Play GUIDE!

FEBRUaRy 3 - 28

About Shipwrecked! An Entertainment

Play GuideThis play guide is a standards-based resource designed to enhance your theatre experience. Its goal is twofold: to nurture the teaching and learning of theatre arts and to encourage essential questions that lead to enduring understandings of the play’s meaning and relevance. Inside you will find:

• Historical/contextual information.• Vocabulary and worksheets that lay the groundwork of the story and build anticipation for the performance.• Oral discussion and writing prompts that encourage your students to reflect upon their impressions and to analyze and relate key ideas to their personal experiences and world around them. These can easily be adapted to fit most writing objectives.• Bridgework, which connects theatre elements with ideas for drama activities in the classroom.• integrated curriculum for your lessons.

We encourage you to adapt and extend the material in any way to best fit the needs of your community of learners. Please feel free to make copies of this guide, or you may download it from our website: www.actorstheatre.org. We hope this material, combined with our pre-show workshops, will give you the tools to make your time at Actors Theatre a valuable learning experience.

Page 3: Synopsis/Character ListPage 4: The Real Rougemont (and Margulies)Page 5: Call of the SeaPage 6: Victorian EraPage 7: Theatre in Louis' DayPage 8: Map/Quiz: "Do You Have What it Takes to Survive a Shipwreck?"Page 9 & 10: Bridgework/Cross-Circular ActivitiesPage 11: Other Reading/GlossaryPage 12: Themes & DiscussionPage 13: Writing for PortfolioPage 14: Allusions/Work CitedPage 15: Upcoming Events

Kentucky Core Content:Shipwrecked! An Entertainment matinee and study guide address specific • aH-1.3.1: Students will analyze or evaluate the use of technical elements, literary elements and performance elements in a variety of dramatic works. • aH-2.3.1: Students will analyze or evaluate how factors such as time, place and ideas are reflected in drama.• aH-3.3.1: Students will explain how drama/theatre fulfills a variety of purposes.

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our play guides, please feel free to contact Jacob Stoebel at (502) 584-1265. The Hearst

Foundation, Inc.

Synopsis/Character List

Table of Contents

actors Theatre Education Steven Rahe, Education Director

Jacob Stoebel, Education Coordinator

Lee Look, New Voices Coordinator

Julie Mercurio, Education Intern

Jeffrey Mosser, Education Intern

Stowe Nelson, Education Intern

Study Guide compiled by Rachel lerner-ley, Julie Mercurio, Jeffrey Mosser, Stowe Nelson, Steven Rahe and Jacob Stoebel.

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Synopsis/Character List

Donald Margulies

n old man hobbles onstage and declares, “I’m about to tell you a story. A fantastic and amazing story! A story all the more remarkable because every word of it is true.” So begins Shipwrecked! An

Entertainment. From there, we are drawn into Louis’ world. We see him as a sheltered young boy, engrossed in Robinson Crusoe and Arabian Nights. That young boy grows into a restless young man who takes his first step towards independence. He leaves his home at the age of sixteen, bound for Australia on a pearling expedition. The journey is arduous but the outlook is bright. Until a great storm arises and the ship is capsized. All the men, save Louis, are drowned. Days later, Louis (along with the ship’s dog Bruno) washes up on dry land. He is safe but alone. From there, his story grows more fantastic. He does gymnastics on the beach to pass the time. He rides on the backs of sea turtles. He meets and marries an Aboriginal woman, visits her tribe and is made their king. He longs for home and eventually is rescued. Thirty years after leaving London, he returns home. Upon his return, Louis sells his amazing story to Wide World Magazine and becomes an overnight celebrity. His hero status is threatened when people begin to question his claims. Are Louis’ adventures real or just a figment of his imagination? Did he really do all those amazing things? Will Louis be vindicated or will his reputation be sullied forever?

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Despite the many characters found in Shipwrecked!, the play can be performed with as few as three actors. Our production uses three actors (who portray Louis, Player # 1 and Player #2), four Puppeteers, and three Foley Artists (who create live sound effects).

louis de Rougemont the main storyteller we follow from boyhood through old age, as he reenacts a life filled with amazing adventures.

Player #1 portrays or gives voice to Louis’ Mother, Capt. Jensen, Yamba (an Aborigine princess, later his wife), Fitzgerald (a magazine editor), a Society Lady, Albert’s Mother, Queen Victoria (a queen), an Octopus Expert, a Map Maker, a Reporter, a Librarian.

Player #2 portrays or gives voice to a Barkeep, Bruno (a dog), Gunda (Yamba’s father, a tribal chief), Bobo (Yamba’s brother), an Australian Prospector, a Society Lady, Albert (a boy), a Turtle Expert, a Wombat Expert, Dr. Leopold (an alienist), a Pickpocket, a Newsboy, a Reporter, a Lawyer.

Various Pedestrians, Shipmates, Pearl-Fishers, Children, Peddlers, Prospectors, Tribesmen, and Women, Club Members and Hecklers.

Cast of CharactersCast of Characters

"The magic of theatre is its power to astonish, but astonishment can occur only if the audience is willing to suspend its disbelief. My aim with Shipwrecked!… was to capture the attention of the hidden child in everyone in my audience. I wanted to write a play that would make no attempt to replicate onstage what television and movies do, but would instead celebrate the uniqueness of theatre. My impulse was to… tell stories that reflect our world or create new ones that can enlighten, amuse, transport, make you forget, or force you to remember."

Margulies on Shipwrecked!

In 1898, Louis de Rougemont burst into the British news with an amazing story of 30 years of adventure in the Australian Outback. However, de Rougemont’s tales proved too incredible for some, and newspapers began to investigate his background. What they discovered shocked the public: Louis de Rougemont was not the man he claimed to be!

Louis de Rougemont was really Henri Louis Grien, a poor Swiss immigrant to Australia. Originally the butler to the Lieutenant-Governor of Western Australia (at whose dinner parties Grien overheard detailed accounts of Outback expeditions), Henri Louis settled down in Sydney. There, he started a family and attempted various money-making schemes such as marketing a faulty deep-diving suit. He also continued to collect adventure stories.

After one too many failed enterprises, Grien quit Australia for London and spent his days at the British Museum reading books on the Australian Outback and the South Pacific. Months later, he appeared at The Wide World Magazine with a new name—Louis de Rougemont—and the amazing tales that would rocket him to stardom.

Grien’s fame was his downfall—his abandoned family and duped customers recognized his picture in the newspaper and came forward with accounts of the real Louis. Though publicly discredited, Grien continued to appear in theatres as Louis de Rougemont, offering demonstrations of his turtle-riding skills as proof of his authenticity. Interest in de Rougemont soon waned, and Grien disappeared from the public eye. In 1921, he died a beggar, going by yet another name: Louis Redmond.

The Real Louis de Rougemont

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The Real donald Margulies

“Truth is stranger than fiction, But de Rougemont is stranger than both”

--The Wide World Magazine

Born in 1954, Donald Margulies is a playwright from Brooklyn. His love of theatre was fostered early on by his father who, despite of his low income, found a way to take his children to see plays and musicals on Broadway.

Margulies initially studied visual arts at the Pratt Institute but transferred to the State University of New York to pursue playwriting. By 1992 his career began to soar as he won an OBIE Award for Best New American Play for Sight Unseen. His other works include The Loman Family Picnic; Pitching to the Star; Zimmer; Luma Park; What's Wrong With This Picture?; The Model Apartment; Broken Sleep; and Dinner With Friends, which premiered at Actors Theatre and won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize. Margulies learned early in his writing career that writing isn't confined to the typical nine-to-five work week. It can happen any time and in any place. Sometimes that creative spark might not strike for days. He says, "It's part of the mysteriousness of writing and I find that I can't force it"

He currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut, where he teaches playwriting at the Yale School of Drama.

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alexander Selkirk was marooned on Isla Juan Fernandez (a small island in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile) from 1704 until 1709. When Selkirk’s ship docked at Juan Fernandez, he and the crew found two castaways already living happily and healthily on the island. Selkirk was no fan of his ship’s captain and, seeing that the castaways survived well on the island, Selkirk stayed, expecting the island would soon be visited by another ship. He was wrong. For almost five years, Selkirk lived a simple life—eating goat flesh, living in a hut made of driftwood and awaiting rescue.

Henry Pitman, seafaring surgeon, was sold into slavery as a traitor to the English crown. He escaped with seven other men and set sail for the Dutch island of Curacao only to end up stranded on an island called Salt Tortuga. Upon arrival, the group encountered a band of pirates who burned Pitman’s ship, leaving him stranded on the island. Like real-life Robinson Crusoes they dried turtle meat for the upcoming winter and mended their clothes with fishbone needles. The island was eventually visited by a second group of pirates. During an attempted mutiny, Pitman and his men joined forces with the pirate captain and successfully subdued the insurrection. As thanks for helping to regain control of the ship, the captain granted Pitman and his men passage to New England on his ship.

Call of the SeaThe mysteries of the ocean have captured our imaginations for centuries. Stories of tragic shipwrecks, mysterious creatures, looting pirates, and marooned sailors and even royalty have been told as far back as Homer’s The Odyssey. No matter the century, we can’t seem to resist fantastic tales of adventures on the high seas.

The Odyssey by Homer (circa. 800 BC)Homer’s epic poem tells the story of Odysseus, a Greek hero who struggles against the sea, the fates and even the Gods as he spends 20 years trying to make his way home after the Trojan War.

Twelfth Night & The Tempest by William Shakespeare (1601, 1610)Even Shakespeare was fascinated by shipwrecks. In Twelfth Night, a shipwreck leads to confusion, mistaken identities and romance. The Tempest strikes a more fantastic tone, with a group of castaways subjected to the will of the sorcerer Prospero.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (1719)Crusoe is often thought of as the definitive tale of shipwreck. This story has everything, from wild escapes to struggling for survival to ravenous cannibals.

Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss (1812)Wyss tells the story of a whole family who shipwrecks in the East Indies as they are nearing Australia. The story was later adapted into one of the most famous TV shows of the 1960s—Lost in Space.

Gilligan’s Island (1964)“Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale.” This goofy sixties television sitcom chronicles seven stranded castaways of the SS Minnow, who for three seasons attempt rescue from an uncharted isle.

Titanic (Movie 1997) A timeless tearjerker, and record-setter for most Academy Awards, Titanic sets an ill-fated romance between rich girl and street-smart boy on board the disastrous iceberg-colliding journey across the Atlantic.

in the Victorian age, true shipwreck stories were serialized in magazines like The Wide World Magazine, adding to the mystery, suspense and drama of life at sea.

eXTRa!! eXTRa!!

Victorian England was more than just a time and place – the events of this era revolutionized manufacturing, culture and international politics, paving the way for the world we know today. The decades between 1837 and 1901, the years of Queen Victoria’s reign, held significant changes for England. Such changes included steam technology for ships and railroads, philosophical and scientific advancement including Darwin and an ever-increasing understanding of the world.

The largest change was the development of the Industrial Revolution, marked by the spread of factories. Factories lowered product costs by putting all production in one location. By the middle of the 1800s a majority of industries had adopted the factory model, and England was considered the “Workshop of the World”.

The population of Victorian England also shifted from an agricultural to an industrial world. From 1801 to 1901 the population dwelling in urban areas increased from 20% to 75%. Due to this increase of urban sprawl the life of the soon-to-be modern farmer was getting much more difficult. With such rapid expansion it isn’t difficult to imagine Louis de Rougemont traveling to foreign lands, meeting exotic people and returning to a vastly different London 30 years later.

The hand of England extended beyond the solitary island to exotic lands such as Canada, South Africa, India and Australia. In Victorian England it was common to know someone who may have traveled hundreds of miles on newly charted seas. Through such voyages the name of Queen Victoria has been bequeathed to various conquests and discoveries. In Canada her name was given to an entire island and harbor; mountain ranges in Burma; rivers in Australia and Africa and many others.

The colonization of Australia had two purposes. Among the first to settle Australia were convicts from London’s over-populated prisons. The labor of prisoners contributed to Australia’s gold and silver deposits. A great majority of released prisoners remained in Australia to further explore and conquer the rest of this untamed land in the name of Queen Victoria.

Much of what we know today has sprung from the Victorian Era. For better or worse the influence of England is still felt throughout the world. From technology to politics to economics the Victorian Era comprises a remarkable portion of our own history.

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The Victorian Era

Aborigines, Australian natives, prior to England's colonization

Queen Victoria late in her reign

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Theatre in Louis' DayAt the turn of the twentieth century, the British theatre scene was divided into two distinct halves: “Theatre” and "Music Hall". Theatre was attended by the upper classes and featured dramas and classics produced in large ornately decorated theaters. Music Hall was produced in smaller auditoriums on simple raised platforms. The audience consisted of the lower classes, and the plays were comedies or vaudeville acts: songs, skits, displays of various talents such as acrobatics, and even travel stories. It is in music halls that Louis and his touring company would have staged his incredible tales.

Here’s a look at some of the early-twentieth century stage techniques that louis and Co. would have used when putting on their entertainment:

Black Cats and ShadowsShadow puppet shows were performed both on the streets and in cabarets. Screens were hoisted onto the stage or positioned in front of the portable booths of street performers. Candles, oil lamp, or limelight would backlight the screens, and puppets made of tin and card performed between the light and the screen. Street shadow shows were called Galanty Shows. During the day, street puppeteers put on popular Punch & Judy shows—comedies performed by a single puppeteer that featured the adventures of the mischievous, hook-nosed Punch and the arguments he had with his wife, Judy. At night, the puppeteers transformed the booths and performed the Galanty Shows. Stage shadow shows were inspired by productions from the infamous Bohemian French cabaret Le Chat Noir.

A poster for Le Chat Noir

and then there was…electricity!In the end of the nineteenth century, gas lamps and a gaseous mixture known as limelight were used to light the actors and scenery up “on the boards.” These highly flammable gasses, combined with the wooden architecture of the theatres, led to many disastrous fires. Luckily for Louis and his audiences, the turn of the century marked the widespread use of electric lights in the theatre (the first electric lights appeared in British theatres in the 1880s).

Punch and Judy Show

Testing…testing…1,2,3…hello?There were no microphones in Louis’ day. Nor were there speakers or

endless databases of computerized sounds to insert into a show. Instead, theatre-makers had to create sound effects on the spot, using various

contraptions and found materials. For instance, to make thunder, sound techs hit a large metal sheet known as a thunder sheet with a mallet, or rolled cannonballs down a large chute known as a thunder run. There

were also rain boxes and wind machines. By the time Louis was hitting the stage, he would have also been using a “high-tech” alternative: the

gramophone. Now, pre-recorded sounds could be played on stage—you could have the neigh of a real horse rather than a human imitation coming

from the wings.

A gramophone

Where are you going?a) The Great Barrier Reefb) Antarcticac) Ohio River

What are you looking for?a) Pearlsb) Uncharted landc) Pirates

In what will you travel?a) The Wonder World shipb) Sailboatc) Kayak

What are you packing?a) The Plays of William Shakespeareb) Mapsc) iPod Who are you bringing?a) Your dogb) Your science teacherc) Your BFF

How long have you ever gone without food or water?a) 10 hoursb) 10 daysc) What time is lunch?

You’re an expert in…a) Sea turtlesb) Making firec) Yoga

Mostly aAre you Louis de Rougemont?? Like Louis, you seem to have an excellent sense of curiosity and adventure that will surely take you far. But will he survive the shipwreck? You’ll have to find out!

Mostly bWow, your skills have no match! You certainly have what it takes to survive a shipwreck. Your clever thinking and intuition are just what a person needs when marooned. Congratulations!

Mostly cHmm…you may not have exactly what it takes, but you sure will have a good time!

When you embark on your adventure...

if you answered…

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Do You Have What it Takes... to Survive a Shipwreck?

So you’re about to venture out into the world! Take this quiz to find out if you will live to tell the tale of your very own shipwreck!louis' Travels

1) 1852: Louis is born in Paris, France

2) 1869: Louis sets sail for the Great Barrier reef from London, England

3) 1871: After being shipwrecked alone on an island for two years, Louis meets Aborigines

4) 1898: Louis arrives in Australia after being shipwrecked for over 29 years

5) 1898: Louis is back in London telling his adventure

Wide World articleThe Wide World magazine was published from the late 1800s until the 1960s in Britain, and told stories of travel, adventure and intrigue. Louis’ tale of shipwreck was one of many that made the magazine famous. Cover titles for the magazine included “How I was Buried Alive” and “Aquanauts of Inner Space.” Write a one-page article for The Wide World magazine that involves adventure and excitement. The magazine’s motto is “Truth is Stranger than Fiction,” but like Louis, your “true” story may be more interesting if some fiction is mixed in. Illustrate your article and “publish” it by distributing the story or compilation of class stories to other classes/teachers.

direct Shipwrecked!As the director, you can set the play in any time, any place. In what era other than the late 1800s would you like to set the play Shipwrecked!? Assume the role of director and use the elements of technical theatre (lights, sound, set, props, costumes and makeup) to enhance your new setting. How would each of your ideas in these elements support your choice of new time period? Think about how the story might change—slightly or drastically—based on your new setting. How are the important themes of the play conveyed through the new setting? Write a director’s note to your audience explaining why you made each choice in the areas of technical theatre, and how they relate to the new setting. Teachers may choose to have students focus in on one technical element.

Be a PlaywrightDonald Margulies wrote every scene in Shipwrecked! from the prospective of Louis de Rougemont, the main character, so we only learn Louis’ thoughts and descriptions of the world of the play. Assume the role of playwright and re-write one scene from the play from another character’s point of view. How would an English reporter narrate a scene about Louis’ return home? What

about Yamba’s point of view when she first meets Louis and cannot speak his language? How does Bruno the dog experience the shipwreck? Think about the history and personality of these characters as you tell the story through their eyes. Include at least ten lines of dialogue in your scene.

Shipwreck yourselfLouis did not have the power to control the circumstances of his shipwreck. For example, he did not get to choose when or where he would be cast away for 30 years. Pretend that you are going to be shipwrecked, and make a list of what you think are the most important conditions. To get started: What year would you be shipwrecked—and how would that affect your experience? Where in the world (or out of this world) would you be shipwrecked? What three items would you bring? Who would you want with you? What other circumstances would you choose to control?

Be a Foley artistWhat does a shipwreck sound like? Pick a scene from the play (or write your own scene with dialogue) and create noises and sound effects that will make up your “soundtrack.” Make the noises using your body (snap, clap, etc.) and items found only in your classroom. As a Foley artist, you decide how to best re-create a sound (like a windstorm and crashing boat) using your imagination and your found materials, just like the designers of Shipwrecked! do. Rehearse your scene and then perform for your class while they close their eyes and imagine they are listening to the radio.

Shadow PlayMuch of the story of Shipwrecked! is told with shadows. Images such as a giant octopus or Louis’ sinking ship are created onstage by light and shadow—making those images very simple, yet very imaginative. Try making different shadow puppets or images on the wall by putting your hands or body in front of

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a light source. Can you make different animals? What about other objects and figures? Create a story using these shadows and rehearse a scene by yourself or with a partner. Think about the many variations: shadows of body parts only or classroom objects only, a silent play, a play with only sound effects, etc. Once you are ready, turn all the other lights out and share your shadow play with the class!

“yes, and…” adventure StoryWith your class or a group of students, sit in a circle so that everyone can see each other. You will tell a group story of adventure, where each person in the circle only tells one line at a time. The first person in the circle begings with the line “Once upon a time…” and starts the story. For example, “Once upon a time there was a orange dragon.” After the first line, the person next to them continues the story starting with the sentence “Yes, and…” For example, “Yes, and that dragon loved ice cream cones.” The story continues around the circle once (or twice if there is a small group) and everyone starts their sentence of the story with “Yes, and…” You must always build upon the sentence of the story that came before yours so the story makes sense. Challenge yourself and your classmates to be adventurous and work together to tell the greatest story ever told!

Tableaux ShowIn groups of 4-8, recreate the story of Shipwrecked! (or create your own if you haven’t seen the play yet) through tableaux (still images). Brainstorm the five most important scenes of the play or story, and create a tableau with your body to depict each one. There should be no sound except the voice of the narrator, who describes the tableaux as they are frozen. Rehearse moving from one tableau to the next in order, always working together, using your bodies to create a freeze frame of each scene. When your group is ready, present to the class your performance of Shipwrecked! through these frozen pictures.

BridgeworkBuilding Connections Between Stage and Classroom

On your Feet

at your desk

The following exercises combine creative drama, theatre concepts, and core content to connect the theatre experience with drama activities in your classroom. By exploring drama as a mode of learning, students strengthen skills for creative problem solving, imagination, and critical thinking. Core Content Connection – The activities are designed using the Elements of Drama: Literary, Technical, and Performance (Core Content 4.1).

language arts/literatureThe plot of a play is the series of incidents, or the order of events that occur. A plot starts with exposition (background information), then continues with rising action (excitement and tension) leading up to the climax (turning point), and finishes with the falling action (resolution of the problem). Explore different plots by writing stories using the guide below, filling in each of the seven lines. Include a setting and characters in every story.

1) Once upon a time…2) And every day…3) Until one day…4) Because of that…5) Because of that…6) Until finally…7) And ever since then…

GeographyUsing a world map, brainstorm other possible routes Louis could have traveled from Britain to Australia. Try researching canals or passages have changed from 1869 to 2009, or technology that would have made the journey easier or more difficult for him. What are some other ways to travel long distances?

ScienceLouis was shipwrecked because large waves tossed his boat back and forth while he was at sea. What kind of weather event could have caused this? Research different kinds of weather disasters, especially around Australia and choose one that could have affected Louis’ journey. How is it created? Where does it usually occur? What are some famous disasters of this kind?

MathIf Louis were to travel to Australia today, how long would it take? Research the distance of several routes and the speed of different modes of transportation (car, cruise ship, airplane, etc.) to use in your equation. (Hint: speed = distance/time)

Foreign languagesWhen Louis first meets Yamba and her family, they have trouble communicating because they speak different languages. Explore the many languages of Australia. How many different dialects or variations can you find? What are some of the differences and similarities between them? Were there as many in 1890 as there are today?

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BridgeworkBuilding Connections Between Stage and Classroom

Cross Connections

Stones with engravings in foriegn language

Abacus

Compass with globe

Tools for Navigation

Robinson Crusoe

Fraiser Island Shipwreck off the coast of Australia

Bridgeworkaborigines: native inhabitants of Australia.

arabian Nights: a collection of Arabic folk tales also known as A Thousand and One Nights. Stories include the adventures of Ali Baba, Aladdin and Sinbad.

Cannibal: a person who eats humans.

Cassiopeia: a northern constellation named for Cassiopeia, a vain Ethiopian queen in Greek mythology. The constellation has two of the brightest stars in the sky.

Cataclysm: a violent upheaval or disaster; a large flood.

Catamaran: a boat with two parallel hulls.

Charlatan: a person who claims to possess knowledge or skills that he does not really have; a quack.

Colonization: when one country establishes and rules over settlements in another country.

delusions of Grandeur: believing that one is greater, more powerful and/or more influential than one actually is. Delusions are associated with mental illness.

effigy: a painted or sculpted representation of a person.

Great Barrier Reef: the largest reef in the world, off the coast of Australia in the Coral Sea. It is over 1400 miles long and has an area of approximately 216,542 square miles. A reef is a large strip of coral, sand or rock that rises to or above the surface of the ocean.

Hoi polloi: the common people, the masses.

Madame Tussauds: a British museum founded in the early nineteenth century that features startlingly life-like wax statues of celebrities.

Royal Geographic Society: British society for advancement of geography founded in 1830. Originally a gentleman’s dinner club, the society was given a royal charter by Queen Victoria in 1859 and soon became responsible for bringing geography into schools and making it an academic subject. The Society also sponsored colonial exploration as well as famous expeditions by explorers such as Livingstone (Africa), Shackleton (Antarctica), and Hillary (Mt. Everest).

Serial: a novel or story published in installments (usually chapters).

Vindicate: to clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments or proof.

The Wide World Magazine: a monthly British magazine published from 1898-1965 that featured true-life adventure stories including the serialized adventures of Louis de Rougemont. The magazine’s motto was: “Truth is stranger than fiction.”

Wombat: an Australian marsupial resembling a small bear.

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Other Reading/GlossaryTerms and Vocabulary

Cassiopeia constellation

Catamaran

The Great Barrier Reef

1. Have you ever wanted to drop everything and just go somewhere? Where? How long? With whom?2. Would you ever want to visit a foreign place where you didn’t speak the language? Why? If you already have, how did it feel?3. Everyone is an expert at something. What are you an expert at and why? How long did it take you to consider yourself an expert? Do you know anyone who’s an expert at something else?

1. Do you believe that Louis actually did go on his adventure? Why or why not? Can you think of a time when someone didn’t believe you? How did it make you feel?2. Did the elements of the show make his story believable? How?3. Could you ever leave your family for 30 years like Louis did? If so, how would you stay in contact?

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Pre-Show

Post-Show

Cast Away (2000) dir. Robert ZemeckisGilligan's Island (1964) Land of the Lost (TV series1974 & 1991, Film 2009) Lost in Space (1998) dir. Stephen HopkinsRobinson Crusoe (1997) dir. Rod Hardy & George Miller

Film/TV

If you liked Shipwrecked!, Check out:

literature

Imposters by Sarah BurtonRobinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe The Odyssey by HomerEndurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred LansingLife of Pi by Yann MartelThe Adventures of Louis de Rougemont by Louis de RougementIn Search of Robinson Crusoe by Tim SevrinThe Tempest by William ShakespeareTwelfth Night by William ShakespeareSwiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

Pre/Post Show Questions

THeMeSSTORYTELLINGADVENTURETRUTH

IDENTITYISOLATIONSELF-RELIANCE

REALITY VS. ILLUSIONFANTASY

Consider the emotional experience of Louis de Rougemont when he finds himself shipwrecked, alone on an island at only 17 years of age. In just a moment, his life turns completely upside down. Think back to a time when you were lost. Write a journal entry exploring what you felt at that time. Describe what it was like emotionally to know you couldn’t find your way, as well as memories from each of your five senses. What smells were in the air? What images do you remember seeing? What noises surrounded you? Be sure to finish you entry explaining how you found your way out of the experience, and most importantly, what you learned from it.

After Louis made it back to London and began to tell his tale to the public, reporters and nay-sayers poked holes in his story, claiming that he made it up. Write a scene or a short story about Louis’ life one year after his story was debunked. Who does he interact with? What is said or takes place in these encounters with several characters? Be sure to include how Louis’ life has changed since exactly one year ago—the day he returned home and captivated audiences with his fantastic and amazing story.

Write a review of Actors Theatre’s Shipwrecked!. Describe what it was like to watch the play, but be sure write about more than just the story told by the play. Think about how the play tells its story. Make the experience of watching the play come alive for your reader by writing about several of the play’s many elements, including costumes, lights, and props as well as how the actors performed in their roles and how the director moved them around the stage. Were there some parts of Shipwrecked! you enjoyed more than other parts? If so, why?

Need more help?

Check out our young Critics Workshops! Have an Actors Theatre teaching artist visit your classroom to give your students the inside scoop on how to write a theatrical critique.

Students who have written a critique on an actors Theatre production may submit their work to be posted on our website!! To submit online, please send all critiques as email attachments to jstoebel@actorstheate.org with the subject heading “Young Critics Contest.” Please be sure to include your name, school, teacher, grade, and contact information.

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Work Cited/Allusions

"Donald Margulies (1954 - )." Imagi-nation.com 2008. 10 Nov. 2008 <http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc77.html>.

Mackenzie, John M. The Victorian Vision. New York: Abrams, 2001.

Margulies, Donald. "Los Angels Times: Dramatist Donald Margulies Sees the Stage in a Fresh Light." 2007. Los Angeles Times. 14 Dec. 2008 <http://articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/23/entertainment/ca-margulies23>.

Maslen, Geoffrey. The Most Amazing Story a Man Ever Lived to Tell. Australia: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1977.

“Memorial University DAI: The World on Mercator’s Projection.” Collections.mun.ca. 2008. 11 Nov. 2008 < http://collections.mun.ca/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/maps&CISOPTR=0&CISOBOX=1&REC=1>.

"PBS Hollywood Presents: Collected Stories – On Writing – Donald Margulies." Pbs.org. 2002. 10 Nov. 2008 <http://www.pbs.org/hollywoodpresents/collectedstories/writing/write_margulies_1.html>.

Swisher, Clarice. Victorian England. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2000.

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“i was born in the year 1632… in the city of york...”

“After we had rode about a league and a half a raging wave, mountain-like came rolling astern and took us with such a fury… and furious as an enemy”

“Oh Romeo…”

“…let me not,/ Since i have my dukedom got/and pardon’d the deceiver, dwell/ in this bare island by your spell;”

“My city is a grumbling monster now, grinding its gears and spouting its smoke, all day and all night, without cease.”

Opening of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

Shipwreck scene from Robinson Crusoe, chapter 3.

Romeo and Juliet, “balcony scene” (Act II, scene ii), spoken by the young lover Juliet.

The Tempest, Epilogue, spoken by the great magician Prospero.

Louis refers to the Industrial Revolution—the momentous era in British history when manufacturing moved away from farms in the countryside and into large machine-based factories in the city.

From the Script Where it's From

allusions

Work Cited

a literary device quickly stimulating different ideas and associations using only few words; the act of alluding; making indirect reference; derived from the Latin word allsus meaning to play.

Upcoming EventsTwo hundred years after his birth, the values and beliefs of Abraham Lincoln continue to have great impact on our nation. For a one night engagement, Actors Theatre has brought together middle and high school students from three Kentucky communities – Louisville, Bowling Green and Prestonsburg – to perform three original student-written plays inspired by the life and philosophy of this amazing man on his bicentennial birthday. Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

tickets required, call the Box Office 502.584.1205FRee

February 12 at 7:00 p.m.Thursday, 316 W Main Street

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NEWVOICESPLAY FESTIVAL

Every school year Actors Education introduces hundreds of students throughout Kentuckiana to the basics of playwriting. The results of these multiple classroom residency workshops are... ten minute plays! These plays enter our annual competition and the best of the best are selected, developed and produced on stage. The Acting Apprentice Company will bring these plays to life in the Bingham Theatre for two performances only: April 19 and 20.

and open to the public! call the Box Office 502.584.1205FRee

10 Ten-Minute Plays(All Original Student Work)

april 19 at 5:00 p.m.april 20 at 7:00 p.m.Sunday & Monday, Bingham Theatre

THE NORTON FOUNDaTION, INC.sponsored by

sponsored by

a CElEBRaTION OF WENDEll BERRyadapted for the stage by Marc Masterson and Adrien-Alice Hansel from the writing of Wendell Berry

American poet and ecological visionary, Wendell Berry taught at New York University before returning home to his family’s Kentucky farm in Henry County. This musical celebration of Berry’s writing will entice your students to discover this significant writer from their home state.

april 7, 8, 9, 16 at 10:30 a.m316 W Main Street

Tickets required, call the Box Office 502.585.1210or email Steve Smith at SSmith@ActorsTheatre.org

Core Content 4.1: Rd-1.0.1, Rd-5.0.3, aH-1.3.1

Student Matinees

World Premieres!

Did you know Actors Theatre of Louisville also serves as an art gallery? During your visit, be sure to check out the:

Check it Out!

Actors Theatre of Louisville g 316 West Main Street g Louisville, Kentucky 40202–4218 g USA

Box Office 502–584–1205 g Group Sales 502–585–1210 g Business Office 502–584–1265

actorsTheatre.org

aFRiCaN aMeRiCaN aRT eXHiBiTiONa juried art show

...which features 42 pieces by local and regional artists. From paintings to sculpture, collages to photography—this exhibition has it all! Every February for 15 years, Actors has been the proud home to this African American Art showcase. Come see what the buzz is about!

Prosperity Essentials, Ariston Jacks, Mixed Media, 22” x 18”

February 6 at 6:00 pm Don’t miss the Opening Reception with free food and live music.

Saturday, February 7 at 11:00 am“Business of Art” A seminar open to the public (especially students!) led by Kevin Cole, Dr. Robert Douglas, and Eugene Thomas. These artists will lead discussions on the world of professional art and how YOU can become a part of it. Join us!

yOu’Re iNViTed!