PLAYGOER’S GUIDE
to the 2009-10 Theatre for Young Audiences Production
Adapted by JOHN GLORE
Based on the novel by MADELEINE L'ENGLE
A Wrinkle in Time @1962 Madeleine L'Engle
Directed by SHELLEY BUTLER
EMULEX, Corporate Honorary Producer
Prepared by Kimberly Colburn, Dramaturg
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I: THE PLAY........................................................................................................3
The Story ....................................................................................................................3 About Madeleine L’Engle ...........................................................................................3 About John Glore ........................................................................................................4
Part II: CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES..........................................................................5 Before the Show..........................................................................................................5 Vocabulary You'll Hear in the Play..........................................................................5 Science Concepts to Discuss Related to A Wrinkle in Time ......................................5
Activity: Comparing Genres ....................................................................................7 After the Show Activities ............................................................................................7
Art Activity: Illustrate the Three Mrs. W’s ..............................................................7 Create a Travel Brochure.........................................................................................7 Writing Activity ......................................................................................................7 Thematic Connections: Good vs. Evil......................................................................7
Discussion Questions ..................................................................................................9 Letters of Thanks....................................................................................................... 10
PART III: AT THE THEATRE ................................................................................. 11 Welcome to the Argyros............................................................................................ 11 Theatre Etiquette ....................................................................................................... 11 Student Tips for Theatre Trips................................................................................... 11 Programs................................................................................................................... 12
PART IV: EDUCATION STATION.......................................................................... 13 Five Strands of Arts Education .................................................................................. 13 From the California Visual and Performing Arts Framework..................................... 13
Basic Theatre Vocabulary (Theatre 1.1) ................................................................ 14 PART V: RESOURCES.............................................................................................. 16
More Books by Madeleine L’Engle........................................................................... 16 Brief summaries of books featuring the Murry family............................................ 16 Other Series by L’Engle ........................................................................................ 17
Other Study Guides and Lesson Plans for A Wrinkle in Time ..................................... 18 Speeches from L’Engle (Links) ................................................................................. 18 Interviews and Articles with L’Engle (Links) ............................................................ 18 Other Fun Links ........................................................................................................ 18 Fun Facts................................................................................................................... 19
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Part I: THE PLAY The Story It is a dark and stormy night. Meg huddles against the cold in her attic bedroom, mulling over her missing father, problems at school and wondering where her little brother, Charles Wallace, is. He often has an uncanny way of knowing what she’s feeling. She heads downstairs to find him already making her some hot cocoa. Mrs. Whatsit, a mysterious friend of Charles Wallace’s, appears and explains she got caught in a wicked downdraft and blown off course. Just before Mrs. Whatsit zips out again, she tells their mother Mrs. Murry that there is such a thing as a tesseract. Mother gets very upset at the mention of tesseracts, so Charles Wallace and Meg head out to find Mrs. Whatsit for an explanation. They run into Calvin, an older boy from Meg’s school who is going to the same place on a compulsion he had—and he turns out not to be the dumb jock Meg thought he was. When the three arrive at the old haunted house, the odd Mrs. Whatsit and her equally unearthly friends Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which sweep the children up and off on an adventure across space. They travel to several different planets, meeting a colorful array of beings. The three Mrs. W’s tell them their mission: they must travel to the dark planet Camazotz, where Charles Wallace and Meg’s father is being held prisoner, and battle with mind-controlling IT. The children must rescue their father and defend all that is good in the universe.
About Madeleine L’Engle
A Wrinkle in Time faced seemingly insurmountable odds to get published. Its main characters were children, yet the themes were seen as too adult for children and the situations too scary. L’Engle (pronounced LENG-el) was rejected by 26 publishers before editors at Farrar, Straus & Giroux read it and enthusiastically accepted it. The book went on to win the John Newberry Medal as the best children’s book of 1963 and has since had countless printings and sold millions of copies. L’Engle died in 2007 at the age of 88. Although L’Engle was an Episcopalian and often wrote about spiritual or religious themes, she balked at being categorized, whether as a Christian writer or a children’s writer. She
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crossed genre boundaries, liberally mixing quantum physics into theology and breaking down the once rigid line between adult and children’s literature. She wrote “if I have something that is too difficult for adults to swallow, then I will write it in a book for children.” She kept a sense of humor about her work—L’Engle once said she had a clause in her contract that her publisher had the rights to A Wrinkle in Time in perpetuity throughout the universe, but not on Andromeda. L’Engle was inspired by Einstein’s work and never saw science and faith as mutually exclusive. To her, “particle physics and quantum mechanics are extremely theological because they are dealing with the nature of being, so they are just as theological as a tome on morals.” She read a book on Einstein where he was quoted as saying “Anyone who is not lost in rapturous awe at the power and glory of the mind behind the universe is as good as a burnt-out candle.” L’Engle said she had found her theologian. L’Engle received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the Young Adult Library Services Association for lifetime achievement in 1998. She published 63 works, including novels, plays, and memoirs.
About John Glore Playwright John Glore previously wrote Wind of a Thousand Tales, Folktales Too, Rhubarb Jam and The Day After Evermore for SCR’s young audiences. He also adapted The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. All of his children's plays have gone on to success at other theatres across the country. As SCR’s Associate Artistic Director, Glore is responsible for programming the TYA series, and he often scouts children’s literature for ideas. He read A Wrinkle in Time when he was young, and says he “rediscovered its magic with my daughter a few years ago.” A theatrical adaptation that fit SCR’s needs didn’t exist, so he bravely decided to take a crack at it. “So many people have heard that I’m adapting A Wrinkle in Time and told me that it was their favorite book as a child. It’s a fun project, but I have felt an increasing amount of pressure to do justice to the book.” The result incorporates all of the heart and fantasy of the original, while making the story work for the stage. Glore’s other work includes On the Jump and The Company of Heaven. He has co-authored two adaptations of plays by Aristophanes with the performance trio Culture Clash, The Birds and Peace.
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Part II: CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES Before the Show
Vocabulary You’ll Hear in the Play Below are a list of words and phrases that you’ll hear during this production of A Wrinkle in Time. Study them before the show and see if you can catch them during the production! scuttle tramp (as in vagrant) megaparsec downdraft compulsion constraint detriment piffle dreamboat paraphernalia matter materialize nebula portal wormhole altitude density
spontaneous hypnotize abandoned complex trigonometry calculus skeptic unabridged mes petites (French) meine kinder (German) frivoling caviar dignity brutish communication atoms spectacles
tentacles devouring pulsating gargoyle autumnal glorious astronomical universe galaxy summit donation agony distraught putrid Central Intelligence reprocessor
Science Concepts to Discuss Related to A Wrinkle in Time
Quantum Mechanics and String Theory There is a great series by NOVA called The Elegant Universe. Here are chapters that help explain some of the science relevant to A Wrinkle in Time. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/program.html Explanation of Quantum Mechanics: Hour 1, Einstein’s Dream, Chapter 5 of 8: The Quantum Café Explanation of String Theory: Hour 2, String’s the Thing, Chapter 2 of 8: One Master Equation
Tesseract In Geometry, the tesseract is essentially the cube of a cube. Although it isn’t discussed outside of the concept of it being a wrinkle in time in A Wrinkle in Time, Charles Wallace and his father attempt to build a working model of a tesseract in L’Engle’s A Swiftly Tilting Planet. An animated rendering of a tesseract can be found here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/8-cell-simple.gif And here: http://dogfeathers.com/java/hyprcube.html
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An explanation of how to conceptualize a tesseract: http://www.math.hmc.edu/funfacts/ffiles/20002.2.shtml Another layman’s explanation of the tesseract: http://www.helium.com/items/807619-is-time-travel-possible
Wormholes In 1935, Albert Einstein realized that the theory of general relativity allowed for the existence of bridges between different points in space-time, now known as wormholes. Wormholes were thought to only appear for milliseconds (meaning that you might be able to go through but you could never get back) but more recent calculations offer theories on how to keep the wormhole from collapsing on itself, thus potentially making it a vehicle for time travel. L’Engle’s description of it as a “wrinkle” was not far off—as pictures illustrating the theory of wormholes prove.
(left) A beam of light traversing a path between two points in curved space-time can take longer to complete the journey than a hypothetical spaceship taking advantage of a wormhole’s shortcut connection between the two distinct regions of space-time. From: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/hawking/strange/html/wormhole.html A great National Geographic article on wormholes: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2
005/09/0916_050916_timetravel.html
Dark Energy The Dark Thing is also referred to as Dark energy by Mrs. Who. In astrophysics, dark energy is believed to be a gravitational force that contributes to the accelerated expansion of the universe. Scientists know it is there based on measuring light and other effects from supernovas of stars, but it is otherwise a complete mystery. Related to dark energy, dark matter is believed to be undetectable matter that affects the gravitation of visible matter. Its presence is inferred by its affects on visible matter, but cannot be observed directly. The universe is thought to be made up of 70% dark energy, 25% dark matter, with “normal” matter as we think of it comprising about 5%.
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More on Dark energy: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/astrophysics/what-is-dark-energy
Matter (How the characters can pass through walls on Camzotz) Matter is made up of atoms (electrons, protons and neutrons), which are composed of even smaller quarks, leptons, and others). Mrs. Murry is a particle physicist, though the term is now considered a misnomer, since the smallest bits of matter exhibit properties of both particles and waves, incorporating quantum mechanics. There is an enormous amount of space in between particles, so theoretically you could push the particles closer together or rearrange them to do things like move through walls, as no matter can be considered “solid”.
Activity: Comparing Genres Ask students to define fantasy and science fiction. What is the distinction between the two genres? Then ask them to list popular movies and television shows that fit into these genres. Have them discuss which they consider fantasy and which science fiction--or a combination.
After the Show Activities
Art Activity: Illustrate the Three Mrs. W’s Illustrate the three witches -- Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit. In order to characterize your illustration, include five quotes from the book that reveal their behaviors, personalities, physical appearances, and other unique qualities.
Create a Travel Brochure Create an inter-galactic travel brochure that describes one of Meg, Charles and Calvin's destinations in the novel (Uriel, Camazotz, or Earth). Keep in mind that travel brochures are marketing devices, so point out and play up the destination's positive features. Include carefully placed and designed illustrations.
Writing Activity According to this novel, Earth has been affected by the Black Thing - a negative supernatural force. In a short paper, examine a problem you think Earth has that might be related to this negative force. Explain how humans might be able to attack and eventually solve this problem. Thematic Connections: Good vs. Evil In A Wrinkle in Time, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which take Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace to the planet Uriel. There, as they see The Dark Thing, a shadow that is creeping over the cosmos, the children begin to understand the age-old struggle between the forces of good and evil. Have students make two columns on a large sheet of paper; one column should be labeled "good," and the other "evil." Beginning with Love and Hate, one in each column, ask students to list other characteristics of these forces. Activities selected and/or adapted from: http://www.ncsu.edu/globalbookclub/wrinkle.html http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440998051&view=tg
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http://www.help4teachers.com/wrinkle.htm http://lengleweb.mavarin.com/murry.html Student Handout on Time from NOVA (copied on following page, see website for answers and explanations): http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/2612_time.html
Measuring Time
What is time anyway? What amount of time have you lived? Does time mean the same thing for everybody? If you traveled back in time and changed something, how might your change affect the future? Make the time to do these activities and find out.
How Long Have You Lived?
If you are 11, what percent of your life have you lived? What about if you are 40? Or 70? Or 90? Plot the ages of your friends, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, and great grandparents and then—using the average expectancy—figure out what percent of their lives they have lived. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average female born today is expected to live to 80 and the average male born today to 73.
Average Life Expectancy
Female age in years
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
100%
percent lived
Male age in years
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
100 %
percent lived
How Long is a Minute?
How long is a minute? Well, that might depend on who you ask. Try this activity and see if a minute means the same to everyone:
o Get a stopwatch. o Choose people of different ages and genders and ask them to tell you
when a minute is up after you start the stopwatch. o Record each person's name, age, and gender and how long each
person thought a minute was. o Once you have recorded all your data, look for any patterns that
might explain why some people think a minute is more or less than an actual minute.
Time Paradox One of the complications with time travel is an idea known as the grandfather paradox. Stated simply, it says that if you traveled to the past and accidentally killed your grandfather before your parents are conceived, there would be no way for you to be born. Therefore, you would not exist to travel back in time in the first place. So how could you have killed your grandfather?
Develop your own scenario where you go back in time and change something. List the many ways you think your change might affect a future timeline.
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Discussion Questions What are the most important lessons that Meg learns over the course of the novel? How are good and evil portrayed in this book? What is so evil about Camazotz? How are the good people in the book different from the people on Camazotz? In what ways does Camazotz resemble Meg's neighborhood on Earth? Why does Meg have trouble fitting in at school? Describe what makes Charles Wallace so extraordinary. How do these traits both hurt and help him on Camazotz? Why does it have to be Meg who saves Charles Wallace? How does she do it? What is a tesseract? Are there other concepts like that in Star Trek or other science fiction? How are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which distinguished from one another? Why does L'Engle represent IT as a large disembodied brain? What is the symbolism of this? Why do you think it is that some people have tried to get this book banned? Is it ever right to ban a book? Who are the good characters and who are the evil ones? Are the good characters always good?
Letters of Thanks Write letters of thanks to SCR describing the most memorable aspects of attending a performance of A Wrinkle in Time, and what they enjoyed most about their visit to SCR. Send letters to: South Coast Repertory Attn: TYA PO Box 2197 Costa Mesa, CA 92628-2197
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PART III: AT THE THEATRE
Welcome to the Argyros The 336-seat Argyros Stage is the newest theatre space at SCR. It opened in 2002 with a huge celebration and we are delighted that thousands of Orange County school children fill this state-of-the-art facility each season to enjoy our Theatre for Young Audiences productions. The Argyros is a proscenium theatre designed to provide audiences a feeling of intimacy, with no seat more than 39 feet from the stage.
Theatre Etiquette Theatre is an art form that depends on both the artists and the audience. A performance is influenced by an audience, just as an audience is influenced by a performance. The artists and staff of South Coast Repertory are creating a special new world for you to visit. When you walk into the theatre, you will feel that behind the curtain lies the secret of that new world which is about to come to life before your eyes. Sometimes it’s so exciting, you can barely hold still. But remember that once the play begins, you have a very important job to do. Everybody in the theatre is a part of the play. You are connected to all the other people in the audience, as well as to the actors on the stage. Remember, you’re all in the same room. They can SEE you, HEAR you, FEEL you, just as you can SEE, HEAR, and FEEL them. Your attention, involvement, responses, and imagination are a real part of each and every performance. The play can actually be made better because of you!
Student Tips for Theatre Trips Stay with your group at all times and pay attention to your teachers and chaperones. Listen carefully to the SCR staff member who will board your bus with last-minute tips. Take your seat in the theatre before going to the bathroom or getting a drink of water. Make yourself comfortable while keeping movement to a minimum. Please do not stand up, walk around, or put your feet on the seat in front of you. Absolutely no chewing gum, eating, or drinking in the building. No backpacks, cameras, or electronic devices are permitted in the theatre. Feel free to talk quietly in your seats before the show. Show your appreciation by clapping for the actors at the end of the play. After the lights come back up, wait for the ushers to escort your group out of the theatre.
Julianne Argyros Stage
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Programs Everyone who attends a Theatre for Young Audiences performance at SCR receives a program, also called a playbill. Patrons at weekend public performances receive their programs from the ushers upon entering the theatre. At the conclusion of each weekday matinee, teachers will be given programs for their students which can be distributed back in the classroom. In addition to the customary information about the play and the players, the program contains features and activities that students will have fun working on after the show, either in class or at home on their own.
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PART IV: EDUCATION STATION
Five Strands of Arts Education Students in a comprehensive program are expected to master the standards of an arts discipline, which includes the following five strands: Artistic Perception refers to processing, analyzing and responding to sensory information through the use of the language and skills unique to dance, music, theatre and visual arts. 2.0 Creative Expression involves creating a work, performing and participating in the arts disciplines. Students apply processes and skills in composing, arranging and performing a work and use a variety of means to communicate meaning and intent in their own original formal and informal works. 3.0 Historical and Cultural Context concerns the work students do toward understanding the historical contributions and cultural dimensions of an arts discipline. Students analyze roles, functions, development in the discipline, and human diversity as it relates to that discipline. 4.0 Aesthetic Valuing includes analyzing and critiquing works of dance, music, theatre or visual arts. Students apply processes and skills to productions or performances. They also critically assess and derive meaning from the work [. . .] and from performances and original works based on the elements and principles of an arts discipline. 5.0 Connections, Relationships, Applications involves connecting and applying what is learned in one arts discipline and comparing it to learning in the other arts, other subject areas and careers. Students develop competencies and creative skills that contribute to lifelong learning.
From the California Visual and Performing Arts Framework Education in the arts is essential for all students. California’s public school system must provide a balanced curriculum, with the arts as part of the core for all students, kindergarten through grade twelve, no matter what the students’ abilities, language capacities or special needs happen to be. Each of the arts disciplines maintains a rich body of knowledge that enables the students to understand their world in ways that support and enhance their learning in other core subjects. In addition, through this rich body of knowledge, students learn how each of the arts contributes to their own sensitivity of the aesthetic qualities of life. Students learn to see what they look at, to hear what they listen to, feel what they touch and to understand more clearly what they integrate into their own experience.
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Basic Theatre Vocabulary (Theatre 1.1) Acting: The process by which an individual interprets and perform the role of an imagined character. Action: The core of a theatre piece; the sense of forward movement created by the sequence of events and the physical and psychological motivations of characters. Ad-Lib: To extemporize stage business or dialogue; to make it up as you go along. Apron: The area of the stage that extends toward the audience, in front of the main curtain. Backstage: The space behind the acting area, unseen by the audience. Balcony: An upper floor of seats projecting out over the main seating area of a theatre. Blocking: The movement and stage business, designed by the director and performed by the actors. Boxes: Seats separated from the main seating area located on the upper level near the stage. Box office: A windowed space at the front of the theatre building where tickets are sold. Business: Any action performed on stage. Character: The role played by an actor as she or he assumes another’s identity. Choreography: The art of creating and arranging dances or movement onstage. Conflict: The problem or incident that creates the action and is resolved by the end of the play. Costume: The carefully selected or specially designed clothing worn by the actors. Cross: The actor's movement from one stage location to another. Cue: The last words or action of an actor immediately preceding the lines or business of another actor. Dialogue: The stage conversation between characters. Diction: The clarity with which words are pronounced. Director: The person who oversees the entire process of staging a theatrical production. Downstage: The part of the stage closest to the audience. At one time stages were raked, or sloped, with the lower ("down") part closest to the audience, and the higher (“up”) part further away. Ensemble: A cast of actors working together effectively to present a theatrical performance. Flats: Canvas or wood-covered frames that are used for the walls of a stage setting. Green Room: A room near the stage where actors await entrance cues and receive guests. The room’s name comes from Elizabethan times, when actors waited on a real “green” (or patch of grass). Improvisation: The spontaneous use of movement and speech to create a character. Lobby: The public waiting area outside the theatre space. Mezzanine: Lower level seating area beneath the balcony overhang. Monologue: A solo speech during which the character reveals personal thoughts. Narrator: A character who tells the story of the play directly to the audience. Orchestra: Lower level seating area immediately in front of the stage. "Places": Direction given by the Stage Manager for actors to be in position before each act begins. Plot: The “what happens” in a story: beginning (the setting, characters, and problem); middle (how the characters work to solve the problem); and the ending (resolution of the problem). Project: To speak loudly so the entire audience can hear you. Props: All the stage furnishings, including furniture, that are physically used by the
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actors. Proscenium Stage: A traditional theatre with the audience seated in front of a proscenium arch framing the stage. Run: Length of time the play will be presented (i.e two weeks, two months, two years). Script: The text of the play, including dialogue and stage directions, all written by the playwright. Set: All of the scenery that makes up the physical environment of the world of the play. Stagecraft: The knowledge and skills required to create the physical aspects of a production; i.e., scenery, lighting, costumes, and props. Stage Left: That part of the stage to the actor's left when the actor faces the audience. Stage Manager: The person who supervises the physical production of a play and who is in charge of the stage during the performance. Stage Right: That part of the stage to the actor's right when the actor faces the audience. Strike: Dismantling the set, costumes and props at the end of the run of a show. Theme: The central thought, idea, or significance of the action of a play. Upstage: The area of the stage farthest way from the audience and nearest to the back wall.
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PART V: RESOURCES
More Books by Madeleine L’Engle
Brief summaries of books featuring the Murry family
A Wrinkle in Time (1962) This stage adaptation condenses the plot of the novel. In the novel, the Murry family also includes twin brothers Sandy and Dennys. There are more incidents as the group travel through space, including a visit to the Happy Medium, but the play does not deviate significantly from the basic plot of the novel.
A Wind in the Door (1973) Set only a year or so after A Wrinkle in Time, Charles Wallace, Calvin and Meg are again charged with saving the world. In this book, the cosmically evil is intricately tied to evil on a cellular level. Meg is happier in school, thanks in part to her relationship with Calvin, but Charles Wallace has difficulty adjusting. In addition, his farandolae within his mitochondria are sick. Meg learns that she is a namer, and it is the naming and counting
of things in the universe that combat the Echthroi, or un-namers (similar to the Dark Thing). Meg must see beyond the superficial and make peace with Principal Jenkins in order to save Charles Wallace, and Calvin works with Charles’ farandolae to want to grow and deepen rather than stay young and irresponsible. Much like A Wrinkle in Time, love conquers all. (left) The cover art of the 1974 printing, which shows the children as they discover an entity they thought was dragons, but is actually the cherubim Proginoskes.
A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978) Charles Wallace is now 15. Meg has grown up and is as beautiful as her mother. She is married to Calvin and pregnant with her first child. Calvin is referred to as a successful doctor (revealed in other books as a marine biologist), and is away at a conference in London throughout the story. The Murry family has gathered for Thanksgiving and invited Calvin’s mother, Mrs. O’Keefe. Mr. Murry receives a call from the president that a madman in South America is threatening a nuclear attack. Charles Wallace travels through time and space with the unicorn Gaudior as he goes “Within” people from the past and altering the course of history. Meg is with him in spirit through their mental telepathy called “kything” and helps him on his journey. They are also helped by Mrs. O’Keefe, who gives them an ancient Rune.
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(left) The cover of the 1979 printing of A Swiftly Tilting Planet, showing Charles Wallace riding the unicorn Gaudier, trying to avoid the Echtroi.
Many Waters (1986) Chronologically, this story follows A Wind in the Door and precedes A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Its protagonists are the twin brothers, Sandy and Dennys, who do not appear in this adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. They run into their parents’ lab while an experiment is going on and accidentally transport themselves to just before Noah builds the ark.
Other Series by L’Engle
Second Generation: The O’Keefe Family Series Aside from the Time Quartet about the Murry family, L’Engle wrote four more books following the descendents of Meg and Calvin (the O’Keefe family). The last of these books, An Acceptable Time, follows their oldest daughter, Polly, as she visits her grandparents on the rural farm in New England where the Murrys still live, and sometimes is counted as part of the Time series (making it the Time Quintet). The O’Keefe books are: The Arm of the Starfish, 1965; Dragons in the Waters, 1976; A House Like a Lotus, 1984; An Acceptable Time, 1989. Calvin appears as Dr. O’Keefe, a marine biologist, in The Arm of the Starfish.
The Austin Family Series L’Engle wrote another young adult series centered around a family, the Austins. She has referred to these as the “chronos”, with characters who live in a more realistic setting with less fantastical elements as compared to A Wrinkle in Time. The first Austin story, Meet the Austins, was published in 1960, two years before A Wrinkle in Time. The series includes 10 stories, including: Meet the Austins, 1960; The Moon By Night, 1963; The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas, 1964; The Young Unicorns, 1968; A Ring of Endless Light, 1980; The Anti-Muffins, 1980; Troubling a Star, 1994; Miracle on 10th Street, 1998; A Full House, 1999.
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Other Study Guides and Lesson Plans for A Wrinkle in Time http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440998051&view=tg http://www.webenglishteacher.com/lengle.html# http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/pdf/wrinkle_in_time.pdf http://www.lifestreamcenter.net/DrB/Lessons/Wrinkle/index.htm http://www.studyworld.com/Studyworld_Studynotes/novelguide/AWrinkleInTime/index.html http://classiclit.about.com/od/wrinkleintimelengle/a/aa_wrinkle_questions.htm http://litplans.com/authors/Madeleine_L_Engle.html http://www.bookrags.com/A_Wrinkle_in_Time http://english.byu.edu/Novelinks/reading%20strategies/Wrinkle%20in%20Time/wrinkle%20in%20time.htm http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-wrinkle.html http://yennadon.sd42.ca/online/langarts/wrinkle/wrinkle.html
Speeches from L’Engle (Links) Newbery Award Acceptance Speech (1963) http://www.madeleinelengle.com/reference/newberyspeech.htm Acceptance Speech for The Margaret Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award (1998) http://www.madeleinelengle.com/reference/libspeech.htm
Interviews and Articles with L’Engle (Links) Article/Interview: Exhaustive, excellent article from The New Yorker detailing her background (2004): http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/04/12/040412fa_fact_zarin?printable=true Interview: The New York Times (2001): http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/15/nyregion/public-lives-busier-than-ever-at-82-and-oh-yes-still-writing.html Article: Madeleine L’Engle’s obituary in The New York Times (2007): http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/books/08lengle.html
Other Fun Links Cool space site: http://www.uen.org/themepark/systems/solar.shtml Fun website where you can create your own space adventure: http://spaceyourface.nasa.gov/
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Fun Facts L’Engle’s original title for A Wrinkle in Time was Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. The name Camazotz came from what L’Engle described as “a nasty South American god”. Another author, Kenneth Oppel, in his books Sunwing and Silverwing used Camazotz as the name of the Underworld god of the bats. The opening line, “It was a dark and stormy night” originally appeared in Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s novel Paul Clifford, published in 1830. It was also a favorite of Charles Schultz's Snoopy in the "Charlie Brown" comic strip. A Wrinkle of Time has frequently been banned for its religious and mythological themes. It is number 22 on the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Challenged Books of 1990-2000. Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is widely cited as saying his favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time.
