Educator’s Study Guide Shear Madness

By Paul PörtnerDirected by Bob Lohrmann

Study Guide References from shearmadness.com

Sept 12 – Dec 23ST. JACOBS SCHOOLHOUSE THEATRE

Youth Theatre Education Sponsor

Table of Contents

About .................................................................................................................. 3

Synopsis ......................................................................................................... 3

About Drayton Entertainment ....................................................................... 3

The Characters ................................................................................................ 4

History ................................................................................................................ 4

Research Questions ....................................................................................... 4

Language Arts ..................................................................................................... 5

Questions, Thoughts and Reflections............................................................. 5

Theatre Vocabulary ........................................................................................ 5

Word Search ....................................................................................................... 6

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Shear Madness Study Guide

NICKThe Tough

Guy

??

TONY The Sassy

Salon Owner

?

EDDIEThe Shady

Antiques Dealer

?

MIKEYThe Nerdy Assistant

?

MRS. SHUBERT The Snooty

Society Lady

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BARBARAThe Secretive

Stylist

Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as America’s longest running play, Shear Madness continues to delight audiences with its unique blend of madcap improvisation and spine-tickling mystery.

Hairdresser Tony Whitcomb and manicurist Barbara DeMarco comb through the tasks of a normal day until concert pianist Isabel Czerny is murdered. Tony, Barbara, and the Shear Madness customers – socialite Eleanor Shubert, antiques dealer Eddie Lawrence, and cops Nick Rosetti and Mikey Thomas – are all suspects.

But whodunit? Witness the fun, put your detective skills to the test, and take a stab at solving the crime!

Synopsis

About Drayton Entertainment

An award-winning, not-for-profit charitable organization, Drayton Entertainment produces the finest in live theatre at seven venues in southwestern Ontario. Each theatre maintains its distinct identity, but at the same time, combines the strengths and energy of all to provide an entertainment experience that is unparalleled.

The stage for success was first set in 1991, with the launch of the Drayton Festival Theatre. Under the leadership of founding and current Artistic Director, Alex Mustakas, the theatre was an immediate success. Since then, Drayton Entertainment has added the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre, King’s Wharf Theatre (in Penetanguishene), Huron Country Playhouse (with two stages in Grand Bend), St. Jacobs Country Playhouse and the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge renamed the Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge in 2018.

Drayton Entertainment’s distinctive business model provides protection from the inherent fragility of the theatre industry, while providing an outlet for growth and prosperity. This has positive implications for artists and audiences – all of whom enjoy enhanced opportunities both on and off the stage.

By successfully balancing the competing demands of quality productions, fiscal responsibility, and community integrity, Drayton Entertainment has emerged as a true innovator and leader for arts and culture in Canada.

About

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The Characters

Shear Madness Study Guide

History

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Shear Madness Study Guide

Historians have traced the development of theatre in general, and comedy in particular, from 5th century Greece. Comedy developed as a commentary on society and politics by presenting ridiculous exaggerations of real events. Elements such as a play on words, parody of real situations and satire were instrumental in these plays. The performances were created from improvisation, which allowed a good deal of interaction between the actors and the audience. The early plays conformed to a structure that included a chorus to serve as the link between the audience and the action on stage.

The chorus, which addressed the audience directly, was used to divide the plays into two parts. In the first part, the problem or conflict was introduced and discussed. An idea for a solution and a plan of action would then be proposed to the audience by the chorus. Serving as a moderator, the chorus established a set of standards the audience used when judging the characters and the action of the play. In the second part, the chorus frequently halted the action of the play to let the audience think about what had happened in order to come to a solution of the problem by the play’s end.

Further in the development of modern comedy, the 16th and 17th centuries brought improvisational theatre to a professional level. The prominent forces in public entertainment from the mid-1500s to the mid-1600s were Commedia dell'arte (comedy of professional players) and Commedia all'improviso (improvised comedy). Both types of comedy featured two main components: improvisation and stock characters. These aspects worked well together to create performances that seemed spontaneous to their audiences. Because actors often played the same few stock character roles throughout their lives, they had the opportunity to learn which lines and stage actions audiences liked. The actors could then use those pieces of dialogue and action in many other performances. This way, performances had a specific storyline to follow and the stories seemed spontaneous each time.

Research Questions:

1. Research the typical stock characters of Commedia dell'arte, and guess which Shear Madness character would associate with which stock character. After seeing the show, does your answer change? Using examples from the show, explain why you were correct or incorrect.

2. Improvisational techniques are often used extensively in drama programs to train actors for stage, film, and television. Research an example of modern improv (besides what you see in Shear Madness). Why do you think improvisation important in drama?

A Breif History of Improv

Questions, Thoughts and Reflections

Questions for students after the performance:

1. A lot of people work behind the scenes on a play to make everything come together. Can you guess all the components that go into a show? (Actors, Director, Musical Director/Band, Choreographer, Costumes, Lights, Sound, Stage Managers, Props, Sets, Ushers, Marketing, Box Office, and more).

2. Identify instances of improvisation in the performance and describe how the audience respond to them.

3. Choose one character and discuss how that character is an exaggeration or stereotype of a real person.

4. Choose and discuss a few elements of Shear Madness that are exaggerated in order to satirize society and Politics.

5. Shear Madness has its debut in 1963, but has been ever-changing since it was first performed to suit the modern day society. How do you think it differs between the first performances versus now? Would the characters change, are they appropriate for today’s modern day society? How would the set and costumes differ?

6. Write a review for the play. Tell us about what you enjoyed, what you disliked, as well as a brief synopsis.

Language Arts

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Shear Madness Study Guide

Theatre Vocabulary

Blocking The actor’s movements on the stage.Cast/Company All of the actors in the entire show.Character A personality that an actor or script creates.Costume The clothing or outfit worn on stage by performers. Critique Opinions and comments that evaluate the actors or their performances. Cue A signal that indicates something else is about to happen. Dialogue The conversation between actors on stage. Director The person who oversees the entire staging of a production. Dress Rehearsal The final rehearsal before the performance with costumes and makeup. Gesture An expressive movement of the body or limbs. Monologue A long speech by a single character. Motivation A character’s reason for doing or saying something. Playwright The person who writes a play or book of the musical (also called libretto). Props The items carried or used by actors. Stage The area where the characters perform - usually containing a set.

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COMB COMEDY

DETECTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

GOSSIP HAIRDRESSER

HAIRDRYER HILARIOUS

IMPROVISIATION LAUGHTER MADNESS MURDER

MYSTERY PORTNER

SALON SHEARS

THEATRE WHODUNIT

Shear Madness Word search

Shear Madness Study Guide