper by Geppetto who has slowly crept onstage. He requests that the Blue Fairy take back Pinocchio because he is defective. He goes on to say that Pinocchio doesn’t follow rules, is embarrassing, and is not interested in being a toymaker. He threatens to tell everyone that she is a second rate fairy if she does not take Pinocchio back. The Blue Fairy is at first speechless, then begins her rant catching herself midway through and tries to laugh it off. Geppetto makes a dig at her, saying she has a 99% success rate – they fairies gasp in shock. The Blue Fairy pulls it together and she invites the audience to take a trip back in time. We see Geppetto’s toy shop in all of its holiday glory. Toys everywhere – windup toys, clacking toys, rolling toys. Geppetto is preparing to open up his shop to all of the eagerly awaiting children. As he swings the doors of the shop open, children with their parents in tow, stream into the shop. There is a hubbub of children wildly playing and moving about the shop. The parents are trying to gain control over all of this frenzied joy. Geppetto shakes his head upon their failure to do so. As the children grab toys and beg for more, the parents clearly have no control over them. Off to the side by Geppetto’s workbench sits an unknown toy covered in a shiny cloth. A child stands behind the rope that sections off this area and demands that she gets this toy. Geppetto explains that the toy is not for sale, which sends the child into a fit. In an effort to solve the situation, Geppetto offers the child a candy cane. The child suddenly stops the crying, grabs the candy cane, and pops it in her mouth, without asking her mother (a request Geppetto made upon giving the candy cane to the child.) The mother leaves to chase after her daughter and Geppetto wonders, “Why is it the people who shouldn’t have children have children.” The rise of commotion pulls Geppetto out of his reverie as children pull parents to and fro and point at various toys. Geppetto walks over to his workbench and pulls off the cloth to reveal an almost finished wooden marionette. He paints a few last details and steps back to examine his creation. He picks up Pinocchio by his strings and moves him about, talking to him as if he were real. The Blue Fairy appears and with a magic wave of her wand, Pinocchio magically stands and comes to life. The Blue Fairy says, “Little Pinocchio. Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and some day you will be a real boy.” The puppet runs to Geppetto calling out, “Daddy!” It is evident Geppetto is filled with joy at this moment. Finally breaking from this journey back in time, Geppetto tries to convince the Blue Fairy that things did not turn out how he had planned and she must help him. The fairies in training take us back to see Geppetto and Pinocchio together on their first day. Geppetto is excited for Pinocchio to meet the town’s fathers. Geppetto teaches Pinocchio a song that his father taught to him and they enter laughing and singing this tune. Geppetto introduces Pinocchio (his name meaning “eye of pine”) as his son and he is congratulated. Geppetto tries to get Pinocchio to sing to impress the town fathers but to no avail. After a few moments Pinocchio disappears, much to the annoyance of the town fathers and Geppetto is very embarrassed. As the fairies bring us to day two on this trip back in time, Geppetto calls for Pinocchio who appears in the toyshop. When Geppetto tells Pinocchio that he is going to teach him how to be a toymaker, Geppetto is met with a negative response. Pinocchio picks up a toy train and tells his Dad that he wants to be a train conductor instead. Geppetto snatches the train away and puts it on a high shelf out of Pinocchio’s reach. Geppetto explains their lineage of toy making and the importance of what they do as he inspects one of his new creations. All of a sudden...CRASH! The shelf and all of its toys come crashing down as Pinocchio tried to climb the shelf to retrieve the train. Pinocchio says, “I didn’t do it!” As he tries to pull together a string of excuses, his nose grows longer. With each of Pinocchio’s excuses, his nose grows longer and longer. With that, Geppetto grounds his son for what he has done. Pinocchio begins to cry as Geppetto starts to soften. As the crying increases, Geppetto feels terrible. He tries to find the right thing to say. With sudden inspiration, he reaches into his pocket and just like the crying child in the toyshop, pulls out a glittering candy cane. Pinocchio bats his hand away and Geppetto is stunned. On day three, Geppetto calls for Pinocchio to wake up for his first school day. Geppetto tells Pinocchio that he needs to make a good impression so he needs to act like the other kids. Pinocchio runs over to sit with the other children. Shortly after, a large 2
Page 1: ENRICHMENT GUIDE SCHOOL DATES DECEM
Page 5 and 6: Setting the Stage: Synopsis (Contin
Page 7 and 8: About the Playwright Taken directly
Page 9 and 10: The History of the Fairy Tale HISTO
Page 11 and 12: Disney’s Pinocchio HISTORY CLASSR
Page 13 and 14: When You Wish Upon a Star... STUDEN
Page 15 and 16: Star Clock SCIENCE STUDENT WORKSHEE
Page 17 and 18: I’ve Got No Strings Language Arts
Page 19 and 20: An Italian Dictionary FOREIGN LANGU
Page 21 and 22: A Whale of a Tale MATH CLASSROOM AC
Page 23 and 24: Modern Day Fairy Tales (Continued)
Page 25 and 26: Teaching Citizenship’s Five Theme
Page 27 and 28: Who Said It? 1. You publicly besmir

My Son Pinocchio Enrichment Guide - First Stage

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