In 1883, Italian writer Carlo Collodi

published a children’s novel called The

Adventures of Pinocchio, about a

mischievous puppet and his poor wood-

carver father. The story began as a serial

publication in 1881 and was later

expanded into the completed book by

February 1883. Unlike many of his

nineteenth-century contemporaries,

Collodi did not employ many of the fairy-

tale devices with which readers had

become accustomed. Instead, Collodi’s

Pinocchio is set in a non-traditional fairy-

tale world, where hard realities of daily life

are presented with serious themes.

Collodi did not intend for Pinocchio to be

a children’s story; at the request of his

editor, he made the story appropriate for

children by expanding the role of the Blue

Fairy to rescue Pinocchio from his many

troubles. Written Florence, the story is set

in the Tuscan countryside and features

unique regional specificity. The story was

translated into English after Collodi’s death

in 1892 and is embraced as a notable

classic of children’s literature.

In 1937, during the production of Snow

White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney

Studios’ first feature-length animated film,

Walt was introduced to Collodi’s story. The

tale sparked his interest, and plans began

to animate it. Disney’s Pinocchio is based

loosely on Collodi’s novel and features an

expanded and now well-loved Jiminy

Cricket, originally a minor role in the book.

Due to the overwhelming success of Snow

White, Walt Disney chose to hire famous

voices for Pinocchio, including the child

star Dickie Jones as Pinocchio. At the time

of its release in 1940, Pinocchio was

regarded for its realistic animation and won

two Academy Awards: Best Original Score

and Best Original Song, for the now-classic

“When You Wish Upon a Star” by Leigh

Harline and Ned Washington.

S o u r c e M a t e r i a l T H I S I S S U E

C O N T A I N S :

Source Material

About the Authors

Theatre Vocabulary

words

Curriculum Corner

After the show

A b o u t t h e a u t h o r s

O L D T O W N P L A Y H O U S E Y O U N G C O M P A N Y

Disney’s My Son Pinocchio Educational Materials

November 12-15, 2015 Disney’s My Son Pinocchio

Educational Materials

for Disney’s My Son

Pinocchio are provided

through a grant from

the Worthington Fami-

ly Foundation. We

thank them for their

support.

Stephen Schwartz (Music and Lyrics) has contributed music and/or lyrics to Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, The Baker’s

Wife, Working, Rags, Children of Eden, My Fairytale and the current Broadway hit, Wicked. A book about his career, Defying

Gravity, has recently been released by Applause Books. Mr. Schwartz has recently been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of

Fame and inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Other awards include three Academy

Awards, four Grammy Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and a tiny handful of tennis trophies. www.stephenschwartz.com

David I. Stern (Book) has written numerous movies including: Geppetto, Open Season 2 & 3. He has contributed to the writing

of The Smurfs, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Tinkerbell 3 and The Hotel Transylvania. www.davidistern.com

David Weinstein (Music Adaptation & Arrangements) has served as composer, orchestrator, arranger and producer for many of

the MTI Broadway Junior series of musicals.

Act: 1) The process of

performing as a character.

2) A main section of a play.

Actor: A person who

performs as a character in

a play or musical.

Antagonist: The opponent

to the protagonist (or hero)

of the story. An antagonist

may sometimes be called

the “villain.”

Audience: The people who

gather to watch the

performance. The

audience sits in the house.

Auditions: Tryouts held for

actors who want to

perform in a show. Actors

auditioning for a musical

may be asked to sing and

read a particular

character’s lines from a

scene as well as learn a

short dance sequence.

Author: A writer of a play

or musical, which is also

known as a playwright. A

musical’s authors include

the book writer, the

composer and the lyricist.

Backstage: The area out of

view of the audience that

include the wings and

dressing rooms as well as

the lounge area or “green

room.”

Blocking: The actors’

movement in a play or

musical, not including the

choreography. The

director usually assigns

blocking during rehearsals.

Curtain Call: The entrance

of the company at the end

of the show to bow and

acknowledge the

audience’s applause.

Designers: The people who

create the sets, costumes,

lighting and sound for a

production.

Company: All of the people

who make a show happen:

actors, musicians, creative

team, crew, producers, etc.

Crew: A team of people who

move scenery, operate lights

and sound, handle props or

work backstage during a

production.

Dialogue: A conversation

between two or more

characters.

Diction: The articulation, or

clearness of speech, while

delivering one’s lines. Also

known as “enunciation.”

Cast: 1) noun The

performers in a show, “We

have a great cast.” 2) verb

The act of the selection of

an actor for a play, “I hope

I get cast in the next play.”

Character: A human (or

animal) represented in a

play. Each actor plays a

character, even if that

character doesn’t have a

name in the script. An actor

may play many characters

in the same play.

Choreographer: A person

who creates the dance

numbers in a musical or

combat sequences in an

adventure story.

Climax: The height of the

dramatic action in a play.

Break a leg: A wish of

“good luck” in the theatre,

which comes from a

superstition that saying

“good luck” is actually bad

luck!

Broadway: The theatre

district in New York City

that is home to 40

professional theatres and

one of the world’s great

capitals of live theatre.

GLOSSARY OF THEATRE TERMS

P a g e 2

“More studies are finding what we already know in our hearts—the arts DO make a

positive impact on our youth!

Individually. Socially.

Academically.”

D i s n e y ’ s M y S o n P i n o c c h i o E d u c a t i o n a l M a t e r i a l s

Director: A person who provides

the artistic vision, coordinates the

creative elements and stages the

play.

Dress Rehearsal: A run-through of

the show that includes costumes,

props and technical elements.

Ensemble: 1) A group of people

who work together to create a

show. 2) The chorus, or members

of the cast other than the leads.

Entrance: When a character steps

onto the stage from the wings or

other offstage area.

Exit: When a character leaves the

stage.

Follow Spot: Large, movable light at

the back of the house that follows

an actor as he or she crosses the

stage. Also called a spotlight.

Play: A type of dramatic writing

meant to be performed live on

a stage. A musical is one kind

of play.

Plot: The chain of events that

occur during the play.

Producer: The person in charge

of a production who oversees

budget, calendar, marketing

and the hiring of the creative

team, cast and crew.

Production: This term refers to

everything about a show

onstage and off, every given

night of the run. A production

includes the performing and

Offstage: Any area out of

view of the audience.

Onstage: Anything on the

stage and within view of the

audience is said to be

onstage.

Pantomime: To act

something out without

words.

Performance: 1) A single

showing of a production. 2)

An actor’s interpretation of a

character in front of an

audience.

technical aspects of the show, which means

that each group that presents a show will

have a unique production.

Program: A booklet that lists the entire

company of a production and may include

other information about the play.

Prop: Anything an actor holds or carries

during a performance. Short for “property.”

Proscenium: A type of theatre in which a

large frame, or arch, divides the stage from

the house.

theatres this break is called

“the Interval.”

License: Permission, or the

rights, to produce a play in

exchange for a fee which

covers script copies and

royalties for the authors.

Light Board: A computerized

board that controls all of the

theatrical lights for a show.

Lines: The dialogue spoken

by the actors.

Matinee: A performance of a

show held during the day.

Mic: Short for “microphone,”

a device that electronically

amplifies the voices of the

actors.

Monologue: A large block of

lines spoken by a single

character. When spoken

alone onstage or directly to an

audience, a monologue

reveals the inner thoughts of a

character.

Front of House: Any part of

the theatre that is open to

the audience, including the

box office, lobby, restrooms

and concession area.

Improvisation: When an

actor performs something

not written in a script.

Intermission: A break

between acts when the

audience gets a snack or

uses the restroom while the

company changes the set

and costumes. In European

P a g e 3

“Independent studies show increased years of enrollment in arts courses are positively correlated with higher SAT verbal and math scores.”

Protagonist: The main character or

hero of a story.

Raked Stage: A stage that is raised

slightly upstage so it slants towards

the audience.

Rehearsal: A meeting during which

the cast learns and practices the

show.

Rights: Permission to perform a show

that is obtained through a license and

payment of a fee called royalties.

Role: The character that an actor

plays.

Scene: A section of a play in one

particular location and time.

Script: 1) The written words that

make up a show, including

dialogue, stage directions and

lyrics. 2) The book that contains

those words.

Set: The entire physical

environment onstage, which may

include backdrops, flats, furniture,

props and projections.

Set Change: A change in scenery,

often between scenes or acts.

Set Designer: A person who

creates the scenery.

Setting: The location, environment

and time period of a play.

Sound Board: An electronic board

or computer that controls the

mics, sound cues and any other

audio in a production. Also called

a sound console.

Stage: The area where the actors

perform in a theatre.

Stage Business: Small actions

performed by actors that make a

play more realistic and believable.

Stage Directions: Words in the

script that describe the actions for

the characters that are not part of

the dialogue.

Stage Left: The left side of the

stage, from the actor’s

perspective.

Stage Manager: A person

responsible for keeping all

rehearsals and performances

organized and on schedule, and for

calling sound and light cues during

the show.

Stage Right: The right side of the

stage, from the actor’s

perspective.

Strike: 1) To remove a prop or set

piece from the stage. 2) To clean

up the stage after closing.

Tableau: A frozen image made up of actors, usually showing a specific mood or idea.

Technical Director: A person who coordinates the construction and painting of the sets, the hanging of the lights and

the setup of the sound system.

Technical Rehearsal: A rehearsal when the crew begins adding sets, lights, sound etc., to the show once the

performers know the lines, songs and blocking. Also called “tech.”

Theatrical Lights: Lights that hang from the ceiling of a theatre or on poles, or “booms” above or on the side of the

stage. These lights illuminate the actors and convey time of day

GLOSSARY OF THEATRE TERMS, cont.

P a g e 4

D i s n e y ’ s M y S o n P i n o c c h i o E d u c a t i o n a l M a t e r i a l s

Understudy: An actor who learns a character other than his

own and is able to play that character if the other actor is sick.

Upstage: The part of the stage furthest from the audience.

Usher: A person who shows the audience to their seats and hands out programs.

Warm-up: Exercises at the beginning of a rehearsal or before a performance that prepare

actors’ voices and bodies.

Wings: The area to the side of the stage just out of the audience’s view.

P a g e 5

6 Benefits Associated with the study of Arts

Higher reading and language skills

Improved math skills

Developed thinking skills

Increases social skills

Positive school environment

Motivation to learn

“When students have the opportunity to engage in a dramatic enactment of a story, their overall under-

standing of the story improved...Drama can also be an effective method to develop the quality of

a child’s narrative writing.”

Types of Stages

Arena: The audience is seated on

all four sides of the performance

space. Also called “in the round.”

Proscenium: The audience is

seated on one side, facing the

stage. The arch or frame around

the stage is called the proscenium

arch.

Stadium: The audience is seated

on two opposite sides of the per-

formance space.

Thrust: The audience is seated on

three sides of the performance

space in a U-shape. The stage

itself can be shallow or very deep.

Theatre versus Theater: The word

“theatre” can also be spelled

“theater” and is defined in two

ways. The first definition is the art

of producing plays and musicals

for a live audience. The second

definition is the building or place

in which a show is performed in-

cluding stage, backstage and

house. Often the word is spelled

with an “er” when it describes a

cinema or movie theater. For the

purposes of this glossary, we are

using the “re” spelling throughout

to refer to both the practice of

theatrical activity and the physical

building in which it takes place.

Curriculum Corner

P a g e 6 D i s n e y ’ s M y S o n P i n o c c h i o E d u c a t i o n a l M a t e r i a l s

The Curriculum Corner activities fulfill many of the standards set forth in the Common Core State Standards. Through these

lessons students can:

Demonstrate independence

Build strong content knowledge

Comprehend as well as critique

Value evidence

Come to understand other perspectives and cultures

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

PLANETARY PUPPETS

SOCIAL STUDIES: Cultures of the World

Use this lesson to: explore performance cultures and traditions around the world and to connect My Son Pinocchio, Jr. to your social studies curriculum.

MATERIALS:

Printed images of Balinese shadow puppets, Austrian string puppets, British Punch & Judy puppets, American protest pup-pets, Japanese Bunraku puppets and European marionettes

Internet access and/or reference books

Colored pencils and paper

OBJECTIVES: Students can:

Critically analyze and observe pieces of art from around the world

Employ research skills to make sense of their observations

Work in groups to reapply their learning in novel and creative ways

Present ideas and findings to their peers

Work individually to bridge research-based learning and original creative content

My Son Pinocchio, Jr. is the story of a toy maker who becomes a father to a marionette. Puppets are pieces of art that can be found around the world and are used in many different ways. Let’s explore the puppetry of the world.

BEGIN: Break your students into small groups. Give one printed image of puppet to each group but don’t identify type. Have groups discuss their observations. Side-coach with questions like: What is the puppet made of? What do you notice about its design style? How is it operated? Is it simple or elaborate? What do the colors tell you? What does its size tell you? Does it look serious, funny, artistic, or scary?

NEXT: Provide access to internet or reference books and give students 15 minutes to identify and discover all they can about their type of puppet. Now that students have an understanding of the puppetry style they are investigating, distribute paper and colored pencils to each group and allow students to sketch a puppet inspired by their studies.

PRESENT: At the end of the activity, have each group present and share their findings.

REFLECT: Remind students that puppetry is a type of theatre. Using what they learned through their group work and their classmates’ presentations, instruct the students to write a short scene in which two styles of puppets interact. Use prompts to encourage deep reflection: What might a Balinese shadow puppet say or do to a Punch puppet? Etc.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS: Voice and Perspective

USE THIS LESSON TO: explore character, voice and perspective in expository writing to examine concepts of theme and to connect My Son Pinocchio Jr. to your English Language Arts curriculum

TIME: 45 minutes

MATERIALS:

Index cards

“Fairy Tale Form” worksheet (on following page)

OBJECTIVES: Students can:

Connect themes from My Son Pinocchio Jr. to their own lives.

Collaborate with their peers to write an original story.

Examine concepts of voice, character and perspective by telling a story from a different point of view.

Connect concepts of perspective to their own lives.

INTRODUCTION: My Son Pinocchio Jr. explores a classic story from a new and unexpected point of view. And it all starts when Geppetto wishes upon a star…

WARM-UP: Be Careful What You Wish For... (10 minutes)

1. Distribute index cards to your class.

2. Tell your class to think about something they might wish for if there was a chance their wish could come true. Inform students that they will be sharing these ideas.

3. Have the class write their wishes on their note cards.

4. Divide your class into small groups and instruct the students to share their wishes with the others in their group.

5. Ask each group to select one wish that they would like to explore further.

HOOK: Fairy Tale Form (15 minutes)

1. With their wish selected, give each group a few minutes to document the pros and cons of their wish coming true. What are the potential repercussions of their wishes? What are the benefits?

2. Next, distribute the “Fairy Tale Form” worksheet. Working as a team, each group should complete the form with ideas based on their wish.

3. Allow the groups to share their stories with the class.

MAIN ACTIVITY: Fractured Fairy Tale (15 minutes)

1. Collect the worksheets from the groups and redistribute them so that each group receives another group’s story.

2. Tell the class to write the opening of a play or story told from another point of view. Who or what else in the original story might have a different take on things?

3. Allow the groups to brainstorm and to write their scenes/stories.

4. After the scenes/stories have been written, give the class time to share their work with the class.

REFLECTION: When You Wish… (5 minutes)

Encourage the class to think back to their original wishes, and lead the students in a discussion using these prompts:

What changed when you ad o weave your wish into a story?

What was it like iving your story to another group?

What was it like working on another group’s story?

Did you prefer the original tale or the new perspective?

In life is there ever more than one version of an event?

P a g e 7

CURRICULUM CORNER

P a g e 8 D i s n e y ’ s M y S o n P i n o c c h i o E d u c a t i o n a l M a t e r i a l s

THEATRE GAMES

Count to Ten

Use this exercise to develop group cooperation and non-verbal communication.

1. Have students sit in a circle. Explain that they are going to count to ten.

2. Set the limitations: Only one person may say a number at a time. If more than one person says the same number simulta-

neously, the circle will need to start over at one.

3. Allow the students to try to count to ten. Generally, the first attempt will be unsuccessful.

4. Encourage the students to look each other in the eye and make it clear that they are about to “make an entrance” with a

number. They should take deep breaths and focus on the energy in the circle.

5. For more of a challenge, have students count to a higher number or say the alphabet. For a real challenge, have the stu-

dents close their eyes. This will force them to listen and feel the energy of the group without visual cues.

FAIRY TALE FORM WORKSHEET

Use in the Langueage Arts Exercise on previous page

Directions: Work with your group to fill in the blanks and create an original story based on your wish.

Once upon a time, __________________, a______________________, wished _____________.

(main character name) (main character description) (wish)

When ___________ came true, _________________ was thrilled! But _____________________

(wish) (main character) (secondary character)

warned ______________ that _____________. ________________ insisted that ____________,

(main character) (con) (main character) (pro)

but sure enough, ___________________was right. ________________ tried ________________ ,

(secondary character) (main character) (potential solution)

but it only made matters worse. Finally, _____________________________________________.

(moment of conflict)

So _______________ decided to ___________________________________________________.

(main character) (resolution)

_____________ and __________________ realized that ________________________________.

(main character) (secondary character) (moral of the story)

P a g e 9 D i s n e y ’ s M y S o n P i n o c c h i o

SCIENCE: Anatomy and Life Science

USE THIS LESSON TO: explore the skeletal, muscular, circulatory and nervous systems, and to connect My Son Pinocchio Jr. to your science curriculum

TIME: 45 minutes

MATERIALS: Internet access and/or reference books

OBJECTIVES: Students can:

Kinesthetically identify the ways in which the human body functions.

Identify components to the skeletal, circulatory, muscular and nervous systems.

Work in groups to research anatomy and present their research to their peers.

Understand how science can be applied to the arts, and how the arts can be applied to science.

INTRODUCTION: My Son Pinocchio Jr. is the story of a marionette and his father. Marionettes are built to resemble the human body; we are going to investigate the similarities and differences between marionettes and the human body.

WARM-UP: I’ve Got No Strings (10 minutes)

Clear desks and furniture to make a wide-open space in your classroom.

Have students stand in a neutral position throughout the room.

Tell the class they are going to come to life as marionettes, one joint at a time.

Use these prompts to explore joints with your students: Good news! The puppet master has finished your hip joint. You may move your hips only. The hips are a ball and socket joint. Identify components to the skeletal, circulatory, muscular and nervous systems.

The puppet master has now finished your neck joint. This is a pivot joint, which allows you to turn your head from side to side.

Your feet have been attached at your ankle joint. These gliding joints allow you to move your feet.

He has also completed your knee joint. These hinge joints allow you to walk about the space.

Remember, you are marionettes. How do the strings cause you to move differently than a real human?

Prompt the students to find their way back to their starting place and neutral position.

HOOK: Systems of Life (10 minutes)

Engage the class in a discussion about the activity. What were the limitations of being a marionette? What do humans have that marionettes don’t? Write students’ ideas on the board (ideas may include: bones, muscles, brains, blood, organs, skin etc.).

Categorize the students’ ideas into these classifications: skeletal system, muscular system, circulatory system, nervous system etc.

MAIN ACTIVITY: A Real Boy! (15 minutes)

Break your class into four groups. Assign each group to investigate one of the primary systems identified in the previous discussion.

Using the internet and reference books, prompt students to investigate their respective anatomical system.

Have each group share its findings with the class. These are some of the systems Pinocchio would need to become a real boy!

REFLECTION: Journal on Acting (5 minutes)

Your students have explored life science through the lens of a piece of theatre. Have you students respond to one of these ques-tions in their notebooks:

Why might an actor playing Pinocchio investigate the skeletal, muscular, circulatory or nervous systems?

Why might a scientist or doctor use a model – similar in shape and function to a marionette – to investigate the human body?

Show Glossary Arbitrary: determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason or principle; random Benissimo: the Italian word for “very good” Coffers: traditionally an antique chest used for storing valuable items Cud: partially digested food regurgitated from the first stomach of cattle to the mouth for a second chewing Delinquent: a person who neglects or fails to do what law or duty requires Dovetail: to follow or connect closely; a woodworking method for joining lumber without fasteners Eclat: praise and applause; brilliance or flashiness Felice: the Italian word for “happy” Gratis: free of charge; complimentary Jackass: a male donkey Kindling: easily ignited material, such as dry sticks of wood, used to start a fire Maestro: a master musician Marionette: a puppet manipulated from above by strings attached to its jointed limbs Miracolo: the Italian word for “miracle” or “wonder” Molto stupendo: an Italian phrase meaning “very beautiful” Parchesi: an ancient game of India similar to backgammon that uses cowrie shells instead of dice Pinochle: a game of cards played with a special deck of 48 cards Pistachio: an edible nut Professore: the Italian word for “professor” Roustabout: a circus laborer Signora: an Italian word used as a courtesy title for a married woman. Equivalent to “Mrs.”

Signori: the plural of signor and signore Signor, signore: an Italian word meaning “nobleman” Tempus figit: a Latin expression meaning “time flies”

148 E. 8th Street

Traverse City, MI 49684

Phone: 231-947-2210

Fax: 231-947-4955

E-mail: mychelle@oldtownplayhouse.com

O L D T O W N

P L A Y H O U S E Y O U N G

C O M P A N Y

Be Bright. Be Bold. Be Young.