Sideways Stories Study Guide

ARDEN CHILDREN’S THEATRE PRESENTS

Adapted by JOHN OLIVE from the books by LOUIS SACHAR Directed by WHIT MACLAUGHLIN

Study Guide Created by Cheyenne Barboza

Dec 4 - Feb 9

Production Sponsor:

Children’s Theatre Season Sponsor:

Is your school just a little too...normal?

Welcome to Wayside.

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Meet the Playwright & Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Create a New Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Our Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 World of the Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Let’s Tango! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Sir Isaac Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Matt with Dameon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Vocabulary with Leslie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 How Fast can You Draw? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Help! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Robi Hager as Myron and Ensemble Photo by Mark Garvin

2

ABOUT THE PLAY Spoiler Alert!

The play begins in the thirtieth story classroom. The teacher, Mrs. Gorf has turned most of the class into apples and now there’s just Myron and Bebe left. The pair struggle to keep from being turned into apples as Mrs. Gorf chases them around the room. Just as Mrs. Gorf casts her spell, it bounces off a mirror that Bebe is holding and back at Mrs. Gorf. Now she is an apple and the students that were apples, Leslie, Rondi, and Dameon, are turned back into kids! Louis the yard teacher stops by the classroom and decides to take the apple that was Mrs. Gorf to have as a snack.

The class is free of the terrible Mrs. Gorf, yet they are now left without a teacher!

The next day the students show up to school and find out their new teacher is on her way up to the classroom. Frightened, the students try to hide from her. Lucky for them, the new teacher, Mrs. Jewls, is very nice. She loves teaching and wants to know if she’s being boring. If the students misbehave she will not turn them into apples.

Excited, the students ask many questions and then fill in Mrs. Jewls on the different quirks of Wayside School. For instance, Wayside School was built sideways! The builders made a mistake and put one classroom on each floor instead of thirty classrooms on one floor, making it a school that is thirty stories high! However, when Mrs. Jewls counted the floors she only counted twenty-nine: “That’s because of the Nineteenth floor.”

“That’s where Miss Zarves teaches.”

“Miss Zarves doesn’t exist.”

“There’s no nineteenth floor.”

The students then take turns introducing themselves to Mrs. Jewls. There’s Rondi, who has the prettiest teeth. Dameon’s Alex Keiper as Bebe and Steve Pacek as Mrs. Gorf teeth are nice too, he smiles all the time!

Photo by Mark Garvin Bebe is the fastest draw at Wayside School, once she starts drawing it’s hard to get her to stop! Leslie’s got long, beautiful pigtails.

They’re so nice in fact, that Myron can’t help but want to pull them! Myron is really nice and a smart student.

3

ABOUT THE PLAY CONTINUED...

Louis enters with a note for Mrs. Jewls. The note is from Miss Zarves: “There is no Miss Zarves” “There is no Nineteenth Floor” “That’s why there’s nothing on the note”

Mrs. Jewls needs to get to the bottom of this. The students and Louis follow her all the way to the twentieth floor. When she shouts “THERE IS NO MISS ZARVES!” they hear a zzzzzzzzzzzap and are magically transported to the nineteenth floor where Mrs. Zarves reveals herself! She warns them to never say she doesn’t exist again or she will come back angry. Terrified, they all return to the thirtieth floor where they’re looking forward to getting back to their schoolwork.

After the Mrs. Zarves incident, the students go back to their lesson. The students are enjoying their new teacher when they are interrupted by Louis with a worried look on his face….he thinks….he just saw……Mrs. Gorf!

Mrs. Jewls is alone at her desk when she hears faint laughter and the classroom door opens on its own. All of a sudden, Mrs. Jewls begins to thrash around as if something is controlling her and then she laughs just like Mrs. Gorf.

When the students return to the classroom, Mrs. Jewls is not there. When Mrs. Jewls enters she snaps at the students when they take too long to get back to their seats “Don’t you know what happens to children who waste time?”

Mrs. Gorf used to say that. Mrs. Jewls thrashes around confused as to why she is can’t stop being mean. The students look at her in fear, so she writes her own name on the board under DISCIPLINE. Mrs. Jewls tries to continue but she is taken over again and almost pours a bucket of brine onto Leslie’s head. The students rush to help and Mrs. Jewls thrashes one last time, and runs out of the classroom.

Taysha Canales as Rondi. Photo by Mark Garvin

4

ABOUT THE PLAY CONTINUED...

Principle Mr. Kidswatter informs them that another teacher is on his way up. This new man is very strange and the students are uninterested in him. The man is very nervous and offers the students cookies to break the ice. He pretends to be interested in talking with them but the cookies they ate actually gave him the power to steal their voices. He silences all the students and reveals he is Mr. Gorf, Mrs. Gorf’s son!

He has come for his revenge on the thirtieth floor for his mommy’s disappearance.

He wants to know what happened! Bebe explains that Mrs. Gorf turned herself into an apple because Bebe was holding up a mirror. Bebe starts to draw just as Mr. Gorf turns Louis into an apple. She shows the drawing to the class, it’s of Miss Zarves the students know just what to do! Mr. Gorf offers the apple to the students and they tell him that Miss Zarves won’t let him get away with this. He replies that there is no Miss Zarves. The students trick Mr. Gorf into repeating that there is no Miss Zarves until there is another Wayside KAZZZZZAP and Miss Zarves returns angry!

“WHO SAID IT? WHO SAID I DON’T EXIST? WHO WAS IT!!??!!”

Mr. Gorf cowers in fear. Miss Zarves recognized him as Mrs. Gorf’s son. Mrs. Gorf, along with Mrs. Jewls, are on the nineteenth floor memorizing words from the dictionary as their punishment. Mr. Gorf flees to join his mommy. Mrs. Jewls returns and the students are relieved to see their favorite teacher back. They play their musical instruments and end the day on a high note!

L-R Anthony Martinez-Briggs as Dameon, Alex Keiper as Bebe, Robi Hager as Myron, Emilie Krause as Leslie, Rachel Camp as Mrs. Jewls and Dave Johnson as Louis.

Photo by Mark Garvin

5

MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT: JOHN OLIVE

John Olive is a writer out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has written many plays for young audiences both adaptations and originals. His plays have been produced all over the country and have won countless awards. John is currently in the process of working on a novel and a nonfiction book about bedtime stories. Some of his other plays for young audiences include: Johnny Tremain, Jason and The Golden Fleece, The Magic Bicycle, Pharaoh Serket and The Lost Stone of Fire, and Water Babies. He also teaches screenwriting at the University of Minnesota. This is the second time the Arden Theatre Company will produce Sideways Stories from Wayside School. The first time was in the 2003-2004 season.

MEET THE AUTHOR: LOUIS THE YARD TEACHER!

Louis Sachar is an award winning author whose children’s books such as HOLES and Sideways Stories from Wayside School have captured the hearts of many. He was born in East Meadow, New York. When he was in high school he wrote his first children’s story. It was about a mean teacher named Mrs. Gorf who turned her students into apples. In college, Louis Sachar worked as a playground supervisor at Hillside Elementary School in Northern California. The kids called him Louis the yard teacher. The characters in this book are named after the students Louis met at Hillside. Louis Sachar graduated from law school in 1980, but he writes children’s books instead of practicing law because it’s what he really likes to do.

6

CREATE A NEW STUDENT!

CREATE A NEW STUDENT TO JOIN MRS. JEWLS’ CLASS. WHAT’S THEIR NAME? WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE? WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL OR UNIQUE? WHO WOULD THEY BE FRIENDS WITH IN THE CLASS AND WHY? DRAW YOUR STUDENT IN THE SPACE BELOW. __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

7

OUR PRODUCTION DIRECTOR……………………WHIT MACLAUGHLIN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.................SAMANTHA TOWER SCENIC DESIGNER……………………DAVID P GORDON COSTUME DESIGNER………………..RICHARD ST. CLAIR LIGHTING DESIGNER…………………ALLEN HAHN SOUND AND VIDEO DESIGNER…………….JORGE COUSINEAU STAGE MANAGER……………………..ALEC FARRELL STAGE MANAGER……………………..KATE NELSON

CAST

RACHEL CAMP AS MRS. JEWLS

STEVE PACEK AS MRS.GORF SAMMY MR.PICKLE MISS VALOOSH MR.GORF

ALEX KEIPER AS BEBE

DAVE JOHNSON AS LOUIS

TAYSHA CANALES AS RONDI

ANTHONY MARTINEZ-BRIGGS AS DAMEON

EMILIE KRAUSE AS LESLIE

ROBI HAGER AS MYRON

8

THE WORLD OF THE PLAY SET RENDERING

Our Scenic Designer, David P. Gordon, created this rendering to give an idea of what the set will look like. The classroom is literally built sideways with the front door on the floor and the ceiling on the wall!

Vocabulary Set - The area that creates the environment for the actors to use.

Rendering - A picture that represents the idea you have.

Discussion Question How would you design the set for Wayside School? Draw the ideas you have about what you would want a sideways classroom to look like. Don’t forget important things like windows and doors!

9

THE WORLD OF THE PLAY CONTINUED...

COSTUME RENDERINGS Here are some of the sketches created by the Costume Designer, Richard St.Clair. (Left) Mrs. Gorf, Mr. Pickle, Miss Valoosh and Mr. Gorf. (Below) Rondi, Bebe, Myron, Leslie and Dameon.

10

LET’S TANGO!!

When Miss Valoosh comes to visit the class you better have you best dancing shoes on! In Act Two Miss Valoosh teaches the students the Tango!

The Tango is a dance style that originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its popularity began primarily amongst the working-class people in Argentina in the early 20th Century. The Tango is a rhythmic, partner dance that incorporates improvisational movement with European and African influence. It spread to Europe in the early 20th Century when Argentine sailors would dance with the local girls at port. By 1913, everyone had tango fever! Today, there are many different variations of the Tango performed all around the world. Dancing the Tango also became popular because the basic steps are very easy to learn. Below is a step chart of the Basic Steps of the Tango! With a partner, facing each other, give the footsteps of the leader’s part and the follower’s part a try!

Leader

Follower

11

SIR ISAAC NEWTON & The Laws of Gravity In the play, the students get a quick lesson on Gravity and the man who discovered it, Sir Isaac Newton. Sir Isaac Newton was a highly influential physicist, astronomer, mathematician, philosopher, alchemist and theologian in 17th Century England. He is most known for his study of gravity. Gravity is the force that attracts objects to one another. Newton created the Laws of Universal Gravitation that studies the attraction large masses have towards one another like the Earth and the Moon for example. Newton became interested in how gravity works when one day he watched an apple fall from a tree. He immediately started to wonder why the apple falls straight down to the ground. Why doesn’t it go up or sideways?

This tree sits outside Newton’s family home in Lincolnshire, England.

This tree is believed to be the apple tree that started it all and is still standing strong today. The house is a very popular tourist location.

12

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Describe how Mrs. Gorf turns students into apples. Is it how you pictured it to look?

2. Describe what you felt when you found out that Mr. Gorf was related to Mrs. Gorf. Were you scared for the students? Were you angry that he wanted to seek revenge? Explain how you felt.

3. Explain why the students like Mrs. Jewls. Write some of the qualities that Mrs. Jewls has that Mrs. Gorf does not.

4. Choose one part of the play that was your favorite part. Why was it your favorite?

5. Compare and contrast Wayside School to your school. What is the same? What is different? Explain.

6. Design a costume for yourself as a character in Wayside School. What colors would you wear? What would your clothes look like? Draw a rendering to display your ideas.

7. Predict what would happen if the students of Wayside School transferred to your class. Would they like it? How would they handle a “normal� school?

Alex Keiper as Bebe, Robi Hager as Myron, and Taysha Canales as Rondi Photo by Mark Garvin

13

MATH WITH DAMEON

In Act One, Dameon sits with Mrs. Jewls to learn how to count. Dameon is the only student on the thirtieth floor that cannot count correctly. Help Dameon order his numbers from least to greatest, and write the correct order on the line.

1.)

34, 5, 17, 60, 44, 21, 18

____________________________ 2.)

33, 21, 7, 52, 91, 5, 61

____________________________ 3.)

100, 440, 333, 88, 55, 221, 97

____________________________ 4.)

29, 57, 4, 19, 42, 77, 93

____________________________ 5.)

3, 80, 42, 31, 71, 68, 86

____________________________

Ohh no! Dameon dropped all of the items off of his desk!

Count how many of each item is on the floor.

Pencils______ Potatoes_____ Books_______ Erasers______

14

VOCAB WITH LESLIE

Leslie writes her words upside down. Help Leslie read the right way by writing the words below right side up.

Smack Mustache Saturday Motorcycle Puzzle Hack Black Mud Blood Cast of Sideways Stories of Wayside School Photo by Mark Garvin

15

HOW FAST CAN YOU DRAW? Bebe is the fastest artist at Wayside School! Can you beat her time? With a partner, take turns timing each other to draw the following things and try to out-draw Bebe!

Bebe’s Record 5 seconds

Bebe’s Record 3 seconds

Cat

Flower

Your Record ________ seconds

Your Record ________ seconds

16

HELP!

Mr. Gorf is going to turn all the students into apples if we get the wrong answers!

Get to the mirror before he turns you next! Answer each question below by choosing paths A or B. Follow the path. If you’re wrong you’ll end up an apple and start again. If you’re right, you’ll find the mirror! Good luck!

I made two dozen cookies. There are 12 cookies to a dozen. How many cookies do I have total?

A. 12 B. 24

What is the capital of England?

A. London B. Paris

If I have 14 pencils, and I give 7 to Myron, how many pencils do I have left?

A. 6 B. 7

Which NUMBER comes first ALPHABETICALLY? A. Eleven B. Eighty

17

BIBLIOGRAPHY Sachar, Louis, and Julie Brinckloe. Sideways Stories from Wayside School. New York, NY: Avon, 1985. Print.

Denniston, Christine. “Tango Dance Styles of the Golden Age.” The Birth of Couple Dance. N.p., 2003. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.http://www.history-of-tango.com/ couple-dance.html Sir Isaac Newton http://thethoughtstash.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/a-visit-to-sir-isaac-http://www. sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/scientists/isaacnewton.htmlnewtons-house/

The Cast of Sideways Stories of Wayside School Photo by Mark Garvin

18