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Island of Anyplace Teachers' Guide
Please note: an illustrated, printed version of this guide is available upon request - write to information@amrep.org or call 617-496-2000 x8844.
The American Repertory Theatre created The Island of Anyplace especially for elementary and middle school students. This production introduces various elements of theatre, using an innovative and magical story. The Island of Anyplace encourages the use of imagination and creativity in the everyday life of our children to help them become insightful and productive adults.
To supplement the theatre experience for students, the theatre asked Michelle Genor (a former third-grade teacher currently enrolled at the Harvard Graduate School of Education) to create this guide for educators. We contacted some of the teachers who have attended The Island of Anyplace in past years to gain their input in what would be helpful for those attending for the first time. We hope this guide will enhance the experience of the play and strengthen its long term impact within the classroom. This guide will provide you with:
- Performance Information,
including running time, directions to the theatre, etc.
- Background Information,
including cast of characters, story-line, vocabulary, themes explored
in the performance
- Suggested Pre-Performance Activities
to prepare students for the play
- Suggested Follow-Up Activities
for after the performance
- Evaluation Form to provide
the American Repertory Theatre with your feedback on the performance
and the new study guide
We hope you and your students enjoy your visit to The Island of Anyplace. We look forward to any comments that you might be willing to share. We are especially interested in any activities that you use in your classroom to support and prepare your students for this experience. Our goal for next year is to create a more extensive curriculum, crediting the ideas to teachers who are willing to contribute. If you have any questions or comments regarding any of this information, please contact:
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Nicholas Peterson |
1. Performance Information
Ticket and schedule information is available from the Island of Anyplace home page.
Performances take place at Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge. If you're coming by bus, please request bus directions and drop-off/pick-up instructions from the theatre. The phone numbers are 617-547-8300 for the box office, and 617-496-2000 x8844 for groups of ten or more.
School groups should arrive about 15 minutes before the performance time. Before the performance, one of the actors must be rolled up inside a couch on the stage and remain hidden there until the audience enters and the play begins. Because of this, the auditorium will not open until about ten minutes before curtain time. The ushers will hand out programs with illustrations that can be colored, and games such as a maze and word-find -- you may wish to bring crayons and/or colored pencils. We are also planning a lobby display that will include the actors' photos and brief biographies. The ushers will seat groups as quickly as possible (no tickets will be issued for groups), and will do their best to minimize the time children will have to wait in the lobby. Once in the theatre you will be directed to your section of the $8 or $12 group seating area. In general younger groups are seated closer to the stage. All seats are at orchestra level and have a clear and unobstructed view.
The performance will last approximately one hour, with a fifteen-minute question-and-answer session following most performances.
2. Background Information
The American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.)
has been active since 1966 as a professional producing organization and
theatrical training conservatory. Operating in association with Harvard
University, the theatre draws its wide ranging repertory from new American
plays, neglected works from the past, and classic texts re-examined in
new, often unconventional ways. The A.R.T, considered one of the nations
pre-eminent professional theatre companies, has presented over one hundred-twenty
five productions, has toured the length of the United States as well as
twelve foreign countries; and has received virtually every major theatrical
prize, including a special Tony Award for the company's outstanding contributions
to the American theatre. As one of the few companies in this country with
a resident acting ensemble still performing in rotating repertory, the
American Repertory Theatre continually sets new standards for excellence
and innovation in the performing arts community.
The A.R.T. developed Island of Anyplace (first performed in 1990) to introduce children to the theatre as an art form. Written by Charles Marz, the play introduces various elements of the theatre. As far as we know there is no equivalent theatre work currently being produced. Children, under a constant barrage of projected and televised images, have little or no experience of live performance of any kind. In this atmosphere of increasing isolation, it seems critical to our future and to theirs that children be introduced to live theatre as a vital aesthetic and community experience.
Island of Anyplace is directed by A.R.T. Company member Thomas Derrah. The play is performed by seven young actors in their second year at the A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University, a conservatory that prepares young actors, directors and dramaturgs for professional careers. The actors are usually chosen a year in advance so they can watch their predecessors perform, but they must learn the production in a very brief period -- as few as eight rehearsals in month leading up to the performances!
Characters
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Jennifer |
Great Great Grandfooler |
Story-line
The play begins as the main character, Jennifer is dragged off to the
theatre for the very first time by her father. She would rather be at
home watching T.V. and complains about the whole experience. To help pass
the time before the performance begins, her father encourages her to become
a playwright, creating her own story. As Jennifer becomes the director
of her very own play, her father demonstrates the importance of lighting,
music, make-up, stage direction, costumes, acting, and sound effects.
Jennifer's main character, Alex, has been shipwrecked on an island. When
he meets the Blind Spider, he is told that his parents are alive, but
were washed ashore on the other side of the island. He also meets a man
who has been living on the island since he was also shipwrecked many years
ago. The man has never reached the other side of the island to be reunited
with his family. Eventually, both characters realize that they are the
same person and they must help each other cross the island. To get to
their destination, they ask for help from the Great Great Grandfooler
who is control of time on the island. He tells them that before they can
reach the other side of the island, they must first rescue the Wise and
Noble Princess from the Evil Ruler. As they embark on their journey and
meet obstacles along the way, Jennifer discovers some of what goes into
the production of a live theatre performance.
Vocabulary
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character |
actor |
pantomime |
Themes explored in the play
- behavior in a theatre (audience impact on a live performance)
- elements of theatre performance (dialogue, sets, costumes, voice, movement, lights, make-up, etc.)
- dreams
- time
- blindness (compensating for the absense of sight)
- islands
- rules (importance and potential dangers of restricting behavior)
- map skills
- food
- mermaids
- imagination
- magic (special effects in the theatre)
- teamwork/cooperation
3. Suggested Pre-Performance Activities
- Brainstorm a list of theatre vocabulary. Discuss their meanings and why they are important to a performance. After the performance, go back and add words that fit into this list.
- Brainstorm a list of characters that could possibly be in a play (i.e., mother, father, child, teacher).
- Brainstorm a list of possible settings for a play (i.e., a park, a city street, a living room). In small groups or as a class, play charades. Have the students guess which character or setting they are trying to portray. Discuss why this activity was difficult without props, make-up, costumes, stage, etc.
- Explain how important an audience is to a live performance. What impact can audience interaction have on an actor's performance?
- Discuss the difference between live-theatre, a movie,
a video, and a T.V. show.
4. Suggested Follow-Up Activities
- Jennifer did not want to go to the theatre with her father. Describe an experience that you were hesitant to participate in, but later changed your mind about and enjoyed.
- Describe and illustrate what someone would look like if they had lived on an island for many years.
- Describe a dream that you have had. How did you feel when you woke up? How did you know that it was just a dream?
- Create your own creature (like the rhinoceroid) Name it, describe it, and illustrate it.
- The Evil Ruler outlawed children laughing, crying, and clapping. Create a kingdom with your very own rules.
- Make up a list of questions that you would ask someone who was involved in the creation of a play (i.e. a student might ask a director, "How do you get everyone in the play to follow your directions?).
- What part of a production would you like to be involved? (i.e. actor, director, producer, etc.) Why?
- You are a writer for the Boston Globe. Write a critical review of this play or another you have seen. Explain why you liked or disliked the play.
- Choose a part of this play to write about. Explain why you liked or disliked it.
- Brainstorm different emotions that actors have to portray in a play, T.V. show, or movie. Which emotion would be most difficult/easy for you? Why?
- Ideas for plays come from many sources: books, poems, true stories, and your imagination. Choose your favorite book or poem. Could it be made into a play? Why or why not?
- Watch your favorite T.V. show or movie. Would it make a good play? Why or why not?
- Describe your favorite character, costume, part of the set, etc.
- Explain the importance of lighting, sound effects, make-up. How do these things change the performance for the audience?
- Describe the part of the set that you liked the best.
- Describe how the set changes throughout the play. How many times do things pop out of the set to create a different scene?
- The Blind Spider explains to Alex, that as long as he can imagine, he is able to see. Close your eyes. Describe something your are imagining. Can you still see it?
- Alex imagines a feast of pizza and cake. Describe and illustrate the feast you are imagining.
- Describe an experience when you worked with a partner or on a team. What are the benefits of working cooperatively? What are some of the disadvantages? What can you learn about yourself when you work with someone else?
- Visit Island
of Anyplace web site at http://www.amrep.org/island.
How different is this experience from seeing the live performance? What
is missing?
Resources
- A to Zoo . Subject Access to Children's Picture
Books. Carolyn and John Lima. Reed Publishing, U.S.A. 1993. (reference
book that lists children's books according to subject themes and authors)
- The Island of Anyplace by Charles Marz, Samuel
French, Inc., 1996. The script of the play, available at the theatre
- The Website of Anyplace at http://www.amrep.org/island
5. Evaluation Form
Please take a few minutes to give us some feedback on your experience at the American Repertory Theatre. We realize that teachers are already doing exciting activities in their classrooms to make this theatre performance more valuable. Our hope is to create a more complete curriculum packet using teachers ideas to prepare and follow-up on the performance of The Island of Anyplace.
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This page updated October 4, 2006 webmanager@amrep.org |
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