By Kim Hines

Conceived and Directed by Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas

Welcome to Cuesheet,

a performance guide

published by the

Education Department of

the John F. Kennedy

Center for the Performing

Arts, Washington, D.C.

This Cuesheet is designed

to help you enjoy the

performance of

Kite on the Wind.

A kite marks

topics for

discussion or

activities you may want to

do with other students,

friends, or family.

CuesheetFOR STUDENTS

“… I look above into the blue with yearning

I push forth a CRY into the sky.

I hope that my wishes are heard and made true

For I wish to FLY into the sky.

I run and jump hoping that, one day—like a kite—

I may float HIGH into the sky.”

The Characters

• Shahab [shuh-HAHB], a boy who likes to

daydream

• Tota [TO-tah], an imaginary parrot

•Pate [PA-tay], and Karamay [kar-UHM-ay],

characters from Pakistani folklore

•Rashid [rah-SHEED], Shahab’s Baba

[buh-BAH], or Father

•Maryam [MARY-am], Shahab’s Ammi

[uh-MEE], or Mother

• Shahab’s Dadi [DAH-dee], or Grandma

•Nabila [nuh-BEE-la], Shahab’s Sister

• Shahab’s friends: Samir [SAH-mir],

Tariq [TAH-rick], and Bilal [buh-LAHL]

• Shahab’s teacher

• The Kite Vendor

• The Old Man who sells antique and used

items

• The Wind Trader, a woman named Fatima

[FAHT-mah] who sells fans, pinwheels,

and parasols (umbrellas used to provide

shade from the sun)

Plot Predictions Stories catch our attention when

something exciting happens in the

plot (the sequence of events in a

story) and we’re curious to know what will

happen next. In the play, Shahab leaves

school in the middle of the day to find

kite-making supplies. What do you think

will happen because of this decision?

Write down five possibilities.

A Tale of Pakistan

Y oung Shahab daydreams that he

is friends with an imaginary parrot

named Tota. He also daydreams

about flying kites at an upcoming festival

called Basant, which his father won’t allow

him to do. At school, his daydreams are

interrupted when his teacher asks him to

read a report about Pakistani culture. But

he hasn’t even started the assignment!

Fortunately, Shahab is saved by the bell

and class is dismissed. Unfortunately,

Shahab’s teacher is very disappointed.

Shahab’s passion for kites gets him into

even more trouble when he visits a kite

vendor instead of meeting his sister after

school. Now Shahab’s parents are

disappointed, too. With the help of two

characters from Pakistani folklore and a

special gift from his grandmother, Shahab

is able to complete his assignment and

impress his teacher. But will he be allowed

to fly kites at the festival?

Y

The Actor’s ImaginationShahab’s daydreams are full of

imaginative characters that no one

else can see. Pretend you can’t be

seen, you can’t see others, or you see what

others cannot. In groups of four, act out the

scene below:

Pate: I think you should be in school.

Shahab: Not until I have everything for

my kite.

Karamay: Well, then—let’s go shopping!

Shahab: But where? This is the one time

Nabila could be useful.

(Fatima enters, overburdened with boxes,

rope, and tissue-like packing paper in

hand. She drops her things and looks up

in the air.)

Fatima: Boy! Larka! (Shahab gestures to

himself.) Yes, you.

Shahab: Me? Are you talking to me?

Fatima: Perhaps you are not aware, but

you are the only one standing there.

From Story to Stage Pate and Karamay, two characters

from one of Shahab’s favorite

childhood stories, come to life in his

imagination. Imagine if two characters

from your favorite myth or folktale came to

life. Write a dialogue between you and

those characters.

Did you know?In ancient Pakistan, people from many

ethnicities (groups that share cultural

traits) would gather to hear and exchange

stories in festive storytelling bazaars.

Stories can still be heard today in a city

called Peshawar, where people also go to

buy books and videos.

Playing a ParrotOne of the main characters in the

play is a parrot named Tota. How

does an actor play the part of a

parrot? What does a parrot sound like?

How does it walk? Try walking and

talking like a parrot, then challenge

friends to act out different animals.

Did you know?Parrots are very popular pets in Pakistan,

but they also live in the wild. While parrots

have many different, vivid colors, the most

common kind is the green parrot.

Costumes —Traditional vs.Contemporary Because Pate and Karamay are characters

from Pakistani folklore, their clothing will

look very different from the clothing of

Shahab and other characters living in

modern-day Pakistan. When you see Kite

on the Wind, pay close attention to the

actors’ costumes. After the play, discuss

the differences you noticed.

Did you know?Many Pakistani men and women wear a

traditional dress called a shalwar-kameez

[shuhl-WAHR kuh-MEEZ] for formal and

informal occasions. The kameez, a long

shirt with side seams left open below the

waist, is paired with loose-fitting pants

called the shalwar.

Vivid VendorsShahab meets interesting characters

when he’s in the marketplace. He

meets an old man who sells an

assortment of objects, while singing a loud

and off-key song. He also meets Fatima, an

exotic woman who wears bright colors like

teal. When Fatima enters the scene, she is

over-burdened with boxes, rope, and papers.

Pair up with a friend and pretend to be the

costume designer and properties artisan

(a person who chooses props for a play)

for Kite on the Wind. Design costumes and

props for Fatima and the old man.

Design for a MarketplaceSet designers are responsible for

creating the setting, or location and

atmosphere, for a play. They often

start their work by reading and getting

inspiration from the script. Want to try it?

Read this excerpt from the script:

“Shahab and Samir walk home

through marketplaces full of very

colorful displays. The streets are

filled with different sights and

sounds—some merchants hawk their

wares and others sit at their stands

and sell baskets of herbs and

seasonings. There are large stands of

fruits and vegetables and small stands

of jewelry and trinkets. One merchant

pushes a rack of colorful clothing.”

Picture the Pakistani marketplaces in your

mind and then draw a set design based on

what you imagine. When you watch Kite

on the Wind, compare your design with

that of the play’s set designer.

Costume sketches from Kite on the Wind

Writing the GhazalThe ghazal [GUHZ-el], a form of poetry that dates

back to the seventh century, is made up of at least

five pairs of lines (or couplets). Each couplet should

be able to stand on its own (i.e., as one complete sentence).

Ghazals include a rhyme pattern followed by a repeated

phrase (called a refrain). Read the ghazal on the cover of this

Cuesheet, then use the template below to write your own.

First couplet:

rhyme A + refrain

rhyme A + refrain

Second couplet (and all couplets following):

rhyme A + refrain

The final couplet in a ghazal refers to the poem’s author;

try including your name in the last two lines.

Fast Facts about Pakistancapital: Islamabad

official national language: Urdu [er-DOO] (although Punjabi is the

most widely spoken language and English is the official language)

currency: Pakistani rupee [ROO-pee]

area: 307,374 square miles (nearly twice the size of California)

geography: flat plains in the east; mountains in the north; plateaus in

the west

climate: mostly hot desert; temperate (between polar and tropical

climates) in the northwest; arctic in the north

population: about 165 million

religions: 97% Muslim, 3% other religions (including Christian and Hindu)

four main ethnic groups: Punjabi [puhn-JAH-bee], who live along the

eastern border; Sindhi [sin-DHEE], who originated in Sindh [SINDH-uh]

(now southeast Pakistan); Pashtun [puhsh-TOON], in the northwest;

and Balochi [buh-LO-chee], in the west

A Sky Full of ColorsBasant (bu-SUHNT)

is a two-day festival

that celebrates

spring. People

gather in the

ancient city of

Lahore and other

eastern cities in

Pakistan to eat, dance, sing, make music,

and fly kites.

Pakist

an

Islamabad •

Arabian Sea

Bayof Bengal

India

China

Kazakhstan

Russia

Ukra

ine

Turkey

Mongolia

Iran

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Yemen Oman

Iraq

BurmaThailand

Laos

Saudi Arabia

Did you know?Cricket is a popular sport in

Pakistan and around the world.

Players take turns batting a

ball—just like in baseball. Unlike

in baseball, a cricket bat is flat,

and players score points by

running the length of a 22-yard strip.

Basant painting by Iqbal Ahmedfrom The Gift of the Indus Web site (see Resources)

ResourcesLLeeaarrnn mmoorree aabboouutt PPaakkiissttaann

oonn tthheessee WWeebb ssiitteess::

Gift of the Indus: The Arts & Culture of

Pakistan

artsedge.kennedy-center.org/pakistan

Poetic Form: Ghazal

www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prm

MID/5781

Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE,

a program of the Kennedy Center

Education Department.

For more information about the

performing arts and arts education,

visit our Web sites:

www.kennedy-center.org/education

www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org

Questions, comments? Write us at

cuesheets@artsedge.kennedy-

center.org.

© 2008,The John F. Kennedy Center

for the Performing Arts

Materials:

• 8 1⁄2" x 11" piece of

paper

• barbecue skewer

• masking tape

• scissors

• plastic grocery bag

• hole punch

• 1" x 3" piece of

cardboard

• 10' of string

Make a Paper Kite

Flights of FancyWhy do you think kites mean so much to Shahab? What does the word kite

make you think of? Discuss with a friend what you think kites symbolize in

the play. Then write a creative story in which a kite is used as a symbol.

Did you know?People in Pakistan have flown kites since ancient times and continue to fly kites year-

round. One of the most common types of kites in Pakistan, a patang [puh-TUHNG],

is made of tissue shaped like a diamond with a central spine and a single bow made

of bamboo.

© Big Wind Kite Factory

Stephen A. Schwarzman

Chairman

Michael M. Kaiser

President

Darrell M. Ayers

Vice President, Education

Theater at the Kennedy Center is

presented with the generous support

of Stephen and Christine Schwarzman.

Additional support for the Kennedy

Center Performances for Young

Audiences is provided by the U.S.

Department of Education,

The President’s Advisory Committee

on the Arts, the Estate of Joseph R.

Applegate, Chevy Chase Bank,

Clark Charitable Foundation, and

Aaron and Sondra Drutz.

Kite on the Wind: A Tale of Pakistan

Cuesheet

Editor and Art Director: Cathy Lips

Writer: Theresa Sotto

Designer: Carla Badaracco

The U.S. Department of Education supports

approximately one-third of the budget for the

Kennedy Center Education Department.The

contents of this Cuesheet do not necessarily

represent the policy of the U.S. Department of

Education, and you should not assume

endorsement by the Federal Government.

Here’s how:

1. Fold your paper in half to 8 1⁄2" by 5 1⁄2" (see Fig. 1).

2. Fold the paper along diagonal line A (see Fig. 2).

3. Fold back one side of the paper to form a kite shape

(see Fig. 3) and place tape along fold line AB.

4. Place skewer from point C to D and tape it down firmly

(see Fig. 4).

5. Cut a 1"-wide spiral around the plastic bag for a kite tail

and tape one end to the kite at point B (see Fig. 5).

6. Flip the kite over and bend the folded flap back and forth

until it stands straight up (see Fig. 6).

7. Punch a hole in the flap at point E, about a third of the

way down from the top (see Fig. 6).

8. Tie one end of the string through the hole and wind the

rest of the string around the piece of cardboard.

9. Wait for the wind, toss your kite high in the air, and

watch it soar!

Fig. 1

Fig. 2A

B B

Fig. 4

B

C

D

Fig. 3

B

E

AFig. 5 Fig. 6