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TheatreWorksS I L I C O N V A L L E Y
FOR SCHOOLS
Onceon this
Island
Our Partners in EducationTheatreWorks thanks our generous donors to the Education Department, whose financial support enables us to
provide in-depth arts education throughout Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. During the 2012/13
season alone, we served over 38,000 students, patients, and community members, making over 90,000 educational
interactions.
CORPORATE & FOUNDATION
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INDIVIDUAL
Anonymous (2)
Toni Bassett
Matty Bloom
Joan Bowersock
Stephen Carney
Rebecca Carter
Cheri Chapman
Evelyn Comstock
Frances Escherich
Daniel Fourrier
Alice Frayne
Seth Leslie
Bruce Lonie
Russ Louthian
Barbara McArthur
Lewis Miller
Guido Neels
Sharon Perl
Audrey Perlman
Valerie Pierce
Nancy Ruskin
Judith Schwartz
Frank Shifrin
Debra Summers
Lisa Walker
Patricia Workman2
“There is an island where rivers run deep.
Where the sea sparkling in the sun
earns it the name Jewel of the Antilles.
An island where the poorest of peasants labor.
And the wealthiest of grandehommes play.
And on this island, we tell the story!”
Lyrics from Once on This Island
FRONT COVER: SALISHA THOMAS / PHOTO TRACY MARTIN
Table of Contents
For Teachers and Students• For Teachers: Using this Study Guide 4• For Students: The Role of the Audience 5
Exploring the Play • Once on This Island Plot Summary 6• Understanding Plot: Sequencing Events 7• Setting: The French Antilles 8• French Colonialism in Haiti 9• The Gods 10• Activity: Paint the Gods 10–11• Rosa Cuthbert Guy 12• Excerpt from My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl 13• Adapting a Story 14• Adaptations: From Page to Stage 15• Storytelling 16• Excerpt from Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale Hurston 17
Resources• Suggestions for Further Reading • STUDENT/Student Matinee Evaluation• TEACHER/Student Matinee Evaluation
3SET DESIGN BY JOE RAGEY
How to use this Study Guide
This guide is arranged in worksheets. Each worksheet or reading may be used independently or in conjunction
with others to serve your educational goals. Together, the worksheets prepare students for the workshops, as
well as seeing the student matinee of Once on This Island produced by TheatreWorks, and for discussing the
performance afterwards.
Throughout the guide you will see several symbols:
Means “Photocopy Me!” Pages with this symbol are meant to be photocopied and handed directly to students.
Means “English Language Arts.” Pages with this symbol feature lessons that are catered toCalifornia State English Language Arts standards.
Means “Theatre Arts.” Pages with this symbol feature lessons that are catered to California State Theatre Arts standards.
Means “Social Studies.” Pages with this symbol feature lessons that are catered to California State Social Studies standards.
For Teachers
Student matinee performances of Once on This Island will be held on March 20 & 27, 2014 at 11:00 am, at the Lucie
Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. The production is approximately 95 minutes, with no intermission. The performance will be
followed by a discussion with actors from the show.
Student audiences are often the most rewarding and demanding audiences that an acting ensemble can face. Since we
hope every show at TheatreWorks will be a positive experience for both audience and cast, we ask you to familiarize
your students with the theatre etiquette described on the “For Students” pages.
4
All the work that goes into a production would mean nothing if there wasn’t an audience for whom to perform. As the
audience, you are also a part of the production, helping the actors onstage tell the story.
When the performance is about to begin, the lights will dim. This is a signal for the actors and the audience to put aside
concerns and conversation and settle into the world of the play.
The performers expect the audience’s full attention and focus. Performance is a time to think inwardly, not a time
to share your thoughts aloud. Talking to neighbors (even in whispers) carries easily to others in the audience and to the
actors on stage. It is disruptive and distracting.
Food is not allowed in the theatre. Soda, candy, and other snacks are noisy and, therefore, distracting. Please keep
these items on the bus or throw them away before you enter the audience area. Backpacks are also not allowed in the
theatre.
Walking through the aisles during the performance is extremely disruptive. Actors occasionally use aisles and stairways
as exits and entrances. The actors will notice any movement in the performance space. Please use the restroom and
take care of all other concerns outside before the show.
Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off before the performance begins. Do not text during
the performance, as it is distracting to the audience members around you.
What to bring with you:
Introspection
Curiosity
Questions
Respect
An open mind
What to leave behind:
Judgments
Cell phones, etc.
Backpacks
Food
Attitude
The Role of the Audience
5
Once on This Island is a musical about an orphanedpeasant girl named Ti Moune. Ti Moune lives on a tropical island that most closely resembles what weknow today as Haiti. When she is just a little girl, a powerful storm strikes the island, and Ti Moune is savedfrom a great flood by the gods. She is then rescued andadopted by a loving couple named Mama Euralie andTonton Julian.
Fast forward many years—Ti Moune has grown into a vibrant young woman. We learn that a strict class system divides her island into two populations. She liveson one side of the island where dark-skinned peasantslive and labor. The other side of the island is home tolighter-skinned, wealthy grandes hommes. The dividebetween these two communities is deeply rooted in theisland’s culture and complex history. Ti Moune prays tothe gods to help her find her place in the world. She envies the strangers from the other side of the islandwho drive fast in fancy cars. The gods at first laugh ather pleas, but then debate each other. Erzulie (Goddessof Love) urges them to give Ti Moune the power of love,arguing that love can overcome anything in life. PapaGe (God of Death) disagrees and believes that death ismore powerful than love. The gods then decide to testTi Moune to see what is more powerful: love or death.Agwé (God of Water) sends a huge storm which causesa handsome young man from the other side of the island to crash his car near Ti Moune’s village. Ti Mounerescues him, working hard to help him heal, and soonfalls deeply in love with him. We learn that his name isDaniel Beauxhomme. Papa Ge comes to take Danielaway, and Ti Moune is so in love with him that she tellsPapa Ge to take her life instead of Daniel’s. Papa Ge issurprised by her willingness to sacrifice her own life,and he decides to leave the young couple unscathed.He vows, however, to return one day for Ti Moune’s life.
Tonton Julian seeks out Daniel’s family on the other sideof the island, and they come to retrieve him from TiMoune’s care. She is devastated to be separated fromthe love of her life but is determined to find him again.With the help of the gods, in particular Asaka (Motherof the Earth), Ti Moune embarks on a journey across the island in search of Daniel. She discovers his family’saffluent hotel bordered by a tall iron gate, but finds away inside. Daniel is recovering in his bed, his leg is stillbadly wounded, and he doesn’t remember Ti Moune.6
Hayden Tee, Maureen McVerry, & Mindy Lym / Photo by Tracy Martin
Once on This Island Plot Summary She gently begins to tell him the story of how she rescued him. Daniel is at first angry that Ti Mounewould seek him out in such a way, but he quickly becomes moved by her love and beauty. She stays byhis side for two weeks, helping him grow stronger.Other grandes hommes are shocked to see Daniel paying attention to a dark-skinned peasant girl, andgossip about this forbidden love affair.
At a ball held by Daniel’s parents, the Beauxhommes, TiMoune meets the arrogant Andrea Deveraux, a wealthywoman who has just returned from boarding school inFrance. Andrea attempts to humiliate Ti Moune by ask-ing her to dance for the guests at the ball, but TiMoune’s dancing is so impressive that she charmseveryone there. Angry, Andrea reveals that she is en-gaged to be married to Daniel. Daniel assures Ti Mounethat he doesn’t love Andrea but that he must marry herout of family duty and obligation. “There will always bea place for you here,“ he tells her. A heartbroken TiMoune doesn’t know where to turn and calls upon thegods. Papa Ge appears to her and urges her to killDaniel. She once offered her own life in order to spareDaniel’s, and so she owes Papa Ge the debt of her life.If she kills Daniel, Papa Ge says, she will be free of herdebt and can have her life back. That night Ti Mounesteals into Daniel’s room with a knife, but immediatelyshe realizes that she loves him too much to kill him.However, Daniel wakes up and sees the knife in herhand. The Beauxhommes kick her out of the hotel andout of Daniel’s life forever. Weeks later Ti Moune waitswith other peasants who beg for money as the newlymarried Daniel and Andrea emerge from the church.Daniel puts a single silver coin in Ti Moune’s palm.
With the help of the gods, Ti Moune wades into theocean and drowns peacefully. They transform her spiritinto a gorgeous tree in front of the Beauxhomme hotel.It grows so much that it breaks through the walls andthe gate that separates the hotel from the outsideworld. The tree symbolizes the hope and healing of thedivided community and the equality that will one daycome. As the story comes to a close, we fast forwardagain in time and see a young peasant girl and Daniel’sson playing together in the branches of the tree, and TiMoune’s spirit sets them free to love.
7
Understanding Plot: Sequencing EventsOnce on This Island is a story with many layers and many storytellers. Identify the 6 most important events in the play.
Then number them 1–6 and assign them to a box. Draw a small picture of the event in the box and write a brief description
of the event in the lines below the boxes.
Bonus exercise: divide the class into six groups and have each group form one tableau, using their bodies and
imaginations to tell the story in six frozen pictures.
1
3
5
2
4
6
8
Setting: The French Antilles
Once on This Island is set in the French Antilles on an
island that closely resembles what we know as Haiti.
Haiti was once called Saint-Dominigue or the “Jewel of
the Antilles.” The time period in which this story is set
is subject to interpretation. However, it seems to take
place in the mythic past in a time after Haiti gained
independence from France.
The French Antilles were a string of islands in the
Caribbean Sea that were once colonized and governed
by France in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. These
islands include the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti,
Trinidad, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and many more. (Read
more about French Colonialism, the history of Haiti, and
its caste systems on page 9.)
In this story, the island is divided into two very separate
populations: the working-class peasants live on one side
of the island, and the wealthier mixed-race elite live
on the other side of the island. This wealthier group is
known as grandes hommes and are lighter in skin color
than the peasants.
Haiti forms the western third of the island Hispaniola,
neighboring the Dominican Republic. French and
Haitian Creole are the official language of Haiti, and as
the word “Haiti” means mountainous, there are huge
mountain ranges, valleys, rivers, and lakes throughout
the island. Nearly 63% of the land is considered too
steep to farm on, but even still, agriculture is a huge
part of the country’s economy and history. While Haiti
had 60% of its original forest in 1923, now only 2%
remains.
CONNECTION:
After discussing the French Antilles with your
students, ask them how they expect the setting to
affect what they see and hear onstage. What
kinds of costumes do they imagine the characters
will wear, and what will the music sound like?
9
French Colonialism in Haiti“In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” We’ve allheard bits and pieces of this song. We use it to rememberthe approximate date that European explorers began toventure west to the Americas. It turns out that Columbusvisited Haiti several times during this year and namedthe island Hispaniola. However, this date playfully remembered in song marks the beginning of Colonialismand slavery in the Americas. The history of Colonialismis as complex and multi-layered as the cultures that fillthe Caribbean today.
Portuguese explorers were among the first to “conquer” the islands of the Caribbean. Spain claimed“Hispaniola” as its own until it gave up the western halfof the island to France in the late 1600s. France renamed this western half Saint-Domingue. English,French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch colonists viedfor land and resources in the rich Caribbean. Whilethese countries sought to expand their empires, theywere also motivated by money and economics. Thetropical islands of the Caribbean were extremely fertileand excellent for growing sugar, cotton, cocoa, and coffee. There was a huge demand for these products in Europe where they could not be grown. The tropicalclimate ensured enough water, but none of the freezing temperatures that would hinder agriculture. After manyindigenous people died from disease or servitude onthe island, European explorers sought laborers to farmand maintain their agricultural businesses. As a resultthe slave trade was developed. European colonialiststook populations of people primarily from the westerncoast of Africa and forced them into slavery working inplantation systems in the Antilles and in the Americas.By the end of the 1700s, Saint-Domingue was producing60% of the world’s coffee and 40% of the sugar used byFrance and England. There were approximately 500,000enslaved people living in Saint-Domingue at the heightof the slave trade.
Over the years various caste systems developedbased on the color of one’s skin. The white Europeanswere known as grand blancs. The freed slaves (ormixed-race people) were known as affranchise. Theslaves were known as noirs. By 1791, the enslaved vastly outnumbered the population of white colonists on the island. Runaways escaped to the mountains forming
groups known as Maroons that launched guerrilla attacks on white colonists. In this same year, the enslaved led by the charismatic Toussaint L’Ouverturerevolted against French colonists and succeeded ingaining independence. L’Ouverture governed success-fully for six years when he was dubbed “governor-general-for-life.” In 1802, however, French emperorNapoleon Bonaparte sent troops to wrest control from L’Ouverture and his men. Bonaparte’s troops over-powered L’Ouverture and he surrendered on May 5th,1802. The next year a former general who served withL’Ouverture led the country to push Bonaparte’s troopsout and to establish an independent republic. They re-named the island “Haiti,” which means “mountainous.”
However, remnants of the caste system remainedafter the revolution, and Haiti society was still dividedalong the lines of skin color. The Mulatto, or mixed-race,population became powerful in Haiti, and the descendentsof the enslaved were disenfranchised.
The peasants in Once on This Island pray to and dance for gods, and the gods often guide Ti Moune, for better or
worse, through her journey. We hear about:
• Asaka, Mother of the Earth
• Agwé, God of Water
• Erzulie, Goddess of Love
• Papa Ge, Demon of Death
These gods have origins in the Vodou religion, a religion that developed in Haiti. The history and cultures that fill the
Caribbean are multi-layered and complex due to the long history of Colonialism and slavery there. It’s hard to track
down the origins of any religion or belief as cultures have borrowed and melded with one another. But vodouists, those
who worship and practice Vodou, believe in an all-knowing, all-seeing creator god called Bondye. Secondary gods known
as loa serve Bondye and go between him and his human worshippers. Each loa is in charge of a certain aspect of life like
love, death, fire, water, earth, war, agriculture, peace, children, crossroads, etc.
s
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The Gods
CONNECTION:
Each of the gods that we see in this story has its
own unique traits and qualities. Choose one of
your favorite gods and research his or her origin,
history, and cultural significance. Discover how
this god is depicted in images or other stories.
What does he or she do? What is this god in
charge of? Record your research, thoughts, and
impressions on the lines to the right.
Now, imagine you are a costume designer andyou are in charge of costuming a production ofOnce on This Island. Using the outline on page12, sketch a costume for the god you have researched. Think about fabric, colors, extra materials, and other creative ways to expresscharacter.
Present your design to your class or to yourgroup. Explain why you have chosen the fabric,colors, and materials that you have chosen.Which aspects of the god are you trying to highlight in your costume design? What are youhoping to convey with your costume design?
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1111
On c
e o
n T h
i s I s
l an d
Cos tu m
e De si gn by :_ __ __ __ __
12
Rosa Cuthbert GuySeptember 1, 1922 – June 3, 2012
Rosa Cuthbert Guy was a Trinidad-born American author
who wrote the book My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant
Girl in 1985, and it is this novel that is the inspiration for
Once on This Island.
Ms. Guy was born in Diego Martin, Trinidad and immigrated
to America at age 7 where she joined her parents in
Harlem, New York. Her mother passed away two years
later, “leaving us with a tyrant of a father, who was terrified
at the prospect of raising two girls in the corrupting
influence of big-city life.”
Soon her father married again and the family lived quite
comfortably, “swept from abject poverty to a situation
where we were being taken to picnics on the weekend in a
chauffeur-driven car,” said Ms. Guy. When she was only
fourteen, her father also passed away, and Rosa sought
work in a brassiere factory. While living in New York she
studied acting at the American Negro Theater, married a
man named Warner Guy, and had a son named Warner, Jr.
Later, she wrote and performed in her first play called
Venetian Blinds, produced Off-Broadway in 1954 at the
Tropical Theater. She then cofounded the Harlem Writers
Guild which harbored the talents of great writers Maya
Angelou, Audre Lorde, and more.
CONNECTION:It is said that Rosa Guy based her novel My Love,
My Love; or, The Peasant Girl partly on the
popular Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale,
The Little Mermaid. What do you think? Do you
spy similarities? What other stories does Once
on This Island remind you of?
“She loved to write about love. If you thoughta situation called for akind of mournfulness,
she was the one to laughand turn music on
and dance.”Maya Angelou, on Rosa Guy
ROSA GUY / PHOTO CREDIT FERN LOGAN
13
“On that island where rivers run deep, where the seasparkling in the sun earns it the name Jewel of the Antilles, the tops of the mountains are bare. Ugly scrubbrush clings to the sides of their gray stones, giving thepeaks a grim aspect that angers the gods and keepsthem forever fighting. These terrible battles of the godsaffect the lives of all the islanders, rich and poor. But thewealthy in towns, protected from the excesses of thegods' furies, claim to be masters of their own destiny.The peasants accept the will of the gods as theirs. Theypray to the gods when times are hard and give thanksto them when life goes well.
But then the peasants live in the valleys and mountainvillages amid flamboyants, poinsettias, azaleas, ficus,eucalyptus, and magnolias—their colors raging over thecountryside and blending roads into hills, hills intoforests. Multicolored flora defy the destructiveness ofman and climate to spring eternally back to life. Thismiracle the peasants attribute to the gods.”
Exerpt from Rosa Guy’s novelMy Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl
The beautiful Lac Peligre in Haiti
Adapting a Story
14
Identify what grabbed you emotionally about the story.Before you start to form the plot and characters, decidethe feeling you want to invoke in the audience.
Pare down the story to only the most important plotpoints. A novel may tell a story in hundreds of pagesthat a film or stage adaptation would have to tell inroughly two hours. Which parts of the plot are the mostimportant? What is extra, and might be cut out? Whenyou’re outlining the plot, ask yourself if each scenehelps to invoke the emotion you identified in the firststep. Every scene doesn’t have to convey that feeling,but they should all help carry the story to that place.
Decide which characters and locations are needed to tell the story. The number of characters in a stage or film production should be kept small. Hiring more actors is not only costly, but too many characters can be confusing to the audience in a story only two hourslong. If a character has a minor part and doesn’t affect
Many of the movies and plays you see today are actually adaptations, meaning they are based on a story already written. An adaptation may simply present the characters and plot points of a novel or play as they were originally written, or it may change the setting and situation of the story. For example, the musical Once on This Island is an adaptation of Rosa Cuthbert Guy’s 1985 novel My Love, My Love; or The Peasant Girl. The steps below outline how awriter might go about creating an adaption for stage or screen.
the story much, leave that character out. When writingfor the stage, do the same thing for locations: only usethe most essential settings. A play can be very successfulin only one place—no need for set changes! Films havea little more freedom because scenes can be shot inmany different locations.
Consider the conventions of your medium. A novel is not likely to include songs, but a musical adaptationcertainly would. If you’re writing a screenplay, you mightshow the passage of time through a montage. Keep inmind the different ways that you can convey emotion or plot points that are different from the way they’represented in a book.
Begin writing the adaptation. Once you’ve outlinedyour scenes, you’re ready to start writing dialogue. If writing for the stage, include any essential stage directions. If writing for film, make sure your writing isvery visual.
15
Adaptations: From Page to StageOnce on This Island is just one example of a novel adapted into a stage production. Can you think of other examples of adaptations, either on stage, on TV, or in film? What stories might you like to see adapted into stage productions? Why?
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What might a sequel of Once on This Island be like? Make a list of ideas. Consider:
• What characters would be included?• When would it take place?• Where would it take place?• What happens next, given the changes in time and place?
Now, write a plot summary or scene from this sequel:
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StorytellingStorytelling is at the heart of Once on This Island and is one of its biggest themes. Consider the followingquestions:
• Who tells stories in this musical?
• To whom do they tell stories to?
• Why do they tell the stories they tell? What
are they trying to accomplish through their
storytelling?
• How do they tell stories? Through spoken
word? Through song? Through dance?
Through images?
• Think about the very beginning and the very
end of Once on This Island. Why do you think
this musical begins and ends the ways that it
does? What effect do the beginning and end
have on you as an audience member?
• Why do you think it is important to tell stories?
Set aside some time to brainstorm. Think about a storythat has deeply affected your school, your family, yourlocal community, or your country. Why do you think it’simportant to tell this story in particular? How wouldyou tell this story? Through theatre, through dance,through film, through illustration, through photography,through sculpture, through writing, etc.? Why do youthink it’s important to use that particular form to tellyour story?
16
CONNECTION:
Once you’ve seen Once on This Island, find
someone who has never seen or heard of this
musical or the story that inspired it. Tell them all
about it. Describe the story as completely as you
can. Notice what details stick with you. Notice
what moments are difficult for you to remember.
Who are your favorite characters? Which parts are
the most fun to tell? Do you forget anything or
embellish anything?
“Everybody knows that La Gonave is a whale that lingered so long in Haitian waters that he became an island. He bears a sleeping woman on his back. Any lateafternoon anyone in Port-au-Prince who looks out tosea can see her lying there on her back with her handsfolded across her middle sleeping peacefully. It is saidthat the Haitians prayed to Damballa for peace andprosperity. Damballa was away on a journey accompaniedby his suite, including two wives, Aida and Cilia. Whenthe invocations reached Damballa where he was travelling in the sky, he sent his woman Cilia with amessage to his beloved Haitians. He commandedAgoue’ta-Royo to provide a boat for his wife and totransport her safely to Port-au-Prince so that she couldgive the people the formula for peace. Papa Agoue’sent a great whale to bear Cilia and instructed him totransport the woman of Damballa with safety and speedand comfort. The whale performed everything that theMaster of Waters commanded him. He rode MadameCilia so quickly and so gently that she fell asleep, anddid not know that she arrived at her destination. Thewhale dared not wake her to tell her that she was inHaiti. So every day he swims far out to sea and visitswith his friends. But at sundown he creeps back into theharbor so that Madame Cilia may land if she shouldawake. She has the formula of peace in her sleepinghand. When she wakes up, she will give it to the people.”
Excerpt from Tell My Horse: Voodoo andLife in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale Hurston
17
• In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
• The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat
• Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale Hurston
• Annie John by Antigua-born American novelist Jamaica Kincaid
• A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid
• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
• The poems and plays of Derrick Walcott, an award-winning author from Saint Lucia who won the
Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992
Suggestions for Further Reading
Student Matinees/STUDENT Feedback
Name____________________________________Grade_____________School_________________________________________
Performance Tasks based CA State theatre arts standards
Select and complete one of the following activities:
1. Rewrite the ending of the play. How would you like to see it end? Why?
2. Pick a moment in the play that affected you. Describe the stage elements that created that moment for you
(the script, acting, lighting, music, costumes, set design, sound design and/or direction).
3. Write a review of the play or an actor.
4. Describe something you would change in the production. Describe what benefit that change would create in
the production and why.
5. Identify and describe how this production might affect the values and behavior of the audience members who
have seen it.
6. Write about any careers you learned about in attending this production (example: stage hands, set designers,
actors, etc.).
Assessment Survey
No Maybe Yes Really Yes
I learned a lot from this experience 1 2 3 4
I would like to do this sort of project again 1 2 3 4
I will remember what I learned 1 2 3 4
STUDENT evaluation (cont)
Finish the following statements:
The most important thing I learned from this play was:
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Besides getting out of school, the best thing about attending this student matinee is:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Learning through the theatre is different from my regular class because:
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If I could change something about attending a student matinee, I would:
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I'm going to use what I learned, saw, or experienced by:
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Student Matinee/TEACHER Evaluation
Name_____________________________________________________________________School___________________________
Please rate your Student Matinee experience below:
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
Planning
I received sufficient and timely information 1 2 3 4
from TheatreWorks before the matinee
TheatreWorks maintained communication with 1 2 3 4
me and/or involved administrators at my school
It was clear to me that the production and study 1 2 3 4
guide incorporated curriculum standards
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
Matinee Workshops
Supported other curriculum areas/subjects 1 2 3 4
Targeted students' educational needs 1 2 3 4
Provided a grade-appropriate experience 1 2 3 4
Engaged students' interest and attention 1 2 3 4
I would like to learn how to lead more of these 1 2 3 4
kinds of activities on my own in the classroom
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
Post-Matinee
Students were engaged in this experience 1 2 3 4
The experience was valuable to my students' 1 2 3 4
education
The "Performance Tasks" were useful in helping 1 2 3 4
my students understand their experience
I would be interested in bringing more drama 1 2 3 4
related activities into my classroom
TEACHER Evaluation (cont)
For your classrooms please list the strengths of watching a student matinee.
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In terms of your teaching, did this particular Student Matinee give you any arts integration ideas foryour curriculum?_________________________________________________________________________________________
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We are very interested in your feedback. What worked for you about this experience? _________________________________________________________________________________________
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What did not work for you?_________________________________________________________________________________________
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Additional Comments:
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TheatreWorks student matinees tend to fill up quickly. Information about the 2014/15 season is available now—please visit theatreworks.org for the most up-to-date information. Please keep us updated with your current contact information to receive show announcements and booking information. Also, let us know if you havefriends who would like to be added to our mailing lists!
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