Wonderland Teacher Guide

8/11/2019 Wonderland Teacher Guide

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/wonderland-teacher-guide 1/251

Teacher Resource Guide

A N E W M U S I C A L



Wonderland: A New Musical

ADAPTING A STORY

Adaptation starts with a story, or in musicaltheatre terms, the “book,” which consistsof the story, character development, spokendialogue and sometimes the song lyrics.Inspiration for a musical can come fromanywhere — a novel, a movie, or a classicchildren’s storybook. Wonderland is anexample of a book musical — not because itcomes from a book, but because it combinesmusic, lyrics and dance with a well-craftedstory.

In a book musical, the composer and lyricistare instrumental in the creation of the overallconcept for the show. They compose themusical score and lyrics as well as workclosely with the director, designers and

playwright. Over the years there have beenmany notable composer-lyricist partnerships,for example, Richard Rodgers and OscarHammerstein, Alan Jay Lerner and FrederickLoewe, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice,and Frank Wildhorn and Jack Murphy.

SYNOPSIS

WONDERLAND is the giddy, soaring musicalthat plunges a new kind of Alice into adazzling world of kaleidoscopic fantasy andromantic adventure. Returning to the strangeuniverse of the classic “Alice in Wonderland,”we find its timeless characters have evolvedwith the changing times but remain asfamiliar and endearing as ever. Theseresidents of the Queen of Hearts’ kingdom arenow threatened by a new and madder MadHatter, whose dark ambition is matched onlyby her fearsome beauty. Into this troubledWonderland lands Alice Stetson, whose lifein New York with her ten-year-old daughterChloe is equally in crisis. Alice’s yearningfor happier times causes her to follow thelegendary White Rabbit deep below the city

of New York to a world like nothingshe’s seen.

With a memorably tuneful, enticing andmoving score by Broadway’s Frank Wildhorn(JEKYLL & HYDE) and Jack Murphy (THECIVIL WAR), stunning dance from multipleEmmy award-winner and Austin Powerschoreographer Marguerite Derricks, and asdazzling a scenic design as Broadway hasseen, WONDERLAND is a deliriously funny,touching, life-affirming musical to stir theheart and delight the imagination.

2



The Role of the Creative Team

Choreographer: A choreographer choosesthe style and form of the dance routines in amusical production.

Musical Director: The musical directorsupervises the singers and orchestra for theproduction.

Set Designer: The set designer creates thephysical world of the play, working with thedirector and other designers to set the mood,time and place of the production.

Costume Designer: The costume designer

creates the clothing and accessories worn bythe actors that will enhance the persona oftheir character.

In the process of producing a new musicalthere are many people behind the scenes whocreate the magic that you see and hear onstage.

Composer: A composer writes the score forthe musical.

Lyricist: A lyricist writes the song lyrics forthe musical numbers.

Director: A director is responsible for theartistic unity of a production. They willinterpret the script and define the look, style,mood, pace, and arc of the action. In a musicalproduction the director also works closelywith the choreographer and musical directorto cast the show and rehearse the actors.

Book Writer: A book writer works inconjunction with the composer, lyricist anddirector to write the spoken dialogue for themusical.



QUICK CHALLENGE:Be Part of the Creative Team!After your students have seen the show,ask them to hang on to their Playbillfrom the production and bring it to class.Alternatively they can go online at:http://www.wonderlandonbroadway.com.

When creating Wonderland,the design team

worked together to combine their ideas,skills and expertise. In this activity, yourstudents will experience what it is like to bein a production meeting and make decisionsabout creating a musical.

1. Ask your students to take out theirPlaybill from the performance ofWonderland .

2. As a class, find the list of the creative

team in the Playbill. Have a discussionabout the role of each member by

answering the following questions: Whichcreative team member did you choose?What job did this person do? How didthey contribute to the performance? Howdoes their work support this production?What did you see on stage that reflectedyour person’s work?

3. Next, ask them to research this joband find out what it involves and whattheir roles and responsibilities duringthe creation and running time of theproduction are.

4. Invite each student to create a collage fromtheir team members’ perspective of theirpersonal vision for Wonderland. Ask themto think about how they would like to seetheir vision come to life.

5. Finally, once everyone has created theircollage, ask them to present and talk about

their concept for the production.



Historical Context

Wonderland is an adaptation of two of Lewis Carroll’s most famous works, Alice’s Adventuresin Wonderlandand Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. These books wereinspired by Carroll’s friendship with a young neighbor, Alice Liddell. The books were filledwith references to chess, logic and geometry as well as strange and colorful characters thatcalled Wonderland their home. Carroll’s writing respects children’s intelligence, curiosity and,most of all, their imagination and sense of fun.

5



Worksheet Idea: Magic Math (M, S, T)

Lewis Carroll was not only a children’s author full of imagination, but he was also a brilliantmathematician! He incorporated this passion into his books — can you spot where? The Challenge: Using numbers 1–9 in the squares below so that every row, column anddiagonal line adds up to the sum of 15. (Solutions on the back page.)

Do you know any other math games you can think of to challenge your friends?

Math Activity Adapted from www.mathforum.org/magic.square

15

15

15

15151515

PRINTTHIS

PAGE



An Introduction to the Author… Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll was the pen name ofCharles Lutwidge Dodgson: author, poet,mathematician, and amateur photographer.Born January 27, 1832 in England, he wasthe third oldest of 11 children born toReverend Charles Dodgson. Educated atOxford University, he became a professor atthe early age of 19 and spent his career as anacademic, lecturing in mathematics at ChristChurch College. Partially deaf and afflictedwith a stutter, he was shy and reserved in thecompany of adults, but completely at easewith children. He would delight them withstories, riddles, and word games of his owninvention. He created the word ladder game“Doublets” and an earlier version of the boardgame Scrabble. Best known as the authorof the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandand itssequel, Through the Looking-Glass and What

Alice Found There, Dodgson also publishedpoetry, satirical pamphlets on university life,and mathematical works. He was ordained asan Anglican deacon in 1861, although neverentered the priesthood and never married.Charles Dodgson died suddenly on January14, 1898 from pneumonia at the age of 66.

Did you know… Alice was not the onlyperson from the author’s life that was

represented in his books. Dodo was noneother than Lewis Carroll himself — the

name being the pronunciation of his reallast name with a stutter (Do-Dodgson).



Note to the Teacher

through observing, discussing and respondingto live theater and dramatic literature. In thisstrand, dramatic literature is also viewed as acatalyst for production and performance.

Making Connections: Students makeconnections to theater by developing anunderstanding of self and others. Theyrespond to theater by identifying personalissues and universal themes in performanceand in dramatic text. They investigate theaterby examining the integration of other arts intoa complex multi-media art form. Workingwith community and cultural resources:community resources that support theater-making, theater literacy, theater connectionsand career exploration, and expand students’opportunities for learning. Active partnershipsthat combine school, professional and

community resources create rich avenuesfor student and teacher innovation in theclassroom and in production.

Exploring Careers and Life LongLearning: Students develop audience skillsand a connection to theater that allows themto value the theater throughout their lives.They explore the scope and variety of theatercareers in teaching, production, performance,criticism, design, technical theater and relatedoccupations, and they investigate how thesecareers align with their personal goals andaspirations.

The following 3 sections contain a range ofactivities, information and questions thatcan stand alone or work as a building blocktowards the creation of a complete unit ofwork.

Fundamentally, we have provided practical,ready-to-use activities created to be flexiblein structure that you can adapt to suitthe needs of your classroom. They havebeen designed to expand your students’appreciation of Wonderland and its majorthemes.

Also you will find connections to the NYCDepartment of Education’s Blueprint for

Teaching and Learning in Arts: Theater andthe NYS Learning Standards and to aid youin your planning. See below:

Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts: Theater. Grades Pre K–12 New YorkCity Department of Education

Theater making: Acting, Playwriting/Play making, provides multiple avenues foractive learning. Through the interpretationof dramatic literature and the creation oftheir own works, students engage as writers,actors, designers, directors and technicians.

Developing Theater Literacy: Theaterliteracy provides theater vocabulary whenmaking and responding to performance, anddevelops critical, analytical and writing skills



Section One: A New Alice… (Continued)

Teacher Note: For younger students, askthem to identity the beginning, middle andend of this story and circle them on theirtimeline.

5. Now, ask each group to think about thedefining moments they have chosen, butfrom a different character’s point of view.For example, in the beginning of the storyyou may remember that Alice is frustratedby the White Rabbit who will not stop totalk to her, so she follows him down intothe rabbit hole. However, how do youimagine the White Rabbit feels in thatmoment? Why doesn’t he stop and talk toAlice? Is he going somewhere important?Has he met Alice before?

6. Next, ask your students to recreate their3 moments in a scene, but from their new

character’s point of view. Ask them toinclude a clear beginning, middle and endpoint, and each scene should be at least 2minutes long.

7. After some rehearsal time, ask each groupto share their scenes with the rest of theclass, reflecting on the following questionsbelow:

As an audience member, how did these familimoments from a different character’s point ofview change the story?

How did these changes alter your perception these characters?What would happen if you created alternativescenes for each moment on your timeline?

Activity Two: Remembering andRetelling (LA, A)Many of us have heard about Alice and heramazing adventure down the rabbit hole. Butwhat do we “actually” remember about thestory? The following activity will discoverwhat your students remember about thestory and characters, and challenge them tocreate their own adaptations from differentperspectives.

1. Divide your students into small groups andgive each one a large sheet of poster paperand several marker pens.

2. First, encourage your students to discusswhat adaptations of this famous story theyalready know. For example, have they readLewis Carroll’s original or experienced adifferent adaptation?

3. After a brief discussion, ask them to agreeon the arc of the story and explain thatthey will now create a timeline of the plot.They should draw it out on the large sheetof poster paper including as much detailabout the story that they can remember.How does the story begin? Where is Alicewhen we are first introduced to her? Whois the first character she meets? And so onuntil the end of the story.

4. Once the timeline is complete, ask eachgroup to choose 3 defining moments inthe story. What were the turning points forAlice? What was going through her mindduring these crucial moments?



Section One: A New Alice… (Continued)

3. Next, have each group create a short sceneabout what their chosen character did theday before the original story took place.For example, what was the Caterpillardoing the day before his encounter withAlice?

4. Once everyone is finished, have eachgroup share their scene with the class.

Why did your group choose their character?What new discoveries did you make about

Lewis Carroll’s characters?What new elements did you bring to yourcharacter when creating this prequel?

Activity Three: What Came Before theRabbit Hole…? (LA, A)

As we know, Lewis Carroll published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865, and he laterwrote a sequel called Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There in 1871.Since then, there have been many adaptationsof Carroll’s famous work often blendingtogether plot and characters from bothbooks to create their own reimagining of thiscelebrated story.

In the following activity, your students willcreate a prequel to both of these stories titledWhat Came Before the Rabbit Hole…

1. Ask your students to get into small groups,and each group is to pick one character

from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland orThrough the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There to focus on. For example, yourgroup could choose Alice or any of thecharacters from the books.

2. Once they have chosen their character,ask them to brainstorm what they alreadyknow about them. Encourage them to usetheir timelines from the previous activityas a guide.

Where in the story is the first time we meetthis character?What are they doing when we first meet them?What do they look like? Describe their featuresand what they are wearing?What happens to them in the story?



Section Two: Musical Personalities

Activity One: Name that Song? (A)

In the show, Frank Wildhorn has created“musical personalities” for each of thecharacters in the story which allows theaudience to instantly identify with them.

1. Explain to your students that theirtask is to find a song that they feelbest represents their personality. Thiscan be from Wonderland (go to http://wonderlandonbroadway.com/sounds.html), another musical they may haveseen, or a classical or contemporary songby their favorite artist — it’s up to them!

2. Once they have their song, the next step isto research the origin or inspiration behindthat song.

•

What inspired the artist to compose orwrite it?• Are there other songs by this artist that

you are familiar with?• What kind of story does this song tell?• What instruments were used to create

this song?• What year was the song created?• Where were you when you first heard

this song?• What memories do you have around

this song?• What about this song represents you and

your personality?• Why do you identify with the musical

score or lyrics?

When creating the music for Wonderland, composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist JackMurphy were able to develop “musicalpersonalities” for each of the iconic charactersin the show. Whether it is writing forsomeone’s singing voice, or creating a musicalmotif to represent their character, musicalsare able to communicate powerful emotionsthrough melodies and lyrics.

The following activities can be shared withyour students either before or after they

have seen the production, as they will havethe opportunity to demonstrate what songsrepresents their personalities and explore theemotions in musical theater.

BLUEPRINT CONNECTIONS:

Theater Making: Working alone and in groups, studentsbegin to recognize and articulate theirpersonal vision and the cultural context oftheir work.

Theatre Literacy:Students practice constructive responsesto theater performance using observableevidence to support opinion.

Making Connections:Students explore elements of theater sharedwith other art forms.



Section Two: Musical Personalities (Continued)

to 1 and then call out an emotion and theymust create a “still image” portraying thatemotion. Remind them that this is a silentactivity and they must rely on their facialexpressions and gestures.

5. Next, ask half the class the take a seat, andhalf the class to continue walking aroundthe space. Position yourself behind theaudience so they can’t see you and signalto the performers which emotion from theboard that you wish them to convey. (Youmay also hold up cards with the emotionsclearly displayed on them.)

6. The performers must hold their imageswhile the audience guesses their emotionand after a few rounds ask participants toswitch.

As a performer, what were the challenges wh

conveying such powerful emotions? As an audience member, how were you able tidentify the emotions of the performers?What were the common expressions or gesturused to convey these emotions? Why do youthink that is?

Even without words, were you able to identifeach emotion?

3. Invite your students to bring their chosensongs to class and share it with the wholegroup. Encourage any musicians or singersin the group to perform their song, or youcan provide equipment such as an iPoddock with speakers or a CD player to playeach song.

What kind of songs did your classmates share?Were you familiar with any of the songs, or didyou hear new pieces?What about the song represented the classmatewho shared it?

Activity Two, Part One:Power of Emotion (A)Often in musical theatre, it is the powerfulemotions of the characters that drive theaction and inspire everything that happens

on stage. In this activity, your students willexplore emotions and methods to convey it toan audience.

1. Begin by asking your students, why dothey think characters burst into song inmusical theatre?

2. Next, ask them to brainstorm typicalemotions that are usually found in musicaltheatre. Encourage them to give specificexamples and record those emotions onthe board. For example, love, jealousy,anger, betrayal, sorrow, joy, anticipation,etc.

3. Once you have a list of emotions on theboard, ask students to walk around theroom in actor’s neutral.

4. Explain that you will count down from 3



Activity Two, Part Two:Emotion Orchestra (A)As we know, emotions are extremelyimportant in musical theatre. This activitywill challenge your students to emphasizeemotions and learn how to perform them in abig way.

1. Place your students into small groups andask them to sit together creating a circlearound you.

2. Ask each group to choose an emotion fromthe previous activity. For example, anger,joy, sadness, anticipation.

3. Once they have their emotion they shouldselect sounds and gestures that they feelrepresents this emotion. Explain that theymust not use words, just these sounds andphysical gestures.

4.Next, explain that when you point to agroup, they must perform their emotionthrough their sounds and gestures. Youmay also use hand signals to indicate whento get louder, softer, when to stop andwhen to perform.

5. Go around to each group and once theyare familiar with the exercise, begin todirect them as if you are a conductor andthey are your orchestra. You may overlapgroups or have them perform all at once.The challenge is to encourage each groupto make their emotions as large as possible.Ask them to imagine they are on stage atThe Marquis Theatre on Broadway andthey must project to the back row!

6. After a while, offer the conductor’s role toa student volunteer and have fun creatingan Emotion Orchestra.

As a performer, what skills did you use to mayour emotions as large as possible?

How were you able to perform alongside othe groups at the same time?What kinds of directions did the conductor giyou as an orchestra?




Activity Three: Lyricist Love! (LA, A)Wonderland is a musical, which means thatcharacters will break into song during theshow. A song can be an indication of themood and emotions of that character orsimply a way to move the plot forward.

1. Divide your students into small groupsand ask each group to select one songfrom the first activity in this section, orthey can choose a completely new songfrom Wonderland, another musical or anysong they all know.

2. Once they have chosen their song, theywill use the tune or melody and writenew lyrics inspired by the scenarios listedbelow:

• You are a writer who has lost their

inspiration• You and a friend don’t seem to be gettingalong anymore

• You meet a long lost friend• You finally realize someone in your life

means a lot to you

3. Each group will collectively write thelyrics to their song and tell a storyinspired by their chosen scenario above.Encourage them to incorporate as manyof the powerful emotions they have beenexploring in the two previous activitiesand think about how they will conveythose emotions to an audience. Each songshould have at least two verses and achorus, which is repeated.

4. Once they have written their lyrics, theyshould rehearse singing it along to theirchosen song. Explain that it can be sungas a group, or divided among the groupmembers into solos, duets and choralsections.

5. After some rehearsal time, invite yourstudents to share their song. They cansimply read it out or perform it for the restof the class.

As an audience member, what emotions did ysee being conveyed in the performances?Were the scenarios familiar to you, where hadyou seen them before?

As a lyricist, what were the challenges in tellia story through song?

How did it feel to perform your song as a group?




Musicals are known for their extravagant and beautiful sets, costumes and lighting designs.In the theatre, the designs for the set and costumes help the audience to further understandthe time and location that the story takes place. In Wonderland, the design team creates theextraordinary world that lies deep beneath New York City; however, they also rely of theaudience’s imagination to bring these elements to life.

This section can be explored before or after your students have seen the production, as theywill use their imaginations and creativity to bring “their” Wonderland to life and discover howto move within it.

Section Three: You’ll be Finding Wonderland



Activity One: Door Number One (A)In the show, Alice and her daughter Chloe are both taken on an adventure down into themysterious depths of Wonderland. In this activity, students will use their imagination to go on a“guided journey” through Door Number One.

Teacher Note: This activity might be best in a school gym with plenty of open space.

1. Ask your students to find a space in the room on their own, lie down and close their eyes.2. Suggest that they take a few deep breaths and relax. Ask them to imagine that they are lying

in their bed at home and about to drift into a deep sleep.3. Explain to your class that the following steps will be narrated, and as you describe their

actions and the environment around them, they should silently act it out.

You are lying in your bed drifting into a deep sleep. Suddenly you are startled awake. You have asinking feeling that you are late for something, but you are not sure what? You quickly jump off thbed and head towards the door. You take hold of the handle and rattle it desperately, but the doorwill not open. Puzzled by this, you turn around just in time to see your bedroom disappear, and yoare now surrounded by other doors with numbers on them. You run towards a door with the “numb

one” clearly marked on it, you turn the handle and step into an elevator. It is a charming old-styleelevator with a sliding gate. A strange voice announces, “Ping, going down”, and the elevator takeoff at impossible speeds. You hold on as the floors fly by basements and sub-basements, until you atraveling through a scene of swirling lights. You hear another, “Ping”, the elevators door opens, yostumble out into a crowd of people all dressed as characters that you recognize from the story AlicWonderland. Confused, you notice someone in the crowd that you know very well and are desperato talk to. You try to push your way towards them, and can see their head bobbing up and down ouof the sea of people. You realize that this person is not alone, but following a White Rabbit who iscarrying a large interesting looking watch. You try with all your strength to reach them, but are helback by all of the people. After some time you eventually manage to escape the crowd but have lossight of the person you were following. Looking around you reach the conclusion that you have bethis place before. Ahead, you see an odd-looking small door with the “number two” written above smoke. You walk towards it slowly.

What was your favorite part of the guided journey? Why?Were you able to imagine all of the different parts of the journey? Can you remember them?What do you think is behind door “Number Two?”

Section Three: You’ll be Finding Wonderland (Continued)



scale of 1-10, 1 being tiny, 5 being normaland 10 being large, explain that they aregoing to explore moving through a spaceas it evolves around them.

4. Randomly call out the numbers on thescale, encourage students to use theirbodies, gestures and facial expressions torepresent each shift.

5. Continue to narrate the story andencourage them to be creative with theirphysical shapes and positions.

The small odd-looking door begins to grow, but nenough for you to fit through. You take another sand then another until the door is large enough foyou to enter.

How did you use your bodies and physical gestuto represent each number on the scale?

What shapes did you see your fellow classmatescreating with their bodies?What do you think is in the blue vial?Use your imaginations to describe what happeneto you after you drank the contents of vial?What do you think is behind door “Number Two

Activity Two: Door Number Two (A)Similar to the previous activity, you willfacilitate a guided journey for your studentsbut now focus on the physicality of movingthrough space.

1. Once again, ask your students to find aspace in the room and close their eyes.

2. After a few breaths, explain that they arestanding in front of a large door with the“number two” written above it in smoke.Continue the narration…

You notice a small blue vial that seems to glowwith a light from within. You hold it up closelyto read what it says on the label. The words“Drink Me” are written on it. You take off thetop and smell its contents. You gingerly take a sip.

3. Now, ask your students to imagine whatwould happen if the room they werestanding in began to shift in size. Using a

BLUEPRINT CONNECTIONS:

Theater Making:Students will increase their range ofexpression as playwrights through the use ofvocabulary and dramatic structure, and byexploring various theatrical styles and forms.

Making Connections:Students broaden their understanding oftheater by applying concrete learning fromother disciplines.

Theater Literacy:Students use vocabulary that is authenticand integral to theater and other art forms.





Activity Three: Sense and Nonsense(LA, A)Now that your students have created andexplored how they would move throughWonderland, in the following activityyour class will discover how they wouldcommunicate in this world. As manycharacters in this play talk in riddles, yourstudents will write unusual poetry andexplore the vocabulary from the show.

1. Share with your students an excerpt fromwhat is thought to be the most famous

non-sensical poem in the English language“Jabberwocky.”2. Ask them to read the poem aloud: Where

have you heard this poem before? Whatdo you think is happening in the poem?Who is the Jabberwock? Who do youthink wrote this poem?

3. After a brief discussion, clarify that thisverse is part of a seven stanza poemwritten by Lewis Carroll as part of hissequel novel Through the Looking Glass,and What Alice Found There in 1872. Inthe story Alice finds a book in a strangelanguage and quickly realizes it is writtenin reverse, as everything through thelooking glass is backwards. Holding up amirror, Alice is able to decipher the wordsto the “Jabberwocky” poem below:

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

4. Explain to your students that many of thewords in this poem are of Carroll’s owninvention, and then list the followingAdjectives, Nouns and Verbs on the board.

Nouns Verbs AdjectivesGoldenFragrantBeautifulBrightDarkPollutedCloudedScaryStaleBravePrettyWillfulMopeyCrazyHazyNaughtyNiceFunny

NightMachineDreamHeartHeroBaby DollShoesMotherDaughterRabbitCatCaterpillarGirlTea PotTea CupFlowerRavenHatMirrorQueenWatch

Teacher Note: The following lists are takendirectly from Wonderland.

5. Explain that your student’s task is to createa short, rhyming poem from the wordslisted above, they can even use the list toinvent brand new words by combiningadjectives and verbs to create “Adjerbs,” ornouns and verbs to create “Nouverbs.”

Share examples below:

Adjective + Verb = “Adjerb”Golden + Dreaming = “Goleaming”

Noun + Verb = “Nouverb”Swooshing + Raven = “Swooven” — andthese words can mean anything youwant!

6. Once they have written their poemsask each students to share theirs with aneighbor.

CreepingDreamingSingingSleepingSwooshingShiftingScreamingFallingShrinkingGlowingWritingDrinkingEatingFlowing




Activity Four: You’ll Be FindingWonderland… (A)The following activity is a culmination project, as students will create choreography inspiredby the poetry they have written and using theatrical techniques they have explored throughoutthis study guide.

1. Divide students into small groups and provide each group with a large sheet of poster paperand marker pens.

2. Ask each group member to share their poem from the previous activity, and as a group, pull4–5 words from each one that “pops” or stands out to them.

Teacher Note: An alternative would be to ask each student to choose 4 words from their poemand share those with their group.



158

3

4

1

5

9

6

7

2

15

15

15151515

Answers to Magic Math

Wonderland Teacher Guide

Documents

Transcript of Wonderland Teacher Guide