PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES
HOW DOES AN ENSEMBLE COLLABORATE TO CREATE A NON-LITERAL CHARACTER OR LOCATION ON STAGE?
This production of Into the Woods was created by Fiasco Theater Company, an ensemble of actors and actor-directors. WRITE
Ask students to write the names of fairy tale characters and settings on small sheets of paper or note cards, one character or setting per card. Have prepared cards with the characters and settings specific to Into the Woods: giant, beanstalk, palace, woods, grave, cow, witch, wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Baker. Place all cards into a hat or bag.
ACTIVATE
Play “ensemble squash.” Have students stand on stage. (Work with half the class at a time, or groups of at least four students, on stage.) Draw a card and say “1 - 2 - 3 ensemble squash” and read aloud what is written on the card, for example “castle.” Students must immediately and silently work together to become one complete castle: one student might become a moat, another a door, another a turret, etc. Repeat with other cards as time allows.
REFLECT
For players: What was challenging about that game? How did you decide where to go and what to be? For audience: Which characters or settings were clear to you? Why? For everyone: How could you use this process when staging or devising a play?
HOW DO LYRICISTS WRITE SONGS ABOUT WISHES?
The first sung words Stephen Sondheim wrote for Into the Words are “I wish.” Many musicals open with an “I want” song, where the protagonist expresses a wish or longing that sets up their adventure. (Ariel’s “Part of Your World” and Pippin’s “Corner of the Sky” are great examples.) Explore the lyric-writing process for this type of song.
REFLECT WRITE
Imagine a Genie in a bottle will grant you ONE wish. (But this Genie doesn’t grant wishes for anything that can be purchased -- it must be something money can’t buy!)
1. Brainstorm/free-write on the following prompts: • How would the world LOOK at you and what would you SEE if this wish came true? (Be detailed and specific)
• What are three things you could DO, if the wish came true? • Describe in detail how you would FEEL if the wish came true.
2. Circle 6 of your juiciest words. Find 1-2 rhyming words to go with your choices.
3. Now, use your prompts and rhymes, and write lyrics for a song (or rap) about your wish. It’s fine to just focus on the lyrics without worrying about the tune. Or, you can imagine changing the lyrics of an existing song. It can also be a rap.
ACTIVATE
Students can share their songs, either read, rapped, or sung a capella. (Extension: allow students to set the lyrics to music)
20 ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
FOR EDUCATORS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24