Dear Educator,


Thank you for bringing your students to New York Theatre Workshop’s production of ONCE.


In order to help you make this the fullest experience for your students, we’ve prepared this Study Guide with background information and jumping-­‐off points for class discussion. We hope you find it useful! If you have any comments or suggestions for future Guides, please don’t hesitate to contact me at BrynT@nytw.org.


We welcome you and your students to the theatre, and we hope to see you at New York Theatre Workshop again soon. To learn more about our Education Initiatives, please visit www.nytw.org/education.asp.


Sincerely,


Bryn Thorsson Director of Education


Study Guide researched and written by Maia Collier Ben Vigus


Erin Stoneking NYTW Interns


NYTW’s Education Initiatives provide access to the vision and methods of the artist, and enable audiences of all ages to participate in a community of dynamic learning where the developmental process, the final production and the surrounding exchange of ideas have a profound impact on all involved. These initiatives strive to bring all members of our artistic family, which includes our audience members, closer to the creative process.


As we often collaborate with artists whose work takes risks and challenges theatrical forms, the artistic process at NYTW rarely follows a defined path. Our education initiatives embrace this iconoclastic approach, allowing us to craft each program and partnership with detail and creativity.


Learning Workshop is NYTW’s multidisciplinary theatre education program that supports middle and high school students’ creative development as artists and audience members by critically engaging them in the artistic process surrounding our productions.


Table of Contents


NYTW’s Education Initiatives are made possible through the generous encouragement of Con Edison, the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, the New York Community Trust, the Michael Tuch Foundation, the Tiger Baron Foundation, the Manhattan Borough President’s Office, the Office of Council Member Margaret Chin and the New York State Council for the Arts-Empire State Partnership.


The Story of Once . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 3 The Frames, The Swell Season and Once . . . . . . page 5 The Art of Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6 “Can’t Help Singing”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 7 Once: What’s in a Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 9 The Artistic Collaborators of ONCE . . . . . . . . . . page 10 The Value of A Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 12 “Making It:” Independent Musicians . . . . . . . . .page 14 Irish Folk Music and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 15 Instruments of ONCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 16 The Changing Make-­‐up of Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . page 17 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 20


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