Mufaro`s Beautiful Daughters - Tilles Center for the Performing Arts

Transcription

From DCT’s producon of Mufaro’s Beauful Daughters. Photo by Linda Blase.
TEACHER’S GUIDE
DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATER PRESENTS
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters
Dear Teacher,
Thank you for taking the me to bring your students to Tilles Center.
Never has there been a more important me for creavity and innovaon in
educaon. Bringing students to live performance helps them to view the world
through a new lens, to use their senses in different ways and to appreciate a
wide array of art forms and different cultures.
This season marks the 25th year of bringing K-12 students to Tilles Center’s
school-me manee series. We are proud to offer professional performances of
the highest caliber of arsc excellence. Each program is carefully chosen to
both educate and entertain students. We are honored to welcome over 13,000
students through our doors each year.
In order to give your group the richest experience possible, please read and
share this guide with all teachers and students who will a0end the performance. Addional study guides can be downloaded from llescenter.org.
Thank you again for your support. See you at the theater!
Ellio0 Sroka
Execuve Director
Stephanie Turner
Director of Arts Educaon
Deborah Robbins
Assistant Director of Arts Educaon
Emily Lembo
Arts Educaon Associate
Table of Contents
Objecves of the Performance ..................................................................... 4
Aending a Performance at Tilles Center..................................................... 5
Your Role As an Audience Member .............................................................. 7
About The Performance ................................................................................ 9
About the Book ........................................................................................... 15
About the Company .................................................................................... 16
About the Author…………………………………………………………………………………...17
Cultural Context .......................................................................................... 18
Acvies Before The Performance ............................................................. 22
Acvies A.er The Performance ................................................................ 27
Elements of a Show..................................................................................... 31
Places in the Theater................................................................................... 33
Glossary of Terms........................................................................................ 34
Resources .................................................................................................... 35
Emergency Cancellaon.............................................................................. 36
OBJECTIVES OF THE PERFORMANCE
Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts
Materials and Resources
Students will be knowledgeable about and
make use of the materials and resources
available for parcipaon in the arts in various
roles.
Theater: Students will know the basic tools,
media, and techniques involved in theatrical
producon. Students will locate and use
school, community, and professional
resources for theater experiences. Students
This teacher’s guide is designed to extend the will understand the job opportunies available
in all aspects of theater.
impact of the performance by providing
discussion ideas, experienal acvies, and
Standard 3: Responding to and Analyzing
further reading that can promote learning
Works of Art
across the curriculum. This program can be
Students will respond crically to a variety of
incorporated into study addressing the
Learning Standards for the Arts as spulated works in the arts, connecng the individual
work to other works and to other aspects of
by the N.Y. State Educaon Department.
human endeavor and thought.
Detailed informaon is available at:
Theater: Students will reflect on, interpret,
www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/arts/pub/
and evaluate plays and theatrical
artlearn.pdf .
performances, both live and recorded, using
the language of dramac cricism. Students
Learning Standards for the Arts (Theater):
will analyze the meaning and role of theater in
society. Students will idenfy ways in which
Standard 1: Creang, Performing, and
drama/theater connects to film and video,
Parcipang in the Arts
Students will acvely engage in the processes other arts, and other disciplines.
that constute creaon and performance in
Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural
the arts (dance, music, theater, and visual
Dimensions and Contribuons of the Arts
arts) and parcipate in various roles in the
Students will develop an understanding of the
arts.
personal and cultural forces that shape arsc
Theater: Students will create and perform
communicaon and how the arts in turn
theatre pieces as well as improvisaonal
drama. They will understand and use the basic shape the diverse cultures of past and present
elements of theatre in their characterizaons, society.
improvisaons, and play wring. Students will Theater: Students will gain knowledge about
engage in individual and group theatrical and past and present cultures as expressed
through theater. They will interpret how
theatre-related tasks, and they will describe
theater reflects the beliefs, issues, and events
the various roles and means of creang,
of sociees past and present.
performing, and producing theatre.
This performance serves to:
• Introduce students to the environment
of a professional performing arts center;
• Expose students to a live performance
with high caliber performers;
• Maximize students’ enjoyment and
appreciaon of the performing arts;
• Help students develop an understanding
of the arts as a means of expression and
communicaon.
MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS
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Attending a Performance at Tilles Center
Main Stage at Tilles Center seats 2,200 people. Hillwood Recital Hall seats 500 people.
When you aend a performance at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, there are a few
things you should remember.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
• Groups will be seated in the theater on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Tilles Center cannot reserve seats for school performances.
• Plan to arrive approximately 30 minutes prior to the show.
• Performances cannot be held for late buses.
• C. W. Post Public Safety will direct buses to parking areas.
• Remain seated on the bus unl instructed to unload.
• Shows generally last one hour.
ENTERING THE THEATER
• Please stagger chaperones throughout the group to help keep students in line and moving quickly to the seang area.
• Groups are directed into the theater in the order that they arrive.
GETTING SEATED
Upon entering the theater for seang, ushers will direct students and teachers row by
row. It’s possible that classes may be split up into two or more rows. With adequate
adult supervision, a group split into two or more rows should have enough chaperones
to ensure safety.
• Please allow ushers to seat your group in its enrety before making adjustments. This
allows us to connue seang groups that arrive a.er you. You are free to rearrange students to new seats and to go to restrooms once the group is seated.
•
ENJOY THE SHOW
So that everyone can enjoy the performance:
• There is no food or drink permied in the theater or lobby areas.
• Photography and audio/video recording is not permied during the performance.
• Please turn off (or leave behind) all ipods or MP3 players, pagers, cell phones. The devices
may interfere with the theater’s sound system and ringing, alerts, etc are extremely disrupve to both the audience and the performers.
• Please do not talk, whisper, shuffle or rale papers or candy wrappers during the performance.
• Please do not leave and re-enter the theater during the performance. There is no intermission so make sure you visit the restroom prior to the start of the show.
Page 5
DISMISSAL
• A Tilles Center representave will come onstage following the performance to provide direcons for dismissal. Please remain seated unl you have received these direcons.
_____________________________________________
Please Note:
⇒
CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 4 WILL NOT BE PERMITTED IN THE THEATER UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES – PLEASE MAKE CHAPERONES AWARE OF THIS POLICY.
⇒
TILLES CENTER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REMOVE STUDENTS (UNDER SUPERVISION OF
THEIR TEACHER OR CHAPERONE) FROM THE VENUE SHOULD THEY BE OF INAPPROPRIATE AGE OR A DISRUPTION TO THE PERFORMANCE.
⇒
FOOD AND DRINK ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE LOBBY AREAS OR THE THEATER. UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN NOT PROVIDE SEATING IN THE BUILDING FOR STUDENTS TO EAT
BAGGED LUNCHES.
Thank you and enjoy the show!
Page 6
Your Role as an Audience Member
TO THE TEACHER:
The audience is a very important part of the performance. Please talk to your students about
what it means to be an audience member and how a “live” performance is different from TV
and movies. Please share the following informaon with your students prior to your visit to
Tilles Center. Some performances may involve audience parcipaon so students should be
prepared to behave appropriately, given the nature of the performance and the requests of
the arsts on the stage.
BEING AN AUDIENCE MEMBER:
A theater is an energecally charged space. When the “house lights” (the lights that illuminate the audience seang) go down, everyone feels a thrill of ancipaon. By discussing appropriate audience behavior as a class ahead of me, the students will be much beer
equipped to handle their feelings and express their enthusiasm in acceptable ways during the
performance.
Audience members play an important role— unl an audience shows up, the performers are
only rehearsing! When there is a “great house” (an outstanding audience) it makes the show
even beer, because the arsts feel a live connecon with everyone who is watching them.
The most important quality of a good audience member is the ability to respond appropriately
to what’s happening on stage… somemes it’s important to be quiet, but other mes, it’s acceptable to laugh, clap, or make noise!
GOOD AUDIENCE MEMBERS KNOW THESE KEY WORDS:
Concentraon: Performers use concentraon to focus their energy on stage. If the audience
watches in a concentrated, quiet way, this supports the performers and they can do their best
work. They can feel that you are with them!
Quiet: The theater is a very “live” space. This means that sound carries very well, usually all
over the auditorium. Theaters are designed in this way so that the voices of singers and actors
can be heard. It also means that any sounds in the audience - whispering, rustling papers, or
speaking - can be heard by other audience members and by the performers. This can destroy
everyone’s concentraon and spoil a performance. Do not make any unnecessary noise that
would distract the people siRng around you. Be respecSul!
Keep in mind that somemes the performers will request the audience to take part in the acon by coming on stage, asking quesons, or calling out answers. At these mes, it is appropriate to respond in the manner in which you are directed. Above all, listen to the performer
(s) on stage and follow direcons.
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Respect: The audience shows respect for the performers by being aenve. The performers
show respect for their art form and for the audience by doing their best possible work. Professional actors and musicians always show up for work ready to entertain you. As a good audience member, you have a responsibility to bring your best behavior to the theater as well.
Doing so shows respect for the actors—who have rehearsed long hours to prepare for this
day—and the audience around you.
Appreciaon: Applause is the best way for an audience in a theater to share its enthusiasm
and to appreciate the performers. In a musical or opera, it is not usually acceptable to applaud in the middle of a song. However, it is appropriate to applaud a.er each song has finished.
If the program is of classical music, applaud at the conclusion of the enre piece, not between
movements.
At the end of the performance, it is customary to connue clapping unl the curtain drops or
the lights on stage go dark. During the curtain call, the performers bow to show their appreciaon to the audience. If you really enjoyed the performance, you might even thank the arsts
with a standing ovaon!
Common Sense: The same rules of behavior that are appropriate in any formal public place
apply to the theater. If audience members conduct themselves in orderly, quiet ways, with
each person respecng the space of those around him or her, everyone will be able to fully
enjoy the performance experience.
Page 8
About the Performance
Based on the Book by John Steptoe
Adapted for the Stage by Karen Abbo, Music & Lyrics by S-Ankh Rasa
Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters, performed by the
Dallas Children’s Theater, is based on the awardwinning children’s book by John Steptoe and
adapted for the stage by Karen Abbo. In the story, Mufaro lives in a small African village with his
two lovely – but very different daughters. His eldest daughter, Manyara, is selfish, mean-spirited
and unkind to her younger sister, Nyasha, who is
beloved for her paence and generosity. One day, the
Great King announces he is seeking a wife and
invites all worthy and beauful young women to come to the city to
a
s
i
meet him. Manyara and Nyasha make the journey through the forest
)
an
erm ed by
G
(
n
z
i
e
to the city separately. Along the way, each daughter meets strange
he
cter
ärch
A m le chara agic or t e
h
a
t
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m
s
f
creatures and faces many challenges. In the end, Manyara’s pride
folk ents o such a
al
elem natural, a mort powf
defeats her, while Nyasha’s goodness leads her to become queen.
r
al
supe
ent o
agic
wm
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hm
endo cter wit nowled
k
a
l
r
cha specia
r
ers o
Readers o.en compare this tale of two sisters, one evil and one good,
to Cinderella. Similar stories are found in cultures around the world.
This version originates from a tradional African folktale and includes
many familiar folktale elements such as:
Themes of good versus evil, coming of age, nature, and animals.
The central acon of a journey that tests the characters with
difficult tasks.
A younger or weaker hero who succeeds.
Within
the fo
lktale
story
genre
of Mu
, t he
faro’s
Daug
Beau
hters
%ful
falls in
of a m
to the
ärche
categ
n bec
fanta
ory
ause
scal
it
h
s
as a
e
Rng
and c
(the f
harac
orest
ters t
)
(Nyok
hat u
a the
se ma
snake
gic
).
A moral or lesson. (In this story, the moral is that goodness or
inner beauty wins out evil.)
The Dallas Children’s Theater staging of the play is a lush, three-dimensional version of this
outstanding work of children’s literature.
Educaonal materials provided, in part, by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
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Educaonal materials provided, in part, by the Dallas Children’s Theater.
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MEET THE CAST
RICK L. SPIVEY
Storyteller / Messenger
Audiences will remember Rick’s performances in previous DCT
naonal tours of A Midnight Cry: The Underground Railroad to
Freedom, If You Give A Pig A Party, Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters
and Most Valuable Player. His regional credits include featured
roles in South Pacific, Cinderella and A Few Good Men with Casa
Manana; Jitney and Flying West with African American Repertory
Theater; and God’s Trombones and The African Company Presents Richard III with Jubilee Theater. Mr. Spivey has also performed with The Buerfly Connecon and DVA Producons.
CALVIN ROBERTS
Villager 1 / Hungry Boy / Laughing Tree / King
Calvin is delighted to be making his Dallas Children’s Theater debut!
He was recently featured as a Pit Vocalist in Dallas Theater Center’s
producon of The Wiz. His other regional credits include Flora, the
Red Menace with Lyric Stage; The Drowsy Chaperone with Theatre
Three; and A Christmas Carol with Dallas Theater Center. Mr. Roberts
has also appeared in Ain’t Misbehavin with Theatre Arlington; Miss
Saigon with Repertory Company Theatre; Rag%me with the JCC of
Dallas; Sugar with ICT Manistage; and The Merchant of Venice and
Julius Caesar with Shakespeare Dallas.
ASHLEY DUPLECHAIN
Villager 2 / Old Woman / Laughing Tree / Puppeteer
Ashley lends her talents to DCT for a third naonal tour where she previously
appeared in If You Give A Pig A Party and Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters. She
also appeared in DCT’s 2006 and 2009 main-stage producons of Junie B. Jones
and a Lile Monkey Business. Her other regional credits include Hair with Uptown Players, Cabin in the Sky with Lyric Stage, Caroline or Change with Theatre Three, and Ain’t Misbehavin’ with Jubilee Theater. Ms. Duplechain was
most recently seen in Rag%me with the JCC of Dallas.
IVAN JONES
Mufaro
Ivan is pleased to be reprising the role of Mufaro, which he created for
DCT’s 2008-2009 naonal touring producon. His Dallas area credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Rocky Horror Show with KD
Studios; 42nd St. and Cats with Garland Sum– mer Musicals; Puss in Boots
and Babes in the Wood with Theatre Britain; and Lucifer Descending with
MBS Producons. Mr. Jones also danced with The Dallas Opera in Romeo
and Juliet and Boris Godunov. He holds Associates Degrees in Theater and
Musical Theater from KD Studio’s Acng Conservatory.
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CHARLI ARMSTRONG
Manyara
Charli returns to the role of Manyara, which she portrayed in the 2008-2009
naonal tour of Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters. She also appeared in DCT’s
main-stage producon of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Her other
Dallas area credits include featured roles in Aladdin and Puss In Boots with
Theatre Britain; The Soul Gatherer with MBS Producons; and Tom, Dick and
Harry with Pocket Sandwich Theatre.
RHIANNA MACK
Nyahsha
Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters marks Rhianna’s third oung with DCT’s naonal tour. She was
previously seen in African Tales of Earth and Sky and A Midnight Cry: The Underground Railroad to Freedom. Her numerous acng credits include 365 Plays in
365 Days with Dallas Theater Center.; A Dog’s Life with Theatre
Three; Edmond with Second Thought Theater; the award winning
Heaven Forbid(s)! with Marce Enterprises; The Exonerated with
WaterTower Theater; the highly acclaimed 16 character, onewoman show No Child with Amphibian Stage Producons; and
most recently Passing Strange with The Pollard Theatre in Guthrie,
OK. Rhianna has worked extensively in commercials and independent films and was featured in the Lifeme Original Movie The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a Fairy Tale, directed by Debbie Allen. Ms. Mack is represented by the Mary Collins Agency of Dallas,
TX.
ERIC FRANKLIN
Produc%on Manager / Technical Director
Eric connues his associaon with DCT where he served as Stage Manager for last season’s naonal tour of Giggle, Giggle, Quack and the local touring producon of Señora Tortuga. He also
served as Audio Engineer for numerous DCT main-stage producons including Junie B. Jones
and a Lile Monkey Business; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; How I Became a Pirate
and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. He was also the Lighng Technician for Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts’ original producon of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Prior to joining DCT’s
technical staff, Eric was a theatrical technician for Royal Caribbean Internaonal. He holds a BA
in Theatre from Stephen F. Ausn State University.
ZANE A. WHITNEY JR.
Stage Manager
Mr. Whitney returns to DCT where he served as a producon/educaon intern for the 20082009 main-stage season. His Stage Management credits include the dance companies Real
Women Dancing and Danceworks. He holds a Professional Training Program Cerficate from
Dell’Arte Internaonal School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake, CA and a BFA in Acng
from Stephen F. Ausn State University.
Page 12
MEET THE DIRECTORS
ROBYN FLATT
DCT Execu%ve Ar%s%c Director & Director of Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters
Robyn Fla co-founded DCT in 1984 with an operang budget
of $500. Under her arsc leadership, the theater’s creave
and operaonal stature has grown over the past 24 years to
reflect its current annual budget of more than $3 million. Her
theatrical career has brought her acclaim as a professional
director, actor and lighng designer. During her tenure as a
member of the Dallas Theater Center Resident Company, she
served as Assistant Arsc Director, Director of MimeAct and
Theater-in-the-Parks. She holds an MA Degree from Baylor
University and studied with Eenne Decroux, Juana Laban and
Hanya Holm. Among Ms. Fla’s many acng credits include
two roles she created for award-winning world premiere producons: Dewey Dell in Journey to Jefferson and Martha Ann
Sickenger in Preston Jones’ The Oldest Living Graduate. Her
direcng credits at DCT include Coyote Tales; African Tales of Earth and Sky; The Great Gilly
Hopkins; the world premiere musical adaptaon by Linda Daugherty and Danny Ray of Steven
Kellogg’s The Three Sillies; Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; The Miracle Worker; Island of the
Blue Dolphins; and the crically acclaimed producons of And Then They Came For Me and
Bless Cricket, Crest Toothpaste, & Tommy Tune. She has served on the boards of AATE and ASSITEJ/USA and is a recipient of The 500, Inc.’s presgious Ken Bryant Visionary Award, Dallas
Historical Society’s 1999 Excellence in Community Service for Creave Arts, the 2002 Leon
Rabin Standing Ovaon Award, and the Excellence in Nonprofit Management Award. Ms. Fla
is an inductee into the College of Fellows of American Theatre and holds the honorary designaon of American Theatre Fellow for life. She was recently nominated by The Dallas Morning
News arts staff for the 2010 Texan of the Year Award.
S-ANKH RASA
Composer / Lyricist / Musical Director / Accompanist of Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters
At age 12, S-Ankh Rasa was the youngest
student accepted to the University of California, Berkeley Music Department. He
composed his first symphony at 15 while
aending the San Francisco Conservatory
of Music. At 16, he performed at the Monterey Jazz Fesval as a featured saxophonist with Dizzy Gillespie and the Modern
Jazz Quartet. In Los Angeles he worked as a
studio musician (saxophone, flute, and
clarinet), composer, arranger, and musical
director with Marvin Gaye, Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Debbie Allen and Fame, The Temptaons Reunion Tour, Barry White, The Four Tops, and many others. He rered from the studio
music scene at the age of 26 and began studying tradional African music. This led to a US tour
Page 13
with the world-renowned African drummer, Mamady Keita. Mr. Rasa is also a performer and
historian of the kora (African harp) and composes and sings in three languages. He is the founder of Kumasi African Ensemble and the composer/conductor of Juju Naon African Arkestra
(www.juju-naon.com). Mr. Rasa worked with acclaimed actress, playwright, and director Regina Taylor on the Dallas producon of Crowns in the vital role of mul-percussionist. He also
performed in the US tour of Crowns as co-music director and mul-percussionist under the direcon of Andrea Frye. Mr. Rasa composed and performed a one-man original score for Crystal
City 1969 directed by David Lozano for Cara Mia Theatre Company. His other DCT collaboraons include original music, composions and musical direcon for Anansi the Spider Man and
The True Story of the 3 Lile Pigs.
MICHELLE NICOLE GIBSON
Choreographer of Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters
Michelle Gibson, choreographer, instructor and performing arst,
received her BFA in Dance from Tulane University and her MFA in
Dance and Performance Studies from Hollins University/American
Dance Fesval at Duke University graduate program. A New Orleans
nave, Michelle has also studied at the New Orleans Center for Creave Arts, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, the American
Dance Fesval, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Urban Bush Women’s Walking With Pearl Primus summer intensive. She was a featured dancer
in the Academy Award nominated film Interview With a Vampire,
the Academy Award winning film Ray, and the movie Just My Luck
with Lindsay Lohan. Michelle, faculty member with the American
Dance Fesval six week school intensive held at Duke University, is
also the founder and Arsc Director of Exhibit Dance Collecve.
Michelle is currently teaching at Brookhaven College in Dallas TX,
arst in residence with the Ashe’ Cultural Arts Center, resident dance company at the South
Dallas Cultural Center, choreographer for Six Flags/WOW Entertainment Dallas TX, member of
Drum Café, and educator and instructor with the Dallas Independent School District teaching
grades 9-12. Her choreographic works include New Orleans Second Line: Takin It To The Roots
performed at the American Dance Fesval, summer 2011; Krump, accompanied by the
LoneStar Wind Orchestra at the Meyerson Center; Texas Educators Music Conference in San
Antonio accompanying the Texas University Orchestra; 2008 South Dallas Dance Fesval premiering excerpts from I Made It, But Some Didn’t, a tribute to souls survivors of Hurricane Katrina;
and the Dallas premiere of Evolu%on, honoring, recognizing, and upli.ing women of color. In
addion to Michelle’s many accomplishments, her greatest achievement is being the mother of
two beauful angels, Ailey, 11 and Nigel, 6.
Page 14
A bout the Book
Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters, a story from Zimbabwe, Africa, was first published by G.M. Theil
in 1895 as part of a collecon of tradional African folktales. The tale inspired John Steptoe’s
1987 children’s book, which includes gorgeous illustraons reminiscent of the flora and fauna
of Zimbabwe.
ILLUSTRATIONS FROM MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS:
Page 15
About the Company
DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATER, one of the top five family theaters in the naon, serves over
250,000 young people from 100 zip codes, 40 cies and 12 counes each year through its eleven main stage producons, touring, educaonal programming and outreach acvies. Since its
opening in 1984, this award-winning theater has existed to create challenging, inspiring and
entertaining programs which promote an early appreciaon for literature and the performing
arts. As the only major organizaon in Dallas focusing on theater for youth and families, DCT
produces literary classics, original scripts, folk tales, myths, fantasies and contemporary dramas that foster mulcultural understanding, confront topical issues and celebrate the human
spirit.
DCT is commied to the integraon of creave arts into the teaching strategies of academic
core curriculum and educang through the arts. Techniques ulized by DCT arst/teachers are
based upon the approach developed in Making Sense with Five Senses, by Paul Baker, Ph.D.
DCT founder and Execuve Arsc Director, Robyn Fla defines the arsc mission and oversees the operaons of the organizaon, consisng of twenty-five full me staff members and
more than 200 actors, designers, theater arsts and educators.
Page 16
About the Author
John Lewis Steptoe, creator of award-winning picture books for children, was born in New York on September 14, 1950 and was raised
in the Bedford-Stuyvesant secon of Brooklyn. He began drawing as
a young child and received his formal art training at the High School
of Art and Design in Manhaan. He was a student in the HARYOUACT Art Program and instructed by the highly recognized African
American oil painter, Norman Lewis. He also studied at the Vermont
Academy, where he was instructed by the sculptor, John Torres, and
William Majors, a painter acclaimed by the Museum of Modern Art
for his etchings and print-making.
John Lewis Steptoe
His work first came to naonal aenon in 1969 when his first book,
Stevie, appeared in its enrety in Life magazine, hailed as "a new kind of book for black children." Mr. Steptoe, who had begun work on Stevie at the age of 16, was then 18 years old.
In his 20-year career, Mr. Steptoe illustrated 15 more picture books, ten of which he also
wrote. The American Library Associaon named two of his books Caldeco Honor Books, a
presgious award for children's book illustraon: The Story of Jumping Mouse in 1985
and Mufaro's Beau%ful Daughters in 1988. Mr. Steptoe twice received the Corea Sco King
Award for Illustraon, for Mother Crocodile (text by Rosa Guy) in 1982, and for Mufaro's Beau%ful Daughters.
While all of Mr. Steptoe's work deals with aspects of the African American experience, Mufaro's Beau%ful Daughters was
acknowledged by reviewers and crics as a breakthrough.
Based on an African tale recorded in the 19th century, it required Mr. Steptoe for the first me to research African history
and culture, awakening his pride in his African ancestry. Mr.
Steptoe hoped that his books would lead children, especially
African American children, to feel pride in their origins and in
who they are. "I am not an excepon to the rule among my
race of people," he said, accepng the Boston Globe/Horn
Book Award for Illustraon, "I am the rule. By that I mean
there are a great many others like me where I come from."
Mr. Steptoe frequently spoke to audiences of children and adults about his work. He was the
1989 winner of the Milner Award, voted by Atlanta schoolchildren for their favorite author.
John Steptoe died on August 28, 1989, at Saint Luke's Hospital in Manhaan, following a long
illness. He was 38 years old and lived in Brooklyn. Mr. Steptoe was among the small handful of
African American arsts who have made a career in children's books.
Educaonal materials provided, in part, by HarperCollins Children’s.
Page 17
Cultural Context
Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters is an African folktale. There are several types of folktales. They are also known as
myths, legends and fairy tales. Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters is an example of a folktale because its characteriscs
include a magical land or fantasy seRng and an “underdog” who, with the help of magic, obtains a birthright. The
underdog is usually the one who endures a struggle but is able to persevere with the help of magic.
FOLKTALES
Folktales are the tradional beliefs, pracces, lessons, legends, and tales of a culture or of a people
passed down from one generaon to another by word of mouth. They are used to teach a moral
lesson or impart wisdom. Folktales are o.en told to children by their parents to teach them how to
behave. These stories are similar all around the world, and though cultures may differ somewhat,
the message remains the same. Folktales usually contain exaggeraon and o.en an animal dressed
and acng like a human. There are several types of folktales, the most common types being myths,
legends, and fairy tales.
Fairy Tales
Myths
Legends
Fairy tales are fanciful and imaginary
stories usually wrien for children,
involving magic and fantasy. Fairy
tales are either created from or
strongly inspired by oral tradions.
Their plots feature conflicts between
good and evil, with magic and luck
influencing the usually happy endings. Fairy tales explore universal
human dilemmas and emoons.
Love, hate, courage, kindness, and
cruelty weave through plots filled
with characters taking adventurous
journeys, geRng lost, living without
a parent, making difficult choices,
and struggling to overcome all manner of troubles.
From the Greek mythos, myth
means story or word. A myth is a
religious story — no maer from
which culture — and always involves
the existence and acvies of a supernatural being, such as a god, a
demigod, goddess, or several deies. Myths seek to explain some
aspect of the origin or manner of
things (for example: where people
came from, how rainbows first came
to be, why people and animals feel
hunger) Myths do not have named
authors; they came into existence
through oral tradion, and the stories usually have more than one version.
A legend is a narrave that people
tell as a true story. Somemes the
details are difficult to confirm, but
usually the story names people and
idenfies locaons. The person telling the story usually does not claim
to be an eyewitness to the events,
but heard it from someone who
knows someone who heard it from
someone who was really there. Legends o.en contain a moral or a lesson and are told to uphold the values of the community. They o.en
involve supernatural or religious
elements.
Consider these other fairy tales and folktales:
Pinocchio - telling lies is wrong
The Tortoise and the Hare - never give up, no maer what the odds
The Ugly Duckling - it’s wrong to judge people based on their looks
Educaonal materials provided, in part, by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, virtualmuseum.ca and Georgia College.
Page 18
About Zimbabwe
ZIMBABWE
MAP OF AFRICA
ZOOM ON ZIMBABWE
The country of Zimbabwe strongly influenced Mufaro’s Beau%ful
GEOGRAPHY Daughters. Zimbabwe is in the southeast poron of Africa, bordered by
Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, and Zambia.
HISTORY
As the author of Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters, John Steptoe drew ideas for the illustraons in his book from the ruins of the ancient city of
Great Zimbabwe and the surrounding region. Located in present-day
southeastern Zimbabwe, the vast city was built between the 11th and
15th centuries. The mysterious ruins offer a fascinang way to explore
Africa’s history.
CLOTHING
The costumes worn in the producon reflect tradional African dress. Woven fabric known as kente
cloth that originated in Ghana is widely used in tradional African dress including some of the costumes in the Dallas Children’s Theater producon.
The King, Nyasha and Manyara. Photo by Linda Blase.
The home of Mufaro and his daughters is a small village in a thriving
rainforest. The villagers live in harmony with their environment.
ENVIRONMENT Nyasha, the daughter of Mufaro, tends her garden of millet, sunflowers, yams, and vegetables, and it is there she befriends Nyoka the
snake.
More About Kente Cloth
The term kente has its roots in the word “kenten,” which means
“basket.” The first kente weavers used raffia fibers to weave cloths
that looked like kenten; and thus were referred to as kenten ntoma;
meaning basket cloth. Tradionally, the kente cloth is woven on a
narrow, horizontal loom in a strip that is about three to five inches
wide and about five to six feet long. Several strips are sewn together
to make a wider piece of cloth for both men and women.
Kente cloth designs are also given a name and meaning. These
names and meanings reflect beliefs, historical events, social and polical organizaon in society, or may represent specific people. Paerns and mofs generally develop as geometric abstracons of objects associated with their intended meaning. Their actual forms may seem to
have no visual representaon or similarity with the concepts they symbolize. Kente cloth
names are o.en expressed in sentence form. The cloth below is named Obaakofo mmu man.
It literally means “one person does not rule a naon.” To wear it as a ruler would be a mark of
humility and a statement that the ruler values the community’s contribuons in making the
country successful.
This kente stole at right is called epie akyi, meaning the leopard’s back. It has a
saying that accompanies it: “the leopard only gets wet when it falls into water; the
water does not wash off its stripes.”
Certain colors are used in kente cloth to symbolize different meanings:
Red—life and blood
Blue—innocence
Green—Mother Africa, Mother Earth
Black—people and unity
Gold—strength and fortune
Page 20
Shona language: The names of the characters in Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters are from the
Shona language spoken in Zimbabwe:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mufaro (moo-far-oh) - “happy man”
Manyara (mahn-YAR-ah) - “ashamed”
Nyasha (nee-AH-sha) - “mercy”
Nyoka (nee YO-ka) - “snake”
Chuma - “wealth”
Rudo - “love”
Betserai - “help me”
Tichawonna - “we shall see”
Zimbabwe Flag
The flag of Zimbabwe has seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow and green. It contains a white isosceles triangle edged in black with its base on the hoist
side.
Symbolism within the Zimbabwe Flag
A yellow Zimbabwe bird: Represents the
long history of the country
Red five-pointed star: Peace
Green: Agriculture
Yellow: Mineral wealth
Red: Blood shed to achieve independence
Black: Stands for the Nave people
Page 21
Activities
Before the Performance
1. Read John Steptoe’s book Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters aloud. Ask students to describe
and respond to his vivid illustraons. Have students imagine the sounds, smells, light, and
movement of the world in the book and consider how these aspects of the story might
come to life onstage.
2. Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters is set in the country of Zimbabwe on the connent of Africa.
Allow students to spend me with a world map or globe and locate the African connent
and the country of Zimbabwe. Use the following quesons to encourage students to infer:
• What kind of climate do you think Zimbabwe has? How would you compare it to ours?
• What sorts of landscape might you find?
• What animals could be found in Zimbabwe?
• Is Zimbabwe north or south of the equator?
• What are some neighboring countries?
3. Ask children if they have ever heard languages other than their own spoken. Give them the
opportunity to share with the class other languages that they may know. Then emphasize
that language is only one difference that may exist between people of different cultures.
4. John Steptoe’s illustraons are based on the plant and animal life of Zimbabwe. Ask children to work in groups to find informaon on Zimbabwe. Using encyclopedias and other
source material, they can write down important facts and stascs about the country to
share with the rest of the class.
5. On page 21, it says that in the Shona language, Nyasha means “mercy” and Manyara
means “ashamed”. How are Mufaro’s daughters like their names? Use examples from the
story to explain your answer.
6. Comparing “Cinderellas”: A folktale is a story that has been told again and again, and eventually wrien down. Somemes the same story gets told in different parts of the world.
There are thousands of versions of the Cinderella story. Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters is an
African folktale. Author and illustrator John Steptoe created Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters
from a story collected by G. M. Theal when he was in Africa, and published in 1895 in his
book, Kaffir Folktales.
Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters is called a “Cinderella” story because it is about a young
woman living in unfortunate circumstances, which suddenly change to fortunate circumstances. This one takes place in Zimbabwe, Africa and it teaches us about Zimbabwe’s people, plants, animals, and even an ancient city.
Educaonal materials provided, in part, by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and learningtogive.org.
Page 22
A.er you read the tale Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters, read the
classic fairytale Cinderella. Then do the following worksheet.
Mufaro's Beauful Daughters
The classic Cinderella story
Describe the sister:
Describe the stepsisters:
Friends or people who help:
Friends or people who help:
Magic Person:
Magic Person:
What is the test that shows the righLul “Cinderella character”?
What is the test that shows the righLul
“Cinderella character”?
How does the king/prince find out who Nyasha is?
How does the king/prince find out who Cinderella is?
•
What is different? (No ball to aend, no dress to acquire, no cruel guardian imposing harsh
terms and condions)
•
What’s the same? (Cinderella finds joy in her life, treats all living things with kindness, and
is eventually rewarded for her goodness)
•
Discuss how "good always wins out over bad" is a theme shared by different cultures.
(Although from very different backgrounds, all human beings in all cultures have a sense of
right and wrong and a sense of jusce and kindness)
7. Copy and distribute the script on the following pages and have students perform readers
theatre. (split the class into two groups of 9 and have them perform for each other. Shy or
recent students can be “directors” or “stage managers”).
Educaonal materials provided, in part, by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and learningtogive.org.
Page 23
Mufaro’s Beauful Daughters Script
Characters:
Nyasha
Manyara
Mufaro
Nyoka
Boy
Old Woman
King
Narrator 1, 2
Narrator 1: A long me ago there lived a man named Mufaro and his two beauful
daughters, Manyara and Nyasha. They lived in Africa and everyone thought that his daughters
were the most beauful in all of the land.
Narrator 2: Manyara always had a bad temper and would say things to her sister
such as,
Manyara: Someday Nyasha, I will be queen and you will be servant.
Nyasha: If that should be I would be happy to serve you. Why do you talk like
that and why are you so unhappy?
Manyara: I don’t like you because everyone talks about how nice you are and I know father
loves you more. But when I am queen everyone will know that your kindness is only weakness.
Narrator 1: Nyasha felt bad that Manyara felt that way. Nyasha keeps a small plot
of land to grow a garden. The crops were very bounful because it was her singing that made
them grow.
Narrator 2: One day, Nyasha noced a small garden snake resng beneath a yam
vine.
Nyasha: Good day, lile Nyoka. You are welcome here. You will keep away any creatures who
might spoil my vegetables.
Narrator 1: From that day on, Nyoka was always at Nyasha’s side when she tended her garden.
Narrator 2: The king did not know how Manyara treated her sister. Then one day, a messenger
comes and announces that the great king wanted a wife.
Page 24
Mufaro: It would be a great honor to have one of my daughters chosen to be queen.
Manyara: But my father, Nyasha should stay with you and I will go. I am the strong one and she
would be much happier here with you.
Mufaro: No, Manyara, I can not send you alone. The king must decide who is the most beauful.
Narrator 1: That night when everyone was asleep Manyara le. so she could get to the king before anyone else. She is in the forest all by herself and she meets a boy.
Boy: Please, I am hungry. Will you give me something to eat?
Manyara: I have only brought enough for myself.
Boy: But please, I am so very hungry!
Manyara: Out of my way, boy! Tomorrow I will become queen. How dare you stand in my path!
Narrator 2: A.er traveling for awhile, she comes upon an old woman.
Old woman: I have some advice for you. Two things, you will see trees and they will laugh at
you, don’t laugh back. Then, a man with a head under his arms will greet you, be polite.
Manyara: How dare you talk to me? Get away from me you ugly old woman!
Narrator 1: Manyara laughed at the trees and was not polite to the man with his head
under his arm. It was not yet dawn and Manyara entered city gates.
Narrator 2: Nyasha wakes up and gets ready to go to the city. She finds out that Manyara has
already le..
Nyasha: I’d rather live here, with you father. I would hate to leave this village and never see
you again or sing to lile Nyoka again.
Narrator 1: The village leaves. Then, when they are deep in the forest Nyasha saw a small boy.
Nyasha: You must be hungry. Here, you can have my yam to eat.
Narrator 2: The lile boy disappeared. Later, an old woman appeared and she
silently pointed the way to the city. Nyasha smiled and said,
Nyasha: Thank you and here are some sunflower seeds.
Page 25
Narrator 1: They come to a grove of trees and someone announced that they were just outside
the city. Nyasha was amazed and said,
Nyasha: Oh my, father, it is so beauful.
Narrator 2: Nyasha and her father get to the city gate and Manyara comes running toward
them and screams,
Manyara: Oh, please father! Don’t let Nyasha go into the castle. There is a great monster in
there. It is a snake with five heads! He said he knew all my faults and that I displease him. He
would have swallowed me alive if I would not have ran out.
Narrator 1: Nyasha was scared but she bravely went to the chamber where the
five-headed snake was.
Narrator 2: Nyasha walks into the room and sees her lile garden friend, Nyoka,
siRng on the throne.
Nyasha: My lile friend, it is such a pleasure to see you. Why are you here?
Nyoka: I AM THE KING!
Narrator 1: There before Nyasha’s eyes the great snake changed shape.
King: I am the king. I am also the hungry boy. I was also the old woman. But you know me best
as Nyoka. I have been all of these. You were kind to all of them. I know you to be the most
worthy and most beauful daughter in the land. It would make me very happy if you would be
my wife.
Narrator 2: And so it was, that a long me ago, Nyasha agreed to marry the king. Mufaro
made it know that he was very happy. Nyasha, the queen and Manyara a servant in the
queen’s household.
Page 26
Activities
After the Performance
1. Reflecon: In discussing a performance, it is o.en more producve to ask the queson “What
did you see in the producon?” or “What do you remember most strongly?” rather than “Did
you like it?” The first two quesons lead to observaon or analysis of the performance, encouraging recall of details, while the third queson encourages more judgmental responses.
Although audience members respond posively and/or negavely to a work of art, crique
should come in later in the discussion process. Discussion of which aspects of a performance
remain in one’s memory o.en reveals the arsc choices at the heart of a work. Have students describe a memorable moment from the play in various ways —verbally, in wring, by
drawing, or through movement.
2. Ask students what lesson they think Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters is trying to teach (“People
who demean others do not win in the end”; “You reap what you sow”; “Prey is as prey
does”’ “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”). Students may find other lessons, too. Have
students write a paragraph explaining their answer.
3. Design an African mask! You will need:
• Large pieces of sturdy cardboard (the sides of an old box work well)
• Strong scissors
• Brown tempera paint
• White, red, green, and black paint to decorate
• Yarn, string, raffia
1. Allow students to draw a design for their masks on paper before cuRng into the
cardboard. Remind them that they will be cuRng out the pieces so they’ll want to
keep their shapes simple.
*For examples of African masks, go to hp://c.itc.virginia.edu/~bcr/African_Mask_Portraits.html .
2. Draw the eyes, nose and mouth onto the cardboard. For raised features, you will
need to trace and cut each piece more than once and glue them together before placing them on the mask.
3. Cut holes for eyes.
4. Once you’ve glued your pieces to the mask and they dry, paint the enre mask
brown.
5. When the mask is dry, you can use your colored paints to decorate the mask.
6. Punch holes on either side of the mask, thread long pieces of raffia or string through
the holes and e them at the front of the mask.
7. If you’d like to carry your mask, you can make “handles” with cords on each side of
the mask.
Educaonal materials provided, in part, by the Kravis Center.
Page 27
4. Discuss and make a list of some ways that you can show kindness to people you live with,
friends, and strangers.
• Are the acts of kindness the same for each group of people?
• Be sure to think of small acts of kindness as well as a bigger act that may involve some
me and giving up an opportunity for yourself.
• Make a plan to do some of the things on your list.
• A.er some me, come back to talk about the list again. Did you do some of the things you
planned? How did you feel? How did the people you were kind to react? Can you add
some ideas to your list?
5. Draw a picture or diagram showing the sequence of the trials that both girls encountered
on their journeys. Analyze how each girl responded to each trial. Think of words to describe each acon, such as proud, generous, and afraid.
6. What does it mean to get what you deserve? Did the sisters get what they deserved? Was
it fair that Nyasha became queen? Was it fair that Manyara became a servant in her
household? Do you think this idea is real? Do you feel that you get what you deserve? Do
you treat people the way you want to be treated or do you treat them the way they treat
you? What is the best policy?
7. Explore the relaonship between Manyara and Nyasha. Ask children to describe the way
Manyara felt about her sister. Ask:
• Why was Manyara jealous of her sister?
• What could Manyara do about her feelings?
8. Encourage children to discuss feelings of jealousy and anger that they may have had toward siblings or others. Also have children share with everyone the things they may have
done to resolve these feelings. Ask:
• Why do you think Nyasha was chosen as queen?
• What kind of queen do you think Nyasha will be?
• What kind of queen would Manyara have been if she had been chosen instead?
• How do you think Manyara felt about being a servant to Nyasha?
• What do you think might have happened to Manyara if she had behaved differently?
Page 28
Page 29
Color the Zimbabwe Flag!
Educaonal materials provided, in part, by Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.
Page 30
Elements of a Show
actor – a person who interprets a role and performs it in a play
choreography – paerns of movement and sllness
classic – having lasng significance or worth; enduring
climax – the crucial moment, turning point, or dramac high point in the acon of a play,
book, or film that can bring the previous events together, usually at the end of the story
costumes – what the performer wears to help enhance qualies of the character that they are
portraying
curtain – drapery that hides the stage from the audience; when the performance is about to
start, the curtain parts to the sides or rises up out of sight. Usually, curtain is closed again during intermission, and at the end of the show
curtain call – the appearance of performers or a performer at the end of the show to receive
applause from the audience. They enter in order of importance, with the stars coming last and
usually taking more than one bow
dialogue – conversaon in a play, usually between two or more characters
director – a person who creates an overall concept for a producon, supervises all elements of
the producon and guides the actors in their performances
dramazaon – a work adapted from another medium, such as a novel or a poem, for dramac presentaon
interpretaon – the expression, through performance, of a parcular concept of a role, scene,
play, or musical composion
lighng effects – the atmosphere, moods, and me of day created by the use of light
monologue - a form of dramac entertainment or comedic solo by a single speaker
music – paerned sound changes in pitch, rhythm, loudness, melody and other qualies, capable of seRng mood, me, or atmosphere
narrator – a person who reads or speaks lines that advance a story, apart from the characters’
lines
Page 31
producer – a person responsible for mounng and financing a producon, selecng the material, choosing the creave arsts, staff, and administraon, arranging the publicity
props – a property which a performer handles on stage, ex: a wallet, an umbrella, or a leer
scene – unit within a play
scenery – onstage decoraon to help show the place and period of the show
script – the wrien text of a play. It includes what is said and what is to happen
sketch – a hasty or un-detailed drawing or painng o.en made as a preliminary study
sound effects – sounds characterisc of humans, animals, objects, and forces of nature (e.g.
wind, rain) that can be performed live or pre-recorded
storyteller – one who relates stories or anecdotes
translaon – changing the text from one language to another by selecng words that have the
same meaning and retains the spirit and tone of the text
Page 32
P laces in the Theater
lobby—this is the first place you walk into, where the audience waits before the show
box office—this is where audience members can buy ckets to shows
house—the auditorium or area where the audience sits
orchestra seats—seats nearest the stage
balconies—upper levels of seang
light booth and sound booth—located at the top of the balcony or toward the back of the
house, the lights and sound for the producon are controlled from these booths
stage—area where the performance takes place, o.en raised
wings—area to the right and le. of the stage that the audience can’t see, somemes scenery
is stored here, and performers come on and off stage from here
dressing room—place where performers put on makeup, change clothes, and store their costumes for a show
Page 33
G lossary
acknowledge—to admit or accept that something exists, is true, or is real
bounful—in plenful supply
chamber—a room used for a parcular purpose
commoon—a scene of noisy confusion or acvity
considerate—mindful of the needs, wishes, and feelings of others
desnaon—a purpose for which somebody or something is intended
grieve—to experience great sadness over something such as a death
grove—an area where many trees are grown, e.g. for their fruit
hysterically—in a hysterical manner
ignored—to refuse to noce or pay aenon to somebody or something
märchen—a folktale characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural, such as the endowment of a mortal character with magical powers or special knowledge; variaons expose
the hero to supernatural beings or objects
millet—grain
piercing—having an unpleasantly intense quality
plumed—a feather, especially a large or ornamental one
preparaons—work or planning involved in making something or somebody ready or in
puRng something together in advance
proclaim—to announce something publicly or formally
silhoue0ed—an outline of somebody or something filled in with black or a dark color on a
light background, especially when done as a likeness or work of art
transfixed—to shock or terrify somebody so much as to induce a momentary inability to move
Page 34
R esources
STUDENT RESOURCES
Aardema, Verna. Who’s in Rabbit’s House?
Puffin, 1992.
Musgrove, Margaret. Ashan% to Zulu: African
Tradi%ons. Dial, 1976.
Stevens, Janet. The Tortoise and the Hare.
Holiday House, 1985.
Aardema, Verna. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in
People’s Ears. Dial Books for Young
Readers, 2008.
Grifalconi, Ann. The Village of Round and
Square Houses. Brown Books for
Young Readers, 1986.
WEBSITES
www.bu.edu/africa/outreach/index.html
Boston University’s African Studies Outreach
Program
Hadithi, Mwenye. Hot Hippo. Hodder &
Stoughton, 1986.
www.dct.org
The Dallas Children’s Theater website
Steptoe, John. Uptown. Harper & Row, 1970. www.namesite.com/index.php
An indexed resource for African personal
names and their meanings
Steptoe, John. Train Ride. HarperCollins,
1971.
www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/rainforest/
Steptoe, John. All Us Come Across the Water. rainforest_animals_lo.html
Henry Holth & Co, 1973.
Public Broadcas%ng Service: African rainforest
animals informa%on and resources
TEACHER RESOURCES
Anderson, Hans Chrisan. The Ugly Duckling.
HarperCollins, 1999.
Baldwin, Pat & Kate Fleming. Teaching
Literacy Through Drama: Crea%ve
Approaches. Routledge, 2003.
DVD/VHS
Mufaro’s Beau%ful Daughters, Reading
Rainbow, VHS
Zimbabwe Gem of Africa, Video Promoons
Zimbabwe, DVD (2010)
Collodi, Carlo. The Adventures of Pinocchio.
Really Wild Animals-Swinging Safari, Naonal
University of California Press; 2 edion,
Geographic, DVD (2005)
2005.
Gross, Ila Lane. Cinderella Stories from Around
the World. LEAP, 2001.
Page 35
Emergency Cancellations
Tilles Center Performance Cancellaon Due to Inclement Weather
If schools throughout the area are closed due to inclement weather, Tilles Center performances will be cancelled. If, on the day prior to a performance, it appears that inclement weather
may cause a performance to be cancelled, all schools will be called by our staff to alert them
to this possibility. Schools should be advised to call 516 299-3379 the morning of the performance to determine if a performance has been cancelled. A message will be posted on this
number by 6:30 AM indicang if the performance has been cancelled.
If a performance is cancelled, Tilles Center will aempt to reschedule performances on a date
convenient to the majority of schools booked for the performance.
Page 36
Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, on the
C.W. Post campus of Long Island University in
Brookville, New York, is Long Island’s premier
concert hall. Under the leadership of Execuve
Director Ellio Sroka, Tilles Center presents
over seventy events each season in music,
dance and theater, featuring world renowned
arsts. The Center is also the theatrical home
for many of Long Island’s leading arts organizaons, including the Long Island Philharmonic.
Among the arsts and organizaons that have
been presented by Tilles Center are the New York Philharmonic conducted by Kurt Masur,
violinist Itzhak Perlman, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Opera Naonal
Company, Andrea Marcovicci, the Paper Bag Players, Wynton Marsalis, and the MET Orchestra with James Levine and PaR LuPone.
Tilles Center has a 2,242 seat main hall and a 490 seat, more inmate Hillwood Recital Hall.
The smaller theater features chamber music, cabaret, solos recitals, and theater producons for children and adults.
School Partnership Program
An intensive part of Tilles Center’s Arts Educaon program is the School Partnership Program,
modeled on the highly acclaimed aesthec educaon program that has evolved over a 30 year
period at Lincoln Center. The Partnership is a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning about the arts, applicable to all grade levels and academic disciplines. The Partnership inspires students and teachers to approach the arts with an open mind and to gain insights into
the creave process. Aendance at professional performances at Tilles Center and viewing art
works at museums is combined with experienal in-school workshops. Led by teaching arsts
and teachers, students explore their own arsc capabilies while strengthening essenal
skills – abstract thinking, teamwork, crical judgment, problem solving. Guided to a deeper
level of understanding, students learn what to look for, and listen to, in a performance or work
of art.
All new teachers who parcipate in the School Partnership
Program aend an introductory course in Aesthec Educaon, presented at Tilles Center for one week in the
summer.
The 2011-12 School Partnership program will work with
various K-12 public and private schools in Nassau and
Suffolk counes on Long Island.
For informaon about the School Partnership Program and other performances visit our website: www.llescenter.org or call (516) 299-2752.
Page 37
2011-12 Partner Schools:
Archer Street School, Freeport
Atkinson School, Freeport
Bayview Avenue School, Freeport
Columbus Avenue School, Freeport
Freeport High School, Freeport
Leo S. Giblyn, Freeport
New Visions, Freeport
Connolly School, Glen Cove
Deasy Elementary School, Glen Cove
Gribbin School, Glen Cove
Landing School, Glen Cove
Portledge School, Locust Valley
Tilles Center’s Arts Educaon Advisory Panel was created in 2007 and is comprised of a diverse group of educators who have shown exceponal interest and commitment to Tilles Center’s School Partnership Program. Each member serves a two-year appointment on the panel
and advises the Arts Educaon Department on the content of the program, study guides and
resource materials, performance programming and curricular connecons.
2011-12 Advisory Panel
Aneesah Abdus-Shakur, New Visions, Freeport
Patricia J. Belfi, Atkinson School, Freeport
Florence Bell, Freeport High School, Freeport
Doris J. Benter, Portledge School, Locust Valley
Marc Checola, Gribbin Elementary School, Glen Cove
Joanne Criblez, Gribbin Elementary School, Glen Cove
Yvee Goldstein, Bayview Avenue School, Freeport
Mary Jane Gould, Leo S. Giblyn School, Freeport
Jean Henning, Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn
Irena Kamola, Gribbin Elementary School, Glen Cove
Valerie Piali, New Visions, Freeport
Nomi Rosen, Glen Cove CSD, Glen Cove
Francine Santoro, Gribbin Elementary School, Glen Cove
Lisa M. Scicchitano, Archer Street School, Freeport
John Segre, Gribbin Elementary School, Glen Cove
Susan Warren, Columbus Avenue School, Freeport
Page 38
ARTS EDUCATION STAFF
Dr. Ellio Sroka,
Execuve Director, Tilles Center
Stephanie Turner,
Director of Arts Educaon, Tilles Center
Deborah Robbins,
Assistant Director of Arts Educaon
Emily Lembo,
Arts Educaon Associate
For informaon call (516) 299-2752 or visit our website at www.llescenter.org
Tilles Center for the Performing Arts
C.W. Post Campus
Long Island University
Brookville, New York 11548
516-299-2752
Emily Lembo
Study Guides: content, design and editing
Page 39
Tilles Center’s Arts Educaon Program is supported, in part, by its annual Swing for Kids Golf
and Tennis Tournament. We are grateful to the following supporters of the 2011 event for
enabling us to connue to provide the best in Arts Educaon to Long Island’s schoolchildren:
The Tilles Family Foundaon
Instuonal Insurance Group
KPMG LLP
Lahr, Dillon, Manzulli, Kelley & Pene, P.C.
Richmond County Savings Foundaon
Sholom & Zuckerbrot Realty LLC
Standard Funding
North Hills Office Services, Inc.
Americana Manhasset
Keefe, Bruyee & Woods, Inc.
Koeppel, Martone & Leistman, L.L.P.
New York Community Bank Foundaon
The Fay J. Lindner Foundaon
Wells Fargo Advisors
The Bahnik Foundaon
Jonathan & Elysia Doyle
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Meridian Capital Group
Racanelli Construcon Company, Inc.
Seidman & Associates
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
The Beechwood Organizaon
Farrell Fritz P.C.
Ruskin Moscou Falschek, P.C.
Superior Air Condioning & Heang System
Paragon Group, LLC
Tummarello & Associates, Inc.
DiFazio Power & Electric, LLC
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Albanese Organizaon, Inc.
Astoria Federal Savings
Cerlman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP
Credit Suisse Securies (USA) LLC
Daniel Gale Sotheby's Internaonal Realty
The Garden City Hotel
Kaplan Development Group LLC
The Klar Organizaon
Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP
New York Community Bancorp, Inc.
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
Sandler O'Neill & Partners LP
Sterling & Sterling, Inc.
Triangle Building Products Corp
The Weeks Lerman Group
Pall Corporaon
Albertson Electric Inc.
Designtex
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Andersen
Mr. Lawrence Liman
Northville Industries
Peter B. Cannell & Co., Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. James Kadamus
Birchwood Park Homes
Thomas Calabrese
Murphy & Lynch, P.C.
TexFabco Far East
Page 40

Mufaro`s Beautiful Daughters - Tilles Center for the Performing Arts

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