lilly’s purple plastic purse - main street theater · the sound designer can also create music...

TEACHER EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS MAIN STREET THEATER – LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE – 2014-2015 SEASON

P.O. Box 524020 Houston, TX 77052– 713-524-9196x101-www.mainstreettheater.com

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Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse

Educational Materials

Based on the book by Kevin Henkes Adapted for the stage by Kevin Kling

Directed by Mark Adams



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TEACHERS –

Welcome to Main Street Theater! We hope these supplemental materials

will help you integrate your field trip into your classroom curriculum. We’ve included a number of activities and resources to help broaden your

students’ experience. Please make sure that each teacher that will be attending the play has a copy of these materials as they prepare to see

the show.

Recent studies prove that integrating the arts into education enhances a student's development and performance.

Students learning through the arts are more able to think at a higher level, collaborate with their peers,

and score higher on standardized tests.

Have students write letters or draw pictures to the cast of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse with their thoughts and comments on the

production. All correspondence should be sent to:

Main Street Theater School Bookings P. O. Box 524020

Houston, TX 77052



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HOW SHOULD I PREPARE MY STUDENTS FOR A TRIP TO THE THEATER?

Read the book to your students or have them read it. The play is taken directly from the pages of the book.

Discuss the page on theater etiquette with your students. Remind them that it

can get very dark in the theater before the play and in between scenes.

Make sure your students use the restroom before they leave school or at the theater before the performance. If you get up during the performance, you may miss your favorite part!

Talk about what kind of show they are coming to see. Lilly’s Purple Plastic

Purse is a live theatrical performance. Talk to your students about the difference between a movie and a play. The actors are not on a screen and can hear everything the audience is doing or saying. The actors are very friendly though so they should not be afraid.

Talk to your students about imagination. People called actors perform in the

play. They pretend to be the mice. Eight grown-up actors perform in Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse watch and see how they use their voices and bodies to become “animals”.

After the performance, the actors will remain on stage and answer questions

that the students may have. Discuss with your students what a question is. While the actors love to hear what a good time the students had or what part the like the best, they LOVE to answer questions about the show, the book or being an actor. Don’t forget to raise your hand!

The show is fantastical! It is lots of fun so be prepared to giggle, laugh and

have a great time.



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WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO PUT ON A PLAY? It takes many years of preparation before you see a show at our theater. Many, many people work to put all the parts of a play together. The play you’re seeing today comes from the book Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse written by author Kevin Henkes who also wrote (among others)— Chrysanthemum. It was the idea of the playwright, Kevin Kling, to form this book into a play. About a year before MST’s production, the producer contacted the licensing agency about the rights to perform the play. Once the agency agreed, the production team was assembled. The production team is the group of people directly responsible for a how a play looks and sounds. The director is the person who makes the decisions about who is in the play, how the play looks, and what themes are emphasized to the audience. S/he works with the designers to establish the concept (or mood & themes) of the play. The director also hires the actors to play the parts in the show. Once rehearsals begin the director conveys the concept to the actors by giving them directions on their character development and by blocking their movements. The set designer creates the world that is seen when you enter the theater. S/he decides whether there will be real furniture or pretend furniture (such as cubes or chairs). The set designer decides where all of the different locations will be on the stage. The designer drafts diagrams so the carpenters can build the set. S/he also comes back once the set is built to paint everything. The costume designer is the person who chooses what clothes the actors will wear to represent the concept of the play. The designer will sometimes shop for clothing or may build some costumes from scratch. S/he works closely with the actors to make sure that all of the clothing fits and feels comfortable. S/he also works with the set designer to make sure that the actors’ clothing will not clash with the colors on the set. The props designer is the person who provides all of the handheld items used by the actors during the play. This person either buys or builds everything that the actors might need to convey the story. The sound designer creates or selects all of the sound effects and music for the play. The sound designer creates the noises that are heard when someone rings a doorbell, a dog barks offstage, or a telephone rings. The sound designer can also create music pieces to aid in setting the theme or the mood of the play. The lighting designer decides how stage lighting will help tell the story. How can the color of lights complement the costumes and sets? Does the play require a scene at night? S/he will also decide when the lights should go out to cover up a scene change or when they should stay on. The actors are the people who perform the play. They are real people who are pretending to be the different characters in the story. Actors are trained to play old people, young people and sometimes even animals. It’s their job to tell the story to the audience. The audience is part of the play too! Without someone to hear the story, there would be no reason to tell it. The actors want to get the audience to care about the characters, to laugh and cry, and applaud when the play is over.



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WHO WROTE Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Kevin Henkes was born in 1960 in Racine, Wisconsin. Throughout his childhood, he and his family visited the local public library, making an important ritual out of selecting and carrying home books. Inspired by such illustrators as Crockett Johnson and Garth Williams, Henkes decided at an early age that he would be an artist, and enjoyed frequent visits to the nearby art museum. It was a high school teacher's encouragement of his writing, however, that gave Henkes the idea for his future career. Henkes' first picture book, drafted while he was still in high school, was accepted for publication when Henkes was just 19, an art major at the University of Wisconsin. Since then, he has worked steadily, writing and illustrating more than 15 picture books that have won him a devoted audience as well as considerable critical acclaim. Owen was named a Caldecott Honor Book, one of many

awards and citations Henkes has received. In 2004, Henkes won another Newbery Honor for Olive's Ocean. In addition to his self-illustrated picture books, Henkes has written picture books that others have illustrated and a number of novels for young readers. He lives with his wife in Madison, Wisconsin.

WHO WROTE Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT - Kevin Kling grew up in Osseo, Minnesota and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1979 with a B.A. in Theatre. He began storytelling when a friend from the group, Brass Tacks Theatre, asked him to perform his stories. Mr. Kling is best known for his regular story-telling contributions to NPR’s “All Things Considered.” He has written numerous plays including Mississippi Panorama which premiered at the Children’s Theater in Minneapolis as well as adaptations of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile and The Venetian

Twins. Mr. Kling received the Heideman Award for Best Short Play for 21A in 1986. He has been awarded numerous arts grants and fellowships. The National Endowment for the Arts, The McKnight Foundation, The Minnesota State Arts Board, The Bush Foundation, The Jerome Foundation and many others have all recognized him.



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SUMMARY OF Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse Life is pretty wonderful for Lilly. In addition to her new purse, she loves school and idolizes her hip teacher, Mr. Slinger, who greets the class with "howdy," not hello, wears "artistic" shirts, and believes rows of desks are boring. Instead of rows, Lilly's offbeat instructor suggests: "Do you rodents think you can handle a semicircle?" Mr. Slinger is definitely cool. That is, until he is forced to take Lilly's purse away, after she refuses to stop showing it off and disturbing the class. And thus a new mouse predicament is born. Lilly doesn't take any challenge lightly. Inspiration for the story struck several years ago when Henkes was on a book tour, waiting in an airport. He believes he was in Boise, Idaho, when he spotted a girl with a pocketbook just like Lilly's. "She was driving her father crazy," Henkes says. "It was one of those moments when the light bulb really goes off. I thought the pocketbook would be perfect for Lilly. So I got on the airplane and began writing." Lilly is part of an entire Henkes Mousedom, whose inhabitants can also be found in the Caldecott Honor winner Owen; Chrysanthemum; Chester's Way; Sheila Rae, the Brave; and A Weekend with Wendell. None of Henkes' mice, by the way -- even the quieter ones -- could ever be described as meek.

Reading Comprehension – After reading the book, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse to your students have them tell you what the story was about. What were their favorite parts? Who was their favorite character? Talk about having a bad day. How many of your students have had a bad day? Why? What did they do about it to make it better? The Harris County Public Library provides us with a reading list with suggestions of other books to read after the Lilly series. See the attachment at the end of the study guides. Use the attached worksheet and have your students color in Lilly’s purse. Then have them cut and paste the items that are supposed to be in her bag. Have them think about the details from the book. Sharing - Lilly’s purse is her most prized possession. Have your students bring in an item that is their prized possession. Have them share their items with the class. Lilly talks about becoming a teacher, a surgeon or an ambulance driver when she grows up. Have your students cut out pictures of occupations they would like to be when they grow up. Have them glue them on a poster board. Display their work in the classroom. Discuss how many students want to be teachers? Police officers? Doctors?



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Name:_______________________________ Color Lilly’s purse the correct color. Cut out the items that Lilly put in her purse and glue them on.

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RL - 2005



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So, you liked Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse? Try these books next! For Children

Ruby the Copycat by Peggy Rathmann It's the first day of school, and Ruby is new. When her classmate Angela wears a red bow in her hair, Ruby comes back from lunch wearing a red bow, too. When Angela wears a flowered dress, suddenly Ruby's wearing one, too. Fortunately, Ruby's teacher knows a better way to help Ruby fit in--by showing how much fun it is to be herself.

My Teacher is a Monster! (No, I am Not) by Peter Brown A young boy named Bobby has the worst teacher. She's loud, she yells, and if you throw paper airplanes, she won't allow you to enjoy recess. Luckily, Bobby can go to his favorite spot in the park on weekends to play. Until one day... he finds his teacher there! Over the course of that day, Bobby learns that monsters (and teachers) are not always what they seem.

Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores by James Howe, Illustrated by Amy Walrod Horace, Morris, and Dolores do everything together until one day, when Horace and Morris become part of an exclusive boys' club and Dolores finds herself left out. Soon, she, too, finds her own club, where no boys are allowed and girls are supposed to have fun doing girl stuff. But after a while, Horace and Morris and Dolores realize they aren't happy at all doing what everyone in their clubs seems to enjoy. They miss each other. Is it too late to be friends again?

Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael Kaplan, Illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch From her first bite, young Betty Bunny likes chocolate cake so much that she claims she will marry it one day, and she has trouble learning to wait patiently until she can have her next taste.

Catfish Kate and the Sweet Swamp Band by Sarah Weeks, Illustrated by Elwood H. Smith Catfish Kate and her all-girl band liven up the bayou with their rockin' tunes, but the Skunktail Boys are demanding a little peace and quiet. The boys want to read. The girls want to play. And the swamp's not big enough for the both of them! Or is it? A rhythmic read-aloud about the power of compromise from bestselling author Sarah Weeks. Catfish Kate is a pure swampy delight, full of sass appeal for crooners, rockers, and readers alike.

Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan, Illustrated by Sophie Blackall Having to take her younger sister along the first time she is invited to a birthday party spoils Rubina's fun, and later when that sister is asked to a party and baby sister wants to come, Rubina must decide whether to help.

Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco At first, Trisha loves school, but her difficulty learning to read makes her feel dumb, until, in the fifth grade, a new teacher helps her understand and overcome her problem.



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For Teens

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt Meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High, who must spend Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of the class has religious instruction. Mrs. Baker doesn't like Holling--he's sure of it. Why else would she make him read the plays of William Shakespeare outside class?

Sticky Fingers: DIY Duct Tape Projects – Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down by Sophie Maletsky Directions and detailed photographs designed to make creating a wallet and making a bag with duct tape even easier, while also providing a steady stream of ideas for personalizing and embellishing your duct tape creations.

The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake Thirteen year old Maleeka is uncomfortable with the dark color of her own skin. When she lays eyes on her new teacher, Miss Saunders, she encounters someone who, she feels, is worse off than she is. But Miss Saunders' skin, which is blotched with a rare skin condition, comes to serve as a mirror to Maleeka's struggle. Miss Saunders is tough, but encouraging, and Maleeka learns from her how to explore her feelings and stand up for herself.

For Adults

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella Becky Bloomwood has a fabulous flat in London's trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season's must-haves. The only trouble is that she can't actually afford it--not any of it. Her job writing at Successful Savings not only bores her to tears, it doesn't pay much at all. What can she do to bounce back when her finances have hit rock bottom?

Sewing Stylish Handbags and Totes: Chic to Unique Bags and Purses That You Can Make by Choly Knight Fashion savings are in the bag with this stylish book that shows you how to recreate the high-end look of designer bags at a fraction of the cost.

Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's premier lady detective, navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, and good humor--not to mention help from her loyal assistant, Grace Makutsi, and the occasional cup of tea. But there’s trouble brewing in Mma Makutsi's own life and her fashionably narrow (and uncomfortable) pair of blue shoes may not buy her the happiness she seeks.



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READING TO YOUR STUDENTS

Listening to literature read aloud is one of the most valuable experiences beginning readers can have. Here are some helpful hints for reading aloud to children:

1. Plan enough time in each session.

2. Choose stories that are of interest to the child (ren) -especially stories with vivid pictures, a

strong story line, and engaging characters.

3. Preview the book to anticipate questions or reactions.

4. Introduce the book by pointing out the cover illustration, title and author. Give a brief

explanation about why you chose to read this book. “This is the story of a girl who has a bad

day at school because __________.”

5. Read with expression that reflects the tone of the story or the characters. Read slowly.

Vary your pace so you can pause for emphasis or to allow time for the children to think

about what’s happening.

6. Allow time for children to study the pictures as you read and to make comments and ask

questions about the story.

7. Encourage predictions and help children confirm or revise these as the story unfolds.

8. Watch the children’s expressions and body language and be sensitive to signs of

boredom or confusion.

9. Save time at the end of the story to get reactions. Ask open-ended questions that don’t

have right or wrong answers and that can’t be answered with a yes or no reply. Ask the

children what they liked or disliked about the story. What they thought about the

characters? Did it remind them of their own lives?

10. Point out parts of the story you particularly noticed or liked.

For some children, listening to stories is a new experience and they need to time to develop that interest and ability.



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MATH Lilly’s dad makes some snacks for her to take to school. Here are a couple of recipes that you can use with your students to teach them about measuring and counting. Have them measure out the different items for the recipe.

MR. SLINGER’S ZINGER PUNCH Two 10-ounce packages frozen sweetened strawberries One 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate ¼ cup sugar Two 28-ounce bottles chilled ginger ale

One 28-ounce bottle chilled club soda In a covered blender at high speed, blend strawberries, undiluted lemonade concentrate, and sugar until thoroughly blended. Pour mixture into a large punch bowl and add remaining ingredients. LILLY”S LUSCIOUS CHEESE BITES Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated 1 teaspoon dry mustard 4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and grated cheddar cheese at medium speed until blended. Add mustard and beat until blended. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove cheese mixture from refrigerator and use hands to shape into small balls. A melon baller can be helpful. Roll finished cheese balls into sesame seeds and serve with crackers. CHESTER’S PEANUT BUTTER TOASTIES Remove the crusts from one loaf of bread. Lightly toast crust less slices in a toaster or on a cookie sheet in the oven broiler. Spread peanut butter on toasted slices. Cut on the diagonal and serve.

Lilly has 3 shiny quarters in her purse. Have your students use the attached money

worksheet to learn how to identify coins and their worth.

Use the attached worksheet and have your students practice their counting using items from Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.



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SCIENCE Here are a few fun and interesting facts about mice.

Mice are extremely social as well as clean pets to keep in a home. They create one place in their cages to put their food, one to use as a bathroom and another area where they like to sleep.

Mice are happiest when kept with at least one other mouse.

There are loads of different varieties of mice, which include domestic mice, fancy mice,

spiny mice and what is known as zebra mice.

When really frightened by something, a mouse will play dead until they feel the danger has passed.

When Walt Disney first created his now famous cartoon character, he called him Mortimer

Mouse. It was his wife, Lillian who thought the name Mickey Mouse would be better

A mouse can live anything from 1 to 2 years although if well looked after, a mouse can live even longer than that!

A mouse's tail is usually as long as their bodies are.

Mice can use their whiskers to detect any changes in the temperature around them – they also use their whiskers to feel any smooth or rough surfaces they run or walk along.

Mice have cute pointy noses and very large ears. Their bodies are longish and their tails are

long and hairless.

When it comes to colors, mice can come in all sorts from pure white to a mix of grey and brown shades of every kind.

Mice can be as small as 1 inch long or as long as 7 inches depending on the species!

A mouse has many natural predators because they are such small creatures. This includes

birds, cats, foxes and in some countries wild dogs are serious predators to mice as well.

Mice like to eat fruits and grains but will feast on other things in the wild too Mice are talkative little rodents, they communicate with each other using ultrasonic sounds

as well as very unique mouse sounds!

Mice will eat from 15 to 20 times a day which is why they need to be close to food at all times when kept as pets in captivity. You also have to make sure they always have access to fresh clean water.



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Use the attached coloring worksheet to discuss the life cycle of a mouse. Remember mice can be all colors – grey, white brown – so use lots of colors!

ART Make a “Light bulb Lab” in your classroom. Have your students make “purple plastic purses” and “movie star sunglasses with glittery diamonds and a chain” like in the story. Make a large purse for the classroom that has activities in it. Let each student pull out a “shiny quarter” each week that has a specific responsibility for the week such as “hall monitor” or “chalkboard eraser cleaner” or “line leader”. Let the student whose turn it is to share at sharing time wear the sunglasses as a reward.

MUSIC Lilly’s purse makes music every time it is opened. Have your students find items in the classroom that can be used as instruments. For example, a bottle can make noise when you blow in it. Have them come up with a tune using these instruments that might sound like the tune coming from Lilly’s purse. Is it festive or quiet? What kind of song do they think Lilly would have chosen? Lilly loves music and dancing. Play different music for your students and have them dance the way it makes them feel.



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HEALTH Respecting Other People – Lilly is disrespectful to her teacher and disobeys him when she keeps trying to distract her classmates by showing them her musical purse. She then gets angry because he takes her purse away from her until after school. She decides to draw him a mean picture to get back at him. At the end of the play, Lilly realizes that everyone has bad days and that she doesn’t really hate her teacher. Dealing with Feelings – Lilly is very happy at the beginning because she loves school and her teacher, Mr. Slinger. She becomes really excited when her Grandma buys her a purse and sunglasses and Lilly looks forward to showing them off at school. Lilly becomes sad, then mad and then furious at Mr. Slinger when he takes her things away from her. When Lilly reads the note from Mr. Slinger on the way home she feels guilty about giving him a mean picture. When she apologizes to him the next day she is very remorseful. Lilly learns that some days are going to be good ones and some are going to be bad ones. She learns that she cannot always react to her feelings at the time but that she needs to think about the situation from the other person’s point of view. Judging Peoples Appearances – Chester and Wilson are best friends and like to do everything together. When Lilly appears they don’t want to be her friend or play with her until some older boys come by and try to start a fight. Lilly comes by in a disguise and scares the older boys away. Chester and Wilson then decide to be friends with Lilly. They realize that Lilly is a really good friend and just because she acts a little differently doesn’t mean she isn’t nice. Sibling Rivalry – Lilly didn’t want her mom to have a baby. She couldn’t understand what was exciting about a lump. When Julius was born she was always mean to him and threatened to run away. Then one day her cousin Garland came over and made fun of Julius too. Lilly got so mad that someone was calling her brother names that she yelled at Garland and made him say “Julius is the Baby of the World” over and over again. She learned that having another brother or sister is not that bad. She learned that her parents still loved her just as much as before and that being a big sister was pretty fun and important.



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lilly’s purple plastic purse - main street theater · the sound designer can also create music...

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