An Active Audience Guide — Mwindo

Mwin
By Cher d
yl L o
.W
st
e
School Children
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Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund
Wells Fargo
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Season Sponsors:
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Table of Contents
Synopsis .....................................................................................................................................................
State Learning Standards ...................................................................................................................
Writing the Play ......................................................................................................................................
A Chat with Ruth Eitemiller, Production Assistant ..................................................................
About the Set ...........................................................................................................................................
About the Costumes ..............................................................................................................................
About the Puppets ...................................................................................................................................
Mwindo – An Epic of the Nyanga People .....................................................................................
Father against Son, Son against Father ........................................................................................
Mwindo’s Magic Wand .........................................................................................................................
Telling Stories ..........................................................................................................................................
Words & Phrases That Might Be New to You .............................................................................
Jump Start – Give This a Try ..............................................................................................................
Drama in Action – Learn by Doing .................................................................................................
Activity Pages ..........................................................................................................................................
Booklist ......................................................................................................................................................
Share Your Thoughts ............................................................................................................................
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3-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-16
17-18
19-22
23-24
25-27
28
29
30
31
32-33
34
35
SYNOPSIS
Be warned: This is a complete synopsis of the play, so it is full of spoilers.
As we write this synopsis, the script for Mwindo is still being developed. There may be some differences
between what you read here and what you see in the show.
In the village of Tubondo in the dense forest of the Congo, the Chief announces to
his warriors that he has just become father to his sixth daughter. He is a wealthy
man, because his daughters bring him rich bride-prices. With his prized Hawk
perched upon his shoulder, he awaits the birth of a seventh daughter from his
favorite wife. He calls for Spider-Cricket to find out why the birth is taking so long.
Spider-Cricket is an unusual but entertaining creature whom he keeps for good
luck, and who longs to learn someday how to fly.
The child is born in a burst of light from the Mother’s little finger. Mother is alarmed to discover not
a girl, but a boy-man—fully grown, walking and talking, with a magic scepter twined in his hair—a
“conga” made of a buffalo’s tail. He also wears a pouch bestowed by Kahindo,
the goddess of good fortune, which holds a rope that can extend forever. He
drums and dances, telling his Mother that he is Mwindo. Mother is worried,
knowing the Chief has forbidden the birth of a son. Not only will a son bring
him no bride-price, a son might one day challenge his power.
Spider-Cricket reports the news reluctantly to the Chief. Furious, the Chief banishes Spider-Cricket from
the village. The Chief’s warriors have been worried by omens pointing to his irresponsible leadership—
their animals have been running away and the people are hungry. They ask the Chief to accept his
son. But he angrily throws a spear into the Mother’s hut to kill Mwindo and leaves. He does not know
that inside the hut his son effortlessly catches the spear, thinking it a game. Mwindo’s Mother gathers
provisions, telling her son he must leave to protect himself. But before he can make his escape, the
Chief hears from Hawk that Mwindo lives. The Chief orders his warriors to bury his son alive.
Mwindo allows the warriors to bind him, thinking it another game of his father’s. As they take
him, he does not realize he has left his magic conga behind.
Buried underground, Mwindo is discovered by Cha-Cha, a hedgehog still sobbing over his
own banishment by the Chief ten years ago, although he refuses to talk about the reason for it.
Cha-Cha seems to know who Mwindo is and greets him as the miracle he has been waiting for.
While Mwindo sleeps, Cha-Cha digs a tunnel to the surface. There he meets
Spider-Cricket, who, yearning to fly, shows off her beautiful but useless cricket
wings. When Mwindo wakes up, Cha-Cha and Spider-Cricket try to make him
understand that the drums he hears from the village are not a game but signify
danger—his father wants him dead. Together they offer him their advice and
companionship. Mwindo refuses any notion of needing help from anyone.
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Mother finds Mwindo and brings him his conga. She tells him that the spirit world has told her he is
the chosen one who will rule his people. She also tells him that to keep himself safe he must journey to
the realm of his Aunt Iyan of the seven hearts. Mother prophesies that if he
should ever see the blessed Golden Hawk, he will be touched by the greatest
love imaginable and return to her.
The warriors come back, grab Mwindo and throw him into the River of No
Return. As they do so, there is great thunder and a blaze of golden light.
They bring Mwindo’s conga to the Chief, reporting that the Mother was also
swept into the river. The Chief’s Hawk also returns, but it has been wounded
by the light. The Chief, seeing golden marks in its body, hopes this is a sign it
will turn into the fabled Golden Hawk and bring him more riches. He takes the berries that his warriors
have gathered for their starving families and feeds them to his recuperating Hawk.
Meanwhile, the river has carried Mwindo into an underground water pit
full of terrifying sounds and creatures. Trying desperately to show no fear,
he realizes he no longer has his conga. Razor ropes ensnare Mwindo, but
Cha-Cha and Spider-Cricket have followed along to rescue him. Cha-Cha
chews through the ropes to free Mwindo. Spider-Cricket weaves a bridge
across the pit, bringing them all to safety. Instead of expressing thanks,
Mwindo claims he could have done all this by himself. As he gloats, a giant
water serpent, Kuti, rises from below, terrifying Mwindo. Kuti announces he is the gatekeeper of the
Land of Iyan, and asks who dares to enter. Mwindo musters his courage and answers that he is the son
of a chief and he fears no creature. Kuti calls down the Lightning
of Hate upon Mwindo. But the bolts reflect off of Mwindo and
evaporate the water in Kuti’s pit, rendering Kuti vulnerable to the
other pit creatures who begin to eat him. Mwindo brags that he is
the chosen one as Kuti lies dying.
Iyan of the seven hearts appears, commanding Mwindo to show mercy and save Kuti, her husband.
Mwindo, following Cha-Cha’s encouragement, successfully calls back the waters that save Kuti. Mwindo
is astonished by his new powers. As Iyan welcomes him into her kingdom, Mwindo learns that one of
her hearts has dimmed because of Kuti’s humiliation. Iyan summons drumming to celebrate Mwindo’s
arrival as the chosen one, but he calls for them to stop since they remind him of his exile and rejection.
Mwindo vows revenge upon his father.
Years pass and Mwindo matures in physical strength. On his birthday he reveals that he is setting out
to kill his father. Spider-Cricket and Cha-Cha are excited to accompany him back home. Seeing Aunt
Iyan, Mwindo notices to his surprise that all of her hearts but one have dimmed. She tells him it is
because she has spent all her love trying to soften the hate and anger in his heart. Iyan asks Mwindo
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to look his father in the eye before killing him to see how his own hatred has made him like his father.
She offers him the love in her last heart, but Mwindo leaves bent upon revenge.
Back in Tubondo, the Chief receives a suitor for his last unwed daughter. The suitor offers as a gift the
rumor of a son returning to dethrone the Chief. This news excites the wounded Hawk. In a flash of light,
the Hawk suddenly transforms into the prophesied Golden Hawk.
The Hawk grasps Mwindo’s conga and flies away. The Chief, hoping
for the riches the Hawk will bring, pursues it with his warriors.
Spider-Cricket and Cha-Cha journey with Mwindo through a dark,
cold and dying land. This is what the Chief’s domain has become.
Spider-Cricket sees some of her spider relatives, but instead of
welcoming her they run away. In trying to catch up with them she
falls and injures herself. Mwindo helps Cha-Cha rescue her with his rope. Suddenly the Golden Hawk
swoops in and drops the conga down to Mwindo. With it he makes a fire to warm them and light the
way. Remembering his Mother’s prophecy about the Golden Hawk, he feels her love is near.
The Chief and his warriors surround Mwindo with spears. Mwindo declares that he does not seek the
Chief’s power or riches—all he wants is his father’s love. The Chief refuses to believe him and reveals
that Mwindo’s Mother has died. Cha-Cha explains that Mwindo’s Mother’s spirit took the form of the
Golden Hawk to distract the Chief and keep Mwindo safe. The Chief says that is a lie and that he will
catch the Golden Hawk for its riches. Mwindo is furious, blaming his father for the death of his Mother.
He raises his conga. Lightning sparks and thunder peals out. The Chief falls and Mwindo holds him at
the point of his spear. Cha-Cha stops Mwindo, telling him he was
born to be better than this. He finally reveals the reason for his own
banishment—he had prophesied Mwindo’s birth, a son who would
be greater than the father.
The Chief commands his warriors to kill Mwindo and seize the
Golden Hawk, but they recognize the signs of the prophecy and
bow down to Mwindo as their rightful leader. Cha-Cha tells Mwindo
he must let the Golden Hawk go to set his Mother’s spirit free. The
Chief breaks free and ensnares the Hawk in a net, but Mwindo frees it with a wave of his conga. As he
calls to the Hawk to go in peace, his father tries once again to kill him. Spider-Cricket deflects the spear,
losing her wings. The Chief runs after the Hawk, but Mwindo orders him to stop and look him in the
eyes. Realizing all he has done, the Chief is too ashamed to look at Mwindo. Mwindo goes to his father
and vows to rebuild Tubondo, saying he still needs a father and perhaps his father still needs a son.
Aunt Iyan appears and announces that with this act of forgiveness Mwindo has become a man. All hail
Mwindo as Chief of Tubondo. Cha-Cha is appointed counselor. Mwindo raises his conga, and Spider
Cricket is magically able to fly!
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WASHINGTON STATE LEARNING STANDARDS
MWINDO touches on many themes and ideas. Here are a few we believe would make good
Discussion Topics: Forgiveness, Leadership, Maturity and African Oral Storytelling.
We believe that seeing the show and using our Active Audience Guide can help you meet the
following State Standards and address these 21st-Century Skills:
• Growth Mindset (belief that your intelligence and ability can increase with effort)
• Perseverance
• Creative Thinking
• Critical Thinking
• Communication
• Collaboration
Washington State K-12 Learning Standards
Theatre
Reading:
Literature
Reading:
Informational
Text
Speaking &
Listening
Language
1. The student understands and applies arts knowledge and skills.
1.1 Understands arts concepts and vocabulary.
1.4 Understands and applies audience conventions in a variety of settings and performances of theatre.
3. Theatre: The student communicates through the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts).
3.1 Uses theatre to express feelings and present ideas.
3.2 Uses theatre to communicate for a specific purpose.
4. The student makes connections with and across the arts to other disciplines, life, cultures, and work.
4.3 Understands how art impacts lifelong choices.
4.4 Understands that the arts shape and reflect culture and history.
4.5 Demonstrates the knowledge of arts careers and the knowledge of arts skills in the world of work.
Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts
Exact standards depend upon grade level, selected text(s), and instructional shifts to meet the standard.
CCSS.ELA - RL.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA - RL.2 Retell familiar stories, including key details.
CCSS.ELA - RL.3 Identify characters, settings and major events in the story.
CCSS.ELA - RL.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
CCSS.ELA - RI.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA - RI.2 Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
CCSS.ELA - RI.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author.
CCSS.ELA - RI.9 Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts.
CCSS.ELA - SL.2 Ask and answer questions about key details.
CCSS.ELA - SL.3 Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify.
CCSS.ELA - SL.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story or recount a personal experience with
appropriate facts, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA - L.2 Demonstrate command of conventions of standard English when writing.
CCSS.ELA - L.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading
or listening.
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WHAT IS ARTS INTEGRATION?
A de�inition and checklist from The Kennedy Center’s
Changing Education Through the Arts program.
Arts integration is an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate
understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an
art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both.
Some educators confuse any effort to include the arts in their classroom with arts integration.
While all types of arts-based instruction are encouraged, it is helpful for educators to know when
they are engaged in arts integration. To achieve this awareness, an Arts Integration Checklist
is provided. Educators answering “yes” to the items in the Checklist can be assured that their
approach to teaching is indeed integrated.
Approach to Teaching
• Are learning principles of Constructivism (actively built, experiential, evolving,
collaborative, problem-solving, and reflective) evident in my lesson?
Understanding
• Are the students engaged in constructing and demonstrating understanding as opposed to
just memorizing and reciting knowledge?
Art Form
• Are the students constructing and demonstrating their understandings through an art form?
Creative Process
• Are the students engaged in a process of creating something original as opposed to
copying or parroting?
• Will the students revise their products?
Connects
• Does the art form connect to another part of the curriculum or a concern/need?
• Is the connection mutually reinforcing?
Evolving Objectives
• Are there objectives in both the art form and another part of the curriculum or a concern/need?
• Have the objectives evolved since the last time the students engaged with this subject matter?
For more thoughts about this subject and a wealth of useful information
(including lesson plans) go to:
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators.aspx
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WRITING THE PLAY
By Cheryl L. West
The artistic director at Seattle Children’s Theatre,
Linda Hartzell, approached me with the idea of
adapting the ancient epic tale of Mwindo. I loved
the title when I first heard it. To me, the title
suggested action and power, both of which the
artistic team has worked hard to incorporate in
our production.
Once I actually began work on the story, I did a
great deal of research on Central Africa, the village
life there, and especially the music and dance
from that region. In the Congo, the Mwindo fable
is typically sung and narrated in a Bantu language
and acted out by a member of the Nyanga tribe. The
narration is accompanied by village participation
through dance and chants.
When I adapt a story, I try to keep some elements aligned with the source material. But then
I like to have a little fun and invent a few aspects that I feel might enhance, celebrate or
make the story more accessible for contemporary audiences. While the storyline for Mwindo
and his father closely follows the original fable, other aspects of the story and certain
characters are my invention—in particular, Spider-Cricket and Cha-Cha.
A writer is usually holed up in a room writing for her own amusement. But the rehearsal
process with live actors and a director and designers helps the writer see if what she has
written works and if others might find it amusing, too. The rehearsal process is so much
fun. During the four weeks of rehearsal, we get to rewrite, ask questions and change scenes
around. We allow actors to teach us more about the characters so that we can refine them
so that our audiences will relate to them in a more entertaining fashion. I absolutely love
rehearsal. Writers spend so much time alone that it’s good to get among other creative
people and be inspired. I always am.
I usually write every day, even if it’s just a list of what I hope to write in the future. (LOL)
Some days I goof off and go to the movies, which is a favorite pastime of mine. I tell myself
it’s not really goofing off but more about “movie character” research or merely my reward
for completing yet another draft of Mwindo or another draft of some other project I’m
working on. I work on my laptop at home or at my favorite coffee shop.
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Writers are readers. We are in love with the written word. A beautifully written sentence
is like a delicious and satisfying meal to us—we can’t get enough. I always wrote, even as a
child. I wrote in a diary that I took great pains to hide away from prying eyes, especially
my brother’s!
Writing down my feelings helped me to make sense of the world, which too often I found
confusing and contradictory. I discovered early (around 4th grade) that creating stories
helped me to understand others’ feelings as well as my own. Storytelling has always been a
huge part of my family’s DNA. In my family, if you could tell a good story, folks liked to see
you coming. My great-grandparents and my grandmother were wonderful storytellers, a
skill they honed at every family gathering. The same story would grow and be embellished at
every telling—so much so that no one could remember the original story nor did they care
to. I wish more kids like you would create and tell more stories. Humanity needs your story,
your perspective and your imagination. Your story might inspire someone else, someone like
me, who as a little girl learned that stories could help her feel a little less alone and more
able to make sense of the world.
Cheryl L. West’s plays include
Pullman Porter Blues which
premiered at Seattle Rep and
DC’s Arena Stage and played at
the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.
Previously for SCT she wrote Addy:
An American Girl Story. Her plays
have been seen in England, offBroadway, on Broadway and in
numerous regional theaters around
the country. She has written TV and
film projects for Disney, Paramount,
MTV Films, Showtime, TNT, HBO, CBS
and is the Webby-nominated writer
for the original web series Diary of
a Single Mom.
A scene from SCT’s 2007 world premiere production of Cheryl’s play
Addy: An American Girl Story
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A Chat with Ruth Eitemiller, Production Assistant
Please tell us a little bit about your working process.
As a production assistant my job is to help the stage
manager during rehearsals and to be in charge of
everything that happens backstage once we start
performances. When we are in studio rehearsals, I arrive
before everyone else to clean the floor, make coffee so
everyone can be awake and focused, and set up our
rehearsal set (the things we use in the studio to pretend
we’re on the real set on stage). When the actors arrive I
might be “on book” to follow along in the script and help
the actors who haven’t memorized their lines yet—or I might be running around pretending to be
the puppets and set pieces that the crew will be in charge of moving once we are in the theater.
When we move into the theater, I start working with the stage crew to make sure that everything
has a home backstage and that we keep the actors safe. Before every show I use a checklist to
make sure all of the props and set pieces are in the right place and remind the crew if they have
forgotten to set something. I also check in with the actors to see if any of the props have been
broken or are not working right anymore. During the performance, I am on headset with the
stage manager and let them know if something goes wrong backstage or if one of the actors isn’t
safe. After the show I let her or him know about anything that broke or is wearing out so that
information can be put in the daily show report.
Although you are not the production assistant on this particular show, what would be an
interesting or unusual challenge on a project like Mwindo?
On a new work like Mwindo, one of my jobs would be to keep track of all the changes that the
director and the playwright make to the script. Every change has to be written down in a “log” and
then passed out to everyone working on the play—if one actor gets a change and the other one
doesn’t, they can’t run their scene anymore. If the music director doesn’t get the change, they might
start playing the next song at the wrong time. If a change is big enough, I will type up a new script
page to replace the old one—and I always make sure that everyone gets a copy of the new page.
What in your childhood got you to where you are today?
I’ve always loved good stories. As a kid I used to read any book I could find and as I read I would
see the story happening like pictures in my head. I didn’t like movies as much as books. It felt
lazy to just sit and watch a story happen without having to use any imagination. Then I saw a
play where the actors pretended to ride horses, and come in from the snow, and jump on an
invisible trampoline—but you only saw these things if you used your imagination. I started
acting in plays at school and learned that I didn’t really like being in front of people, but I still
wanted to help create and share the magic of stories. It wasn’t until I was in college that I learned
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there were people who worked only backstage—sometimes they are never even seen by the
audience, but they are so important in helping to create these living stories.
Stories help us think about what life might be like for someone else—someone who doesn’t have
the things we have, or who thinks about the world differently than we do, or who lived many
years ago. They remind us that we’re all different and that there is always something we can
learn from each other.
Ruth Eitemiller grew up in Indonesia with her family and now lives happily in Seattle. She
graduated from Seattle Pacific University where she studied the art of stage management. She is
blessed to be able to make her living working with theaters all over Seattle.
Part of the script change log for Art Dog, which was in SCT’s 2013-2014 season. When
Mwindo rehearsals begin, the production assistant will start a new log.
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ABOUT THE SET
From Carey Wong, Set Designer
Mwindo, Cha-Cha and Spider-Cricket travel to many places on their quest, such as forests,
mountains, raging rivers and an underground water pit. Director Linda Hartzell and I wanted
to create a visual world for the play that suggests curving paths and the tangled, somewhat
mysterious forest where Mwindo’s journey begins. We also wanted that world to have the
flexibility to become all the locations where the characters’ adventures take place.
In our research, we found two images we felt could be combined
to create this world. One was a picture of a wooden cup fashioned
by the Wongo tribe in Zaire which has a design of gracefully
intersecting symmetrical curves composed of carved parallel
ridges and grooves. This became the inspiration for our painted
floor design which suggests the many roads Mwindo travels as he
matures and comes to terms with his feelings about his father.
The set’s floor design uses
patterns from the carvings on
this wooden cup from Zaire.
The other image that we found was a picture of lianas, climbing
vines found in rain forests. These begin life on the forest floor, but
depend on trees for support as they climb upward. Lianas can grow
into webs, with the vines connecting and interweaving between
trees, resulting in unexpectedly beautiful random patterns that
seem to defy gravity. Linda and I decided to fill the entire stage
with an arrangement of liana-like vine and branch cutouts, most
of which are stationary, but some of which can change position, to
create a stylized, somewhat magical, maze-like environment for this
dramatic fable.
Liana vines
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To suggest other locations, we are using
a series of cutouts painted with patterns
from stone to represent the mountains and
rocky landscapes that Mwindo, Cha-Cha and
Spider-Cricket encounter. But wherever they
travel, the ever-present vines always connect
Mwindo to his home.
A view of the set model. The Chief is shown on the left standing
on his throne platform with his warriors close by, while his
wife gives birth to Mwindo on the upper platform. On the actual
set, the vines will seem to float and defy gravity as they curve
through the air away from the stage floor into open space.
The twisted vine
pattern also
frames one of
the side stages.
Two panels of vertical vines and branches move to different
positions on the stage, creating a tangled forest look during
Mwindo’s journey. You can see the panels behind the figures
holding the head and arms of the Kuti puppet.
This photo shows the cutouts that represent rocky terrain and
mountains at the back of the stage.
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ABOUT THE COSTUMES
From Nanette Acosta, Costume Designer
It has been a very fun challenge coming up with the costume designs for Mwindo. One
unexpected issue was that most ancient African tribal clothing exposed more skin than
we do onstage at SCT, so I had to come up with garments that didn’t really exist then but
look like they belong in that time and place. I stuck to simple shapes that look like they
are wrapped or bound, rather than sewed. I also used clothing shapes that I found in my
research and modified them. For example, a shape that would have been a draped cape
became a shirt for Mwindo when wrapped with a loincloth.
The other fun creative problem to solve was how to differentiate between the three worlds
that our characters come from. To start with, we have Mwindo, his mother and his father
who are of the real world. I am using lots of rough-hewn fabrics in natural dye colors with
hand-painted elements to look like traditional mud-cloth prints.
Nanette combined the basic shapes of a draped cape and
a loincloth to create Mwindo’s costume.
A sketch of Mwindo’s costume. The costume sketches all
have samples of the fabrics that will be used to make the
clothes attached to them.
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A South African hedgehog.
The spines on its back are thick
stiff hairs. There are about
Inspiration for Cha5,000 spines on a hedgehog.
cha’s headpiece…
Sketch of Cha-Cha’s costume
…and the spines
on the back of his
costume
Next we have Cha-Cha (a hedgehog)
and Spider-Cricket, who are our animal
creatures. I wanted movement and flow in
their clothes, so I looked at a lot of African
dance costumes. They will include very
rustic tribal elements—branches, grasses,
leaves, flowers, etc. I want them to look as if
they are created out of their surroundings.
They need to be unlike human clothing but
still be African, so some of the basic shapes
of their garments are similar.
This fanciful skirt gave Nanette
an idea for the structure of
Spider-Cricket’s “wings.”
An Australian king cricket. Its color and
pattern influenced Spider-Cricket’s
costume design.
Inspiration for her chest
piece and headdress
Spider-Cricket’s costume sketch
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Then there is Aunt Iyan. She is human but
magical and lives in the underworld. Her
shapes are similar to the other humans
but have fabric treatments that make
them distinct. She has metallic elements
instead of our creatures’ rustic ones. And
of course she has her glowing hearts—
amber lights shining from inside her
cream-colored garment, representing her
soul more than literal hearts. She will
glow with warmth.
Sketch of Aunt Iyan’s costume
Research images which influenced
design of her headpiece…
…neckpiece…
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…and skirt.
ABOUT THE PUPPETS
From Annett Mateo
Mwindo features one of the most complex puppets that I have ever built—an amazing hawk
turns gold on stage! There are actually two hawk puppets, used for different parts of the
story. The first one is a hawk that starts strong and healthy, but as the land suffers because of
the Chief’s poor leadership and hatred of Mwindo, so does the hawk, until he ends up quite
sick. Then as Mwindo comes into his own at the end of his journey, the second puppet hawk
transforms from the sickly bird into a golden hawk. The hawks
are rod puppets, meaning that the puppets and their head and
wing movement are controlled from a rod.
Research image of an African
harrier-hawk in flight
This sketch shows the location of the controls for the
puppet’s head, jaw and wing movement.
Details of the wing structure
Sketch of a puppeteer operating the hawk rod puppet
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Earlier in their adventures, Mwindo and his companions encounter Kuti, a terrible beast that
lives in the underworld. Kuti has a giant head and four huge arms. This puppet is so big that five
people will operate him—one on the head and one on each arm. Each arm has three huge claws
at the end, which definitely gives Mwindo something to be frightened about.
During their travels Mwindo, Spider-Cricket and Cha-Cha also have to pass through unfriendly
forests inhabited by all manner of creatures. This involves a variety of puppets poking out from
unexpected places.
Sketch of Kuti’s head and clawed arms being operated by five puppeteers. Kuti is so big there isn’t room for his whole
body onstage, which is why the head and arms are not connected to anything even though they are all part of the same
beast. The audience’s imagination will fill in the empty space to create the shape of Kuti’s body.
Each arm is divided into sections so the puppeteer can
flex it to change its shape.
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The puppeteer has controls that can bend the clawed
end and the shoulder end separately.
MWINDO – AN EPIC OF THE NYANGA PEOPLE
Trying to find out something about the Nyanga, a people living
in central Africa, can be pretty confusing. A search on the
Internet for “Nyanga” will turn up a township in South Africa
and a big national park in Zimbabwe. But neither of these has
anything to do with the Nyanga people.
The Nyanga were once a very small tribe in the easternmost
part of what is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC). They probably migrated westward from present day
Uganda hundreds of years ago. They came from grasslands
into a high rain forest full of big game and home to mountain
gorillas. Their land is rich in large volcanic lakes and dotted
with volcanic craters, both active and dormant.
The Rwenzori Mountains, sometimes called the Mountains
of the Moon, is a mountain range of eastern Africa, located
on the border between Uganda and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC). These mountains are part of
the homeland of the Nyanga people.
Mount Nyiragongo, a volcano in the DRC, just west of
the border with Rwanda
Location of The Democratic Republic of the
Congo on the continent of Africa
It wasn’t until about sixty years ago that the Nyanga
began to attract any notice from outsiders. In
the middle of the last century, people around the
globe started to realize that the modern world
was causing many time-honored traditions to
completely disappear. We often use the term
“traditional cultures” to speak of those who work
together as a whole community to find and raise
food, build homes and make the tools of everyday
life. The traditions that bind such a community
together often include songs, stories and spoken
histories. When the conveniences of modern
technology arrive—gasoline motors, factories,
electricity and so on, it is difficult for people to
keep their traditions alive. We all come from a
“traditional culture” if we go back far enough. But
many of the traditions have been lost.
Some people, called anthropologists, look for
surviving traditions and write them down so that
as people become more modern they do not lose all
of their history. In 1952, a Belgian anthropologist
named Daniel Biebuyck began to live among and
study the Nyanga people. He had help from two
professional colleagues born among the Nyanga:
Amato Buuni and Stephano Tubi. Even though
Daniel had a grasp of Nyanga, a form of the Bantu
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19
language, he needed local people who spoke it fluently and who had
earned the trust of the people. He was fascinated by what he found.
Daniel Biebuyck
The Nyanga lived as trappers, hunters and fishers, as well as cultivators
of banana and plantain groves. On a traditional day, after the work was
done, small groups would gather to talk about the day’s events. Men
and women would congregate separately, including the children and
teenagers. The whole community would praise constructive activities,
discuss family troubles and social relationships, and criticize selfish
or negative actions. Adults would instruct the young ones. The people
would form plans and assignments for the next day’s chores.
As evening came, the adult men and women would begin to recite
traditional proverbs and riddles in the form of poems, with rhyme and rhythm. Speakers would
recite the first stanza, leaving the audience to recite the second or to just think about it in silence.
Sometimes teenagers would gather together to recite songs that were
part game and part dance. If a speaker began a long traditional tale, the
gathering would continue late into the night.
Daniel Biebuyck found that everyone among the Nyanga, young and
old, knew at least some of the proverbs, riddles and stories. Anyone
could become a storyteller, or bard. The person who could remember
a tale completely and accurately would be the one called upon to
recite. And some bards knew an amazing number. He found one bard,
Mr. Sherungu Muriro, who could perform “21 very long tales, 82 ‘true’
stories, 43 interpretations of dreams, 268 riddles, and 327 songs.”
Those who wanted to learn the long tales could offer to help an
experienced bard. They would often be the bard’s younger relatives or
A calabash
friends. They would accompany a bard to a gathering.
Sometimes a chief or host would invite a bard to tell
a tale. As the story began, the audience would grow.
The helpers, usually three people, would place a large
piece of wood upon smaller sticks that, when beaten
with drumsticks, would sound out a warm and exciting
rhythm. The bard would hold a calabash, a dried gourd
with seeds inside, and wear ankle bells to create more
rhythms and sound effects. The helpers might help the
storyteller keep on track if he forgot something. They
would also sing along with the many songs that were
part of the story. The audience would sing the songs,
African dancer tying on ankle bells
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20
too, for they were enjoying a story they had heard many times since childhood. They would also
repeat the last line said when the bard needed to pause to rest or catch his breath.
The storyteller would act out all the parts. If the audience really
enjoyed his performance, they would bring up small gifts of food or
beadwork while the story was in progress. They would dance to the
rhythms and songs while they did so. The whole audience would
shout, clap and even provide sound effects to help keep the story
going. There was no question of just sitting back in this audience!
Collecting the stories proved challenging, though. Not every storyteller
wanted to sit down and share Nyanga stories with an outsider. It was
The Nyanga bard, Mr. Sherungu
long, hard work, and not something they were used to doing outside
Muriro playing the drum for the
of traditional gatherings and without an audience. Besides, by the time
dances of the day
Daniel Biebuyck began his work, the traditional storytelling culture was
fading. Many storytellers were very old and found it hard to remember the stories. For some time,
he was able to collect only small, confusing fragments of the great
Mwindo epic, one of the most important of the Nyanga stories.
Then one day Daniel and his colleagues found a fifty-year-old
storyteller named Shé-kárisi Rureke. He lived in Bese, a village of
64 huts and 16 family groups. He worked for a European company
a short distance from his village. To their astonishment, Mr. Rureke
said he knew the entire story of Mwindo. He offered to sit down
and tell the whole story for as long and as often as it took for them
to write it down in the Nyanga language. He wanted the story to
continue to have a life for his people. Mr. Rureke told the story
over twelve exhausting days, from morning long into the night.
He nearly lost his voice towards the end. Local villagers found out
what was happening and came to hear the story too. They danced,
sang and participated as they had in the past.
Mr. Muriro playing a two-string
zither made from a gourd
Daniel put the written version aside for nearly a decade before he had the time and money to
go further. Eventually he was able to bring Mr. Kahombo C. Mateene, a scholar from the Nyanga
people, to the United States to make sure the written Nyanga version was correct and precise.
They also translated the text into English. Thanks to them, above all to Mr. Rureke, a written
version of Mwindo was saved, not only for the Nyanga, but for people all over the world.
But there is more than one version of Mwindo. We know of four or five for certain thanks to those
mentioned above. There might be even more that we just don’t know about. Mwindo playwright
Cheryl West has based her version on that of Mr. Rureke, in which Mwindo’s father refuses to
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21
accept him and tries to kill him. In the other versions, Mwindo’s
father accepts him soon after his birth and they rule together. Is
one of these versions the original, or even the “real” one?
Well, storytellers learned their versions from those whom they
helped, and they made sure to mention their “teachers” during
the telling of the story. So, different teachers may have passed
down different versions. Also, the Nyanga were not just one tribe
or kingdom. Since they migrated from Uganda long ago, they had
grown into a loose association of many related tribes. Each tribe
had its own chief and its own land and villages. So it’s possible
each Nyanga tribe might have had its own or its favorite version.
And storytellers were not expected to tell the stories exactly the
same way each time. Their audiences expected them to include
bits of history and current news that related to their own villages.
They saw these stories as an opportunity not only to preserve
the traditions of the past, but to reflect on problems they were
facing in the present. So, after discussing the issues of the day in
Mr. Shé-kárisi Rureke during a
performance of the Mwindo epic. He holds
the evening gatherings, a storyteller might feel that the audience
a calabash and a conga-scepter. The young
needed to ponder a particular question. When telling the Mwindo
men standing behind him participate in the
story, he might include some things, leave out others and emphasize
songs.
those parts he thought his people needed to be thinking about. Also,
since the story was so long, only certain parts would be told on any one evening. And that part might
just be the one that the storyteller thought his audience really needed to hear! And that would be the
right and “real” story for that evening.
So, different versions and parts of the Mwindo story can raise different questions: How does one
leader pass on rule to the next? How should a leader act? What do you do when you are filled with
anger? Or when you are being treated unfairly? Is it okay to get even? Can heroes do everything by
themselves? Everyone could draw their own questions from each performance of the story.
And now we have a story of Mwindo on our stage. What questions will this one pose for its audience?
Sources:
The Mwindo epic: from the Banyanga (Zaire), edited by Daniel P. Biebuyck and Kahombo C.
Mateene, University of California Press, 1989, ISBN 9780520020498.
Hero and Chief. Epic Literature from the Banyanga, Zaire Republic, by Daniel P. Biebuyck,
University of California Press, 1978, ISBN-10: 0520033868.
Summoning Together All the People, Variant Tellings of the Mwindo Epic as Social and Political
Deliberation, by Nathalia King, from The Politics of Orality [Orality and Literacy in Ancient Greece,
vol. 6], edited by Craig Cooper, Koninklijke Brill NV Leiden, 2007, ISSN 0169-8158, ISBN 13: 97890-04-14540-5.
22
FATHER AGAINST SON, SON AGAINST FATHER
Mwindo, the epic of the Nyanga people, tells the story of a son who rebels against his father, a
chief. Stories about a ruler-father threatened by his son occur time and again in myth, religion
and legend. Below are three of these violent, tragic stories.
Cronus, from Ancient Greek Mythology
This version of the myth comes from Hesiod’s Theogony, composed about 2700 years ago.
Cronus overthrows and imprisons his father Uranos to
become ruler of the universe. But Cronus learns from
Uranos that he will be overthrown by his own son. So Cronus
swallows his children as soon as they are born. Rhea, the
mother of the children, finally manages to hide one of them,
giving Cronus a stone to swallow instead. This youngest
child, Zeus, grows up and forces Cronus to vomit up all of
the children he has swallowed. Then Zeus, together with his
brothers and sisters, leads a rebellion against Cronus. Zeus
overthrows and imprisons Cronus and his allies under the
earth. Zeus becomes ruler of the universe, though the earth
still sometimes shakes from the rage of Cronus and the other
defeated gods and monsters.
David and Absalom, from the Bible
Although King Saul of Israel is not David’s father, he loves
David, and calls him “my son.” But the King grows jealous of
David’s popularity and power, and tries to hunt him down
and kill him. With the help of the King’s actual son Jonathon,
David eventually overthrows Saul’s forces to rule Israel. Years
later, one of King David’s own sons, the popular and handsome
Absalom, conspires against David and declares himself king.
Almost all the country sides with Absalom, but King David goes
to war with him and defeats Absalom’s army. While fleeing
from the battlefield on a mule, Absalom’s long, flowing hair
gets caught in a tree. He hangs by his hair from the tree branch
until one of David’s men finds and kills him. When he hears that
his son is dead, David cries out, “O my son Absalom, my son, my
son Absalom. I wish to God I had died for you.”
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23
In place of the infant Zeus, Rhea presents
Cronus a stone wrapped in swaddling
clothes. Marble relief, c. 400 BCE
David Mourning the Death of Absalom
by Gustave Dore, c. 1890
Arthur and Mordred, from Medieval Legend
This version of the legend comes from Thomas Mallory’s book Le Morte d’Arthur, published in 1485 CE.
King Arthur of Britain has an affair
with Morgause, not knowing that
Morgause is his half-sister. She bears
a son, Mordred, but hides him away.
Merlin the wizard foretells that the
child will one day overthrow Arthur,
so Arthur orders that every newborn
boy in his kingdom be put to sea in
a ship. The ship crashes and all but
Mordred die. When he grows up,
Mordred appears to make peace with
Arthur, but he never stops hating
his father. Eventually Mordred leads
a rebellion against Arthur. They
meet on the battlefield. Arthur stabs
Mordred with a spear. But Mordred,
while dying, grabs the spear and
pulls it further into himself so that
he can get close enough to give
Arthur a death-wound.
The death of King Arthur and Mordred, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth,
in The Boy’s King Arthur, 1917
In these stories, the struggles of father against son, son against father, have terrible
consequences. War often spreads throughout the kingdom. Fear, hatred and suspicion flare
up generation after generation. A son who has overthrown his father fears his own sons—
often with good reason. As the cycle of violence deepens, it becomes harder and harder to
imagine forgiveness and love overcoming fear and hate. But those are the only forces with
the power to bring peace. The forces of revenge and hate cannot be extinguished through
violence. They rumble, like the defeated god Cronus and his allies, deep underground, and
continually threaten to break free.
24
MWINDO’S MAGIC WAND
Mwindo is born with a magical scepter-conga entwined in his hair. He is obviously a very
unusual baby, born from his mother’s little finger, already walking and talking. And he is some
talker—he says he can defeat any foe with one throw of his scepter-conga. It gives him magical
powers and can even do some things all by itself.
An ancient Egyptian sandstone
panel showing a man holding
a staff in his left hand and
shorter scepter in his right
Egyptian King Tutankhamen’s
solid gold coffin shows him
holding a flail and a crook,
c. 1323 BCE
In the African tribe Nyanga’s stories, Mwindo waves his conga when he
is preparing to do battle or to use heroic powers. In one version he goes
to the land of the dead and meets its chief, Nyamurairi, who is also the
god of fire. Nyamurairi throws his magic belt at Mwindo, which wraps
itself around him and squeezes him to death. Mwindo drops his conga,
but it rises up by itself and knocks the belt off him. His conga then
waves itself around his head and brings him back to life. Mwindo then
kills Nyamurairi. However, Mwindo learns to be merciful and brings
him back to life—again, with his conga. In other versions Mwindo’s
conga gives him advice, helps him fly, brings dead bones back to life and
destroys a dragon. Quite a powerful item!
But what exactly is a scepter-conga? Let’s start with the “scepter” part.
Generally speaking, that word can refer to anything that a ruler or a
powerful person holds in his or her hand as a symbol of power. The
word itself comes from a Greek word, skēptron, which means staff.
Staffs (or staves, if you want to get fancy) have been used as emblems
of royal office for thousands of years. In ancient Egyptian writing, a
picture of a staff was one of the hieroglyphs (signs) for a royal official.
The oldest official staff ever found was in the grave of an Egyptian who
was probably a local ruler. The staff was at least five thousand years old.
Some ancient Egyptian pharaohs used a ceremonial flail as a scepter.
A flail is a long wooden handle with a shorter, free-swinging stick
attached to its end. It was used to pound, or thresh, grain—knocking
loose the edible part from the chaff. But some scholars believe the
pharaoh’s “flail” scepter is actually based on the shape of a shepherd’s
whip. A flail scepter might symbolize the ruler’s responsibility to
bring in a good harvest of grain for the people; a whip scepter might
symbolize his power to punish.
Another kind of pharaoh’s staff was based on the crook. Crooks were long staffs with a big curve
at the top used by shepherds to guide their flocks and fight off predators. A ruler using a crook
staff might have wanted to be seen as the guide and protector of his or her people. (Yes, there
were women pharaohs, including Hatshepsut and Cleopatra.)
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25
Mayan rulers carried a manikin scepter. This was a very short
staff and at the top was a statue of a god of rain and lightning. This
reflected belief that the rulers could bring life-giving rain to grow the
crops in lands that often experienced deadly drought.
The Greek gods had some unique staffs, too. Hermes, the messenger
of the gods, carried a caduceus. This was a staff encircled by a pair of
snakes and topped by a pair of wings. This magical wand helped him
to travel quickly, conduct souls to the land of the dead and cast spells.
Poseidon, the god of the seas, had a trident, a three pronged spear.
Ordinarily, humans used tridents to catch fish. Poseidon used his to
call forth storms or calm the waves. It could also bring springs of
fresh water up from the earth when struck into the ground.
A Mayan manikin scepter
In Mwindo’s case, his scepter-conga stands for his being the chosen
one, one who would be greater than his father, one who would
fulfill his destiny as a wise ruler of his people. And Mwindo’s task
in the story is to learn how to become that ruler, with and without
his scepter-conga.
Statue of Hermes holding
a caduceus
But, hold on—what is a conga? Among the Nyanga people, a conga
is a wooden handle with a buffalo or antelope tail fastened to its
top. The tails are tassels of strong hairs (remember that violin bow
strings are made from horse hairs)
and are very long—from two to three
and a half feet long.
Why a buffalo or antelope tail? Well,
those animals use their tails to keep
away flies. And that is what a conga is—a fly swatter. It is also called
a fly whisk because you can’t always swat the flies. More often
you “whisk” them away. Very useful to have when you are around
animal herds in a hot climate.
But the conga is a scepter, and a scepter is more than just a
An antique African fly whisk
flyswatter. Fly whisks have been used as symbols of ruling power
among some African tribes up to the last century. Jomo Kenyatta, considered the founding father
of Kenya, became the first prime minister of his newly independent country in 1963. He kept the
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26
traditional fly whisk as part of his official regalia to honor his Kikuyu
tribal heritage.
Fly whisks also represent authority in China, Japan, Polynesia and
Thailand. Among the five items presented to the King of Thailand when
he ascends the throne is a royal fly whisk made from the hairs of an
elephant or yak tail. Rulers in ancient India carried fly whisks. Shiva,
one of the most important Hindu deities, creator and destroyer of
worlds, is often depicted holding a fly whisk.
And maybe that word “conga” brings up
another question. Any relation to the conga
Jomo Kenyatta, the first
drum? When speaking of a conga drum, people president of Kenya, wearing his
official regalia and holding a fly
are usually thinking of the tall, narrow Cuban
whisk
drum that has been popular for nearly a
century in Latin and Afro-Cuban music. However, that drum is called a
tumbadora in Cuba. The word “conga” was originally used to refer to just
one of the many rhythms played on the tumbadora. That rhythm was
created by Africans brought as slaves to Cuba from the Bantu speaking
area of the Congo River basin. Conga is pretty close to Congo, so it’s very
likely the words for river, drum and flyswatter are somehow related.
But there is another word in one language of Bantu—nk’onga. It means
navel or umbilical. It is through the umbilical cord that a mother gives
nourishment to her baby in the womb. Perhaps that feeling of life, of energy, of vital rhythm
given to the center of our being, has something to do with Mwindo’s conga!
A tumbadora drum,
commonly called a conga
Sources:
The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga (Zaire), edited by Daniel P. Biebuyck and Kahombo C.
Mateene, University of California Press, 1989, ISBN 9780520020498.
Website on royal ancient Egyptian scepters and staffs –
http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/royalemblems.html
A History of the Conga Drum, by Nolan Warden, from the journal Percussive Notes,
February 2005 – http://www.nolanwarden.com/Conga_Drum_History(Warden).pdf
(You may need to copy/paste this link into your browser for it to work.)
27
Telling Stories
For hundreds of years, the story of Mwindo was shared and remembered and kept alive without
being written down. Throughout the world, storytelling is still an important way for people to
share traditions, culture and to teach about the world. In every country, and in every group of
people, you can find examples of traditional storytelling. Here are a few:
In Sweden, Norway and Finland, the Sami people are famous for reindeer herding. They are
also known for having a rich storytelling tradition of stories, songs and poems. Many of the
stories that the Sami tell include wicked giants called staalu. These giants are mean, bad, liars.
The Sami use them as examples of how not to behave.
In the northern Philippines, the Ilokano people have an ancient tradition of chanting long, epic
stories. This tradition is called dallot. The most famous Ilokano epic is about a hero called
Lam-ang. Like Mwindo, Lam-ang is born with the ability to talk. Lam-ang goes on a long quest
and is helped by magical animals along the way: a cat, a dog and a rooster.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, Coast Salish tribes tell stories about the animals, plants and
natural world around us. One important character in these stories is Raven. Ravens are large
black birds that show up in many stories around the world. In Coast Salish stories, Raven is a
trickster who is also responsible for creating the sun, the moon, stars and other parts of nature.
In every culture, older people use stories to teach younger people what is important to that
culture and how people should behave. They also reveal ancient beliefs about where things came
from. They often involve supernatural powers. Coconuts, clouds, horses, mountains, salmon and
salt water each have at least one story explaining their origin. Origin stories probably exist for
anything else you can think of! Storytellers in each new generation add new details. This means
that every time a story is told, it is new—no matter how familiar a story may be, it will always be
different depending on who is telling it.
Throughout history, communities have valued great storytelling and it is still the most
common way that a story passes directly from one person to another and then another. Is
there a person in your life who is an amazing storyteller? Do you have
a friend, a relative or a teacher who is always fun to listen to? The next
time you are being told a story, pay attention to how the storyteller
uses her voice, face and body to bring the story to life. If you ask a
grandparent what the world was like when they were your age, you
might hear an incredible story and learn something you never knew
before about the world, your grandparent and about yourself. And
when you pass that story on, you become a storyteller, too.
28
WORDS & PHRASES THAT MIGHT BE NEW TO YOU
…you’re finally dispatching me to a task worthy of my skills and talents. – sending
One day all my daughters will marry and bestow upon me big, big bride-prices!
– money or property given to a bride’s father in exchange for her
Born of good fortune, Kahindo. – Goddess of good fortune in the Mwindo epic, daughter
of the Fire God
I am the child who will beat any foe with the throw of my scepter-conga.
scepter – a rod or wand held as a symbol of power
conga – a flyswatter that is a buffalo tail attached to a wooden handle. A conga
is used in ceremonies by Nyanga tribal members, a people of Central Africa.
No, no, no, not a porcupine. Rather a hedgehog. – small mammal that has a
protective covering of spines on its back
Banished a decade ago by your father… – forced to leave
I have an exceptional family, a huge family… – unusual
What are the drums saying? – The pattern and rhythm of drumming has been
used in some cultures for centuries as a way to communicate over long distances.
Years ago an oracle declared that there would be an appearance of a golden
hawk… – person who tells the future
I am an amazing hybrid produced by the best parents in the world! – blend of two
different things (in this case, Spider-Cricket)
Defeat is not in Spider-Cricket’s vocabulary. – commonly used words
What business do you have crossing to the other side? THIS IS MY DOMAIN! – place
Cha-Cha, what if Mwindo abandons us along the way? – leaves
One more and I would have had the gift of even more animals, more gold, more
bountiful riches. – plentiful
I am humbled by your presence. – made less prideful
I have wreaked nothing but death and destruction. – caused
29
JUMP START
Ideas for things to do, wonder about, talk about or write about before or after you see Mwindo.
Drums warn Mwindo of danger. Tapping your hands on a table or on your own body, play a drumbeat
that sounds like you are warning someone. Try a beat that lets them know you are happy or inviting
them to visit. What other messages can you send?
Why do the warriors do what the Chief tells them, even though they think he is a bad leader?
What’s the best story someone ever told you? Who told you the story? Why do you think the story
was told to you? What do you think the story was trying to teach you? Tell the story to someone else.
If you had a magic scepter, what would it look like? Draw it or make it. With your friends, use it to take
turns turning each other into things. What other powers does it have? Act them out.
Talk with authority like Chief, with shyness like Cha-Cha, with urgency like Mother, with pride like
Mwindo, with worry like Spider-Cricket, with patience like Iyan, with anger like Kuti. Use the phrase,
“I need to be in this room.”
Mwindo goes to many unusual lands full of danger and adventure, such as the Domain of Restless
Spirits. Imagine another land for Mwindo to visit. What is its name? What does it look like? What
does Mwindo do there?
Mwindo calls himself “The Mighty Mwindo.” Make up a title for yourself and try to express it with
your body as you move.
Tell the Hawk’s story from its viewpoint, starting with living with the Chief before Mwindo was born, to
when the spirit of Mwindo’s mother enters it at The River of No Return, until it flies away at the end.
What is Cha-Cha’s greatest strength?
Why does Spider-Cricket want to fly?
Spider-Cricket is half-spider, half-cricket, which makes her move and behave in unusual ways. Can
you move like a half-and-half animal? A snake-lion? Cheetah-snail? What other unusual combinations
can you come up with?
On his birthday, Cha-Cha and Spider-Cricket give Mwindo clothing and things that make him look like
a young chief. Can you think of people whose jobs we can tell by looking at the way they are dressed?
Do we act different ways depending on the clothes we are wearing?
So many characters in the story help Mwindo on his journey, but
he doesn’t thank them. Why do they keep helping him? Would you?
Why doesn’t the Chief care about how his people are suffering?
Do you think Aunt Iyan is sorry she took care of Mwindo?
What makes the Hawk so special to the Chief, even before it
turns golden?
Make a golden hawk kite. Go fly a kite.
What makes someone a grown-up?
30
DRAMA IN ACTION
This is a customized Mwindo Dramashop* exercise for you to try.
EXERCISE: Master Kuti
GRADES: Grades 3 and up
TIME NEEDED: 15 minutes
SET-UP: This exercise works best in an open space
SUPPLIES: None
INSTRUCTIONS:
To reach his aunt, Mwindo must travel through the dangerous Domain of Restless Spirits, where
he encounters the giant water-serpent, Master Kuti. In this exercise, students will traverse across
environments filled with imaginary obstacles to reach their goal.
Ask the class to line up at one end of the room, facing the opposite wall. Announce to the
students that you have heard they are a group of brave explorers and adventurers who are on
a quest like Mwindo and his friends. You know they are extremely talented at traveling through
new environments, working together and staying focused. You are not looking for those who
travel the fastest, but for those who really experience the environment and who work together.
Walk to the far end of the room and say: “I am Master Kuti, and to reach me you must cross the
water pit filled with scary creatures, walk through quicksand, crawl beneath a ceiling of rope
daggers and swing on vines to leave the Domain of Restless Spirits.”
Invite the students to cross the room, negotiating through the imaginary obstacles you have
mentioned. Note aloud those who are committed and focused. When the majority of the group
has reached you, encourage them to say together, “Aha! We finally reached Master Kuti!”
Master Kuti responds, “Oh no, I’m not Master Kuti, I’m Master Skuti! [or another name that
rhymes or sounds silly] Master Kuti is over there.” Choose a student who has done a good job
of physicalizing the environment, and ask them to become the Master Kuti at the opposite end
of the room. That student then says, “I am Master Kuti and to reach me you must…” followed by
their own creative description of a new environment and a different set of obstacles.
Go back and forth across the room several times. When you are ready to close the activity, have
the final Master Kuti say something like, “You have found me! I AM Master Kuti!” and celebrate
with a dance party, high fives or in some other ritualized way.
VARIATIONS:
•
•
If you have a group that is getting overly physical and wants to grab or hold onto Master Kuti once they cross
the room, direct them to place one finger on Master Kuti or make a holding hands circle around her or him.
You can lead the activity several different ways: as a silent game, asking for sounds or encouraging full
dialogue and interaction with each other, i.e. “Help me, my foot is stuck in the mud!”
*A Dramashop is an interactive drama-workshop that Seattle Children’s Theatre offers to schools and community groups through
our Education Outreach Program. Dramashops explore the themes, characters, historical context and production elements of SCT
Mainstage plays. Professional SCT teaching artists work with students for an hour, fleshing out themes and ideas through dynamic
theatre exercises. Dramashops can occur either before or after seeing the play and can be held at SCT or at your location. Students get
on their feet in these participatory workshops, stretching their imaginations while learning about the play.
For information about bringing a Dramashop to your classroom or community group, email [email protected].
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Your Seven Hearts
If you had seven hearts like Mwindo’s Aunt Iyan, what would make them glow?
Write or draw one thing that you love in each heart, then draw your face above them.
A New Adventure
Create your own epic story by filling in the blanks below with words of your choice.
There once was a boy named _______________ (name) who lived in _____________ (place).
His father was a(n) _______________ (adjective) man who wanted nothing to do with his son. All
he cared about was _______________ (noun). Then one day the boy’s mother suddenly
______________ (verb ending in -ed) and was never seen or heard of again.
So the boy left home to find a(n) ________________ (adjective) life. Before he got very far, he fell
into a(n) ______________ (adjective) _____________ (noun).
__________________ (adverb), he met a(n) __________________ (animal) there who helped
him get out. They were joined by a friendly _________________ (insect) who offered to show
them the way to _____________ (new place). Suddenly, a(n) ________________ (adjective)
scary _________ (new animal) appeared. “_______________ (exclamation),” the boy shouted.
He used his magic ______________ (noun) to ________________ (verb) the animal and it
______________ (verb ending in -ed). The three friends were so relieved that they
____________ (verb ending in -ed).
After many _____________ (plural length of time), the boy woke up to a bright
____________ (adjective) sky and decided it was time to face his father. He and his friends went
home, where his father was ____________ (adjective) to see him. His friends told the boy that to
___________ (verb) his father, he needed to learn how to ______________ (verb). Once the boy
did that, his father’s heart changed and he agreed to live ________________ (adverb) with his son
from that day on. All the _________________ (plural noun) praised the boy and celebrated by
__________________ (verb ending in -ing) through the night.
BOOKLIST
For Children & Young Adults:
For Adults Working With Children
& Young Adults:
Can’t Scare Me!
Ashley Bryan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jay Heale
Lionboy
Zizou Corder
African Mythology A to Z
Patricia Ann Lynch
Bud, Not Buddy
Christopher Paul Curtis
Musical Instruments (World of Design)
Ruth Thomson
Lugalbanda: The Boy Who Got Caught Up in a
War: An Epic Tale from Ancient Iraq
Kathy Henderson
Shake-it-up Tales: Stories to Sing, Dance, Drum
and Act Out
Margaret Read MacDonald
Akata Witch
Nnedi Okorafor
Act out these fun, interactive folktales from
around the world that incorporate drumming,
dancing and song.
Gilgamesh the Hero
Geraldine McCaughrean
Ninth Ward
Jewell Parker Rhodes
Endangered
Eliot Schrefer
Abiyoyo
Pete Seeger
African Playground (Audio CD)
Putumayo Kids
A Pride of African Tales
Donna L. Washington
Read these six entertaining tales from the
Congo and other African countries, full of
shape-changers, tricksters, magic maidens and
a talking skull!
Booklist prepared by Blythe Summers
Seattle Public Library System
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SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Engaging young people with the arts is what we are all about at SCT. We hope that the Active
Audience Guide has helped enhance and extend the theater experience for your family or your
students beyond seeing the show.
We’d love to hear your feedback about the guide. You can email your comments to us at [email protected]
Educators, your input is very valuable to us. Please take a moment to go online and answer this
brief survey: http://www.instant.ly/s/Uw6W6
Thank you for your support.
Seattle Children’s Theatre, which celebrates its 40th season in 2014-2015, performs
September through June in the Charlotte Martin and Eve Alvord Theatres at Seattle Center. SCT
has gained acclaim as a leading producer of professional theatre, educational programs and new
scripts for young people. By the end of its 2013-2014 season, SCT had presented over 230 plays,
including 110 world premieres, entertaining over 4 million children.
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