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SETTING THE STAGEpreparing for the play

Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Recommended Reading . . . . . . . . . 4Pre Show Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

FOR TEACHERSCurriculum connectionsbefore or after the play

CLASSROOM DISCUSSION/DEBATEHot topics! Classroom activity . . . . . . . .5

10 WEIRDEST ORIGINS OF CLASSIC SCIENCE FICTION SOUND EFFECTS . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7

LANGUAGE ARTSScience fiction writing prompts . . . . . . .8

CYBERBULLYING . . . . . . . . . . 9–10

CURTAIN CALL

Post Show Questions . . . . . . . . . . 11Who Said It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Who Said it? (ANSWERS) . . . . . . . 12

INSIDE T HE GU IDE

FIRST STAGE POLICIES• The use of recording equipment and cameras are not permitted during

the performance .• Food, drink, candy and gum are not permitted during the performance .• Electronic devices are not permitted in the theater space .• Should a student become ill, suffer an injury or have another problem, please

escort him or her out of the theater space .• In the unlikely event of a general emergency, the theater lights will go on

and the stage manager will come on stage to inform the audience of the problem . Remain in your seats, visually locate the nearest exit and wait for the stage man-ager to guide your group from the theater .

Seating for people with special needs: If you have special seating needs for any student(s) and did not indicate your need when you ordered your tickets, please call our Assistant Patron Services Manager at (414) 267-2962 . Our knowledge of your needs will enable us to serve you better upon your arrival to the theater .

TXT U L8R

Dear Educators and Parents, A high school scene, infused with different people and different groups all of a sudden collide with each other when their technology enters a new dimension . This world pre-miere show explores alternate universes through something so familiar to all of us—tex-ting . Students must question their biases and friendships, and rely on one another to uncover the truth .

Enclosed in this enrichment guide is a range of materials and activities intended to help you discover connections within the play through the curricula . It is our hope that you will use the experience of attending the theater and seeing TXT U L8R with your students as a teach-ing tool . As educators and parents, you know best the needs and abilities of your students . Use this guide to best serve your children—pick and choose, or adapt, any of these sug-gestions for discussions or activities . We encourage you to take advantage of the enclosed student worksheets—please feel free to photocopy the sheets for your students, or the entire guide for the benefit of other teachers .

Enjoy the show!

Julia MagnascoEducation Director(414) 267-2971Julia@firststage .org

A NOTE TO TEACHERS AND PARENTS

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What happens when two completely different worlds meet each other? For eight high school juniors and seniors it didn’t start off so great . It all began with a simple text from an unknown phone number . These texted messages came from several different numbers and sent messages to the eight targeted students . The messages seemed very realistic and natural . Some were nice and cheerful, but others sparked confusion and annoyance .

It didn’t take long for one student to come up with an idea to figure out whom the messages were coming from . Shawn had received two too many messages that seemed rather stalking-ish . He began to get nervous and paranoid . Shawn found an app that would help him identify the person that a phone number belongs to . So he did just that and even confronted the said person . Except, they didn’t send the messages to his phone .

Pretty soon the seven others found the app and used it to identify whom they were receiving messages from . Each time, the number identified as someone within the circle of eight students that were being targeted . Yet surprisingly, none of them were actually sending these messages from their phones . Not only that, but somehow their responses were being blocked . So who was sending and blocking the messages? Was someone out to get them? Was this a joke? The eight weren’t sure, but they did decide to meet together before and after school and even during their lunch hour to try and figure it out . When the day was over they all agreed to ignore their phones until they broke the mystery . Avoiding the use of a cell phone that’s right in front of you and has a little mystery can be hard for any teenager right? It was certainly hard for Pels . She wanted to get to the bottom of this . So she texted her phone to introduce herself to it; For a few minutes so got no response . Then suddenly she received a text that said “216-555-6236 .” Curious and anxious she wanted to know more, so she had a conversation with her phone .

The next day the eight gathered to meet before school . It seemed that no one really listened to the instructions of ignoring their phones . They had gotten a step closer to understanding what was happening . Somehow, this other universe was the cell phone world . The students thought they were using their phones to communicate with people, but the cell world saw it differently . The cell world believed that they sent messages to people, and the teenager world sent messages to phones . The teens also realized that the number/person that belonged to each of their cell phones were like their alter egos, opposite of their personality .

One particular number had the students worried . He name was Zelda, and she was the phone of Zelda . Just a few days ago she had been outed about coming out of the closet . She seemed to be really down as a result of the bullying . The day went on and the teens still couldn’t fully figure out what was going on . But then Charisse received a text from Taylor, at least that’s what she thought . The message told her plug her phone into a computer, it would help solve the issue . Well, it didn’t really help . Shortly after all the teens received texts that said “Hey everyone in the other world . If I were u I’d get out of that school . NOW .” SERIOUSLY . If u all exist . Get out of that building .”

All worried and confused the teens didn’t know what to do . While some wanted to leave the building , others wanted to warn the principal and save other students . They reached out to Zelda in the cell world to figure out what was about to happen . Apparently Holden, Charisse’s phone, had hacked into the school district network and done something to the boilers . The eight students were at a lost . They weren’t sure if they should believe here and do something or ignore it . They all went their separate ways . Some went outside, others warned other students and the principal and maintenance .

In the end all was fine . Although they had experience such a frightening situation they were okay . They gained a friend when everything was over . Pel called the group the Phone Posse . A whole different world had brought together eight students who didn’t know each other and were rather different through a simple text message . Txt U Later .

SETTING THE STAGE SYNOPSIS

1 . How often do you text? All the time? Sometime? Barely? Why do you think people text?

2 . What would you do if someone texted you from an unknown number? Would you respond or ignore it? Why?

3 . Do you believe there could be another world in the universe? Describe what you think it would be like .

PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS

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RECOMMENDED READING

Chronicles of Narnia, by C .S . Lewis

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

Elidor by Alan Garner

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Virals by Kathy Reichs

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

The Complete Adventures of Lucky Starr by Isaac Asimov

Have Space Suit—Will Travel by Robert A . Heinlein

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline l’Engle

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This quote, often mistaken to be from Albert Einstein, actually appears in a movie called Powder. Nevertheless, it offers inspiration and reflection on our behaviors as individuals and

as a society. Read the quote aloud to your students and do the following activity.

I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.

1 . After listening to the quote, share with students that they are now going talk about the quote and what they think it is about . Give students a 10-second countdown to find a partner, and stand facing their partner . Partners have 90 seconds to discuss the quote with their partner, using the following prompts:

a . I think this quote is about ______________________________ because _______________________________ .

b . I agree because ______________________________________________________________________________ .

c . I disagree because ___________________________________________________________________________ .

d . You may choose to go through one inference together as a class, so students clearly understand expectations .

2 . After allowing partners to share with one another, have students go back to their seats . Ask students to share some of their inferences they came up with in their partner groups .

a . Write these inferences on the board .

b . Afterwards, discuss how technology has an increasingly massive effect on us as individuals and our society as a whole .

3 . Continue in the same way with the following prompts as needed .

a . Do you believe society is addicted to technology? What makes you believe or deny this?

b . What are the positive benefits to our rapidly developing technology?

c . What are the positive and negative effects of social media that you notice?

d . Some people say that they have a “healthy obsession” with their device . What does that mean to you?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE GREAT DEBATEIf students’ discussions prompt eager participation, host a debate. Prompt students to use similar language in the purposeful discussion activity above so that they can state

and justify their opinions with facts and examples. Establish rules as to time and proper response etiquette.

TOPIC #1: Device use is ruining relationships.

TOPIC #2: Society is more distracted and less focused than ever before.

TOPIC #3: Social media should have more rules and regulations.

Adapted from First Stage’s Teaching Through Theater program: Les Paul, The Wizard of Waukesha

HOT TOPICS! CLASSROOM ACTIVITY Purposeful Classroom Discussion/Debate

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Nowadays, when people want to add a sound effect to a movie, they mostly just pull up a digital archive, choose a sound, and drag and drop. But in the pre-digital age, people

created sounds using whatever objects were close to hand. Here are the 10 most unusual sources for your favorite sound effects.

1. LIGHTSABERS: The sound designer for Star Wars was Ben Burtt, whose name is synonymous with creative and practical sound design . The entire Star Wars movie catalog is full of outside-the-box sound effects — including the most unmistakable sound of all . The lightsaber’s familiar and distinctive hum, which we all have imitated while wielding a cardboard gift wrap tube, was created by a TV and a 35mm projector . Explains Burtt: Advertisement

The lightsaber was, in fact, the very first sound I created for A New Hope. Inspired by the McQuarrie concept paintings, I remembered a sound of an interlock motor on the old film projectors at the USC Cinema Department (I had been a projectionist there). The motors made a musical “hum” which I felt immediately would complement the image in the painting. I recorded that motor, and a few days later I had a broken microphone cable that caused my recorder to accidentally pick up the buzz from the back of my TV picture tube. I recorded that buzz, and mixed it with the hum of the projector motor. Together these sounds became the basis for all the lightsabers.”

2. THE GREEN DEATH RAY FROM THE WAR OF THE WORLDS: The 1953 version of H .G . Wells’ classic tale of alien invasion had an arresting sound effect when the aliens unleashed their green wing-tip death ray . And this chilling sound was created by hitting a high-tension wire (like on an antenna tower) with a hammer . This same technique is used to create the iconic “pew pew pew” sound of the blasters in Star Wars. And many sources claim the same technique — hitting a wire with a hammer — was used for the photon torpedoes in Star Trek.

3. PHASERS IN STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES: The Death Ray wasn’t the only innovative sound effect in the 1953 War of the Worlds — the Martian “heat ray” also had a surprising source . According to a 1953 article by producer George Pal, The War of the Worlds’ Martian heat-ray sound was produced when sound designers played three electric guitars backwards and added some harp . And according to Ben Burtt (who also worked on Star Trek Into Darkness) the sound designers who worked on the original Star Trek were huge fans of the 1953 War of the Worlds adaptation, because whenever a phaser is fired in Star Trek, you’re hearing the same backwards guitar and harp sound .

4. THE MARTIAN SCREAM: Back to War of the Worlds — in that same article, Pal talks about how the Martian scream sound was produced:

How would a Martian scream sound? The boys thought a long time on that one. Finally they arrived at the unusual conclusion of scraping dry ice across a contact microphone and combining it with a woman’s high scream recorded backwards. It was the weirdest sound anyone has yet come up with for one of my pictures.

Taken directly from: http://io9.gizmodo.com/10-weirdest-origins-of-classic-science-fiction-sound-ef-1590477009

10 WEIRDEST OR IG INS OF CL ASSIC SCIENCE F ICT ION SOUND EFFECTS

by Ryan Plummer

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5. THE PREDATOR’S HEARTBEATDespite the Predator’s lack of empathy, sound designers spent a lot of time giving him a heart:

[The sound when the viewers are in “Predator Vision” mode] is the Predator heartbeat. I found an old glass flower vase with a very wide mouth. I put some water and a natural sponge inside it. John P. and I talked about how Predator should have a human-like heartbeat, but with something strange and alien in the rhythm. We decided maybe he had more ventricles than humans, or something.Ezra Dweck helped me record the sponges squishing in odd rhythms. We gave that tape to John P. to play with. He processed and tweaked, and he would have had to edit my terrible sense of rhythm. So those “Predator heartbeat” tracks went into the library.

6. INDIANA JONES’ BOULDER DASH: The famous boulder chase scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, as enthralling and grandiose as it is, was actually just the sound editor’s Honda Civic rolling down the driveway .

7. THE T-1000’S JAIL ESCAPE: That scene where the T-1000 walks through the bars of a jail cell? According to Oscar winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom, this effect was achieved with simply the sound of dog food being slowly sucked out of the can .

8. A TERMINATOR’S SKULL CRUSH: And there was actually more food inspired sound effects involved in this movie . In the scene where the viewers survey the damage done by a nuclear attack in the year 2029, the camera slowly pans to a close up of a skull . A robotic Terminator foot promptly smashes it . That smash you hear is a pistachio nut being destroyed by metal plating . Check out the video above for more great stuff, including how the effects were made for the classic scene where the T-1000 freezes, melts, and reforms .

9. THE JET MOTORCYCLES IN THX 1138: This movie featured both a jet car and a jet motorcycle . Unsurprisingly enough the jet car sound effects come from, well, a jet . Sound designer Walter Murch, however, wanted the motorcycles to have a different pitch so that the audience could differentiate between the two vehicles . What the audience hears as the bikes scream passed is, well, people screaming . He recorded 4 women screaming in a bathroom to achieve this sound .

10. THE MARSHMEN IN DOCTOR WHO: Classic Doctor Who is full of innovative sound design — most fans of the show already know that the dematerialization sound of the Doctor’s time machine, the TARDIS, was created when sound designer Brian Hodgson rubbed his house keys back and forth on the strings of a broken piano . But the BBC Radiophonic Workshop had lots of tricks up its sleeve . When sound designer Dick Mills needed the cries of the Marshmen in the episode “Full Circle,” he went to a pig farm and recorded the cries of the pigs, slowed down to sound unearthly .

Taken directly from: http://io9.gizmodo.com/10-weirdest-origins-of-classic-science-fiction-sound-ef-1590477009

10 WEIRDEST OR IG INS OF CL ASSIC SCIENCE F ICT ION SOUND EFFECTS (continued)

by Ryan Plummer

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Use the following prompts as story starters in your classroom.

• A college professor creates a brain scanner that can accurately detect lies .

• In the future, aliens occupy the military and are ordered to live amongst the civilians in their homes .

• Food has become scarce so scientists create a substance that will replace all food and water . There is only is thing wrong with it…

• “We’ll have to unplug you now .”

• All smartphones are implanted in our bodies and project holographic images wherever we choose .

• A true love tonic is created .

• A virus attacks humans . The survivors now have memories from before they were born .

• A woman wakes up to find herself trapped in a life size maze . Giant scientists tower over her . She realizes she is the test subject in this experiment .

SCIENCE F ICT ION WR IT ING PROMPTSLanguage Arts Classroom Activity

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CYBERBULLYING

Building Self Acceptance Through Positive Self-Talk Written By: James H Burns

OBJECTIVES• Students distinguish between the terms self esteem and self acceptance .• Students discover ways to build self acceptance through self talk and apply their own positive messages

MATERIALSBuilding Self Acceptance through Positive Self Talk handout with follow-up sentencesPaperWriting utensil

PROCEDURE1 . Students will list on paper messages (positive or negative) they have received from other people in their lives .

2 . Students will determine whether or not they adopted those messages and still believe them today .

3 . As a group, students will read the “Building Self Acceptance through Positive Self Talk” handout .

4 . Students will individually complete the follow-up sentences by using the strategy of self-talk . CLOSUREStudents will rate on a scale of 1-10 (ten being the most difficult) how difficult it was to finish the self-talk sentences using positive responses . Students will discuss situations in which they can use positive self-talk in the future . EVALUATION/HOMEWORKStudents will write down five positive self-talk

sentences that they will practice throughout the week .

BUILDING SELF ACCEPTANCE THROUGH POSITIVE SELF-TALKWhat is self acceptance? Self acceptance is being able to recognize your value as a person . It is essentially your level of self-worth and feeling of comfort in your own skin regardless of your faults and weaknesses . Without self acceptance, one would not be capable of reaching their full potential in life .

What is the difference between self acceptance and self-esteem?Self esteem is a belief or feeling about yourself . It is what you believe or feel you are capable of doing . Having high self esteem can help build self acceptance .

High Self-Esteem = Feeling good about yourselfLow Self-Esteem = Feeling badly about yourself

Taken directly from: http://bullyproofclassroom.com

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CYBERBULLYING (continued)

Self acceptance is more of an action rather than an abstract sense of self . It is something you do – you stick up for yourself, you utilize your strengths and take responsibly for your faults, and you practice loving yourself every day .

How can I build my self acceptance? Self acceptance is a reflection of beliefs you gained as a child and adolescent . It usually comes from messages you get about yourself . These messages can come from other people (like parents, teachers, or friends) or from yourself . The messages you send yourself is called “Self-Talk .” If you are used to hearing negative messages from other people, chances are you will send yourself negative messages too . Things like “I’m so stupid,” “I’m not good enough at this…” or “It’s my fault this happened” are examples of negative self-talk . One way to rebuild your self acceptance is to re-train yourself to engage in positive self-talk . Positive self-talk us when you focus on your strengths and positive qualities, reminding yourself that you are a good and valuable person . “I am a good and caring person and deserve to be treated with respect.”“I am capable of achieving success in my life.”“There are people who love me and will be there for me when I need them.”“I deserve to be happy.”“I am allowed to make mistakes and learn from them.” FINISH THE SENTENCES BELOWI am a brave person . An example of a time I was brave is _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am capable of being happy . A time I was happy was _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am a good friend . A time I was there for a friend was _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am capable of making decisions for myself . A time I made a good decision was ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am loved and cared about . People who care about me are __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am talented . Two things I am really good at are ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

#HOUROFCODEConnect to your STEAM curriculum while introducing your students to computer science with online tutorials and games! Students can design their own computer game, write a computer program and play games that utilizes coding skills .

Visit https://hourofcode .com/us/learn for activities and more information .

Taken directly from: http://bullyproofclassroom.com

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WHO SAID IT?

POST-SHOW QUESTIONS

1 . “I had a speech in Mr . Klein’s class on the um—oh what do you call it .”

2 . “I wanted to be your friend . Like I thought the universe was telling me to be your friend .”

3 . “Don’t . I don’t know who’s watching . I’ve got like a weird maybe stalker thing going on .”

4 . “Only people call me Penelope is my Grandma and Grandpa .”

5 . “Hey . Did you just threaten me?”

6 . “And I don’t know what you think you’re doing, trying to punk me or whatever, but I am motivated, I am responsible, I initiated the phone call so please lay off the ‘life coaching’ .”

7 . “I just wanted to say…I don’t care whether you’re… whoever you like . It’s none of my business .

8 . “I will do more than jinx you . I have studied all 73 points on the human body, and so help me, if you don’t back this down, I will shove my thumb into 61 of yours .

9 . “And I’m not a lesbian, I’m just trying to establish personal societal boundaries here-”

10 . “I know what it’s like to be outside and not know where you fit in .”

11 . “Okay, A+ for being open and trusting with the world, Zelda, but F- on healthy boundaries!

12 . “She hacked into ur district network & accessed the maintenance controls for ur high school . She’d done something to the boilers . I think they’re going to explode .”

13 . “Okay . What if, just what if – they’re right . They’re the real ones and we’re all inside our phones .

1 . If you had an alter ego, describe what he/she would be like?

2 . In the story, Zelda from the Cell World was being Cyber-bullied? Have you or someone you know ever-experi-enced cyber bullying? How do you deal with it?

3 . In the show, one of the cell characters (unseen) wants to test the water to see if the students were real . She does something to their school boiler and tell them to leave the school if they’re real or they’ll die . Each student wanted to do something different . Some left, some went to warn maintenance and the principal . Some went to the gym . What would you have done? Which character would you say did something similar to what you would have done?

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WHO SAID IT? ANSWERS

1 . “I had a speech in Mr . Klein’s class on the um—oh what do you call it .” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHERISSE

2 . “I wanted to be your friend . Like I thought the universe was telling me to be your friend .” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ZELDA

3 . “Don’t . I don’t know who’s watching . I’ve got like a weird maybe stalker thing going on .” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SHAWN

4 . “Only people call me Penelope is my Grandma and Grandpa .” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PELS

5 . “Hey . Did you just threaten me?” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ANTHONY

6 . “And I don’t know what you think you’re doing, trying to punk me or whatever, but I am motivated, I am responsible, I initiated the phone call so please lay off the ‘life coaching’ .” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TAYLOR

7 . “I just wanted to say…I don’t care whether you’re… whoever you like . It’s none of my business . . . . . . . . . . MELISSA

8 . “I will do more than jinx you . I have studied all 73 points on the human body, and so help me, if you don’t back this down, I will shove my thumb into 61 of yours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CODY

9 . “And I’m not a lesbian, I’m just trying to establish personal societal boundaries here-” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ZELDA

10 . “I know what it’s like to be outside and not know where you fit in .” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PELS

11 . “Okay, A+ for being open and trusting with the world, Zelda, but F- on healthy boundaries! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TAYLOR

12 . “She hacked into ur district network & accessed the maintenance controls for ur high school . She’d done something to the boilers . I think they’re going to explode .” . . . . . . . . . . . .216-555-1306 OR CELL WORLD PERSON ZELDA

13 . “Okay . What if, just what if – they’re right . They’re the real ones and we’re all inside our phones . . . . . . . . . . . . . ZELDA