PERFORMANCE GUIDE
Cuesheet
AWorld Premiere Kennedy Center Commission
THE (Mostly True)
ADVENTURES OF Homer P. Figg Adapted by Tom Isbell from the book by Rodman Philbrick Directed by Gregg Henry
Performances for Young Audiences is made possible by
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Travel Back to 1863 Our Story Begins
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welve-year-old Homer P. Figg is on the loose in the American Civil War. How come? Well, Homer’s father died before he was born, his mother died before the war, and now his big brother Harold has been sold into service as a Union soldier. Homer is determined to find his brother and keep them both safe and alive until the war ends. How can a kid do that? Fortunately, this kid can think on his feet and lie through his teeth. Homer will crisscross the America of 1863 on trains, boats, and hot-air balloons, colliding with a crazy cast of characters —from bounty hunters and clergymen to carnival performers and tricksters. At the end of his journey, Homer meets the greatest challenge of all—the war. But does Homer have what it takes to be a hero?
Civil War Slang rapscallion: a rascal
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A Crazy Cast of Characters Homer encounters mo re than 25 characters. Here are just a few:
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Harold Figg, Homer’s 17-year-old brother Squinton Leach, Home r’s uncle, and the meanest man in Maine Samuel Reed, a cond uctor for the Underground Railroad Mr. Brewster, a wealthy and good-hearted Quaker Kate Nibbly, a beautif ul young woman, but not to be trusted Professor Fleabottom, a carnival trickster Minerva, his red-haired , tattooed assistant plus generals, colonels , soldiers, and several pigs
with Homer P. Figg GoingtoWar
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ar happens when states or nations send their armies to battle against each other. It can last weeks, months, or even years. A civil war is a conflict between opposing citizens of the same country, typically over a government issue. During battle, soldiers are likely to be injured or killed due to gunfire, explosions, or disease. For example, many deaths in the American Civil War were the result of infections and diseases like yellow fever and malaria. Citizens sometimes face the same risks as soldiers when war is fought on their home territory, as happened in the Civil War. Such wars create confusion among the people struggling to protect their homes and families. When Professor Fleabottom tells Homer that “war is an awful thing,” he is speaking about the personal hardships suffered during wartime. Do you know anyone who has been affected by a war?
“War is an awful thing.”
Taking Responsibility When Mr. Brewster tells Homer a person has two options, he is telling Homer that one can either become interested and involved in other “A person has only people’s lives or remain two options in life: isolated and alone. to do something or By protecting runaway to do nothing.” slaves, Mr. Brewster —Mr. Brewster demonstrates that he has chosen to act on his principles and to connect with other people —despite the risks. Have you ever been asked to accept the consequences of your actions? Have you ever thought how the decisions you make affect other people?
Marching Onward At the end of his adventures, Homer chooses to head toward new challenges in the future. If you’ve had a tough experience, did you move forward or keep looking back?
“We’re all of us haunted by yesterday, and we got no choice but to keep marching into our tomorrows.” — Homer P. Figg
—Professor Fleabottom
A Literary Tradition Civil War Slang scallywag: a rascal; see “rapscallion”
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg follows a literary tradition known as the “picaresque” (pronounced pik-uh-RESK) novel in which a crafty young hero manages to outwit his opponents through a series of adventures. Other picaresque heroes include Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, both set in America just before the Civil War.
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America”s CivilWar A Lesson from the Past
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n 1861, President Abraham Lincoln was determined to end the practice of using African workers as slaves. The people who agreed with him and also wanted to abolish slavery were known as “abolitionists.” Eleven southern states were so opposed to that idea that they chose to leave the Union. That decision resulted in the American Civil War. For four years, the North fought against the South in battles waged mostly through the southern states, until the South surrendered. By the end of the Civil War, 620,000 soldiers were dead from battles or disease— roughly equal to the same number of soldiers lost in every other American military effort, from the Revolutionary War through the War in Iraq. The Civil War is sometimes called “The Boys’ War” because many of these soldiers were only in their teens. In fact, boys as young as eight years old served as drummer boys and musicians on the battlefield. Throughout the war, many Southern slaves found their way to freedom in the North by means of the “Underground Railroad,” a network of safe houses and contacts mostly travelled by runaway slaves at night.
An 1893 painting of the Underground Railroad by Charles T. Webber.
The Underground Railroad
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n his adventures, Homer meets Samuel Reed, an African American who works as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Guided by “conductors” like Samuel Reed, runaway slaves followed a loose network of secret routes and safe homes to find their way to freedom in the North. To avoid getting caught, they travelled by foot at night and hid in shelters during the day. Many members of the Quaker Church, like Mr. Brewster in the play, were known to open their homes to fugitive slaves. Watch for Homer’s reaction when he looks into the Brewster’s basement and sees the frightened faces hiding there.
Civil War Slang ruffian: a tough or rowdy person
Civil War Slang roustabout: an unskilled laborer
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ATicketto Ride
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Music ofthe CivilWar
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uring the Civil War, a poet named Julia Ward Howe rewrote the words to the tune “John Brown’s Body” and provided the North with a new musical anthem—“The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Filled with Biblical imagery and wording, the song became a popular rallying cry as Northerners took comfort in the belief that God was on their side. The words also mirrored the many hardships, death, and destruction witnessed during the Civil War.
The Battle of Gettysburg
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any believe the turning point in the war was the Battle of Gettysburg fought on a field in Pennsylvania in 1863. The three-day battle was the bloodiest in the war with great losses suffered on both sides. Four months later, President Lincoln spoke of the sacrifices of war in the close of his famous speech known as the Gettysburg Address:
uring the Civil War years, most people travelled by horse-drawn buggies or by long marches on foot. New innovations in travel were the railroad with its steam locomotives and the steamboat. Hot-air balloons were used during the war as a method of spying on enemy activities —but typically such balloons were shot down.
I Spy It was not uncommon for Civil War spies to transport secret messages across both Union and Confederate lines. Try creating your own secret message with this recipe for invisible ink.
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Use lemon juice, either fresh lemons or bottled juice, as ink.
2. Dip a paintbrush or a stick into the lemon juice and write on a blank sheet of paper.
3. Allow the paper to dry thoroughly. 4. Hold the paper up to warm sunlight or a light bulb.
5. The heat should cause the message to be revealed when the invisible lemon juice turns a pale brown.
‘ that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.’
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The Show Must Go On TheatricalEffects
Meet Homer
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heater in the 19th century was a major source of entertainment. Before the invention of movies, television, and radio in the 20th century, audiences were drawn to local theaters to attend performances by touring companies of actors. Typically, these actors appeared in several plays, often playing two or more characters within a single play. The most popular type of play was the melodrama, a story told with clearly defined heroes and villains who had a strong sense of right and wrong. The hero in a melodrama faced off against “bad guys” over a series of brief episodes—and the hero always won in the end. Another popular attraction of nineteenth century theater was the use of special stage effects to depict some natural disaster or technological wonder.
Civil War Slang Johnny Reb: a nickname for a Confederate soldier
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yan Mercer is the actor who will play Homer P. Figg. Before the play, think how this young man can play the role of a 12-year-old boy. During the performance, watch to see how Ryan “becomes” Homer.
Multiple Casting
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n the production of The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, you will often recognize the same actors portraying several different characters in Homer’s story. “Multiple casting” describes the situation in which one actor plays many roles. Observe how the actors become a completely different character simply by changing their voice, posture, wig, or costume.
The Quick Change
True Lies
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t an early age, children are taught not to lie. It doesn’t take long, however, for the truth to get complicated. Sometimes lies are justified as “little lies” or harmless. Other times, a gentle lie hides a harsher truth. A good story gets improved by small details— whether true or untrue—until the story turns into a wildly exaggerated “tall tale.” And then sometimes, as Homer finds out, the truth can be stranger than the craziest lie he ever told.
uick change” refers to any fast costume change that an actor must manage backstage during the play. In Homer P. Figg, you’ll see actors walk offstage as one character—and return seconds later as a completely different character—with different clothes, wigs or beards, hats or shoes. In addition to costumes, an actor might also change the way he or she walks, stands, or talks to become another character.
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Cuethe Sound! Cuethe Lights!
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What Would You Do?
DAN CONWAY
any special effects in the theater are accomplished with sound and lights. Listen for sounds during the play that suggest where Homer is at that moment. With only the sound of a train whistle and a blast of steam, an entire train can “appear” onstage, at least in the audience’s imagination. In the same way, lights, shadows, and projections can suggest a forest full of trees, a hot-air balloon, or a battlefield. Use your imagination and watch for the way lights flicker or change to capture Homer’s world.
When you attend The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, pay attention to the lies and judge for yourself whether Homer should suffer the consequences of lying or whether his lies are justified under the situation. Put yourself in Homer’s shoes and ask yourself— what would you do if you were in Homer’s situation?
elixir: a sweetened solution of alcohol and water, often intended as medicine
SET DESIGN BY
Civil War Slang
During the perf ormance, think about what role imagination play your s in setting this scene.
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Before You Go
David M. Rubenstein Chairman Michael M. Kaiser President Darrell M. Ayers Vice President, Education
Before: Readthis Cuesheet.
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Turn off your cell phones. Remind adults to turn them off, too. Put away wrapped candy. (The crinkle can ruin a performance.) Say what’s on your mind to friends and family sitting with you so you can stop talking and stay quiet during the play.
During: Respectthe performers.
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It’s okay to laugh and applaud when there’s something funny said or done on stage. Respect the person in front of you. Don’t kick his or her chair.
Additional support for Performances for Young Audiences is provided in part by Adobe Foundation; The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Macy*s Foundation; The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; an endowment from the Ryna and Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; U.S. Department of Education; Verizon Foundation; Washington Gas; and by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund, and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Major support for the Kennedy Center’s educational programs is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.
Respect the person behind you. Don’t flop around too much or talk to your neighbor. Have a good time!
www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge
After: Work onthe exercises inthis guide.
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Talk about your impressions of the play with other people who saw it. Describe the performance to someone who didn’t see it.
Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedycenter.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2012 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
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