Teacher resource for Jo Turner's dramatic adaptation of "Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs"

Photo: Angelo Sgambati

Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs

atyp & Riverside Theatre Production

May 2011

Teacher's Resource Kit

“Riverside Theatres offers the chance to be entertained…Not a day goes by when there isn’t something

new and exciting happening at Riverside” Robert Love – Riverside Theatres Director

Home to over 600 shows every year, Riverside Theatres offers an exciting variety of professional live theatre,

dance, comedy, film and musical performances.

Riverside‟s relaxing courtyard is the perfect space to unwind with a drink before heading into one of our

three theatres for a night of friends, fun, fiction and fantasy!

As the leading entertainment venue in Greater Sydney, and located along the river, Riverside Theatres is

the highlight of a great night out in Parramatta.

atyp is exclusively devoted to young people. We are driven by the idea that the arts can inspire

creative, courageous and confident young people wherever they are and whatever they want to be.

We believe that the arts have the power to transform lives, enrich communities and ultimately impact

upon the future of our nation. Our work is motivated by the need to improve access for all young

Australians to share their stories and participate in the arts regardless of economic or geographical

barriers.

Our Vision: to be the leading Australian youth theatre company, inspiring and nurturing imagination,

confidence and creativity in young people across the country.

At the heart of our company lies collaboration between professional artists and young people. Working

together we create inspiring theatre that engages with contemporary social issues and provides a

space for young people to celebrate their creativity and Rise Up and Act!

Above all, atyp inspires young people to make great theatre.

This Resource Kit has been designed as a classroom tool to assist with the preparation,

evaluation and analysis of the Australian Theatre for Young People (atyp) and

Riverside Theatre production: Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs.

The notes and activities have been divided into three components:

Before you see Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs

The Performance: Behind the scenes of Ishmael and the Return of the

Dugongs

After you see Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs

NSW BOS Syllabi have been used as a guide for this resource kit. It is recommended

before using the suggested websites in this kit that teachers first visit the sites to assess

suitability of content for your particular school setting.

We hope you find these activities useful and that they enhance your creative arts

experiences in the classroom.

Heather Clark

Education and Outreach Manager

Australian Theatre for Young People

Before you see Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs

Musical Context: The Music of the 80s

Sound FX: Meaning through Music

In Rehearsal

The Performance: Behind the scenes of Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs:

The atyp creative team & cast

Interview with the designer

Interviews with the cast

Get Involved!

After you see Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs:

First Impressions

Design Elements

The Elements of Drama

Review

Exploring Themes: A Boal Approach to Bullying

Introduction

Table of

Contents

Musical context: The Music of the 80s

Because the play is an adaptation of the novel, Ishmael and the Return of the

Dugongs by Michael Gerard Bauer, grab a copy and have a read before you see the

play. You may also like to read the prequel, Don’t Call Me Ishmael.

Before you see

Ishmael and the Return of the

Dugongs

PRACTICAL TASK:

The Dugongs, Ishmael‟s Dad‟s band, was playing the live band circuit in

the 1980s. In our production, composer Michael Toisuta was

commissioned to write music with an “80s feel”. In order to gain an

understanding of the musical context of the play, the following activity

will provide a fun view into the past.

Ask your parents, or people who remember the band scene of the

1980s, what songs and music they most enjoyed. List the bands, their

songs and try to listen to recordings of them. Use the following table

to help you with your research.

1. Create a table:

Band

Name

Song Title Themes of the

song

Your response to

the music

REFLECTION:

1. What differences do you notice between music of the 80s and

music of today? Are there any similarities and if so, what are

they? Have the themes of songs changed over the past thirty

years? If so, in what ways?

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Classroom Activity

Sound FX: Meaning through Music

Classroom Activity

BRAINSTORM:

View the following link on youtube -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUa23yevmVo

As a class, discuss your impressions of the “dugong”. How does it

move? What are its most obvious features? If it were a human,

what type of person would it be? What sort of environment does

it live in? Keep in mind your responses when you view the play

and ask yourself, “How does the “dugong” relate to the play?”

PRACTICAL TASK:

In groups of four or five, create a soundtrack for the film clip

above. You may create a sound-scape vocally, use a program

like “Garage band” or use musical instruments. When creating

your soundtrack, think about the mood you want to evoke. Do

you want to work with the images or against them? Why? What

effect will this have on the audience?

REFLECTION:

Listen to each group‟s soundtrack while watching the clip. Do

you think the music worked with or against the images? What

effect did the music create? How does music impact visual

images?

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During the performance, notice the effect of the music. Be prepared to

discuss your response in class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUa23yevmVo

In rehearsal

Our cast members rehearse two evenings a week. They are all under 26 and some of

them are school students. Evening rehearsals allow our young actors to work and

attend school during our season.

Adam Marks, Matthew Friedman, Michael Brindley, Elena Burger

Photo: Claire Harris

Classroom Activity Have a look at the picture below of the cast in

rehearsal: What do you think is happening in this scene?

PRACTICAL TASK:

Recreate the moment from the picture, improvise what you

think will happen next in the scene.

Creative Team

atyp Artistic Director Fraser Corfield

Writer Jo Turner

Director Fraser Corfield

Assistant Director Elizabeth Gibney

Designer Jasmine Christie

Production Mgr Liam Kennedy

SX Design Michael Toisuta

LX Design Ben Cisterne

Stage Manager Sam Johnson

Administrator Drew De Mullich

Cast

Miss Turango Danielle King

Kelly Faulkner Emma Campbell

Sally Nofke Marguerite Assat

Prue Lesuer Elena Burger

Ishmael Lesuer Michael Brindley

Razz Man Adam Marks

Scobie Matthew Friedman

Prindabel Tom Gilmour

Bill Kingsley Sorie Bangura

Barry Bagsley Billy Mansour

Danny Wallace Cooper Torrens

Doug Savage James Hughes

Mr Barker Mark Ashmore

The Performance

Behind the Scenes of


Dugongs

Jasmine Christie – Designer

Interview with the Designer

Model box of “Ishmael” set


How do you initially approach the design for a production?

First of all, I read and re-read the text and I try to gauge my instinctual response. Ideas

about feel, colours, style and other artistic reference start to emerge. From here, I usually

have discussions with the director as to what they feel is most important to the show, and

the ideas they most want to convey. With the director‟s vision in mind I start collecting

references from everywhere; magazines, photographs, art works, music, installations, and

often other productions. I collate these images to start to refine a “look”. From here, I

then look at the logistics of the show, number of scenes, props, costume changes and

the limitations and potential of the performing space, using venue plans. Using a model

box, and costume renderings I start to design the show, with ongoing discussions with the

director and other creatives such as lighting designers and stage management.

Throughout this whole process I try to always come back to the text, keeping in mind the

purpose of the production, which is important.

Prue’s costume design

Scobie’s costume design

What advice would you give to aspiring young designers?

Collect images. In boxes, on your desktop, collect images from

everywhere of things you love, shows you‟ve seen, fashion, artworks, films,

CD covers, photographs, graphic designs. Keeping these together, you

start to develop and refine your own aesthetic style, which begins to

come out in everything you do. Secondly, see all you can. This refers to

not only theatre, but exhibitions, ballet, animation, live music, films, music

videos. The more you see the more you begin to gauge the movements

of culture and be inspired by the new aesthetics of other people. And

thirdly, keep doing it. It‟s hard to do, but even when you‟re having a

“bad” day creatively, work through it and you do improve.

How do you create a design for a play that has so many different scenes?

This was indeed one of the biggest challenges. The piece not only takes place

in no less than 14 different settings, but also jumps from interior to exterior scenes

instantly. Fraser (the director) and I discussed this and felt, due to the nature of

the piece, being both a comedy and a piece about youth, we could afford to

be less literal in our interpretation of these scenes and also integrate the scene

changes into the pace and style of the show. For this reason, the set consists of

large movable flats that can be arranged in multiple configurations to suggest

the settings of the piece. For me, the most important elements of the show were

the themes of young love and the energy of youth today. It was a priority for

me to evoke this energy in the set through both colour and the street art style,

providing a visual backdrop to the action of the play.

Interviews with the cast:

Sorie Bangura - Bill Kingsley

How do you approach the preparation

for your role? Do you use particular

techniques? How about learning lines?

I assess where my character stands

within the play, just from reading the

script, and in the process of the

rehearsal room I gain an

understanding of how he is seen by

others. From there it becomes about

fleshing out the character. Improvising

scenes with other characters helps in

the preparation of the character as

well as the willingness to go along with

various drama exercises. Learning lines

is not a problem due to the repetition

of lines in the rehearsal room.

What is the most interesting trait of your

character?

I like the way he is comfortable with

himself, he knows what and who he is

and although he is the victim of

bullying, he doesn‟t change who he is

to suit others.

Which parts of your character are the

most difficult to play?

He is a massive sci-fi expert, and the

research involved in that department is

a considerable amount to digest.

How does your character change and

how do you reflect this change in your

performance?

Out of all the introverted characters,

Bill seems to be the one who is able to

talk to girls without freezing or

stumbling over words. For me Bill starts

out as a nerdy “spaceman” and

although he does not abandon his

likes and interests, he is able to

conduct himself normally with women.

What advice would you give to other

young actors who would like a career

in the arts?

If it‟s the career you want, make sure

you‟re willing to accept all the

consequences that come with it, and if

you are willing to do so, go for it.

Matthew Friedman – James

Scobie

Why did you audition for Ishmael and

the Return of the Dugongs?

I‟ve always wanted to be involved in a

professional production, but until now

I‟ve been limited to school. My brother

(David) was particularly helpful in

bugging me until I sent an email to set

up an audition time.


character?

The trait that struck me the most about

Scobie is that he is biologically

incapable of fear, which could be

attributed to the brain operation that

he recently underwent. In the

character list he‟s described as „The

brainiest brainiac of all time‟ and a

„Chief debating wizard‟.

Most of the characters are quite close

to your actual age, do you feel you

are similar to them? Why/Why not?

There are quite a few things with which

I can relate to Scobie, even though he

is three years my senior. Scobie is a

much more exaggerated version of

me when it comes to academics and

debating. We‟re also both leaders in

our own way, and we‟re both able to

find means of connecting with a lot of

different people.



performance?

The main transformation within Scobie

is when he falls in love with Prue,

Ishmael‟s younger sister. Suddenly, this

usually confident genius is thrown way

out of his depth, into an alien world.

When uncomfortable, Scobie‟s

sentences become disjointed and

unsure, compared to his usual way of

talking which is smooth, sure and

confident.



in the arts?

Give things a go. Trying is the first step

to success, and you only risk

disappointment by auditioning for

roles. Even if you don‟t get the role, the

learning experience is well worth it.

Marguerite Assaf – Sally Nofke



I auditioned for it because I want to be

an actor and I thought theatre is

a great start and a very good

experience to help me be more

confident and get used to a big crowd

watching me. Also, because the play

seemed really funny and interesting I

really wanted to be a part of it.




I read the lines and try to figure out

what she's thinking at the time and I try

and build up a personality for her by

the stuff she says. Learning lines isn‟t

really that hard for me, I'm just going to

read them over and over again so I

can get used to saying them and

know when and how to say them.


character?

I think she is very confident but when

someone says one thing that could

really put her down she loses all that

confidence. Of course, she regains it

afterwards.



I think when I have to make a lot of

eye contact. I can do it but it‟s kind of

hard for me to stay in eye contact for

a long time. I'm working it =).


to your actual age, do you feel you

are similar to them? Why/Why not?

In some parts I feel like I'm similar

because she seems laid back with

everything. Sometimes I'm not similar.

For example, in the pool situation and

in the part where Razz makes her cry, I

think I would have reacted differently.

For the other characters, yes! I feel

there are a lot of similarities.



in the arts?

My advice is to be yourself, believe in

yourself, and don‟t give up!

Also, practice a lot because it makes a

big difference, it did for me. Have a

good attitude towards everything, get

feedback and work on your acting

Cooper Torrens – Danny



I love participating in atyp productions;

it‟s very friendly and positive. Ishmael is

a great play, filled to the brim with the

essentials for great theatre – humour,

drama and romance.




I try to imagine what the character‟s

life would be like and create a back

story for them to give them more

depth. Learning lines just comes with

practice. Read, read, read and then

try to say them without the script,

usually with a friend to prompt when

you forget.


character?

Danny is a big, testosterone-fuelled

bully who, along with Doug, is a

sidekick to Barry Bagsley. ..He tends to

be the friend that gets picked on when

no one else is around to harass.



Danny has to be „ruthless‟ in that he

has no remorse for his actions. I find it

difficult to think up ways to make

others miserable and pretend I have

no regrets.


to your actual age. Do you feel you

are similar to them? Why / Why not?

I don‟t feel very similar to Danny; he is

far more brutish than I am, still I can

empathize with his „type‟ or „group‟ of

people.



performance?

Danny doesn‟t exactly change

throughout the play. Although in the

end he finds a productive outlet for his

energy in the band „B.A.R.R.Y‟ (Bad Ass

Rock „n‟ Roll Yeah) with Barry and

Doug.



in the arts?

Good luck.

How do you audition for an atyp show?

All atyp auditions are advertised on our website www.atyp.com.au and in our e-

newsletter. Once they are advertised call atyp to book an audition time 02 9270 2400.

atyp‟s productions provide students with the opportunity to work alongside

professional directors and creatives in staging a show, providing an opportunity for

them to learn from people who are actively working in the industry.

Get Involved !

http://www.atyp.com.au/

Initial reaction

What was your initial reaction to the performance? What sticks out in your mind?

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Would you recommend the performance to a friend? Why / Why not?

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Design Elements Costumes

Describe the costumes. How was costume used to portray character? Was the use of

costume successful? Why / Why not?

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Lighting

Describe the lighting. How was lighting used to set the scene and define the space?

Was the use of lighting successful? Why / Why not?

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Set

Describe the set. Jasmine Christie wanted to reflect a fun, 2D set that reflected

cartoon elements. Was this successful? Why / Why not?

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After you see


Dugongs

Sound and Music

Identify a moment where the sound/music affected you as an audience member.

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The Elements of Drama Comment on how the performance used the elements of drama:

Tension: Where were the moments of

tension in the overall performance?

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Which moment held the most tension

for you?

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Recreate the tension in the moment as

a tableau.

Focus: How did the director draw the

audience's focus to the action he most

wanted you to see?

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Identify a moment that was really

successful in drawing focus?

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Space

How did the actors use the stage

space?

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What was the most interesting aspect

of the use of space?

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Movement

How was movement used to portray

each character?

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Symbol

Can you identify any symbols/motifs

used in the production?

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What were the most successful symbols

used?

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Mood / Atmosphere

Describe the mood of the piece.

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What sort of feeling did you have at

the end of the play? Was it different to

the feeling you had at the beginning

of the play? Why/Why not?

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Where were the high points in the

performance?

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How did you feel at the end of the

performance?

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What devices were used to create

mood throughout the performance?

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Draw a mood map of that shows the

emotional journey of the overall show:

Character / Role

Did you think the actors were well cast

for their roles? Why/Why not?

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Identify one character that stood out

in your mind? Why were they so

memorable?

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Actor-Audience Relationship

What was the role of the audience in

the performance?

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How did the characters relate to the

audience?

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The play is about young people and

the issues they face as teenagers. Did

you identify with any of the

characters? Why/Why not?

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Michael Brindley, Adam Marks


Write your own Review A review is an important part of theatre criticism. It gives an account of the

production with the writer's opinion of the success of the performance. Become an

atyp theatre critic! Use the scaffold below to write a review of Ishmael and the Return

of the Dugongs.

Send it to [email protected]

We'll publish well written reviews on our website.

How to write a review:

Remember to:

- Paint an accurate picture of the production for someone who has not been

there

- Give a personal opinion about the success of the performance

You may wish to approach your review writing by following guidelines:

1. State the details of the production, where, when, by who.

2. A synopsis of the overarching plot of the play (without giving away the

ending!)

3. Background of the show and the unique aspects of the production.

4. Information about the style and genre of the piece.

5. Analysis of the mood and atmosphere created by the cast/designers.

6. Analysis of the choices made by the director.

7. Analysis of the performances of the actors.

8. Analysis of set, costume, lighting and design aspects and how these relate

to the themes of the show.

9. Your personal opinion supported by examples to justify your opinion.

10. Recommendation and / or overall rating.

Marguerite Assaf, Emma Campbell


Remember to make it concise and clear.

Try to write your review in 300 words.

We look forward to receiving your reviews!

mailto:[email protected]

Exploring Themes: A Boal Approach to Bullying

Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs explores a number of themes that are

prevalent in the teen years – belonging, family, first love and bullying. In order to

explore the theme of bullying the following activities draw upon the teachings of

Augusto Boal.

Augusto Boal coined the term, “Theatre of the Oppressed”. In order to address issues

of inequality, disparity and injustice, he created the theatrical forms, “Forum Theatre”

and “Invisible Theatre”. These forms are theatrical experiences through which an

audience moves beyond being a spectator and becomes an integral part of the

action as a “spect-actor”. To learn more about Boal and his approach to theatre

read the following books -

Boal, A. (2000) Theatre of the Oppressed, London: Pluto Press.

Boal, A. (1992) Games for Actors and Non-Actors, London: Routledge.

Boal, A. (1998) Legistlative Theatre, London: Routledge.

Michael Brindley, Adam Marks


Cooper Torrens, Sorie Bangura, Adam Marks


Classroom Activity

BRAINSTORM:

In groups of three, discuss and record your answers for the following

questions (this is a brainstorming technique that will help you think

outside the box):

How is bullying like a zoo? How is bullying like an ocean? How is

bullying like a glass of water? How is bullying like a bush fire?

How is bullying like breakfast? How is bullying like a ballet?

Choose one of these metaphors that most reflects the theme of

“bullying” for you. You may like to create another metaphor

but try not to choose something that has obvious points of

similarity.

PRACTICAL TASK:

Create a tableaux (still picture) for the metaphor you have

chosen.

REFLECTION:

In your Drama Journal, draw a picture of your metaphor for

bullying. Be creative in your response. Use collage, pen and ink

or trace around found objects. Let the reflection speak for itself

without explanation.

You may like to share your reflection with the class. See if they

can determine which metaphor you‟ve used.

(The following activity is based on Boal‟s Forum Theatre taken from

Games for Actors and Non-Actors, p.p.243 – 245. Please refer to this for

a more full explanation of the roles and game):

BRAINSTORM:

Discuss the concept of “oppression”. Where do you see

oppression in your life? Where in Australia? Where

internationally?

What distinguishes an oppressor from a victim? List the attributes

of an oppressor. List the attributes of a victim.

In pairs, create a still picture that reflects the relationship

between oppressor and victim. Show this to the class.

PRACTICAL TASK

Form groups of five.

Drawing upon your responses to the above brainstorming

activity, create a scene that includes the following: a distinctive

setting, a bully, a victim, a witness, a bystander.

Discuss the central issue of the bullying situation. Why is the

victim being bullied? Where is the scene set? How do the

characters enter the scene? How does the crisis arise? Create

an ending which favours the bully and keeps the victim

oppressed. Make sure each character has a part to play in the

scene.

Group members choose their roles – bully, victim, witness,

bystander and “joker” (the MC or go-between the actors and

the audience).

The group plays out the scene for the rest of the class (or

another class altogether). They then replay the scene with the

“Joker” orchestrating the audience‟s response. This time, the

audience (spect-actors) can call out “stop”, take the place of

one of the actors and put forward/act out their own response or

solution to the bullying.

The role of the “joker” is to keep the action going and to take

suggestions from the audience as to how characters could

replay their parts in order to address the oppression.

REFLECTION:

As a class, discuss the outcome of the “scene”. What did you

notice about the original scene? How did it change? Were the

changes made possible to implement in a real-life situation of

bullying?

Classroom Activity

Teacher resource for Jo Turner's dramatic adaptation of "Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs"

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Transcript of Teacher resource for Jo Turner's dramatic adaptation of "Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs"