OCTA Schoolhouse Rock Live STUDY GUIDE 2015

Study
Guide
SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!
+ STUDY GUIDE +
Thank you for attending Schoolhouse Rock Live at OCTA! Whether you are a teacher using
this guide to more fully take advantage of the educational opportunities this production
inherently offers for younger students, or if you are a parent or grandparent exploring the
topics in the show further with your children or grandchildren ... enjoy!
OLATHE CIVIC THEATRE
ASSOCIATION
Olathe Civic Theatre Association (OCTA) is
a nonprofit organization which has been
producing theatre in Olathe since 1974.
Performing in the historical Buddy Rogers
Family Playhouse, a former Presbyterian
Church built in 1870, OCTA produces five
high-quality, engaging, and thoughtprovoking theatre productions a year.
Cast / CHARACTERS
Tom (Guy Gardner): A young teacher who
has just received his degree. He has a good
heart and is excited about the future, but still
unsure and nervous.
Joe (Delano Mendoza): Tom's cool side. Very
slick and laid back, but also fun loving.
Dina (Kristen Altoro): Tom's mature side. She
is thoughtful, grounded, and the voice of
reason.
Dori (Jennifer Coville): Tom’s goofy side.
Endearing, cute, and very playful.
Shulie (Micayla Miller): Tom's sweet side. An
earnest and sweet ingénue.
SHOW Summary
Schoolhouse Rock Live! follows Tom, a
nerve-wracked school teacher who is
nervous about his first day of teaching. He
tries to relax by watching TV when various
characters representing facets of his
personality emerge from the set and show
him how to win his students over with
imagination and music, through such songs
as Just A Bill, Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, and
Conjunction Junction.
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SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!
BAND
History OF SCHOOLHOUSE
ROCK
Frank Annecchini, Bass
Nick Yoder, Guitar
Blake Vignery, Drums
Kevin Hershberger, Keyboard
Inspiration: Schoolhouse Rock Live! is based
on the original Schoolhouse Rock television
series. This series was the brainchild of an
advertising executive who noticed his son
could remember all the words to popular
songs on the radio, but could not remember
the multiplication tables. He reasoned that if
important educational information was
coupled with exciting animation and catchy
music, children would be able to learn and
remember it. From this simple idea,
Schoolhouse Rock was born and quickly
adopted by ABC-TV, which broadcast the
series on Saturday mornings from 1973 to
1985. It returned due to popular demand in
1992 as part of the ABC Bugs Bunny Hour,
and many new songs were added to the
repertoire.
SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!
Production Team
Director: Shelly Stewart Banks
Musical Director: Kevin Hershberger
Choreographer: Guy Gardner
Stage Manager: Rita Marks
Lights/Video/Projections: J. Patrick Inlow
Set design: Ken Schmidt
Set construction: Max DeShon
Costumes: Kerry Schafer Props: Shelly
Stewart Banks/ Rita Marks
Teamwork Rocks!
Stage Productions: On August 26, 1993,
Theatrebam Chicago's musical hit,
Schoolhouse Rock Live! opened at
Chicago's Cabaret Voltaire. The show was
originally conceived by writer/director Scott
Ferguson. Schoolhouse Rock Live! played
for eight months to sold-out houses in a
record breaking run. Schoolhouse Rock Live!
moved to The Body Politic Theatre in June of
1994 and continued to sell out for another
seven months. Theatrebam Chicago teamed
up with Move On Productions and took
Schoolhouse Rock Live! to New York City in
1995. The show opened first at the Atlantic
Theatre and then at the historic Lamb's
Theatre for an Off-Broadway run of eleven
months. It then moved triumphantly back to
Chicago in 1996 and ran for a year at the
Victory Gardens Theatre and The Theatre
Building.
Summary, characters, and history from Music Theatre
International:
http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000171
See the “Additional Facts” for show trivia and a video of show
creator Bob Dorough singing I’m Just a Bill.
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2 Before THE Show 2
1. Familiarize yourself and your students with the following songs - all lyrics can be
found at: http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/. Most videos can be found on YouTube
ACT I
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•
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•
•
•
•
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•
•
•
Verb: That’s What’s Happening (Grammar Rock - Verbs)
A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing (Grammar Rock - Nouns)
Three is a Magic Number (Multiplication Rock)
Mother Necessity (America Rock - Inventions)
Sufferin’ Till Suffrage (America Rock – Women’s Rights)
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly (Grammar Rock - Adverbs)
Unpack your Adjectives (Grammar Rock – Adjectives)
Just a Bill (America Rock – Law Making Process)
The Preamble (America Rock – US Constitution)
Ready or Not, Here I Come (Multiplication Rock)
Do the Circulation (Science Rock – Circulatory System)
ACT 2
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla (Grammar Rock – Pronouns)
Figure Eight (Multiplication Rock)
Victim of Gravity (Science Rock – Universal Law of Gravity)
Zero, My Hero (Multiplication Rock)
Conjunction Junction (Grammar Rock - Conjunctions)
Great American Melting Pot (America Rock – American Immigration)
Elbow Room (America Rock – Westward Expansion)
Interplanet Janet (Science Rock – Solar System)
Interjections! (Grammar Rock - Interjections)
The Tale of Mr. Morton (Grammar Rock – Subject/Predicate)
2. Have your students research the origins of Schoolhouse Rock . Do they know Michael
Eisner (from Disney) was involved with the creation of these videos? How many videos were
produced in all? (65) What year did they start? (1972) What subjects do they cover? (Math,
Grammar, Science, America, Computer, Money, Earth) What was the last year these videos
were aired on ABC? (1999) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoolhouse_Rock
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3. Review Theatre Etiquette. As members of the audience, you play an important part in the
success of a theatrical performance. Attending a live theatre performance is different than
watching television at home or a movie in a cinema. As it is a live performance, it cannot be
stopped and restarted. We want you to laugh, cheer, clap and really enjoy your time at OCTA,
but there are a few rules that need to be followed:
• Do not talk, whisper, sing or hum during the performance unless encouraged by the
actors on stage.
• Keep feet on the floor, not on the seats.
• Performers appreciate enthusiastic applause, but not whistling or shouting.
• No photography or videotape recording of any kind.
• Please turn off all cell phones.
• If you enjoyed the show, please share with your friends and explain why!
4. Discuss the difference between seeing a play and a movie. A play happens in front of
an audience. The actors need to recreate the same play over and over again giving the
audience the illusion that it is the very first appearance. Since theatre happens live, each
performance may be a little bit different than the next. When a production closes, the play is no
more than a memory. In movies, a performance is captured on film, can be accessed any time
and becomes part of history.
5. Review the job descriptions of the many talented people it took to produce this show.
Live theatre is takes collaboration and teamwork!
• Director: Provides the vision of how a show should be presented, who works with
the actors on their roles, develops the blocking, and is in charge of the rehearsals.
• Musical Director: Works with the director, actors and musicians to get the
desired musical effects for a show.
• Choreographer: Creates dances and arranges movements for a musical.
• Stage Manager: Runs the show from opening curtain to closing curtain and is in
charge of everything on the stage and in the back of the stage.
• Lights/Video/Projections Designer: Designs the lighting, video and projections for
a show and works with the director to get desired effects.
• Set Designer/Builder: Designs the sets for a show...in smaller theaters this person
also builds the sets. For our show we had both a designer and builder.
• Costumer: In charge of designing, collecting, organizing the costumes for a show.
• Props Mistress/Master: Designs and/or collects all the props (or properties - objects
used on stage or on screen by actors during a performance. A prop is anything
movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct from the scenery and costumes) and
who usually works with them during a show.
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+ After The SHOW ACTIVITIES +
SCIENCE ROCKS!
What Is a Planet Today?
+ In the song Interplanet Janet, they sing about our 9 planets. Don't forget to that we now
only have 8 planets, due to Pluto's ‘demotion' to a dwarf planet in August, 2006. After the
satellite fly-by this July, however, the debate has begun again. Review the new definition of a
planet below, research the topic online (including the possible 10th planet Eris), and you decide
– does Pluto deserve the title of planet?
An object must meet three criteria in order to be classified as a planet. First, it must orbit the Sun. Second, it
must be big enough for gravity to squash it into a round ball. And third, it must have cleared other objects
out of the way in its orbital neighborhood. To clear an orbit, a planet must be big enough to pull
neighboring objects into the planet itself or sling-shot them around the planet and shoot them off into outer
space. Pluto does not meet this third requirement. It is this third part of the definition that has sparked
debate. – from http://missionscience.nasa.gov/nasascience/what_is_a_planet.html
Remember the Names of the Planets in Order!
+ Have students color the solar system, then teach them how to memorize their names
in order with this easy trick – “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles” (see
below). If Pluto regains full planet status, what word could be added to the sentence?
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
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Learn More about Our Circulatory System
+ In the song Do the Circulation , we learn how blood flows through our bodies from the
heart. Have students color this drawing and look up any words they don’t know to learn
more about our circulatory system.
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MULTIPLICATION ROCKS!
Three Times is a Charm
+ In Three is a Magic Number, we learn the three times table, as well as items that can only be
found in threes. Ask your students: What comes in threes? If you had three of something, what
would it be? Review the table below with your students or use flashcards.
Race to the Moon
+ In the song Ready or Not, Here I Come we learn about multiplying by 5. Play the game on the
next page to see who can get to the Moon first using multiplication up to 5x5! You’ll need to
gather 20 items such as buttons or dried beans for one player and coins or macaroni noodles for
the other to place on the game board as counters.
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AMERICA ROCKS!
The Melting Pot
+ Discuss your students' heritage with them. What does their last name mean? Where did
their ancestors come from?
+ Make a Melting Pot Recipe Book. Have students bring in a recipe that represents their
heritage.
Mother Necessity
+ In the song Mother Necessity, we learn about famous inventions that made our lives easier and more
comfortable. Have your students research an invention or inventor. There are many inventions that have
made our lives easier. Have your students pick one (any one!) and create a short presentation for the class.
The Preamble to the Constitution
+ The Preamble informs us about the rationale or reasons for the United States Constitution. In
order for your students to better understand the meaning of this important paragraph, first
distribute copies to your class and have them read it. Next, either individually or in groups, have
them paraphrase each phrase in their own words. Share completed works with the class. To
learn more about the Constitution visit http://constitutioncenter.org/
We the people of the United States,
in order to form a more perfect Union,
establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Unscramble the Preamble
Instructions: -Print page on 8 1/2 X 11 card stock
-Use crayons or markers to color the puzzle pieces.
-Cut out each puzzle piece
-Scramble the pieces and learn the Preamble as you put it back together!
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Just a Bill
+ Discuss bills that have become laws and why they are important laws to have. If your
students were president, what laws would they pass?
A great resource to find bills that have become public laws is www.congress.gov. The link
below takes you to laws that have been passed by the current 114th Congress:
https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/114th-congress
+ Review how a bill becomes law – have students look up any terms they don’t know:
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Grammar ROCKS!
A Visit to the Theatre
+ In the songs Verb: That’s What’s Happening, A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing, Unpack Your
Adjectives, Interjections!, and Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, we learn about grammar. Together, you and your
students can complete this story in the style of Mad Libs. First, ask your students for each of the
parts of speech before they read it. Fill in the blanks as they give you the words. Then have a
student read it aloud. Since the story will likely be very silly, have a discussion about their actual
visit to the theatre, what they enjoyed, if they would go again, and why.
When I see a(n) ___________ at the theatre in ______________, it’s exciting when the lights ___________
[noun]
[city]
[verb]
and the show ______________. When the ___________________ are on stage and the ________________
[verb ending in "s"]
[adjective]
[plural occupation firemen, teachers, dancers, etc.]
music starts, I feel ______________. The ________________________ are __________________ talented and
[adjective-emotion]
[reuse plural occupation]
[adverb–how/how often]
are _______________ storytellers. I wonder how they _______________ all those words and songs.
[adjective]
[verb]
When a song is over, I ____________ to show that I enjoyed it, but I don’t shout __________ because
[verb]
[interjection]
we’re inside. When the show is over the ____________________ take a bow. Going to the theatre is
[reuse plural occupation]
____________________ fun and I hope to go again someday.
[adverb–how/how often]
In the Manner of the Word
+ To demonstrate how adverbs modify verbs, try out this fun activity. Have one student
leave the class. Have the rest of the class pick a verb or activity (skipping, ballet dancing, playing
air guitar, etc.) that the student who just left the class will act out (no words!) in front of the class
when s/he returns. While they are discussing, the teacher and the student that left the class
secretly decide on one adverb that dictates the manner in which s/he will act out the activity. Then
the student returns, the class reveals the activity, the student performs the activity in the manner of
the word until the class guesses the adverb. It is not necessary (and actually preferable for
entertainment value) that the verbs “match.” For example, air guitar gracefully or skipping
nervously.
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THEATRE ROCKS!
Rock on!
+ Have your own Schoolhouse Rock! Assign students to write and perform (with props and
rhythm instruments) their own songs about a subject matter that they're having difficulty
memorizing. Monitor their song writing closely to be sure that the songs are accurate.
Discussion and Essay
+ After seeing Schoolhouse Rock Live!, discuss it with your students and have them write a short
essay. What did they learn from the show? Were the songs accurate? Did they have any
questions on the material covered on stage? What would they do to make the songs more
memorable?
SOURCES AND THANKS
+ If not otherwise credited, sources and inspiration for this guide came from the following organizations
and websites:
-Arveda Center for the Arts and Humanities: 2010 Study Guide written by Cayle Townsend
-CAPA Columbus: Theatre Definitions
-Childsplay Arizona: 2014 Study Guide for National Tour
-Musical Theatre International: Schoolhouse Rock and Schoolhouse Rock Live! History
-Readbag.com: Uncredited/Undated Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. Study Guide
All photos by Shelly Stewarts Banks and Rita Marks
Contact Us!
+ Feedback about this guide (please mention that it is “version 2”) or questions about our theatre can be sent
to [email protected] or visit our website at www.olathetheatre.org.
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