Backwards in High Heels Arizona Theatre Company Play Guide

DISCUSSIONS
evidence can you fi nd in the play that backs up your assertion?
8. Ginger Rogers worked very hard to be in control of her career, almost from the
beginning. Given the time period during which she was rising up through the
Hollywood ranks, why is this signifi cant? Using examples from the play, discuss the
ways in which Ginger managed her career.
9. Several of the actors play multiple characters in Backwards in High Heels. Using
specifi c examples from the play, discuss how these actors use their acting tools (voice,
physicality, imagination) to distinguish one character from another. Are the actors
successful in differentiating one character from another?
10. Some of the actors in this play are portraying iconic fi lm actors from the Golden Age of
Hollywood. How do you think that developing one of these iconic characters might
differ from developing a character with whom fewer people are familiar? How is it the
same? As an actor, do you think you would like to play one of these famous actors?
Why or why not?
RELATED POST-SHOW ASSIGNMENTS:
(Based on Language Arts State Standards)
Backwards in High Heels
1. Select one of America’s great dancers other than Ginger Rogers and write a research
paper that develops a logical argument or thesis about this person’s infl uence on dance
(particularly in fi lm), contains comprehensive, supporting information from a variety of
credible and cited sources, and conforms to the MLA style manual.
2. Select one of America’s great dancers other than Ginger Rogers. Write an expository essay
in which you compare/contrast his or her dance style(s) to that of Ginger Rogers.
3. Select and view one of Ginger Rogers’ movies and a few episodes of So You Think You
Can Dance. Write an expository essay in which you compare/contrast the dance styles
exhibited in the fi lm with those found in So You Think You Can Dance. Which dance
styles are exhibited in each? How has dance on fi lm/television evolved over time?
4. Write a summary of Ginger Rogers’ life that presents information clearly and accurately
and contains the most signifi cant details.
5. Write a letter from Ginger Rogers to her mother, Lela, once her mother is no longer touring
with Ginger. What does Ginger need to tell her mother in this moment? Use examples
from the script to determine what Ginger writes to her mother about. Use standard letter
format, complete sentences, and appropriate punctuation.
6. Write a research paper tracing the history and evolution of tap dancing. Out of what
dance styles did tap evolve? What are the cultural roots of this style of dance, and what
is its signifi cance, particularly in the African-American community? Has tap infl uenced
other styles of dance, and if so, how? What is the signifi cance of the fact that it was
ultimately white fi lm stars like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire who brought this style of
dance to mainstream audiences?
Arizona Theatre Company Play Guide 23