Strega Nona the Musical - New Jersey Performing Arts Center

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Photo: Joshua Posamentier Photo: Paparazzi by Appointment In the Spotlight Tomie dePaola is the author of more than 100 books and the illustrator of more than 200. When he was four years old, he told his family that he planned to be a writer, and from that moment on, he received their unconditional support. Besides reading to him daily, the family provided him with a work space in the attic and an abundant 4 Passport to culture • Tomie dePaola’s Strega Nona the Musical supply of art materials. Young Tomie began creating books for his younger siblings. as the years went on, he has extended his artistic endeavors into multiple media ranging from theater productions to posters to greeting cards and church murals. it is widely believed that Strega nona is a character from italian folklore. in fact, the character is an invention from the imagination of Tomie dePaola. for years he had been doodling a distinctive profile that actually resembled the commedia dell’arte character Punchinello. one day, he tacked a headscarf onto the profile, then an eye and a smiling mouth, then a chubby little body complete with long skirt and apron. He scribbled the words “Strega nona” next to the drawing. Strega is italian for witch. Nona is a slang spelling for granny in Calabria, a region in southern italy and the ancestral home of the dePaolas. The character had been invented, but a story had not materialized. When dePaola’s publishers came to him with the idea of re-telling a folktale, he decided to re-work a German folktale called The Porridge Pot for his Strega nona. Since her first appearance in 1975, the delightful little witch has inspired no less than 10 books and has become a superstar in the world of children’s literature. NJPAC_Passport_StregaNona.indd 4 9/13/10 11:00 AM
Photo: Joshua Posamentier Theater Talk Pasta threatens Bambolona’s life. actor - a person who interprets a role and performs it in a production. adaptation - the act of adjusting and changing material, such as fiction, for presentation in another medium such as dance drama, or film; an adapted work. artistic director - the person who chooses the material and oversees the entire theatrical production. He or she coordinates the efforts of many people: author, set designer, artisans, musicians, actors, and technicians. climax - the crucial moment, turning point or dramatic high point in the action or plot, usually near the end of the story or play. comedy - a story or play that depicts characters and situations in a funny or amusing way. dialogue - the conversation in a play between two or more characters. director - the person who conceives of an overall concept for a production, supervises all its elements and guides the actors in their performances. monologue - a speech by one actor alone on stage which often reveals the inner thoughts and feelings of the character that he or she is portraying. musical theater - a genre of theater that uses song and dance in addition to dramatic action to tell a story. playwright - the person who writes the play. props - items used on stage to help create a sense of place such as an envelope, a flag or a map; the belongings used by a character on stage such as a purse, hand mirror or sandwich. puppet - an inanimate object controlled by wire, hand, body, or other means to represent a person, idea or figure. scene - a division of a production, usually part of an act, in which the action is continuous. scenery - painted canvas mounted on wooden frames, drops, cutouts, etc. used in a theater to represent a place or environment where the action happens. script - the written text detailing what happens as well as dialogue spoken during a play or performance. set - the arrangement of scenery and props on a stage. Passport to culture • Tomie dePaola’s Strega Nona the Musical NJPAC_Passport_StregaNona.indd 5 9/13/10 11:00 AM 5
Page 1 and 2: Photo: Joshua Posamentier just imag
Page 3: Photo: Joshua Posamentier On Stage
Page 7 and 8: In the Classroom Before the Perform

Strega Nona the Musical - New Jersey Performing Arts Center

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