The Cat in the Hat study guide

ARDEN CHILDREN’S THEATRE PRESENTS

Based on the book by Dr. Seuss Directed by

Doug Hara and Steve Pacek Play originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain

Study Guide made by Donna Recole Steele

Table of Contents

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Synopsis of Cat in the Hat About Dr. Seuss Meet the Cast

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Our Production: Costumes

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Our Production: Props Connect the Dots

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What can you do on a rainy day ?

Math with the cat!

Rhyme Time

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Balancing Act Write a review

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Discussion Questions

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Synopsis of Cat in the Hat

In this story, two bored children are sitting, watching the rain fall when they hear a loud crash at the door. When they look to see who it is, they see a large cat in a white and red striped hat. He sees that the children are not having fun, so he tries to help. The family’s pet fish tries to warn the children that the Cat in the Hat is up to no good, but the Cat continues on. He shows the Fish that there is nothing to worry about while he picks up the Fish, balancing him with other objects he finds inside the house.

The Cat in the Hat loses his balance and falls down, dropping everything that he is holding. The Fish is not happy at all after this happens.

The Cat in the Hat makes it up to the Fish and children by bringing in a big box with a hook. He opens the hook and reveals Thing One and Thing Two. They are here to help the children have fun. They run around the house with their kite, making even more of a mess when the Fish sees the children’s mother coming up the walkway. The children catch Thing One and Thing Two with a net and send them out of the house with the Cat in the Hat along side them. The children look at the mess in the house wondering how they will clean up before Mother comes in. Just then, the Cat in the Hat comes in with a special machine made for cleaning and picks up the mess he and his friends have made before Mother comes home.

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About Dr. Seuss "A person's a person, no matter how small!"

Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, would say.

"Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained, and delighted."

Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped kids learn to read.

Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1904. After attending Dartmouth College and Oxford University, he began a career in advertising. His advertising cartoons, featuring "Quick, Henry, the Flit!," appeared in leading American magazines. His first children's book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, hit the market in 1937, and the world of children's literature was changed forever!

In 1957, Seuss's The Cat in the Hat became the prototype for one of Random House's best-selling series - Beginner Books. This popular series combines engaging stories with outrageous illustrations and playful sounds to teach basic reading skills.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards, Seuss was the author and illustrator of 44 childrens books, some of which have been made into audiocassettes, animated television specials, and videos for children of all ages. Even after his death in 1991, Dr. Seuss continues to be the best-selling author of children's books in the world.

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Read more at: http://www.seussville.com/morefun/ted.html

Cast The Cat in the Hat.............................Doug Hara Boy.................................................Richard Crandle Girl................................................Maggie Johnson Thing One.....................................Charlotte Ford Thing Two........................................Dave Johnson Mother (Voice)............................Charlotte Ford The Fish (Voice).............................. Dave Johnson

Design Team

Director...................................................Steve Pacek Lighting Designer........Brian Sidney Bembridge SET DESIGNER.................Brian Sidney Bembridge Costume Designer......................Lauren Perigard Sound Designer.........................................Rick Sims Puppet Designer.............Alisa Sickora Kleckner

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Our Production Costumes Sketches

Clean Up Machine

The Cat in the Hat

Costume designers create the look for each character . they will often make sketches of what the costumes should look like and with the help of a costume assistant, they can sew or buy the clothes they need to create the look!

Thing One and Thing Two

Designs by Lauren Perigard

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After the show: How did the costumes look in the play?

Our Production

Props Props are important because they help enhance the story.

This is how they began to make the fish for Cat in the Hat.

Designed by Alisa Sickora

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After the show: How did the fish look in the play?

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What can you do on a rainy day?

Indoor Smores What you will need: * 32 miniature graham crackers or 8 regular size graham crackers, broken in 1/2 * 2 milk chocolate bars, the kind that can be broken into squares * 8 marshmallows *A cooking sheet

Directions:

*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

*Lay 1/2 of the graham crackers on a cookie sheet.

Top with chocolate pieces to cover. Use kitchen scissors to snip the marshmallows in 1/2 horizontally if using miniature crackers and place 1/2 a marshmallow on top of each graham cracker. If using regular size crackers use a whole marshmallow.

*Bake until the marshmallows are puffed and golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining graham crackers, pressing down slightly to make a sandwich. Serve immediately, while still warm.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/indoorsmores-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Indoor science experiment- Dancing Oobleck What you will need: *2 cups of corn starch *1 cup of water *Food coloring (optional) *... and some music!

Directions: * Start with the water in a bowl and add the cornstarch a bit at a time. * Keep stirring until it has a gooey consistency. You may want to use your hands. * When the oobleck is just right, slowly add food coloring, if you want. This can be a challenge to get it mixed properly. * Play with it!

What can you do with it? * Grab a handful and squeeze it. Let it ooze through your fingers. * Make a puddle and quickly drag your fingers through it. * Jab at the oobleck and then slowly let your finger sink in. * Roll some oobleck into a ball. It becomes solid, but when you stop moving it, it will melt back into your hand. *You can also place the oobleck on a cookie sheet on top of a speaker and watch them dance!

For more information check out: http://www.livescience.com/21536-oobleck-recipe.html

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Make sure a parent or guardian is always present when attempting any of these activities.

Math With The Cat! Read the following word problems. Circle each number you find and identify if you are ADDING or SUBTRACTING the number. Cirlce the + for addition or - for subtraction.

Write the equation on the line and solve the problem.

Example: The Cat is holding one cup, one cake and one umbrella in his hand. His friends give him three toy ships. He drops one of the toys.

How many objects is he holding? ___1___ + - ___1___ + - ___1___ + - ___3___ + - ___1___ = ___5___ 1. The children find five of their toys on the floor. They pick them up and find two kites and three balls in the next room. They put all of their toys away in the closet. How many toys did the children put away? _______ + - _______ + - _______ = ________ 2. Thing One and Thing Two are running around the house. They knock over three picture frames. Sally picks one up and hangs it back on the wall. Then the Cat picks up one and hangs it back on the wall too. How many pictures are still on the floor? _______ + - _______ + - _______ = ________ 3. The Fish has one fish bowl that he lives in. He is knocked out of his bowl and into one tea pot. Then the children give him one brand new tank to live in. How many homes did the Fish have? _______ + - _______ + - _______ = ________ 4. The Cat makes a big mess in the children’s home. He drops four piec es of cake on the carpet. He breaks six cups in the kitchen. He left one gown on the floor. And he knocked three books off the bookcase. And How many objects did the Cat leave a mess on the floor? _______ + - _______ + - _______ + - _______ = ________

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Rhyme Time!

Read the following poems below. Choose a word that best fits in each blank space.

Make sure it rhymes with the word in the poem that is underlined!

1. Think! Think and wonder, wonder and think.

How much water can fifty-five elephants _________________________.

2. The more that you read the more things that you know.

The more that you learn the more places you’ll _________________________.

3. Would you like them here or there?

I would not like them here or there I would not like them _________________________.

4. Where do they come from?

I cannot say but I bet they have come a long long _________________________.

5. If you’d never been born, well then what would you be?

You might be a fish! or a toad in a _________________________.

6. You’ll get mixed up of course, as you already know.

You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you _________________________.

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Balancing Act! In the production of Cat in the Hat, the actor Doug Hara has to do a lot of balancing. The picture below was taken during their rehearsal process.

You can do it too! Start off by balancing a soft ball on your head, or on your shoulder. You can even try balancing a spoon on your nose. Pretty soon you will be able to balance many objects, just like Doug!

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Write a Review What did you think about the show?

Write your own review!

A review is simply expressing how you feel about a show. You can say whether or not you liked a show, but a great critic always explains why. For example, you can say, “I really like the show because the acting was fantastic!”

So tell us what you think, and don’t forget to include all of the theatrical elements: set, design, acting, costumes and direction.

You can mail your reviews to: Arden Theatre Company Education Dept.

40 N 2nd St Philadelphia, PA 19106

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Discussion Questions 1. List the objects that the Cat says he can hold while balancing with the Fish.

2. Explain why the Fish was nervous when the Cat arrived.

3. Choose a character in the story who helps the children. Explain how they helped them.

4. Compare and contrast the children in the begining of the book to the children at the end. Did they change at all? Are their feelings about the day different? How so?

5. Create a tool of your own that would help the children prepare for their mother’s arrival. What would it do? What would it look like? How would it work?

6. Predict what would happen if the Cat didn’t help clean up the mess. How would the children react? How would their mother react?

7. Do you think that Thing 1 and Thing 2 have anything in common with the children? If so, what is it?

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