Willy Wonka - Northwest Children`s Theater

EDUCATIONAL GUIDE
WELCOME TO THE THEATER!
We are very glad to have you at the theater! For some of you, this may be the first play you’ve seen,
but some others may have seen many, many plays before. Here are some tips about being an
INCREDIBLE audience member.
The Audience is an important part of live theater performance. Without the audience there would be
no one to laugh when the show is funny, to gasp when it is scary, or to applaud at the end. Here are
some things you can do to make this a great experience for everyone:
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The house lights (the lights in the theater) dim to signal that the show is about to start. That is
your cue to settle down and get quiet so the play can begin.
Turn off all cell phones, pagers and electronic devices. Please do not take photographs or video
during the performance.
Try to sit as quietly as possible during the performance. Don’t wriggle around or stand up. Your
movements could distract the actors or others around you. Please make sure you use the
bathroom before the show starts!
Save snacks and treats for after the show. Food and drinks are not allowed in the theater.
Stay in your seat when the performance ends. The actors will return to the stage for the curtain
call (when the actors bow and you clap). Wait until they exit for the last time and the lights come
up before you leave your seat.
© 2011 Northwest Children’s Theater and School (NWCT). Written, edited, and designed by Jenny Bunce, Sarah Jane
Hardy and Wendy Reznicsek. Poster © Lee Moyer 2011. Unless otherwise noted, all images are © 2011 Clipart.com.
NWCT encourages teachers and parents to print out, copy and use these guides to enhance and enrich children’s
experiences at NWCT performances. NWCT welcomes questions, comments and feedback. Contact us by mail at 1819
NW Everett Street, Suit 216, Portland, OR 97209, or email us at [email protected]. Please visit our web site at
www.nwcts.org.
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Meet the “dreamer of dreams” - author Roald Dahl!
Roald Dahl’s impact on the world of children’s
literature remains unsurpassed. He is the
architect behind Wonka’s factory, the farmer that
grew James’ Giant Peach, and the twisted
mastermind that conjured up The Grand High
Witch. Born in Wales in 1916, Dahl grew up
speaking Norwegian to his parents. Dahl based
many characters in his books off of family
members, friends, classmates and teachers he met while attending boarding school.
During World War II, Dahl was a fighter pilot and informant to
Britain, though he had only 7 hours and 40 minutes flying experience prior to his first solo flying experience.
In 1943, Dahl first published The Gremlins, piloting his illustrious
career in children’s literature that spanned half a century. James
and the Giant Peach (1941), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964),
Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970), Danny,The Champion of the World (1975), The BFG (1982),
and Matilda (1983) only breach the surface of his most famous works. Of his 17
publications, 7 have been made into films, with two film adaptations of Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971 starring Gene Wilder)
and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005 starring Johnny Depp). Dahl also wrote the
screenplays for the James Bond film You Only Live Once and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Dahl was notoriously generous throughout his life. In his honor,
Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity was founded in 1991
by his wife, shortly after his death. Dahl’s passion for literacy,
neurology and hematology helped drive the creation of the foundation, which provides children stricken with rare blood and neurological disease with
access to medical attention, service, support and financial assistance. Dahl died in
1990, but his legacy lives on through his literature, films and foundation.
To read more about Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, and the Roald Dahl Foundation,
visit their website at: http://www.roalddahlcharity.org
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FOR THE CLASSROOM
BEFORE THE SHOW - DISCUSSION QUESTIONS!
The moments leading up to the curtain can be so exciting! The ride in to
the theater is the perfect opportunity to engage your students in some
questions about the performance. Use these discussion questions to help
young audience members get everything they can out of their
experience.
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How do you think they will create Willy Wonka’s factory on stage?
Some of Wonka’s candies and inventions have really silly names. How many can
you think of?
The Oompa Loompas are an important part of the story. What is their job as
the children take their journey through the factory?
Picture yourself as Willy Wonka. What kind of person would you like to take over
your factory when you leave?
My favorite scene in the book is ____________. How do you think they will
create that on stage?
Have you seen either of the movies? How do you think the play will be different?
AFTER THE SHOW - DISCUSSION QUESTIONS!
Phew! What a show! Take this time to do some follow-up questions with
your students. With the show fresh in their minds it should be an ideal
time for them to talk about their thoughts during the show!
• What was your favorite part about the show? Who were your favorite
• characters?
• Why do you think that Wonka chose Charlie to take over the factory? What
qualities did Wonka like best about him?
• How was Charlie’s relationship with his family? How important were they to
him?
• Can you remember the reasons why the other children were sent away? Why
didn’t Wonka want them running the factory?
• If you could have only one gift for your birthday, what would it be?
• How did the other children behave on the tour?
• If you visited Wonka’s factory, what candy would you be most excited to try?
• How was this play different from the movies you may have seen (Gene Wilder’s
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Johnny Depp’s Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory)?
• If you could have your own factory, what would you make? How would you invite
people to tour your factory?
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FOR THE CLASSROOM
Curriculum Tie-ins
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Morals
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Creativity
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Sharing
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Family
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Greed
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Ambition
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Imagination
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Music
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Following Directions
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Storytelling
ACTIVITIES
Create your own candy bar!
Willy Wonka created the most sensational candy in the whole world, but what if you could create
your own candy bar? What would you call it? What would be in it? Would it have any funny side
effects? Here’s your chance to out-scrumdiddlyumptious Wonka! We included some of Wonka’s
famous candies to get your mind thinking like a candy maker! Remember to come up with a sweet
slogan for your new candy!
Scrumdiddlyumptious Bar
Fizzy-Lifting Drinks
Whizzdoodles
Hot Ice Cream for Cold Days
Eatable Marshmallow Pillows
Supervitamin-Chocolates
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ACTIVITIES
A Factory All Your Own!
Willy Wonka’s factory is a “world of pure imagination”,
so here’s your chance to use YOUR imagination to
create your own factory!
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What does your factory make?
What does it look like?
Where is your factory?
Will you offer a special contest for a tour?
Do you speak “Wonka”?
Roald Dahl created a whole new vocabulary for Willy Wonka; from Scrumdiddlyumptious, to
Oompa Loompas to Vermicious Knids. See if you can find the Wonka words mixed up in this
word search!
CHARLIE BUCKET
CHOCOLATE
FIZZY LIFTING
FOOLISH
GLOOP
GOBSTOPPER
GOLDEN TICKET
GRANDPA JOE
GREEDY
IMAGINATION
MIKE TEAVEE
OOMPA LOOMPAS
SCRUMDIDDLYUMPTIOUS
SLUGWORTH
SNOZZBERRIES
SNOZZWANGERS
VERMICIOUS KNIDS
VERUCA SALT
VIOLET
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Who’s Who in Willy Wonka?
Each of the lucky 5 kids have very distinct personality traits. Can you match the characteristics
with the correct golden ticket winners?
Ambitious
Greedy
Selfish
Mike Teavee
Gluttonous
Compassionate
Hungry
Augustus Gloop
Vain
Egotistical
Techno-fiend
Competitive
Charlie Bucket
Loving
Disrespectful
Indulgent
Violet Beauregard
Eager
Spoiled
Entitled
Veruca Salt
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Can you spot the differences?
Whenever different versions are made of an original work, they are called adaptations. Both the
movie and the play are adaptations of Roald Dahl’s original book. In this case, Willy Wonka has been
adapted 3 times: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (play), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
(movie, 1971), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (movie, 2005).
Have you seen either of the movies? When you watch the show, try to find the parts that are the
same and those that are different!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005
Gene Wilder
1971
Johnny Depp
2005
Wonka’s Factory, 1971
John Ellingson
2011
Wonka’s Factory, 2005
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 1971
If you liked Willy Wonka...
...then you should read some of Roald Dahl’s other magical tales (and watch some of the movies!).
Books
The BFG
Movies
The BFG (1989)
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Danny the Champion of the World
The Witches (1990)
Matilda
Matilda (1996)
The Witches
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Cast Spotlight!
For these NWCT kids, playing the role of a kid who loves chocolate may not be too much of a
stretch, but taking on the personas of these 5 characters may have been a bit more challenging! Meet
the talented NWCT actors and actresses that brought these characters to life!
Introducing:
Connor Johnson as
Charlie Bucket!
Introducing:
Madison Thompson as
Veruca Salt!
NWCT: How did you get
your start with NWCT?
Connor: I started taking
classes at NWCT when I
was about six. Then I
started signing up for some play labs and
eventually to Kid’s Co and Summer Nights. And
now, I get to make my Mainstage debut as
Charlie!
NWCT: What else have we
seen you in at NWCT?
Madison: I did my first
playlab at NWCT when I
was 5 years old! I also did
Kid’s Co and Summer
Nights. This will be my third holiday show in a row
after being in Narnia and Annie.
NWCT: How similar are you and Charlie? How are
you different?
Connor: Charlie has unwavering positivity and
hope and a very strong sense of family. These are
two virtues I have always possessed, or at least
try to. I think Charlie is very innocent; I don’t
think anyone is quite like that.
NWCT: What was the most fun part of the show
for you?
Connor: Getting to sing dance and be related to
Kevin-Michael Moore every night! And getting to
wear Wonka’s top hat… of course.
NWCT: How is the way you’re playing Charlie
different than the ones in the movies?
Connor: I have seen both movies multiple times,
but I tried to make Charlie more relatable than
Charlies in the movies. Both actors shaped the
way we see Charlie today, but I wanted to make
him more of a normal kid.
NWCT: If you could make your own factory, what
would it be and what would you make?
Connor: I would create a line of candy bars that
have the nutritional value of a hearty meal. That
way you could eat candy for every meal without
your parents getting angry. And next make
licorice that brushes your teeth for you!
NWCT: How would you describe Veruca? Are you
similar to her at all?
Madison: Veruca is very demanding, selfish and
greedy, expecting to get what she wants when she
wants it. I don’t expect anything extravagant from
my parents, and I’m definitely not the boss of
them! I enjoy giving more than receiving, and I
think I’m more grateful for the things I have than
she is.
NWCT: What was the hardest part of the show?
Madison: Having to be so mean and bratty to my
castmates! I love them all and would never treat
them the way my character does…that’s why it’s
called acting! She’s a fun character to play; I'm
loving every minute of it!
NWCT: If you could have a factory all your own,
what would you make?
Madison: I would make a factory with lots of
sparkle and bling! We would also make pink and
purple cupcakes too that you can’t get anywhere
else! You could come in and custom make your
own candy by picking your own ingredients.
NWCT: What’s the most important lesson kids will
learn from this show?
Madison: Hard work pays off! Charlie had the
least and gained the most because he had a good
heart and put others first. He wanted a better life
for him and his family and got just that. No dream
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is too big to achieve!
Cast Spotlight!
Introducing: Conner Reed as Mike Teavee!
Introducing: Matt Garcia as
Augustus Gloop!
NWCT: What was the most fun
about playing Mike Teavee?
Conner: He has been the most
reworked over time to fit pop
culture. My version is very much
into his cell phone and his Wii and
completely devoid of any social
abilities. It’s really fun to be able to
embody the horror of “technology
gone wrong”.
NWCT: How did you get
your start with NWCT?
Matt: I started at
NWCT when I was 8; I
did an auditioning class
where I met most of the
wonderful educators at
NWCT. It was love at
first monologue!
NWCT: How do you think you would have behaved on
Wonka’s tour? Differently than Mike?
Conner: I think I would channel Veruca when I saw
the Oompa Loompas; I’d rather take one home than
kill one. You’d have the hippest housekeeper and it
would sing to you about social issues. I’d also take
more
advantage of all the candy falling from the sky.
NWCT: How would you describe your character?
Are you at all similar to him?
Matt: Most would describe him as a glutton─I
say he is a mama's boy who never wants to
disappoint his mother by not eating her food.
I'm similar to him in the way that my mom
ALWAYS offers me food to eat. If I didn’t pass
on some of the food my mom makes, I’d look
like Augustus in no time!
NWCT: What is your favorite scene in the play? Why?
Conner: My personal favorite scene is probably the
boat scene—it’s always perplexed and fascinated me. It
seems disjointed but it foreshadows the fates of each
character. It’s a moment that acknowledges the
darkness of the story that’s taking place.
NWCT: How is this role different from others you have
played?
Conner: Mike’s far less charismatic than other
characters. He’s also less of a “real person”, which is
an absolute blast. I have almost nothing in common
with him. Every single ounce of his character is
invention. He is in a completely different realm of
reality than the others.
NWCT: What are some other Roald Dahl books you’ve
read? What’s your favorite?
Conner: I’ve read ALL his books! He places these
kids in these really outlandish and devastating
circumstances of adversity that they find a way out of
which empowers them and which really connected
with me from a young age. My favorite of his is
“George’s Marvelous Medicine”. Feeding your
grandma shaving cream? Hilarious.
NWCT: What did you like best about performing
in the show?
Matt: I love bonding with all the incredibly
talented actors in the show; I know I will learn
so much from each of them. I'm also going to
love the fat suit I get to wear! I cannot wait to
make the audience laugh!
NWCT: Which character do you best relate to in
the show?
Matt: I think I best relate to Willy Wonka. He
lets his imagination guide his ambition; none of
his dreams are unattainable. He knows that he
can create a wonderful world for himself.
NWCT: How would you give out golden tickets
to your factory?
Matt: I would set up obstacles to test the
visitors, showing me who was most capable to
run my factory once I passed. I would reward
them with my unreleased inventions all in
hopes of finding someone as worthy as Charlie!
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Cast Spotlight!
Introducing: Kate Schifferdecker as Violet Beauregard!
NWCT: How did you get your start with NWCT?
Kate: I saw my first show at NWCT when I was just six! After that I participated
in a playlab, followed by Kids Pro and later auditioned for the main stage shows.
NWCT: Violet is the best gum chewer around. Do you have any strange hobbies that
you're the best at?
Kate: I wish! Other than theater, I love playing sports. In track and field my
favorite events are the jumps, but I'm definitely not the best around!
NWCT: How would you best describe Violet ? Are you at all similar to her?
Kate: Violet is very competitive and she's not afraid to speak her mind, which I can definitely relate to.
But she doesn't have a very good relationship with her mother and I can't imagine not being close with
my mom.
NWCT: What books have you read that you would like to see turned into a musical?
Kate: I'd love to see any of the Beverly Cleary book turned into musicals. I loved those books when I
was a kid and it would be so fun to see them on stage!
NWCT: What was the best part about acting in Willy Wonka?
Kate: The best part has definitely been spending time with the incredible cast and getting to chew as
much gum as I wanted during rehearsals!
“Hold your breath, make a wish, count to three!”
Take a minute. Think about Wonka’s factory. What do you
see? Did you have scenes from the movie reeling through
your head? Or had you created your own idea of what the
factory looked like from hearing the story?
Just as when reading a book or hearing a story being told,
you use your imagination to design the scenes and characters
being described. When a story is made to be an on-stage
performance, the director, actors, artists, and set designers
have to use their imaginations to bring stories to life.
When you watch our show, notice how we have created
Wonka’s chocolate factory. How did we use props, set
design and paint to make the story come to life? Was it
different than you expected?
Wonka lives in a world of pure imagination, a world which
we welcome you into today! Stories put on stage work best
when you use your imagination—it would be impossible for
us to do it without one!
Rendering
by Shana T
argosz 20
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