aida - stagenotes

S t u d yC g u i d E

S P E C I A L T H A N K S

Buena Vista Theatrical Group, Peter Schneider, Thomas Schmacher. ProducersCreative Affairs: Stuart OkenGeneral Manager: Alan LeveyAssociate Producer: Marshall B. Purdy

Marketing: Carol Chiavetta, Andrew FlattPress Representatives: Boneau/Bryan-BrownAdvertising: Serino Coyne, Inc.Production Photography: Joan Marcus

The Aida study guide has been created and developed by Camp Broadway LLC.Camp Broadway is a theater arts education and audience development company dedicated to help-ing educators, kids and families experience theater in original and creative ways. Our programs aredesigned to serve the unique needs of both the education and theater industries by connectingprofessional artists with young audiences throughout the year.

For more information on any of our programs, contact us at: Camp Broadway LLC145 West 45th Street, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10036(212) 575-2929 (Tel.) (212) 575-3125 (fax)www.campbroadway.com

Editor: Jodi Simon StewartAssociate Editor: Roseanne SaracenoArt Director: Joseph M. Pisarchick

ContributorsJohn P. Bruggen: writer, researcher and manager with expertise in public administration

Christopher C. Gibbs, Ph.D.: historian, educator, and co-author of Grassroots Politics (1983) and Great Silent Majority (1989) and historical mystery novels

Russell Granet: Senior Program Associate at the Center for Arts Education and member of thefaculty for New York Universitys Kaplan Center for Educational Drama

Robert Hartmann: composer/lyricist and Assistant Professor, New York University Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program

Kathy Henderson: editor and journalist specializing in theater and the performing arts

Maxine Kern: dramaturg, playwright and educator with extensive experience in curriculum development, interdisciplinary writing coordination and classroom teaching

Larissa Nygren: writer and editor with years of musical theater performing experience, works in childrens publishing

Printed by: Royal Fireworks Press, Unionville, NY

' Disney 2001. All rights reserved.

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Producers Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

T h e p r o d u c t i o n w i n g

Aida Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Musical Numbers/Character Breakdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Aida Creators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

t h e c o l l e c t i o n s

HISTORY Exhibition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

MATH & SCIENCE Exhibition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

ARTS & CULTURE Exhibition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

SOCIAL STUDIES Exhibition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

COMMUNICATIONS Exhibition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Attending the Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Resource Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

contents

C2Ca i d a s t u d y g u i d e

Using the Guide Producers NOTE

Welcome to the world of Aida. The story at the center of this contem-porary Aida is the legend that became the libretto of Giuseppi Verdis opera of thesame name. This classic tale of forbidden love, set against the backdrop of AncientEgypt and enhanced by the extraordinary talents of its composer and lyricist, EltonJohn and Tim Rice, makes Aida a unique and special educational tool.

By using the study guide, you will see how Aida exposes us to the past (History),expands our visual and verbal vocabulary (Language Arts), illuminates the humancondition (Behavioral Studies), demonstrates a process of analysis and implementa-tion (Math and Science), and encourages creative thinking and expression (The Arts).

The study guide was developed as a series of lesson plans that, although inspired byand themed around Aida, can also accompany class study of other literary, theatrical,or historical works. To assist you in preparing your presentation of each lesson, wehave included an objective; an excerpt from the lyrics of the Broadway production ofAida; a discussion topic; a writing assignment; and an interactive class activity. Areproducible handout accompanies each lesson unit which contains an essay ques-tion; a creative exercise; and an "after hours activity" that encourages students tointeract with family, friends, and the community at large.

The curriculum categories offered in the Aida study guide have been informed by thebasic standards of education detailed in Content Knowledge: A Compendium ofStandards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education, 2nd Edition, written by John S.Kendall and Robert J. Marzano (1997). This definitive complication was published byMid-Continent Regional Education Laboratory, Inc. (McREL) and the Association forSupervision and Curricular Development (ASDC) after systematic collection, review,and analysis of noteworthy national and state curricular documents in all subjects.

The Aida study guide is for you, the educator, in response to your need for standards-compliant curriculum. We hope this study guide will help you incorporate Aida intoyour classroom activities.

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Aida synopsis

In the Egyptian room of amodern museum, Amneris, once aqueen of the ancient kingdom, invitesthe audience into a tale of love and astruggle for power in a time when warraged between Egypt and its southernneighbor, Nubia.

An Egyptian army captain,Radames, prepares to sail back up theNile River toward home when his sol-diers bring on board a group of Nubianwomen they have captured. One ofthem, Aida, shows particular courage and cunning, andRadames is struck by her continued defiance even tohis face.

Radames returns to his homeland and sends Aidaaway with his Nubian servant, Mereb, as a gift for theEgyptian princess, Amneris. Radames also greets hisfather, Chief Minister Zoser, who reminds him of hispromise to marry Amneris. Zoser reveals to theaudience his plot to poison the Pharaoh so thatRadames can rule Egypt.

Before Mereb presents Aida to the princess, he recognizes that Aida is a princess as well, in Nubia, asecret that will put her life in peril should the Egyptianslearn it. The vain but fashionable Amneris is thrilledwith her new gift when she learns Aida can make beautiful clothes.

That evening, the Pharaoh announces that Radamesand Amneris will be married in seven days, yet Radamesand Aida continue to grow more enchanted with oneanother.

Aida visits her people in the slave camps andpromises to fight for them. The next day, she pleadswith Radames to help the Nubians, and the young captain, now in love, kisses her. Amneris confides inAida that Radames is slipping away from her, but whenhe gives away all his possessions to the Nubian slaves,the princess takes it as a sign of his devotion to her.Aida knows the truth, and that evening she gives in to

her love for Radames; however, whenEgyptian soldiers capture Aidasfather, the Nubian king, the loversdevotion to each other is put to thetest.

Aida schemes to free herfather on the evening of the royal wedding. Meanwhile Radames tellshis father that he does not want theEgyptian throne, and the two battleover his love of Aida. Finally, Zoserorders her death. A slave girl sacrificesherself to save Aida, but Mereb and

her people fear their princess may choose Radamesover her nation. When the two meet, Radames says thathe will call off the wedding, but Aida insists that hemarry the princess, so that he will be able to bringpeace between their countries. Amneris, though, haswitnessed the secret meeting between the lovers.

Amneris and Radames are wed anyway but, afterthe wedding, Radames tries to prevent the Egyptianarmy from stopping Aidas escape. On the banks of theNile, Radames finally discovers that he has fallen inlove with a Nubian princess, not a simple slave girl. TheNubian king escapes, but Aida is left behind to standtrial with her beloved Radames. Amneris demands tosentence the traitors, and shows as much mercy as shecan: Aida and Radames will spend an eternity togetherentombed beneath the sands of the Egyptian desert.

ACT I


Every Story Is a Love Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AmnerisFortune Favors the Brave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Radames and the SolidersThe Past Is Another Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AidaAnother Pyramid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Zoser and the MinistersHow I Know You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mereb and AidaMy Strongest Suit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amneris and Women of the PalaceEnchantment Passing Through . . . . . . . . . . . .Radames and AidaMy Strongest Suit (Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amneris and AidaDance of the Robe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aida, Nehebka and the NubiansNot Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Radames, Mereb, Aida and AmnerisElaborate Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Radames and AidaThe Gods Love Nubia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aida, Nehebka and the Nubians

ACT IIA Step Too Far . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amneris, Radames and AidaEasy As Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AidaLike Father Like Son . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Zoser, Radames and the MinistersRadames Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RadamesHow I Know You (Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MerebWritten in the Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aida and RadamesI Know the Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AmnerisElaborate Lives (Reprise) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aida and RadamesEvery Story Is a Love Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amneris

Aida a Nubian PrincessRadames an Egyptian Captain, betrothed to AmnerisAmneris an Egyptian Princess, daughter of the PharaohMereb the Nubian servant of RadamesZoser Chief Minister to the Pharaoh, father of RadamesPharaoh ruler of Egypt, father of AmnerisNehebka a Nubian slaveAmonasro the Nubian King, Aidas fatherSoliders, Ministers, Nubian slaves, Women of the Palace

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Musical Numbers

character Breakdown


ELTON JOHNMusic

Elton John is one of the most successful recordingartists of our time. He has sold over 60 millionrecords in the United States, had 21 platinum albums,and at one point scored 29 consecutive Top 40 hits.

But success didnt come easily. Born ReginaldDwight in Middlesex, England, in 1947, John beganstudying piano at the age of four, and later sharpenedhis skills at the Royal Academy of Music. Throughoutthe 1960s, John struggled as a musician in a bandcalled Bluesology. He teamed up with songwritingpartner Bernie Taupin in 1968 and had some successwriting music for other artists. In 1969, he releasedhis first solo recording, the largely ignored EmptySky. Finally, in 1970, an eponymous album wouldlaunch his career with the hit singles Your Song andBorder Song. In the decades to come, the string ofhits would continue, from the 70s Rocketman,Daniel, and Dont Go Breaking My Heart to the80s Im Still Standing, I Guess Thats Why TheyCall It the Blues, and I Dont Want to Go on withYou Like That, and into the 90s with The One,Believe, and a rewritten version of Candle in theWind, a tribute to Princess Diana that became thebiggest-selling single of all time.

In the early 1990s, John collaborated with lyricistTim Rice on the score for the 1994 Walt DisneyPictures movie, The Lion King. The recording yieldedtwo top ten hits, Can You Feel the Love Tonight andCircle of Life, and earned the songwriters anAcademy Award. The 1997 staging of the film forBroadway by director Julie Taymor received six Tony

Awards including Best Musical, and in 1999, aGrammy for Best Musical Show Album. John continued his collaboration with Rice in the 2000Dreamworks movie The Road to El Dorado and withthe current Broadway production of Aida, which wonthe 2000 Tony Award for Best Score.

John says that writing Aida was a chance to trysomething hed never attempted before: a full-length

Tim RiceLyrics

Tim Rice was pulled away from a horribly misspent career as a lawyer in 1965 at the age of 21when he met a 17-year-old named Andrew LloydWebber and they collaborated on a musical calledThe Likes of Us. The pair would go on to create suchlandmark musicals as Joseph and the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, andEvita. Rice has also written lyrics for Blondel (1983)with composer Stephen Oliver; Chess (1986) withBenny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of the musicgroup Abba; and Starmania/Tycoon (1991).

Rice took over as lyricist for the late HowardAshman to complete the score of the Disney filmAladdin with Alan Menken, and contributed to theoriginal music in the Broadway stage production ofDisneys Beauty and the Beast. In 1997 Rice collaborated again with Menken on the musical KingDavid, which opened the renovated New AmsterdamTheatre with a seven-day concert staging. The theatreis now home to Rices musical collaboration withElton John, The Lion King. Rice won three AcademyAwards during the 1990s for his film composi-tions: A Whole New World from Aladdin, Can YouFeel the Love Tonight from The Lion King, and YouMust Love Me from Evita. His most recent filmwork is the music for The Road to El Dorado, alsowith Elton John.

AIDA Creators

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musical written directly for the Broadway stage. Hetold The New York Times what a frightening prospectit was to take on the project. Im a comfortableartist, concerts always sold out, which is nice, but thatcan be boring. It takes courage to diversify and haveother challenges. I want to succeed desperately, butIm a novice. I have a great CV, but Im putting myfoot in the water with this one.

The story of Aida, John says, is one that toucheshim in many ways. Its a beautiful, complex lovestory, where bigotry and hatred are swept out thewindow, and love, compassion, forgiveness, andunderstanding triumph. In this day and age, Im agreat believer in the human spirit triumphing overevil in any way.

John has continued to fight for the human spiritthrough his work with the Elton John AIDSFoundation, which has distributed more than $13million in grants worldwide since 1992. In 1998, inhonor of his contributions to charity and the arts,John was knighted by the Queen of England andbestowed the title Sir Elton John CBE.

Rice is seeking a U.S. publisher for his first volume ofmemoirs, Oh What a Circus, already published in England.He is an aficionado of popular music and a diehard cricketfan, both of which have led to an extensive publishingcareer. He is the author of over 30 books on British popmusic (and 1986s BBC Radio "Rock Brain of the Year"),as well as 25 yearbooks and many articles on his belovedcricket.

Rice received the honor of British Knighthood in1994.

Of Aida, Rice told Playbill magazine, When youapproach the creation of a new musical, the story is themost important thing, and we began with one of the greatones. If you can add a wonderful score, you have a reallygood chance of coming up with a great show.

linda woolvertonBook

Before tackling the book the theatrical term for spo-ken words and story structure for Aida, LindaWoolverton wrote the book for both the film andBroadway stage versions of Disneys Beauty and theBeast. For the stage production she was nominated fora 1995 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, andshared a 1998 Olivier Award for Best New Musical forthe London production. The 1993 film won a GoldenGlobe award for Best Musical/Comedy film and wasnominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Woolverton is also cowriter of the filmsHomeward Bound and The Lion King. She is the authorof the teen novels Running Before the Wind and Star-

Wind, and is working on a screenplay about the 30-yearhistory of American Bandstand for Jersey Films.Woolverton lives in Los Angeles with her husband, LeeFlicker, and daughter, Keaton.

In working on Aida, Woolverton told the AtlantaJournal-Constitution that she wanted to approach the storyfrom a modern perspective. Im interested in the rela-tionship between Aida and Amneris, she said, not justas slave and master, or rivals for Radames, but as womenwho were both born into the role of princess, who areequals.

ELTON JOHN contd from p. 5 TIM RICE contd from p. 5

AIDA Creators

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DAVID HENRY HWANGBook

David Henry Hwang was 21 years old, a recent gradu-ate of Stanford University, when his first play, F.O.B.,was presented by the National PlaywrightsConference. It went on to an off-Broadway run inNew York that would win the young playwright anObie Award for best new play, an astonishing beginning to a career that would win Hwang a Tony

Award and see him nominated for a Pulitzer Prize bythe time he was 30. In 1988, he won Tony, DramaDesk, Outer Critics Circle, and John Gassner Awardsfor his Broadway debut, M. Butterfly. His most recentplay, Golden Child was nominated for a Tony in 1998and for an Obie in 1997. His other plays include TheDance and the Railroad, Family Devotions, Sound andBeauty, Face Value, Bondage, and an adaptation ofIbsens Peer Gynt.

He collaborated with composer Phillip Glass onthe libretto for the musical works 1,000 Airplanes onthe Roof and The Voyage, and with Bright Sheng onThe Silver River. Hwang has also written the screenplays for M. Butterfly and Golden Gate, andcowrote the song Solo with Prince.

Hwang told the Los Angeles Times that he anddirector Robert Falls wanted to approach Aida withcomplexity and subtlety. Bob was very clear from thebeginning that there was a political dimension to thestory which was very important, Hwang said. Canlove overcome differences, hatred, a painful historybetween peoples? Its a question with very obvious resonance today. But its a complex question thatdoes not have a clear yes-or-no answer.

ROBERT FALLSDirector/Book

Robert Falls made his professional debut as a direc-tor when, as a student at the University of Illinois,the first play he ever directed was picked up byChicagos St. Nicholas Theatre. He went on tobecome artistic director at the citys Wisdom BridgeTheatre, and by age 31 artistic director of theGoodman Theatre. In 1999 he won a Tony Awardas Best Director for his revival of Arthur MillersDeath of a Salesman, and he received an Obie Awardin 1995 for directing Eric Bogosians subUrbia. HisBroadway credits also include The Young Man fromAtlanta, The Rose Tattoo, The Night of the Iguana andThe Speed of Darkness. Falls gained internationalattention for his adaptation of In the Belly of the Beastin 1983. He has written a new book for theGoodman Theatre revival of the musical Pal Joey, andcollaborated on productions of Randy NewmansFaust, Frank Galatis reworked Cry, the BelovedCountry, and revivals of Sondheims A Funny ThingHappened on the Way to the Forum and A Little NightMusic.

Falls is also a respected opera director with productions at the Metropolitan Opera, ChicagosLyric Opera, and the Grand Theatre de Geneva inSwitzerland.

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AIDA Creators


EGYPT

Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations we know about. The RomanEmpire lasted 1500 years; the United States is 225 years old. Egyptiancivilization began over 5000 years ago!

The Nile River is an important part of Egyptian civilization. The Nile originates in the mountains of east central Africa. From there, the rivermakes its way north to the sea. When it reaches the wide Egyptian val-leys, the waters spread over an area of 12,000 square miles, and by thetime they have moved on, they have left behind 200 million tons of soiland minerals. The Egyptian people have harnessed the river, making theNile valley one of the richest farming regions in the EasternMediterranean.

Ancient Egypt was a prosperous civilization with many accomplishments.Ancient Egypt had a large, highly educated bureaucracy, gifted artistsand craftsmen, talented engineers and scientists. Egyptian physiciansdrew medicines from plants and herbs, and passed their knowledge onto the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs. Egyptian mathematicians measuredthe year to the nearly exact 365 days, which they divided into twelvemonths. Egyptian merchants traded up and down the Red Sea and alongthe coast of the Mediterranean.

The pyramids are Egypts most famous accomplishment. The first pyra-mid was built around 2700 B.C.E. The great pyramids that have fasci-nated generations of scholars and tourists were built a short time later.

Using masses of human beingsfor power, and technology nomore sophisticated than leversand sleds and earthen ramps,they built several of these structures. The largest, the"Great Pyramid of Gizeh," was

history Exhibition

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460 feet high and 755 feet along each side. Theseenormous structures have survived for thousandsof years to serve the inhabitants of modern Egypt.Many of the blocks were removed to provide building materials for the modern capital of Cairo.

NUBIA

Nubia, "the land upriver," was Egypts most important neighbor. Nubia included the territoriesof modern-day Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.Relations between Egypt and Nubia go back atleast to 2500 B.C.E., and include periods of warfare, trade, colonization, and domination.

Egypts main interest in Nubia was economic.Nubia was Egypts main source of gold.It also provided hard stone,copper, and other metals.Nubia served as a trade linkwith regions farther south.This trade included frank-incense, myrrh, ivory,ebony, animal skins, and ostrich feathers.

Nubia was also an important source ofmanpower. Over the centuries, Nubiansoften migrated north to live and work,many serving as soldiers in Egypts armies.Nubians often achieved high rank in Egypt,and more than one pharaoh had Nubianblood flowing in his veins. But often thelabor was involuntary, and Egyptian forces

frequentlymarched south totake prisoners, whowere sent back as slaves.

Egypt was not always the more powerfulnation; sometimes Nubia was. Often,

Egyptians marched into Nubia, killed all the men,burned all the buildings and the crops, and carriedthe women and children off into slavery. Othertimes, Egyptians moved in peacefully, living andworking with Nubians, making Nubia a provinceof Egypt. Around 1079 B.C.E., the Nubians roseup in revolt, declaring their land independent ofEgypt. The two regions dealt with each other asequals.

As Egypt grew weaker, Nubia grew stronger. After1079, Egyptian power declined. Nubia

conquered Egyptian territories ontheir border. Over the years,Nubian armies moved steadilynorth. Eventually, in 732 B.C.E.,

the Nubians triumphed, and aNubian was crowned

pharaoh. Nubian ruleended a century later.Shortly afterwards,

Egypt was conquered bythe Assyrians.


InsideAIDA

Aida (Heather Headley) arrives in Egypt after being captured on the banks of the Nile River in Nubia.

From the ScriptAct 1, PrologueAida opens in the Egyptian wing of a museum where ancient relics detail the drama of the conquestof Nubia by Egypt. A modern day woman, Aida, looks at the exhibitions statue of an Archer as theancient princess Amneris sings about the love that survived in hateful times.

Discussion

ObjectiveStudents will understand howgeography can change the fortunes, conquests andenslavements of countries.

Teaching Tips

n Are there countries you canname in todays world that tendto be conquering nations? Whatdo they get by conquering othernations, e.g. food, labor, accessto waterways, increased powerfor a power hungry leader?

n Is there conquest in todaysworld by multinational corporations?

n Might aggressive marketingever replace war as a way tomake conquests?

Exercise1) Xerox two topographical maps. Lead the students in a discussion of the features of each country, moun-

tain ranges, rivers, access, size, borders, proximity to other countries. How are they alike, how are they

different? Given its geography, why might one be the conquerer and one the conquered?

2) Have students break up into three groups and come up with a basic sketch for a set for Aida. Have

them first decide as a group what they might provide in terms of shapes, colors, and textures to evoke the

Egyptian world.

AmnerisTHIS IS THE STORYOF A LOVE THAT FLOURISHEDIN A TIME OF HATE

OF LOVERS NO TYRANNY COULD SEPARATELOVE SET INTO MOTION ON THE NILES SHOREDESTINY IGNITED BY AN ACT OF WAR

EGYPT SAW THE MIGHTY RIVER AS ITS VERYHEART AND SOULSOURCE OF LIFE FOR ALL HER PEOPLE

THAT ONLY EGYPT COULD CONTROLDESTRUCTION OF HER SOUTHERN NEIGHBORJUSTIFIEDNUBIA EXPLOITED, LEFT WITH LITTLE MORETHAN PRIDE

@Discussione x e r c i s e


H I S T O R Y

From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 3The musical Aida brings a modern world man and woman into an ancient world that they mighthave inhabited. At the opening of the show a museum exhibition transforms into Ancient Egyptas a large gangplank lowers from one side of the stage, and Egyptian soldiers unload newly conquered Nubian slaves, one of the slaves is Aida.

writing

ObjectiveEmpathize with individualswhose lives are changed by\conquest and slavery.

Teaching Tips

n What is the history of slaveryin our country? When did slavery become outlawed andwhy were those choices made?Can you name some remnantsof a slave culture in our coun-try? Do you believe that a histo-ry of slavery has been erased?

ExerciseAfter reading historical background information about ancient Nubia and about ancient Egypt, have

students write a three-day journal entry from the point of view as either a princess (after shes taken as a

slave in battle) or a soldier (after hes taken a slave in battle). As such, describe both the country youve left

and the country and people who have enslaved you, or the country you live in and the people you have

enslaved. Focus on the sights and sounds in the new lands, on the treatment youre receiving or giving to

others, on the feelings you have for your position, the work you do and the home you have left or that

youre living in. Be sure that youre speaking from the voice of your character rather than commenting on

that character from a modern point of view.

AidaTHE FUTURE IS A BARREN WORLDFROM WHICH I CANT RETURNBOTH HEARTLESS AND MATERIALITS WRETCHED SPOILS NOT MY CONCERNSHINING LIKE AN EVIL SUNAS MY CHILDHOOD TREASURES BURN

SHINING LIKE AN EVIL SUNAS MY CHILDHOOD TREASURES BURN

@ Writinge x e r c i s e


h i s t o r y

From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 12The Nubians have heard that their king has been captured and possibly killed. Aida tells them thatNubia will never die, whether they are enslaved or far from home, because it lives in their hearts.

experiential

ObjectiveStudents will evaluate modes ofliving and spiritual survival indifferent cultures.

Teaching Tips

n Ask students what they haveread in the newspapers in thelast month that pertains to war.See what they know about aspecific war, such as the one inthe Middle East. Collect factsand impressions. See if youcan make sense out of whatmight be happening in warringnations.

n Ask students if they thinkthat warring nations can everreally find peaceful solutions totheir problems on their own orif they need other leaders andother nations to intervene.

ExerciseCompare your culture to the Nubian culture. Pick an aspect that you like (from theirs or from yours).Be prepared to share an anecdote from your life about this aspect of your life and how and why itgives you pleasure. Also talk about something in your life that you absolutely need to survive. If youhave nothing that is absolutely necessary for your survival, explain why you think you can survivewithout anything that you know in your world as it is. If you are convinced that this feature is something that you need explain why this is so important to your survival.

AidaTAKE ME IN MY DREAMS RECURRINGCHEERFUL AS A CHILDHOOD DANCEINTO ONE MORE TASTE OF FREEDOMONE MORE LONGING BACKWARD GLANCE

IN THE SWAY OF SOMBER MUSICI SHALL NEVER, NEVER UNDERSTANDLET ME SLIP IN, INTO THE SWEETERCHORUS OF THAT OTHER LAND...

THE GODS LOVE NUBIATHE BEAUTIFUL, THE GOLDENTHE RADIANT, THE FERTILE

THE GENTLE AND THE BLESSED

THE PAIN OF NUBIAIS ONLY OF THE MOMENTTHE DESOLATE, THE SUFFERINGTHE PLUNDERED, THE OPPRESSED

NehebkaTHE GODS LOVE NUBIA, THEIR GLORIOUS CREATIONTHEIR SONGS ROLL SWEETLY ACROSS THE HARVEST PLAIN

Aida and NehebkaTHE TEARS OF NUBIAA PASSING ABERRATIONTHEY WASH INTO THE RIVER AND ARENEVER CRIED AGAIN

Aida, Nehebka, Mereb and Nubian womenTHE GODS LOVE NUBIAWE HAVE TO KEEP BELIEVINGTHOUGH SCATTERED AND DIVIDEDWE ARE STILL ITS HEART

AllTHE FALL OF NUBIAEPHEMERAL AND FLEETINGTHE SPIRIT ALWAYS BURNINGTHOUGH THE FLESH IS TORN APART

TAKE ME IN MY DREAMS RECURRINGCHEERFUL AS A CHILDHOOD DANCEINTO ONE MORE TASTE OF FREEDOMONE MORE LONGING BACKWARD GLANCE

THE GODS LOVE NUBIA, THE BEAUTIFUL ANDTHE GOLDENTHE RADIANT, THE FERTILE, THE GENTLE ANDTHE BLESSEDTHE PAIN OF NUBIA IS ONLY OF THE MOMENTTHE DESOLATE, THE SUFFERING, THE PLUNDERED, THE OPPRESSED

THE GODS LOVE NUBIA, WE HAVE TO KEEPBELIEVINGTHOUGH SCATTERED AND DIVIDED WE ARESTILL ITS HEART

@Experientiale x e r c i s e


H I S T O R Y

name Date

class teacher

3. After HOURSIdentify different cultures that coexist in yourcommunity. They can be ethnic cultures,sports cultures, school club cultures. Notefeatures about one of these cultures that willcontinue if individuals need to leave thesecultures as their lives go on. Then look atyour own primary cultural affiliation. Whatwould survive for you if you were to leave it?What might you have to lose or leavebehind?

1. What do YOU think?Do you think that some countries are justified in conquering other countries? If yes, whatsituations or principles apply. If not, why hasnt war and colonization ever been outlawed inhuman history? Is the human race capable of setting up a network of world peace?

2. EXPRESS yourself...Is politics always a negative term? How is Aida political in her treatment of the Egyptiansand the Nubians? How is Radames political in his treatment of his father, Zoser, and hisfiance, Amneris? How is this similar and how is it different from the politics of Zoser?

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With their knowledge of mathematicsand physical science, the Ancient Egyptianswere among the first to create a calendar;observe and record the motions of the stars;and, of course, construct massive pyramidsand temples that stand to this day, thousandsof years after they were built.

The Egyptians used only addition and subtraction; they had no symbol orconcept for zero, and no decimal notation, although they did use fractions.

Weights and MeasuresHekat = a jar, approximately one gallonKhar = a sackful, 16 hekatsCubit = approximately 20 inches, about the length from

the elbow to the tip of the fingerHand = 7 hands equal one cubit

Ancient Egypt used the barter system; there was no currency. Goods weregiven a value in debens small copper weights. An ox might be valuedat one hundred debens, for instance, and traded for an amount of grain ofequal value, but no debens actually changed hands. Trading was donelocally at outdoor markets. The desert and the Nile were barriers to tradingwith other countries, but Nubia, being closest, was the country Egypt traded with most frequently.

math & Exhibitionscience

The Egyptian calendar divided the yearinto 12 months, each one with three 10-day weeks. At the end of the year werefive days of feasting and religious festivals. This added up to 360 days:since the year is actually 365 and 1/4days long, the Egyptian calendar slowly became out ofsync with the seasons. Farmers then watched the starsto find out when the annual flooding of the Nile wouldbegin. Sirius (which they called Sothis) was eclipsed bythe sun for 70 days each year when it became visibleagain, the inundation of the Nile was near. AnEgyptian scribe wrote that the Egyptian civil and agricultural calendars were aligned in the year we callC.E. 139; this will let us pin down the dates of theEgyptian dynasties very accurately.

Pyramids

"The Age of Pyramids" lasted for 1,000 years,from 2686 to 1550 B.C.E. By the time of theThird Intermediate Period (1070 B.C.E.), duringwhich Aida is set, the pyramids were already ancient.They were built with astonishing skill in fact, we arestill not sure how the Egyptians accomplished some oftheir feats of engineering. The most famous of theEgyptian pyramids is the Pyramid of Khufu, the GreatPyramid.

Great Pyramid Factsn constructed circa 2500 B.C.E.n built on the plateau at Gizan assembled from 2,300,000 limestone blocksn each block averaged 2.5 tons, some as heavy as 15

tonsn the blocks are fitted so closely together a hair

cant fit between themn originally 481 feet high, now eroded to 450n approximately 755 feet on each siden contains over 30 times the mass of the

Empire State Buildingn oriented exactly to the compass pointsn original limestone facing was stripped

away in the 10th century C.E. for use as construction material


InsideAIDA

Tom Schumacher (Producer), Elton John (Music), RobertFalls (Director) in a rehearsal for Aida

From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 11Radames is ready to give up all his worldly possessions to run away with Aida. Aida loves Radamesas well, but her choices will become more confusing for her as the story unfolds.

Discussion

ObjectiveTo encourage students toassess values that may differfrom conventional values oftheir time.

Teaching Tips

n Currency and the barter sys-tem. How do we assign valueto a dollar? Is it the actual worthof the paper, or something else?What values would you assignto some of the things you useeveryday, such as tofu, pizza,KFC, Versace jeans, JenniferLopez CDs, etc.? What sort ofthings would you trade if youwere an Ancient Egyptian?

ExerciseImagine you had to change the basic fabric of your life and could devise new ways of dealing withmoney. Imagine a future world in which math and science are calculated and understood differentlythan they are today. Consider the culture you created in the writing exercise. What might the needsof that culture be? What would the currency system be, would money still change hands? Whatbuilding materials would be necessary? How might the weather have changed in this world? Wouldpeople live longer, shorter or forever in this world? Would there still be young, middle-aged and olderpeople?

Most specifically, discuss how you might invent another barter system. What might you use asanother unit of valueperhaps CDs, Beanie Babies, marbles, etc.? How would you devise a wagescale for various jobs? Might you choose higher wages for less rewarding jobs and lower wages formore rewarding jobs? Have your students break up into groups of six to set up a new system ofeither barter or wages. Have them come up with their choices based upon the human and financialvalues of the community. Have the students write out a new system that the group can accept.Present this system and explain how the group arrived at it.

RadamesWE ALL LEAD SUCH ELABORATE LIVESWILD AMBITIONS IN OUR SIGHTSHOW AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART SURVIVESDAYS APART AND HURRIED NIGHTSSEEMS QUITE UNBELIEVABLE TO MEI DONT WANT TO LIVE LIKE THATSEEMS QUITE UNBELIEVABLE TO MEI DONT WANT TO LOVE LIKE THATI JUST WANT OUR TIME TO BESLOWER AND GENTLER, WISER, FREEWE ALL LIVE IN EXTRAVAGANT TIMESPLAYING GAMES WE CANT ALL WINUNINTENDED EMOTIONAL CRIMESTAKE SOME OUT TAKE OTHERS IN

IM SO TIRED OF ALL WERE GOINGTHROUGHI DONT WANT TO LIVE LIKE THATIM SO TIRED OF ALL WERE GOINGTHROUGHI DONT WANT TO LOVE LIKE THAT

I JUST WANT TO BE WITH YOUNOW AND FOREVER, PEACEFUL, TRUETHIS MAY NOT BE THE MOMENT TO TELLYOU FACE TO FACEBUT I COULD WAIT FOREVER FOR THE PER-FECT TIME AND PLACE

Aida & RadamesWE ALL LEAD SUCH ELABORATE LIVESWE DONT KNOW WHOSE WORDS ARE TRUESTRANGERS, LOVERS, HUSBANDS, WIVESHARD TO KNOW WHOS LOVING WHO

AidaTOO MANY CHOICES TEAR US APARTI DONT WANT TO LOVE LIKE THATI JUST WANT TO TOUCH YOUR HEART

RadamesMAY THIS CONFESSION

Aida & RadamesBE THE START.

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From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 9Radames has met the conquered slave and princess Aida. Attracted to her, he decides not to sendher to the copper mines. The depth of this attraction leads him to question his engagement to theEgyptian princess, Amneris, and to question his flippant approach to love and happiness.

writing

ObjectiveThe measurement of time,given the measuring systems inancient Egypt, compared to themeasuring systems today.

Teaching Tips

n Assume you are an Egyptianpharaoh, determining a calendar from the date of yourbirth. What calendar day is it?Given that there is a 1/4 daydiscrepancy between theEgyptian calendar and the actual length of the year (whichwe solve by adding an extraleap day every four years),how long would it be before theEgyptian calendar was inaccurate by a month? Howlong would it take until theEgyptian calendar was again inalignment?

ExerciseHave students do a group writing based upon specific objects that the teacher will supply. Have thestudents suppose that these objects will function differently in a future world. Bring in commonobjects such as a hairbrush, a doll, a hair dryer, a Styrofoam cup, a box of Cheerios, a backpack, a cellphone, etc.. Have each group build a future culture that uses four of these common objects in a waythat fits a newly created and conceived future culture. Have them write a description of this culturein terms of the uses of these objects. Then have the groups exchange objects and see how each onehas reconceived the same object.

Imagine that you are a reporter for The New York Times, interviewing a museum archeologist whohas been able to visit this future culture. Write a 10 to 20 sentence interview about his/her visit tothis future society (either through time travel or through his imagination). Describe ways in whichreading this report increases or decreases your confidence in your present lifestyle.

RadamesI ONCE KNEW ALL THE ANSWERSI STOOD ON CERTAIN GROUNDA PICTURE OF TRUE HAPPINESSCONFIDENCE SO EFFORTLESSNO BRIGHTER COULD BE FOUND

MerebOH, NO.

RadamesI NEVER ASKED THE QUESTIONSTHAT TROUBLE ME TODAYI KNEW ALL THERE WAS TO KNOWLOVE WORN LIGHTLY, PUT ON SHOWMY CONQUESTS ON DISPLAY

MerebI CANT BELIEVE HES CHANGING

RadamesAND WHOD HAVE THOUGHT THAT CON-FIDENCE COULD DIE?NOT ME NOT ME, THAT ALL I TOOK FORGRANTED WAS A LIE

MerebOH, NO, NOT ME, NOT ME

RadamesNOT ME NOT MEAND WHOD HAVE GUESSED ID THROWMY WORLD AWAY

MerebNOT ME, NOT ME

RadamesTO BE WITH SOMEONE IM AFRAID WILL SAYNOT ME NOT ME

MerebTHIS CAN NEVER BEHES IN LOVEBUT HES NOT THE ONLY ONE WHOLL BECHANGED

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From the ScriptAct II, Scene 3Radames is confronting his fathers assumption that he will live his life "like father, like son" andkeep Aida as his slave girl mistress and Amneris as his royal wife.

experiential

ObjectiveStudents will determine normalpatterns of natural events vs.abnormal or unnatural events.

Teaching Tips

n What natural events do youobserve throughout the year?(Days getting shorter/longer,temperature dropping/rising,etc.) What events do thesechanges signal to you? (Daysgetting longer means summeris coming/school will be out,days getting shorter in summermeans fall is coming, etc.)What natural events have youheard about in the news thatare normal for some parts ofthe country and abnormal forothers?

ExerciseOne purpose of Egyptian architecture and other ancient architecture, such as Stonehenge in England, was

to be able to view the movement of the sun over time. Have the students observe the position of the sun

at the same time each day, for a week, in relation to a landmark, building, etc. Have them bring in a

drawing or a graph that describes the location, shape and size of the landmark and the changes that have

taken place in the position of the sun each day.

The sun is part of natures pattern. A building is man-made. How might you redesign your landmark or

building to give a better reading of the movement of the sun? Explain how human desires and beliefs

might have gone into the original planning of the landmark or building and how that has been in accord or

not in accord with the natural cycles around it.

Have the students present their observations with both their visual aid, a description of their daily

observations and the changes in the location that would aid them in making these observations.

Alternatively:

Have your students experiment with scenes set in their particular cultures. Imagine that they are

characters in their cultures, and that they are faced with a particular conflict that is assigned by the teacher.

For example, imagine that there is a conflict between an older culture and a newer culture over the owner-

ship of certain lands , each having different ideas about land development and usage. Or imagine that

there is a conflict over who goes to certain high schools, some leading to a higher education, and some

training schools for more hands-on occupations. This could be a debate about what one considers the best

way to evaluate intelligence. Another conflict could be about who might be able to marry whom and who

cannot marry whom. This controversy could be about age, race, economic or social status, gender, etc.

Have your students act out these scenes.

MinistersLIKE FATHER, LIKE SONLIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

ZoserDONT COME ON SO COCKSURE BOYYOU CANT ESCAPE YOUR GENESTHERES NO POINT IN FEELING PURE BOYYOUR BACKGROUND INTERVENESLISTEN GOOD AND LISTEN STRAIGHTYOURE NOT THE MASTER OF YOUR FATETO THIS YOU MUST BE RECONCILEDYOULL ALWAYS BE YOUR FATHERS CHILDAT TIMES ACCLAIMED, AT TIMES REVILEDYOULL WIND UP DOING JUST WHAT ID HAVE DONELIKE FATHER LIKE SON

RadamesDONT ASSUME YOUR VICESGET HANDED DOWN THE LINETHAT A PARENTS BLOOD SUFFICESTO CONDEMN THE CHILDS DESIGNIVE DONE WRONG I CANT DENYBUT AT LEAST I KNOW THAT ISHOULDNT BLAME THAT ON MY STOCKTHIS MAY COME AS QUITE A SHOCKBUT IM NO CHIP OFF ANY BLOCKI WOULDNT WISH THOSE WORDS ONANYONELIKE FATHER LIKE SON

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3. After HOURSThe Egyptian architects built their pyramidsand tombs to convey a sense of awe andwonder, celebrating the passage of thepharaoh into the next world. Visit a church,temple, synagogue, mosque, or monumentof some kind. Jot down your first impressions. What sort of feelings does thearchitecture of the building inspire in you?What do you think the intentions of thearchitects were? What thoughts do you haveabout the people for whom the edifice wasbuilt? In what ways do you relate to theintentions and feelings evoked by the edificeand in what ways do you feel removed anddistanced from it?

1. What do YOU think?Do you think your community values people and things equally or unequally? Which ismore valued in your opinion? Survey a friend, a family member, and a respected teacher ormentor. What is their opinion on this subject and do you agree with them?

2. EXPRESS yourself...The new gene that can indicate our predisposition to disease and longevity is soon to beidentified. Do you feel that this is a good thing for mankind? Imagine that it is your job tointroduce the existence of the gene to a very poor family without much access to money orhealth insurance. What would you say to them about the benefits of this discovery?

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When taking a first look at Amneris, theprincess of Egypt in Aida, it seems that she is concerned main-ly with one thing her looks. Before learning more about her,one might conclude that Amneris is vain and egotistical. But wehave all, at one point in time, been judged for the way we look.Amneris is a princess at a time when Egypt is in a great state ofupheaval, and Egyptians look to those of royalty for leadership.To better understand Amneris feelings, take a close look at thehistory of Egyptian fashion.

Ancient Egyptian men wore primarily triangle-shaped loincloths, usuallymade of linen or rushes. Both royalty and the common man wore this typeof loincloth from the 4th to the 18th dynasties.

n The King wore his loincloth, known as the Shendot, finely pleated and rounded off to show gold trim on the right side and a lions tale hanging from the belt.

n The chief justice and governor wore their skirts longer, suspended by shoulder bands.

n Commoners would imitate the kings skirt byadorning their own in gold.

During the New Kingdom, men began to imitatewomens dress and wore a sewn sheath called a

kalasaris, which varied in length and was supportedeither with shoulder straps or with a short sleeve on

the left arm only.

ARTS & ExhibitionCulture

Womens costumes, also made fromlinen, were far less extravagant thanmens, and consisted of simple gar-ments, without folds, that were fairly narrow and tight fitting to the body. Theywere usually white, but royalty sometimes wore them colored in red andyellow, or hemmed at the top with anembroidered border. Throughout theyears, as this style developed and the dress becamelooser, it fell freely over the arms like a robe.

The more jewelry one wore the higher his or herposition in society. The wealthiest people wore broadcollars made of silver (which was a more preciouscommodity than gold). Jewelry was also made from:

n brightly colored pebblesn semiprecious stonesn gold faiencen glass

Women also wore several pairs of bracelets aroundthe wrist or high up on the arm, as well as rings,anklets, earrings, and bands that wrapped around thehead.

Royal women and men clipped or shaved theirheads. They replaced their own hair with

wigs made of either human hair orwool, often dyed blue, black, or red.Most common people wore theirown hair, which was usually plait-

ed with small braids. To guarantee thattheir hair would smell good, womenwore cones of fat on their heads, soakedwith sweet-smelling ointments thatwould melt down over their wigs anddresses.

Both men and women also wore make-up:

n Kohl, a black dye that protected against certain eye infections, was used to line their eyes and eyebrows.

n Men also used kohl to draw themselves thin moustaches or chin hair.

n Women used henna to redden their lips and nails.

So, as you can see, Amneris is not unusual in beingso concerned about her appearance. Fashion was ofgreat importance in the ancient Egyptians way of life,it played a crucial role in both the ordinary lives ofpeople and their hierarchical culture.


InsideAIDA

The Nile River acts as a backdrop throughout much of Aida.

From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 5Aida has shown Amneris that she understands fashion and can provide her with unusually beautifulclothes. "Theres a dyeing process I use which makes fabric glow. Its a secret that was passed downfrom the handmaidens of Queen Neferteti." Amneris decides to keep Aida as her slave rather thansend her to the copper mines where she would quickly die. Because Aida has convinced Amneris thatshe "knows her fabrics," the Nubian princess is safe and Egyptian history is facing a change.

Discussion

ObjectiveHow fashion plays a part in historical events.

Teaching Tips

n Why do you think so manyancient Egyptians, men andwomen alike, chose to shavetheir heads and wear wigsrather than style their own hair?Consider what youve justlearned about their climate,hierarchy, and society in youranswer.

ExerciseThe kings and royal men in Egypt were most elaborately dressed and held in highest esteem. Thequeens and royal women dressed less elaborately but still relied upon high fashion to make their status known. The slaves and lower classes would need to dress simply in order to make othersshine. How does Aida use that information to secure her place in Amneris court and to keep identity safe as the secret princess from Nubia? What does Aidas self possession suggest to youabout the attitude in Nubia towards the statement "That dress has always been my strongest suit?"What would you describe as Aidas strongest suit?

Have the class pick the five most admired people that they know as a group. They could be movie orstage stars, presidents, first ladies, senators, teachers, coaches and so on.

List in order of priority their three best characteristics.

Is their dress a top priority? How much does it affect their popularity and status? Do you admirethem more if they dress well?

Could you admire them if they dressed conservatively or extravagantly? Would people admire them ifthey only dressed well but didnt have good judgment?

AmnerisAND THE FEW WHO ARE INVITEDTO MY WARDROBE ARE DELIGHTEDAS THEY WANDER THROUGH MY THINGSTO FIND EN ROUTETHAT IN NEGLIGEE OR FORMALI AM ANYTHING BUT NORMALTHAT DRESS HAS ALWAYS BEENMY STRONGEST SUIT

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From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 5Amneris is the princess of Egypt and fiance of the young hero Radames. Although Radames hasignored her she is convinced to take heart when Mereb tells her that she is "Princess Amneris firstin beauty, wisdom and accessories. Captain Radames has not forgotten you. He knows you will beat the feast tonight in all your extravagant finery." Immediately, Amneris gets her new slave girl,Aida, to stitch her a new dress.

WRITING

ObjectiveHow do the arts and fashionsof a culture establish status?

Teaching Tips

n Do you think that, in ourdemocratic system of govern-ment, fashion plays just as animportant role to our way of lifeas it did to the ancientEgyptians? Why or why not?

ExercisePretend that you are writing a two-minute TV advertising spot. You are selling a new product calledEgyptian Beauty Queen. Use information from your Egyptian Fashion notes section to convince amodern TV audience to buy your product. Your product includes jewelry, makeup and clothes.Indicate the visual images that will accompany the script. Indicate the characters you would like toinclude, if any, and give a description of their physical appearance and personality. This is a two-minute ad costing your company, Egyptian Beauty Queen, one million dollars a minute for prime-time TV, so be sure to make it very convincing.

AmnerisSTAYING IN OR HITTING TOWNWARDSFROM THE TOP AND WORKING DOWNWARDSI ENSURE THAT EVERY STITCHIS STITCHED IN TIME

WHETHER WIG OR HAT OR TURBANWHETHER CLAD BOUDOIR OR URBANNOT TO STRUT YOUR STUFFOUTRAGEOUSLYS A CRIME

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From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 5As Amneris waits for Radames, she hopes that their mutual love of glamour and adventure willattract him to her. She does not know that after meeting Aida, Radames has become moreimpressed with Aidas wit and fair-mindedness than Amneris love of material things.

experiential

ObjectiveObserve the ways in which symbolic thinking affects ourunderstanding of each other.

Teaching Tips

n Ancient Egyptians designedmuch of their jewelry in theform of symbols, although thereis still doubt about what manyof these symbols represented.Considering their political culture and their environment,what do you think animal,insect, and flower symbols mayhave represented?

ExerciseIf you were to create a symbol to represent yourself, what would it look like? Explain your answer.Pick a group of people who you know quite well and to which you belong (your family, your class, aclub, etc). Come up with symbols for three of them.

In the classroom, break up into groups of four. Present these symbols to the group. Do these symbols and these symbols come from the ways that they dress, act and make decisions? Explainand expand your thoughts as you present these symbols and the ideas they embody to your group.

AmnerisSO BRING ME ALL MY FINESTMOST AUDACIOUS MY DIVINESTMOST REVEALINGMOST EXPENSIVE AND TO BOOTMOST ARRESTINGMOST HEART-STOPPINGMOST FREE FLOWINGMOST EYE POPPINGMUST ARRESTINGMOST HEART STOPPING

WomenMOST REAVEALING MOST EXPENSIVEMOST ARRESTINGMOST HEART-STOPPINGMOST HEART-STOPPINGOVERWEARUNDERWEARANYTIMEANYWHERE

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3. After HOURSCheck various magazines and newspapers(at least three) that feature people ofcelebrity, people in the news and people inthe street. Dont read anything about themat firstjust cut out a pile of photographs.Next, describe what the photographs sayto you about their lives. After you readabout them, report upon the correctnessor the incorrectness of your assumptionsbased upon their posture and their dress.Once again answer the question, do theclothes make the man/woman?

1. What do YOU think?Should clothes make the man/woman, or should man/woman make the clothes? What doyou think? Explain your thoughts.

2. EXPRESS yourself...Write a short song describing your "strongest suit." You can use the Amneris song as amodel and let it begin with________________________has always been my strongest suit.

I am what _____________________________________________

So bring me all my ______________________________________

Because _____________________ has always been my strongest suit.

Etc.

Or you can choose a song style and pattern of your own.

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The Pyramid of Ancient Egyptian society

The Pharaoh

Priests, high officials, nobles

Lower priests, artisans, soldiers, scribes

Peasant farmers

Foreign slaves

The Egyptians, isolated in their river valley, believed themselves to be aunique and superior culture. They made slaves of those they captured inwar, considering them to have no more rights than animals. Temples wereoften decorated with scenes of the pharaoh crushing foreign captives, as asymbol of his divine authority.

Women in ancient Egypt enjoyed a more equal status with men than inother civilizations of the time. Property was handed down from mother todaughter; a woman could buy and sell property, enter into legal contracts,take action in court, and even adopt children on her own. Mothers wererevered in Egyptian society and given the greatest respect.

Women did not take part in government. However, in the 18th Dynasty(about 500 years before the time Aida is set), a woman, Hatshepsut, ascended the throne after the death of herhusband, Pharaoh Thutmose II.She was a strong ruler, encour-aging the expansion of tradeand the construction ofmany monuments.

However, in most royalhouseholds, the women

social Exhibitionstudies

were part of a harem, kept secluded with their hand-maidens (women of noble Egyptian families) andtheir foreign slaves. Most of their time was spentgrooming themselves and providing music and songfor royal feasts.

Among the farmers, chores were divided betweenmen and women. Women did not handle tools withblades, but they would separate chaff from wheat,grind grain into flour and prepare flax for weavinginto linen. Men were responsible for washing clothesat the banks of the Nile River because of the risk ofbeing attacked by crocodiles.

What They Aten wheat (for bread and beer)n garlic, beans, onions, radishes, cucumbers,

peas, lettucen grapes for winen dates, figs, pomegranatesn beef and milk from cattle

ReligionThe Egyptians believed in the existence of an indi-vidual life force, called the ka, similar to theJudeo-Christian concept of the soul. Since theybelieved the ka needed the physical body inorder to journey into the afterlife, the Egyptians developed elaborate rituals to preserve the dead asmummies.

The Making of A Mummyn Priests wash the bodyn Remove the internal organs except for the heartn Liver, lungs, stomach and intestines placed in

jars alongside the bodyn Body is covered in natron for 40 days, to

remove all moisturen Body is filled with sawdust and anointed

with oiln Body is wrapped in linenn Coated with plant sap, as a sealern Placed in sarcophagus

Egyptians would place valuable trinkets and modelsof the deceaseds possessions into the tomb so theycould be taken along to the afterlife. Study of theseobjects has given archaeologists insights into how theEgyptians lived; unfor-tunately, their valuealso tempted grave robbers to loot mostEgyptian tombs, leavingthem bare.


InsideAIDA

Amneris (Sherie Ren Scott) sings My Strongest Suit.

From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 3Radamess father, Zoser, is preparing to poison the pharaoh and take over as the head of Egypt. Hemust first establish the traditional passage of power by burying the king in grand style and convincing the citizens of Egypt that he and his son will maintain the grandness of Egypt. Oneaspect of this image building comes from the spectacle of employing slaves to build the pyramids.

Discussion

ObjectiveStudents will analyze and examine the passing on ofpower between groups andindividuals in their own cultureand the role power plays in support of racism.

Teaching Tips

n Which societies today stillhave monarchies/systems ofnobility (England a prime example)? How does American society compare? Do we haveclasses in our society? Can youchange your class status? How does the color of your skinaffect your class status?

n What might be the contem-porary equivalent of being anEgyptian scribe (computer pro-gramming skillsbeing trainedin a complex system of communication)? Does thisbring status and power?

ExerciseFor homework For a week, have students collect articles from various newpapers that describe the

passing of a monarch, president, prime minister, senator or any political figure around the globe. Ask

students to name the people in their articles. Pick two different leaders and two different cultures that are

represented often in the articles collected by the class. Discuss who they are, how they have functioned

politically and how the passage of power is taking place. Compare the passage of power with the traditions

that one practices in the U.S. when a new American president is elected and inaugurated. Pick one U.S.

political tradition that the class would like to challenge, e.g. the voting system, the campaign system, White

House press conferences, etc. Debate the pros and cons of maintaining that tradition.

Have the students look into the daily lives of people around them for examples of status and power gained

by one group of people doing menial jobs as opposed to another group of people. Who are the doormen?

Who are the cab drivers? Who are the custodians? Who are the laborers working in subways and on road

work? When does group status become racist? How does the color of a persons skin affect his or her

treatment by the police, employers, city governments, real estate agents, landlords, and deal makers?

ZoserTHERE ARE MANY WHOLL BE TEARFULAS OUR LEADER FADES AWAYBUT OUR ARCHITECTS ARE CHEERFULAND EACH DOG MUST HAVE ITS DAY

ZoserIF OUR COUNTRY IS TO FLOURISHTHEN MY SON MUST TAKE THE LEADBE OUR INSPIRATION, NOURISHALL OUR HOPES OUR DREAMS OURCREEDSOON OUR MONARCH WILL HAVE FILLEDA TOMB JUST LIKE HIS FATHERS DIDSUMMON EGYPTS GREATEST BUILDERRE: ANOTHER PYRAMID

MinistersBUILD IT, BUILD ITANOTHER PYRAMID

Zoser

THERE WILL BE A TIME FOR MOURNINGBUT FOR NOW PUT PLANS ON HOLD

ZoserFOR I GIVE THE NATION WARNING THAT BEFORE THE CORPSE IS COLDWELL EXTEND FAIR EGYPTS POWEREGYPTS GLORY STRENGTH AND STYLEWE SHALL HAVE OUR FINEST HOURFAR BEYOUND THE MIGHTY NILEHE MUST HAVE A VAULT THATS GRAND BYANY STANDARDS, FLOOR TO LIDPUT FIVE THOUSAND SLAVES ON STAND BYBUILD ANOTHER PYRAMID!

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From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 3Radames has returned from the conquest of Nubia and is ready now to return to battle. His fathertells him that he must remain in Egypt because the Pharaoh is dying, and hell have to marry thepharaohs daughter for the good of Egyptian society.

writing

ObjectiveStudents will explore the rolethat traditions play for the individuals in society.

Teaching Tips

n The Egyptians maintainedtheir traditions for many centuries: what traditions doyou have in your daily life? Whatis your daily grooming routine?Eating? Studying? Working?What objects do you carry withyou? What clothes do you wear?What groups do you interactwith?

ExerciseImagine youre an archeologist from C. E. 5000 and youre observing the traditions of marriage andfamily building in the U.S. in C. E. 2000. Imagine that you have been assigned to document these traditions as practiced in your particular family. What would you observe? Write an official document of 100 words or less that describes marriage and family. Name and describe these tradi-tions in relation to your father, mother, siblings, and one aunt, uncle or cousin. Point out some pat-terns of tradition. Evaluate the role of tradition in holding this family together. Describe the happi-ness or unhappiness that you see for one or two of the named individuals in terms of these maritaland family building traditions.

ZoserWHILE YOUVE BEEN AWAY CAVORTINGMATTERS HERE HAVE MOVED APACENOW I NEED YOU HOME SUPPORTING ALL THE PLANS IVE PUT IN PLACEFIRST OF ALL THIS MEANS YOUR WEDDINGYOULL RECALL YOUR FUTURE BRIDEFOR THE WAY THAT PHARAOHS HEADINGTIMES NO LONGER ON OUR SIDEACCORDING TO THE HAWK GOD HORUSOUR MOST REGAL INVALIDIS NOT THAT MUCH LONGER FOR USBUILD ANOTHER PYRAMID!


From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 5Aida is brought to Amneris to be her slave. Aida quickly figures out that she can keep up her position in the entourage by sewing clothes for the princess Amneris. In this song, Amneris affirmsthat she finds her identity in clothes.

experiential

ObjectiveStudents will explore ways thatpeople find their identity andstatus via customary practiceswith a group.

Teaching Tips

n Compare and contrast therole of women in ancient Egyptand today. Do girls today have agreater or a lesser sense of theirown worth than their mothersor grandmothers? Do you thinkthat women have equal accessto good wages, good jobs, goodschools, etc.? Are there any traditional jobs for women orfor men? What were traditionaljobs for women and for men inyour parents time, and in yourgrandparents time?

ExerciseIn Aida and in Egyptian society, women were separated from men by activities that they couldnt do and by

their clothing. Today, men and women are able to do similar work and wear similar clothes, but it is

interesting to find out if they identify differently or similarly with their outer trappings. Have students pick a

partner of the opposite sex. Each student will draw and label the clothing worn by their partner. Then they

will ask each other the following questions.

1. Where did you get each article of clothing that you are wearing today?

2. Are you wearing your favorite color today? Are you wearing your favorite clothing today?

Why/why not?

3. Did you pick out your clothing yourself or did someone else pick it out for you?

4. Do you determine whats in fashion via magazines, newspapers, looking at friends clothes, looking in

store windows, or in some other ways?

5. Do you like to be in fashion, sort of in fashion, or out of fashion when you dress?

6. Do you feel that your clothes tell people who you are?

7. Are there other ways in which you tell people who you are?

Collect the answers and drawings. Divide the class into three groups. Hand out a set of 10 responses

(or however many the class numbers break down into) to each group. Have each group compare and con-

trast the answers given by boys compared to the answers given by girls.

Amneris IN LIFE ONE HAS TO FACE A HUGEASSORTMENTOF NAUSEATING FADS AND GOODADVICETHERES HEALTH AND FITNESS, DIET ANDDEPORTMENTAND OTHER POINTLESS FORMS OF SACRFICECONVERSATION? WIT? I AM A DOUBTERMANNERS? CHARM? THEYRE NO WAY TOIMPRESSSO FORGET THE INNER ME, OBSERVE THEOUTERI AM WHAT I WEAR AND HOW I DRESSOH NOW I BELIEVE IN LOOKINGLIKE MY TIME ON EARTH IS COOKINGWHETHER POLKADOTTED, STRIPED OR

EVEN CHECKEDWITH SOME GLAMOUR GUARANTEEINGEVERY FIBER OF MY BEINGIS DISPLAYED TO QUITE REMARKABLEEFFECTFROM YOUR CRADLE VIA TROUSSEAUTO YOUR DEATHBED YOURE ON VIEWSO NEVER COMPROMISE, ACCEPT NOSUBSTITUTEI WOULD RATHER WEAR A BARRELTHAN CONSERVATIVE APPARELFOR DRESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY STRONGEST SUIT

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3. After HOURSCompare our modern alphabet with Egyptianhieroglyphics (over 700 symbols) and modernJapanese writing (1,850 characters).

or

Burial rites: compare the burial traditions of theancient Egyptians with those of another ancient culture and your own culture.

For Extra Credit: Make a mummy at homeMaterials needed:

Chicken or Cornish game hen from the supermarket 3 bags of salt, 3 boxes baking soda (this willsubstitute for natron, which is hydrated sodiumcarbonate) small bottle of scented oil, such as olive oil orbath oil strips of cotton cloth, such as linen, cheesecloth, or gauze bandages spices, such as cinnamon and cloves lacquer or resin (from the hardware store)

1. Take a small chicken or Cornish game hen (giblets removed)

2. Wash it and pat dry.3. Put it in an airtight plastic bag (zip lock type) or

airtight plastic container. Cover it completely with a mixture of 3 parts salt to one part bakingsoda.

4. Change the salt and baking soda mixture every week to 10 days. It will take four to six weeks for the "mummy" to dry out completely, depending on the dryness of the climate.

5. When the chicken has fully dried, remove it from the "natron," wash and dry it.

6. Give the chicken a coating of oil and spices, and begin wrapping. Continue wrapping the chicken with enough layers until the oil does not soak through.

7. If desired, coat the mummy with a layer of resin or lacquer.

Voila! A mummy!

1. What do YOU think?Do you think that traditions support the well being of most, few, or none of the individualsin your family and community.

2. EXPRESS yourself...Bring in photos of yourself, your parent of the same sex and your grandparent of the samesex, some or all at the same approximate age or stage of life. Describe them to the class,showing how you are alike and how you are different from each other.

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The language of the Egyptian civilization is probablybest known for its hieroglyphics. The intricate picture writing has little incommon with modern alphabets, yet for thousands of years it was the regular form of written communication for the Egyptian people.Hieroglyphics, like the written language of most cultures, began as a way toconduct business and record the law. The system of over 700 characterswas tremendously complicated and only 1 percent of the population knew how to write.Writing became a special talent in ancientEgypt: Hieroglyphics were a way of honoringboth kings and gods, and those who couldread and write could use their talent to getahead in society.

The word "hieroglyphic" comes from the Greeks, who saw the images onthe walls of holy places and monuments. Hieros means sacred andglypho means inscription in Greek, so even these foreigners saw theimportance of the language to the Egyptian people. Hieroglyphics had suchan exalted status that they continued in use long after they lost any resemblance to spoken Egyptian.

Hieroglyphics began as pictograms orideograms, that is, pictures of theobjects or ideas they are meant to repre-

sent. Often they were accompaniedby phonograms. Like our modern

alphabet, a phonogram is an image that represents a spoken sound or seriesof sounds. The pictures of hieroglyphics were key to Egypt because the lan-

communication Exhibition

guage was based on a system where similar words were made upof similar consonant sounds. For example, in Arabic (the spokenlanguage of modern Egyptians) words dealing with learning arebuilt around the letters D, R and S ("darasa" means "to study,""dars" is a "class," "mudaaris" is a teacher).

To complicate things further, written Egyptian had no vowels. Thevowel patterns of the spoken language followed regular rules andthere was no need to represent them on the page. Thus, manywords with similar consonant patterns would look identical whenwritten unless they were represented through pictures.

Hieroglyphics were still far too complicated for most people.Eventually another written form, called hieratics, evolved basedon the same principles as hieroglyphics. Hieratics were essentiallya cursive form of the complicated pictograms that could be written more quickly, but only from right to left. Hieroglyphicscould go in either direction, as well as in columns.

In the last century B.C.E. an even simpler form of Egyptianemerged called demotics. It was even faster to use than hierat-ics, but not everyone used it the same way. Its simplicity broughtit closer to spoken Egyptian, and also allowed it to evolve moreeasily as the society changed. As a rule, the Egyptian languagetended to change according to the power of the Egyptian royalty:the stronger the ruler, the less change in thelanguage.

The language still exists today in a form calledCoptic, used in rituals preserved by EgyptianChristians in the early centuries C.E. Coptic isprimarily written with the Greek alphabet andis used in religious services in much the wayLatin was used for European Christian ceremonies in the Middle Ages.


InsideAIDA

@w2JP

The uninjured eye ofHorus

The god Heru, hawk

Turtle shell, back

Flying

Lotus in bloom

Wayne Cilento (Choreographer) rehearses with AdamPascal (Radames) and Heather Headley (Aida)

From the ScriptAct 1I, Scene 1Telling this tale of ancient times requires many voices. Amneris knows her royal story. Radamesknows the tale of a hero who has adventured, has loyalties to his homeland and has had to makedecisions that affect his life and the lives of others. Aida knows her story as a princess in exile withloyalties to her homeland and to herself. This is a time of war, hate and love and the stories are allof equal importance.

Discussion

ObjectiveStudents observe love, hate,and the ability of an individualto control his or her own fate intimes of war.

Teaching Tips

n What are the major story-telling methods in your world?Do movies, TV, plays, the news,or your private stories tell thetruest story? What stories aretold by modern art and sculpture? How do they com-pare with the stories told byancient art and culture?

ExerciseThink of a movie, play, book or real life story in which a love story is set in a time when love is complicated by hate. Describe the story, the situation, setting, characters, and what happened. Didthe love survive in spite of the hateful world, or was it destroyed by that hate? What message did itleave with you?

If possible, show the videos of the movie American Beauty and Leonardo DiCaprios Romeo and Juliet,for a comparative discussion of stories set in hostile environments with different outcomes.

In general have the class come up with stories that fit this scenario. List them on the board. Discussseveral of them in terms of their world and their outcome, preparing the class to look for these issuesin Aida.

AmnerisITS SO STRANGE HE DOESNT SHOW MEMORE AFFECTION THAN HE NEEDSALMOST FORMAL, TOO RESPECTFULNEVER TAKES ROMANTIC LEADSTHERE ARE TIMES WHEN I IMAGINEIM NOT ALWAYS ON HIS MINDHES NOT THINKING WHAT IM THINKINGALWAYS HALF A STEP BEHIND

RadamesIM IN EVERY KIND OF TROUBLECANT YOU TELL? JUST LOOK AT MEHALF ECSTATIC, HALF DEJECTED ALL IN ALL IM ALL AT SEAEASY TERMS I THOUGHT I WANTEDFILL ME NOW WITH CHILLING DREADYOU COULD NEVER KNOW THE CHAOSOF A LIFE TURNED ON ITS HEAD

AidaI AM CERTAIN THAT I LOVE HIMBUT A LOVE CAN BE MISPLACEDHAVE I COMPROMISED MY PEOPLE?IN MY PASSION AND MY HASTE?I COULD BE HIS LIFE COMPANIONANYWHERE BUT WHERE WE AREAM I LEADER? AM I TRAITOR?DID I TAKE A STEP TOO FAR?

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From the ScriptAct 1, PrologueThe story of Aida begins in modern times. A man and a woman meet in a museum. Each is similarly compelled to look at a glass enclosed display of an ancient burial chamber or tomb. Theaction freezes and a voice from the past sings:

WRITING

ObjectiveStudents will compare storytelling within ancient andmodern societies

Teaching Tips

n Look at the term hieroglyph-ic in your background notes.What does this term mean toyou? In what ways is the termreligious? In what ways is themethod elitist and exclusive? Inwhat ways does it imply status?

n Think of other groups of people in our history who werenot allowed to learn to read andwrite? In what ways did itserve/not serve society well tokeep them illiterate?

ExerciseIn Aida, the captured princess has to keep her identity a secret to save her life. Her story is told in atime of battle, of dominance and of conquest. However, her story is universal, and its plot has interest in our time. Although we tell our stories differently today than we would have done in ancienttimes, the human similarities exist.

Have your students connect with Aidas circumstances by thinking about an experience they havehad with a personal secret. Then have them use this secret to create a situation in which someonehas had to keep their personal life a secret. Write a short scene in which that person tries to hide butultimately does or doesnt reveal the truth of who they really are. Before they write the final scene, thestudents need to know: who they are, where they are, what is or isntbringing them to this point ofrevelation, and how do they feel when they have covered up their identity or revealed themselves?

A) Write at least 10 lines of dialogue. Include at least two characters.In Ancient Egypt this story would be told orally from generation to generation or it would be written down in hieroglyphics.

B) Recreate this scene using an ancient storytelling method via pictograms and ideograms.

AmnerisEVERY STORY, TALE OR MEMOIREVERY SAGA OR ROMANCEWHETHER TRUE OR FABRICATEDWHETHER PLANNED OR HAPPENSTANCE

WHETHER SWEEPING THROUGH THEAGESCASTING CENTURIES ASIDEOR A HURRIED BRIEF RECITALJUST A THIRTY MINUTE RIDEWHETHER BRIGHT OR MELANCHOLY,ROUGH AND READY, FINELY SPUNWHETHER WITH A THOUSAND PLAYERSOR A LONELY CAST OF ONE

EVERY STORY, NEW OR ANCIENTBAGATELLE OR WORK OF ARTALL ARE TALES OF HUMAN FAILINGALL ARE TALES OF LOVE AT HEART

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From the ScriptAct 1, Scene 2Radames is enjoying his newest conquest, Aida. Aida, however, has a strong history, which she singsabout privately.

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ObjectiveHave students speculate accidents of history and waysthat they might communicate alost past to a future generation.

Teaching Tips

n Looking at the backgroundnotes on language, explain theevolution of the writtenEgyptian language from hieroglyphics through mostrecent Coptics. How and whydid the form of that languagechange?

n Do you think that music andsculpture is a form of ancientcommunication that tells astory that doesnt change? Inwhat ways are the arts a kind oflanguage that communicate tous across the centuries?

ExerciseAida and the Nubians are captured in war and taken from their homes forever. Exile and capture inthe ancient world meant never to return to ones home and to be a slave in some other land. Todaymost of us can travel freely and return home freely, but imagine that you were having to leave yourhome forever. Bring in drawings, photographs, or written descriptions of your home, town, or countryside. Pick images of places that you would miss and wish to remember.

Imagine that you were talking to your grandchild and describing one of those images. What wouldyou tell them that held meaning for you then and would hold meaning for them now?

AidaNO, YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MEAND CARE EVEN LESSHOW COULD YOU UNDERSTAND OUREMPTINESSYOUVE PLUNDERED OUR WISDOM, OURKNOWLEDGE, OUR WEALTHIN BLEEDING US DRYYOU LONG FOR OUR SPIRITBUT THAT YOU WILL NEVER POSSESS

THE PAST IS NOW ANOTHER LANDFARE BEYOND MY REACHINVADED BY INSIDIOUSFOREIGN BODIES, FOREIGN SPEECHWHERE THE TIMELESS JOYS OF CHILDHOODLIE BROKEN ON THE BEACH

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3. After HOURSHave your students come up with lists ofbooks, plays, movies and songs that dealwith the following themes: Love triangles Unrequited love Secret love

Have them list those that end happily andthose that end unhappily.

In class, break up into small groups of fourto six people. Come up with a story thatincludes all of the above love themes. Havethe piece end up in two different ways, onehappily and one unhappily.

Have each person tell the group which ending they prefer as writers and why.

1. What do YOU think?Are we capable of comprehending our world in spite of what our leaders and our mediacommunicate to us? How dependent are we upon the current uses of language to knowwho we are?

2. EXPRESS yourself...Have you ever met someone who was so extraordinary that they changed your life?A friend, a teacher, a relative, etc.

Write a character study or draw a picture of this person.

In what ways did this person have leadership qualities?

What did you learn from this person?

How did your life change?

If you could give them a gift what would it be? Write a thank you note to accompany the gift

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The ancient Egyptians did not have theatre, as we know it today; still, music,dance, celebration, and ritual were all part of their daily lives.

Because so much of what survives of Ancient Egypt is tombs, some people haveassumed that the Egyptians were obsessed with death, a dark and gloomy people.However, what we know of their culture tells us that the Egyptians were full of enjoymentof life, and believed that that joy would go with them to the afterlife. They called life thetime on top of Earth, just one part of a souls journey.

Egyptians loved singing laborers would sing rhythmic chants while they worked, vendors and beggarswould sing in the streets, and women would sing as enter-tainment at feasts. Womens voices were considered beau-tiful enough to be heard alone, while mens deeper voiceswere more pleasing if accompanied by instruments suchas flutes, harps, cymbals, and castanets.

In a wealthy household, female servants would sing,play music, and dance for the entertainment of the guestsat a feast. The guests would eat, chat, groom themselves,and occasionally pay attention to the music, as you and Imight at a modern restaurant or club where live music is playing.

Egyptian festivals and religious celebrations were at the opposite end of the spectrum:A crowd would gather and watch in rapt attention as the priests of the temple acted outstories of the gods they served in pantomime. These yearly rituals were the way the talesof the gods were told to the community, many of whom could neither read nor write. Thestories were about honor, duty, sacrifice, and self-controlthe elements that heldEgyptian society together.

In the modern world, theatre is a way for people to gather and hear stories of ourcommunity and our history. The actors serve as the contemporary version of priests

acting out myths and legends, keeping the tales alive.More is expected of us as an audience at a live performance, just

as it was from the crowds of Egyptians jostling to see the temple priestscenturies ago. The sharp acoustics of a theatre, which make it possiblefor us to hear the actors clearly, also means that they can hear us; everycough, whisper, rustle, and crackle of a candy wrapper in the audiencerings in the actors ears. Of course, this works perfectly for laughter andapplause, the sounds every performer is hoping to hear.

Focusing on the performance, being aware of our fellow audience members, and showing our appreciation at the end of a per-formance demonstrate our respect for the hard work that creates the

magic before our eyes. This respect we show the actorslive human beings as opposedto cinematic projections on a screenis a tradition that stretches back to the earliestbeginnings of civilization: the rituals and celebrations of the Ancient Egyptians.

Attending the theatre


HIP BOOKS:Fun With Hieroglyphs Art Kit for Kids.*Available at The MetropolitanMuseum of Art Gift Shop or online atwww.metmuseum.org.

Akamine, Ruth. Ancient Egypt:Background & Information, Activities,Projects, Literature Links & Poster.Wassynger-Scholastic Trade, 1997.

Bradshaw, Gillian, The Land of Gold.Greenwillow, 1992.

Crosher, Judith. Ancient Egypt (SeeThrough History Series). Viking Press,1993.

Defrates, Joanna. What Do We KnowAbout the Egyptians?, Peter BedrickBooks, 1992.

Hart, George. Eyewitness Books: AncientEgypt. Dorling Kindersley, 1990.

Jenkins, Earnestine. A Glorious Past:Ancient Egypt, Ethiopia, Nubia. ChelseaHouse Publications, 1995.

Keatley-Snyder, Zilpha. The EgyptGame. Yearling Books, 1986.

Pofahl, Jane. Ancient Civilizations: Egypt.Instructional Fair, 1993.

Putnam, James. Amazing Facts AboutAncient Egypt (Beginners Guide). HarryN. Abrams, 1994.

Russman, Edna B., Ph.D., NubianKingdoms (African Civilizations).Franklin Watts, Inc., 1999.

Steedman, Scott. The Egyptian News.Candlewick Press, 1997.

Tanaka, Shelley. Secrets of theMummies: Uncovering the Bodies ofAncient Egyptians. Hyperion, 1999.

ROCKIN MUSIC:Elton John and Tim Rices Aida,Original Broadway Cast Recording,Disney, 2000.

The Bangles Greatest Hits (featuring thesong "Walk Like an Egyptian"),Sony/Columbia, 1990.

A Wild and Crazy Guy: Steve Martin(featuring the parody song King Tut),Wea/Warner Brothers, 1978.

COOL WEB SITES:The official site for Elton John and TimRices Aidawww.disneyonbroadway.com

A cool website with fun facts aboutEgyptwww.virtual-egypt.com

More information about Aida andAncient Egyptwww.aidapyramids.com

A more in-depth look at Ancient Egypthttp://users.massed.net/~mdurant/AncientEgyptWebquest.htm

Information on Egypt from a literarypoint of viewhttp://library.thinkquest.org/22845/

Learn more about the language andexpressions of Ancient Egypt www.geocities.com/~amenhotep/language

Learn how to write in hieroglyphicswww.torstar.com/rom/egypt

Serious facts on Egypt for the studiousat heartwww.mrdowling.com

SEE A MOVIE: Enchanted Tales: A Tale of Egypt. SonyWonder, 1998.

Romeo & Juliet, directed by BazLuhrmann. Released by 20th CenturyFox, 1996.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the LostArk, directed by Steven Spielberg.Released by Paramount Studios, 1981.

West Side Story, directed by RobertWise. Released by MGM/UA Studios,1961.

Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy.Released by Universal Studios, 1955.

GO ON-LOCATION:The Disney Store711 Fifth Avenue, NYC212-702-0702www.disney.comwww.disneystore.com

Palace Theatre1564 Broadway, NYC

Drama Book Shop723 Seventh Avenue, NYC212-944-0595www.dramabookshop.com

Colony Records1619 Broadway, NYC212-265-2050www.colonymusic.com

Theatre Circle Books1 Shubert Alley, NYC346 West 44th Street, NYC212-586-7610800-223-1320www.BroadwayNewYork.com

Resource GALLERy for Students


RELATED BOOKS:Aldred, Cyril. Egyptian Art. Oxford University Press, 1980.

David, A. Rosalie. Handbook to Life inAncient Egypt. Oxford University Press,1999.

Erman, Adolf. Life in Ancient Egypt.Dower Publishers, 1978.

Giblin, James Cross. The Riddle of theRosetta Stone. Harper, 1990.

Hobson, Christine. The World of thePharaohs. Thames & Hudson, 1998.

Janssen, Rosalind and Jac. Growing Upin Ancient Egypt. Rubicon Press, 1990.

Katan, Norma J. and Barbara Mintz.Hieroglyphs: The Writing of AncientEgypt. McElderry, 1981.

Shaw, Roberta L. Ancient Egypt &Nubia. Royal Ontario Museum, 1994.

Strouhal, Eugene. Life of the AncientEgyptians. University of Oklahoma,1992.

Tirandritti, Francesco. EgyptianTreasures from the Egyptian Museum inCairo. Harry N. Abrams, 1999.

Watson, Philip. Costume of AncientEgypt. Chelsea House, 1987.

Wilson, John A. The Culture of AncientEgypt. University of Chicago Press,1956.

Watterson, Barbara. The Egyptians.Blackwell Publishing, 1997.

RELATED MUSIC:Ankh: The Sound of Ancient Egypt:Michael Atherton, Celestial HarmoniesRecords, 1998.

Ro-He II Classical Egyptian Da: EssamRashad, Arc, 1994.

Yalla Hitlist Egypt: Yalla, Uni-Mango,1993.

Ancient Egypt: Ali Jihadracy, Lyrichord,1992.

RELATED WEB SITES:The official site for Elton John and TimRices Aidawww.disneyonbroadway.com

A great site to use as an Egyptianteaching guidewww.emory.edu/CARLOS/ODYSSEY/EGYPT/homepg.html

For information on Egyptian trave

aida - stagenotes

Documents