1
(Show Companion)
Resource Guide for Teachers & Students
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TADA! Youth Theater
p.1
Using the Show Companion
p. 1
Theater Etiquette Tips
p. 2
About Unsung & Heroes
p. 3
Interview with the director /
choreographers of Unsung
p. 4
Did You Know?
p. 5
Say What?
(Glossary of terms)
p. 6
Crossword Puzzle
p. 7-8
Guide Activities
p. 9-13
Theater Terms
p. 14
_______________________
P: 212-252-1619
F: 212-252-8763
www.tadatheater.com
Award-winning Musical
Theater Shows, Classes &
Camps.
Singing, Dancing & Acting
Since 1984!
For nearly three decades,
the Drama Desk Award-winning
TADA! Youth Theater has
afforded young people of all
backgrounds the opportunity to
explore and perform musical
theater together in an
educational, supportive and
professional environment.
TADA!’s mission is two-fold: 1) to
present high-quality musical
theater productions performed
by talented kids for family
audiences; and 2) to provide a
safe, creative, and nurturing
place where kids can harness
their inherent energy, build their
self-esteem, and realize their true
This Show Companion is a practical,
hands-on resource for teachers,
parents and kids that contains
background information related to
TADA!’s production and curriculum-
based exercises.
potential through the unique
collaborative art form that is musical
theater. Through TADA!’s high-quality
work, young people gain confidence
and learn commitment, responsibility,
communication and teamwork—skills
that are critical to their success in
both school and life.
TADA! focuses on four key program
areas: 1. The Resident Youth Ensemble: a
completely free pre-professional
training & youth development
program;
2. Original musicals professionally
produced for family audiences at
affordable prices;
3. Renowned in- & after-school arts
education residencies to enhance
curriculum & culture at schools and
community centers;
4. On-site theater classes & camps for
children ages 2 to 14, taught by
seasoned theater & teaching artists,
for which need-based scholarships
are provided.
The contents of this guide may be
explored before and after attending
Unsung & Heroes, which runs July 11 –
August 1, 2014.
2
1. Laugh, cry, and sigh – but don’t talk. You hear the actors; they hear
you. Any reaction that comes from your experience of the play
supports the performance, but shouldn’t distract from it.
2. Please enjoy food and beverages in the lobby – not the theater – and
please put any garbage in the garbage cans before the show.
Note: Actors will hear if you’re unwrapping throat lozenges or hard
candy. Please do that before or after the show – not during the
performance. No gum is allowed in the theater.
3. Please silence all phones, tablets and anything else that might make
noise or light up during the show. Then, after the show, be sure to like
it, tweet it, post it and talk to your friends to tell them how much you
enjoyed it!
4. Please stay in your assigned seat.
5. Photographs (with or without flash – and even on your phones) as well
as the recording of the show in any way are not allowed. Recording
the show is distracting and potentially dangerous to the actors as well
as your fellow audience members. Additionally, recording is prohibited
to protect the artistic work that went into making the show.
Tips for Teachers and Group Leaders: Please arrive approximately 30 minutes early.
Assign one chaperone for every fifteen students and ask your
chaperones to disperse themselves amongst the student group to
help support best behavior.
We want to extend a sincere thank you to all teachers, parents, and
group leaders who bring their students to TADA! Youth Theater. We
greatly appreciate your supporting theater and arts education.
Show Companion / Page 3 of 18
3
Unsung Choreography by Joanna & Ryan Greer
Songs by Jody Shelton
“A world premiere dance-theater piece about the
most daring thing for every kid: coming of age.”
Heroes A new musical based on the play by Tom Keegan &
Davidson Lloyd with book by Janine Nina Trevens
Music & lyrics by Tammy Holder Direction by Janine Nina Trevens
Choreography by Joanna Greer
Musical Direction by Tammy Holder & Adam Jones
“When the sun disappears, a group of kids learn what
it takes and what it means to be brave.”
Performed by
TADA!’s Resident Youth Ensemble
Recommended for audiences 3 and up
Set & Lighting Designer: Steve O’Shea
Costume Designer: Megan Turek
Production Stage Manager: Phoebe Duncan
Dates: July 11 – August 1, 2014
Running Time: approx. 60 min.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
JONATHAN – loner teenage boy who likes comic books
JJ – Dylan’s older sister
TODD – Kyla’s older brother
KYLA – Todd’s younger sister
DYLAN – JJ’s younger brother’s friend
GEORGIA – Paula’s best friend who loves boy bands
PAULA – Georgia’s best friend who loves boy bands
WOMAN OF GREAT MAGIC – older teenager
AQUAFINA – Vanna White-type character
GUARDIAN OF THE WATER – Game show host
4WONDERS OF WINTER (4WOW) – 4 member boy band
Comprised of Duke Lemmings, Cal Hood, Irving Ash and
Cliff Michaels
Musical Numbers for HEROES
OUR DAY IN THE SUN
I WANT THIS
WE CAN BE HEROES
JOURNEY SONG
THE GUARDIAN SONG
STAR YOU ARE
NO HERO
HEROES
SUNRISE
HEROES REPRISE
____________________________________
TADA! Here We Are
Music & Lyrics by Joel Gelpe
The Band
Piano – Adam Jones
Percussion – Ray Grappone
Bass Guitar – Reynaldo Nunez
Production Photos
2014 Heroes (left)
Unsung (right)
4
Unsung is described as a dance-theater piece. What is dance-theater and can you explain what we
can expect when attending this performance?
Joanna Greer (JG): Dance Theater is a performance genre that combines the two forms. Usually there
is no plot; instead, specific situations, fears, revelations and human conflicts are presented. Audiences
are stimulated to follow a train of thought as well as the emotions the dancers express through their
bodies and spoken words. There is no singing.
Ryan Greer (RG): With Unsung, as choreographers, we went into the first rehearsal with the music by
Jody Shelton, the templates for how the dances would come to life, and the idea that we wanted the
kids in TADA!’s Resident Youth Ensemble to express their feelings about coming of age. We interviewed
each cast member in the piece, several questions on how they feel about growing up, and then we
cut and pasted, poeticized and collaged their responses into the script of the show. The whole
experience is an artistic collaboration on a theme.
Can you tell us how Unsung came to life?
JG: Nina Trevens, TADA!’s Executive and Artistic Director, commissioned me to create a world premiere
dance-theater piece to precede the musical, Heroes. I immediately thought about asking Ryan to
serve as co-choreographer.
RG: I was thrilled when I was asked to join the team for this world premiere piece. We immediately
knew that we wanted to construct an “exquisite corpse” around the coming-of-age theme, and use
the music by our friend and talented singer-songwriter, Jody Shelton. We knew the piece would remain
true to the theme and find itself when we combined the dance, the music, and the words written by
the Ensemble.
Unsung is a companion piece to TADA!’s summer show, Heroes. Is Unsung also based on Heroes?
RG: While Unsung is not based on Heroes directly, they share the same core value.
JG: Both shows are a celebration of the people who encourage and inspire us and the power to live
life to the fullest.
What are your roles and how did you collaborate to create Unsung?
JG: We are director/choreographers, which for Unsung means we provided the base concept and
created the dances together. RG: Additionally, we selected the music by Jody Shelton; cast the piece
with members of the Resident Youth Ensemble as well as guided them in their choices: writing & acting
the text, dancing the dances, and furthered our vision with designers to make the piece come to life.
What would you like us to know about your work and achievements with this world premiere piece?
JG: Unsung – and theater in general – is a true collaborative experience. This brand new piece is
possible because of the great effort, passion and creativity of every individual involved. RG: We are
proud to be responsible for imaging this sounding board for everyone to express their creativity.
Joanna Greer Ryan Greer
5
The Heroes Journey
TADA!’s musical, HEROES, is based on the play by Tom Keegan and Davidson Lloyd. The musical’s book,
written by Janine Nina Trevens with music/lyrics by Tammy Holder, follows the general format of a “hero's
journey.” The Hero’s Journey is a basic pattern of storytelling found in many narratives from around the
world. The term, “hero’s journey,” was identified and developed by Joseph Campbell – an American
mythologist, writer and lecturer.
Hero[es] ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous
forces are encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious
adventure with the power to bestow blessings on mankind.
(Joseph Campbell, 1949)
The journey begins with life as is. The moment before the journey begins (before change is initiated) one
feels unfulfilled. This incites “The Call to Adventure” (i.e., one’s dream; desire for something better than the
present). With a vision for how things could be the “Initiation” moves the expedition forward. Next, the
journey is halted due to some difficulties (“Challenges”) that are often unforeseen. At this stage, doubts
and fears are unearthed (e.g., monsters to fight; dragons to slay). At this point, actions employed
throughout the journey are questioned and hope falters.
With perseverance, a “Revelation” stage develops providing opportunities to make it less lonely and
hopeless. With new found hope, the journey forges on, feeling less exhausting. Eventually, the
“Transformation” occurs where there is added clarity, purpose and focus. With revitalized energy, the
journey continues until the goal is achieved and the dream is realized. This achievement is cause for
celebration and through reflection of the journey (the stage of “Return”) we learn from and revel in the
accomplishments made.
6
BATMOBILE: The car used by the superhero Batman.
BELATED: Late-coming.
GUARDIAN: Someone who protects something or someone else.
JEOPARDY: A game show on TV in which contestants are quizzed on general
knowledge.
OBTAIN: To get.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT: A game show on TV in which contestants guess the prices of
household items.
QUEST: A journey with a purpose.
RATED G: Appropriate for all ages.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE: A game show on TV in which contestants play a word game
and spin a wheel to see how much money they could win.
WITS: Wisdom, knowledge, understanding.
ZIPPY: Quick, lively.
from the musical that include words from the glossary:
Woman: You must go on a journey to obtain the elements necessary to bring back the sun.
Guardian: Be quick, be zippy. Spell it now, ‘Mississippi’.
Woman: Use your wits and help each other.
Kids: We have a quest to do and discover.
Quotes
7
Name: _______________________
HEROES Crossword Puzzle
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8
Down
1. What do the kids need to get to bring back to the sun? A: earth, water and
__________.
3. JJ, Todd, Dylan and Kyle need to get what?
5. Kyla and J.J. trick the Guardian into helping them answer his own question by
getting him to spell the word _______.
7. What gadget does J.J. have that just came out?
8. Kyla doesn’t believe she can be a hero because she is just a ______.
10. Jonathan realizes that sometimes, when you don’t think you’ve done anything,
you’ve done the _______.
13. The Woman of Great Magic tells Jonathan that he passed his test because he
had the courage to ask for _______.
Across
2. Name the boy band that helps out Georgia and Paula by giving them a small
bag of earth.
4. The Guardian of the Water greets the group by singing, “HEY THERE! STEP RIGHT
UP! MAKE YOUR CLAIM TO FAME. THE GUARDIAN OF THE WATER WOULD LIKE TO PLAY
A ______!”
6. This person is Kyla’s older brother; he uses her help to answer the Guardian of the
Water’s math test.
9. What super hero does Jonathan love the most?
11. The Woman of Great Magic advises Kyla, Todd, Dylan, and J.J. to help each
other and use their _______.
12. The Woman of Great Magic makes the _______ disappear when she hears the
kids singing about all the things they want.
14. One of the TV game shows that The Guardian of the Water sings about is _______.
WORD BANK
GAME MOST WITS TODD SUPERMAN HELP 4WOW iPHONE6
MISSISSIPPI SUN WATER JEOPARDY KID FIRE
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THEME 1: Heroes Work Together
Whether it is a group of superheroes like the Fantastic Four or The Avengers, a group of
firefighters or teachers, or a group of regular kids (like the ones in Heroes) working together is
an important way to achieve many goals and solve many problems. We come to rely on the
people around us to get things done. Without team-work and collaboration the kids in eroes
would not have been able to bring back the sun!
THEME 1: Heroes Work Together
Whether it is a group of superheroes like the Fantastic Four or The Avengers, a group of firefighters
or teachers, or a group of regular kids (like the ones in Heroes) working together is an important
way to achieve many goals and solve many problems. We come to rely on the people around us
to get things done. Without team-work and collaboration the kids in Heroes would not have been
able to bring back the sun!
ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES Focus:
Creativity and Innovation, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication and
Collaboration, Creative Writing and Language Arts, Theater Arts, Self-Expression, Multiple
Perspectives, Visual Arts
Related Subjects:
Flexibility and Adaptability, Leadership and Responsibility
Level:
Elementary School (and higher)
Discussion Questions:
1) What are some groups of everyday people/individuals that we think of as being
heroic?
2) Do you think that they could do their jobs or perform their roles without the help of
others? Why or why not?
3) Are there times when working independently is more important that working in a
group? Why or why not?
Water, Earth & Fire Dance Activity In a Large Group
In the plot of Heroes, the characters must work together to bring back the sun by finding
the elements: Water, Earth & Fire. Follow the directions below to create a collaborative
dance inspired by these elements.
Materials Needed: paper plates, crayons, markers, music (iPod or other device)
1. Each participant should be given a paper plate to decorate with images of one of
the elements (Water, Earth, & Fire).
10
Activity continued from p. 9
THEME 2: Bravery
“...focus on your task. Don’t let your fear overtake you.” (Woman of Great Magic)
In Heroes, the Woman of Great Magic sends the characters on a journey where they must
face certain tests in order to bring back the sun. The kids don’t know what to expect on this
journey. Walking into an unknown situation can be scary, but despite their fears they must
journey on! This is called bravery. Bravery is “possessing or showing the quality of mind or spirit
that enables a person to face difficulty or danger.”
Now that each participant has their decorated plate, ask everyone to balance their plate on
their hand (without grasping it) and walk around the space. If you like, play music here.
3. If anyone’s plate falls, they must freeze and wait for another participant to pick up the plate
and hand it to them. You may not pick up your own plate, but may help another by picking up
another’s plate should it fall.
4. While moving around the space, all the participants experiment with balancing the plate on
different parts of their body – still no grasping! (e.g., elbow, shoulder, head, back, etc.). Again,
if a plate falls, the participant must freeze and wait for the help of another person.
5. As the participants move around the space instruct them to exchange their plates with
another person. Working together, have them all try to make the exchanges at different height
levels:
High
Medium
Low
With the elements you have all worked together to create a collaborative movement piece
(like in Heroes companion piece, Unsung). See the extension below to take this activity to the
next step!
Extension:
1. Now that you have experimented with different ways to move with your element plates,
break into groups by element (Water, Earth & Fire) with 3-5 participants per group.
2. In each group create an element dance using the plates and incorporating the following:
An entrance
An exit
A high exchange
A medium exchange
A low exchange
3. After rehearsing your dances and sharing them with the group, take away the plates and
repeat the dance without them. Now you have small group dance pieces inspired by the
elements and you did it working together!
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What does “bravery” mean to you? Discussion: Partner or Small Group
Word Cloud: Create a word cloud with words, people or ideas that come to mind when you
think about bravery. You can also add words that answer the question, “What does bravery
mean to you?”
People often tell us to be “brave” when facing our fears. But what does bravery really mean?
Below are some quotes about bravery. Read through them with a partner and use the
discussion questions to determine the quote that best represents your idea of bravery.
“Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid.” (Franklin P. Jones)
“It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.” (Aesop)
“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” (Emerson)
“The opposite of bravery is not cowardice but conformity” (Robert Anthony)
● How is bravery related to fear?
● Is bravery being without fear?
● How would you describe bravery to another person?
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Everyday Heroes Activity: Individual
We all show our bravery in different ways. Think of someone who is a hero to you in your life.
What do they do that is brave; that makes them a hero? Answer the questions on the
worksheet below and then draw a picture of them.
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Super Heros Activity: Individual
The heroes in our story are just everyday kids, but there is a long history of heroes that have
special abilities: Super Heroes! Use the worksheet below to create your own original super hero.
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A GLOSSARY OF SELECT TERMS & CAREERS IN THE THEATER
1. BLOCKING: The actor’s movement on stage is known
as “blocking.” The Stage Manager writes the blocking
notation into the Prompt Script.
2. BLACK BOX THEATER: The interiors of most black box
theaters are painted black. The absence of color gives
the audience a sense of "anyplace" and allows
flexibility from play to play or from scene to scene.
Since almost any open space in any building can be
transformed into a black box, the popularity and
appeal for theater companies to use this type of
performance space is high.
3. COSTUME: Anything that an actor wears on stage is
referred to as a costume. The Wardrobe department
(the department responsible for creating costumes)
provides clothes, shoes, hats, and any personal
accessories such as umbrellas, purses and eyeglasses.
4. CYCLORAMA (a.k.a. CYC): A curved wall or drop at
the back of a stage, used for creating an illusion of
unlimited space or distance in the background of
exterior scenes or for obtaining lighting effects.
5. DROP: A drop is a large piece of painted canvas
that is “flown in” by the flyman (see FLYMAN).
6. DIRECTOR: The person who guides the actors during
the rehearsal period as they stage the play. The
director is responsible for presenting a unified vision of
the play to the audience.
7. DESIGNER: The people who work with the director to
decide what the production will look like. Designers
must choose the color, shape and texture of everything
you see on the stage. There are several areas that
need to have designers: costumes, set, lighting and
sometimes sound. The designers work very closely with
the director to create the environment in which the
play will take place.
8. FLYMAN: The person responsible for the manipulation
of the scenery which is in the fly gallery (the space
above the stage). The scenery is manipulated by ropes
attached to a counterweight system.
9. GREEN ROOM: The green room, usually near the
entrance to the stage, is where the actors & crew sit
while waiting for their turn to go on stage.
10. HEAD OF WARDROBE: Responsible for the day-to-
day running of the wardrobe department and for
unifying all aspects of production. For example, the
head of wardrobe oversees the budget, tailoring
(including the cutters, first-hands, stitchers, dyers, etc.),
accessories, and millinery.
11. ORCHESTRA PIT: The orchestra pit is the place where
the musicians perform during a musical. Usually the
orchestra pit is between the front row of the audience &
the stage. TADA!’s orchestra pit is located on stage left.
12. PROPS: Anything that the audience sees that is not
worn by an actor & is not a structural part of the set such
as: food eaten during a play, dishes, books, phones, etc.
13. PROPS MASTER: The person who buys items that will
be used or adapted to become props. Props masters
also purchase the raw material used to build props.
14. PROSCENIUM: A term describing the physical
characteristics of a theater. A proscenium theater is one
in which the audience & the actors are separated by a
picture-frame opening that the audience looks through
to see the actors. Surrounding this opening is the
PROSCENIUM ARCH. If there is an acting area on the
audience side of the proscenium arch, it is referred to as
the APRON.
15. SCENIC ARTIST: The people who are responsible for
painting & decorating the surfaces of the set. Some of
the techniques they use include: wood graining,
stenciling, marbling & brickwork. They also paint the
drops & scrims that are flown in.
16. SCRIM: A scrim is a piece of gauze that is painted
and used as part of the scenery. When a scrim is lit from
in front it is opaque, you cannot see through it. When a
scrim is lit from behind it is transparent, you can see
through it. This allows for many different visual effects to
be created by the lighting & set designers.
17. STAGE CREW: The people who ensure that
everything runs smoothly on stage during a
performance. The stage crew is responsible for changing
the sets between scenes & acts.
18. STAGE MANAGER: The person who makes sure that
all rehearsals & performances run smoothly. During a
performance the stage manager also makes sure that
all of the technical elements (e.g., lights, sound, curtains
flying in and out) happen at exactly the right time.
19. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: The person who is responsible
for coordinating all of the technical elements of a
production. Technical directors work with the people
who build the sets, props, costumes, wigs & special
effects to make sure that everything runs smoothly.
20. THRUST STAGE: A thrust stage is a stage that is
surrounded on three sides by the audience.
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