Moby Dick: Presented by Theater Triebwerk from Germany

Ready to Climb Aboard?

A Few Last Things…

Watch…how the actors use their body movements, facial expressions, plus a range of voices to change characters—and create the feeling of being out at sea.

Listen…how the songs and music add to the storytelling.

Pay special attention to the sounds the instruments make from the creaking of the oars, to the moaning of the ship’s hull, to the mysterious whale himself.

The harpooner known as Queequeg, who throws barbed spears (or harpoons) at whales, scans the horizon looking for Moby Dick.

Think About…the three main characters in the play—Ahab, Ishmael, and Starbuck.

Compare and contrast their actions and feelings toward one another.

Create…a big story in a small space. Try choosing an epic story or fairy tale and think how you could tell it with only two other people and with little or no props. Practice different ways to show one big scene from the story.

And remember…

You don’t have to be a seafarer to be a good audience member—just stay seated and quiet, don’t eat, turn off your phone and other electronics, and remember to watch, listen, and clap at the end.

Photo credits: Cover: photo by Oliver Fantitsch; illustration from The Natural History Museum/Alamy.

Page 2: Whale Fishery—Attacking a Right Whale, New England whaling ca. 1860.

Page 3: Oliver Fantitsch.

Page 2 and 3: background image from The Natural History Museum/Alamy.

Page 4: Talula Sheppard

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President, Education Additional support for Moby Dick is provided

by The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Based on the novel

by Herman Melville Presented by Theater Triebwerk from Germany

Hoist sail, raise anchor, and join the hunt for the great white whale! You’re off on an epic sea adventure as one of America’s greatest novels comes to life on stage.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Departwment of Education but do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2016 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Explore More!

Go to KC Connections on ARTSEDGE artsedge.kennedy-center.org/ students/kc-connections

Cuesheet

Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1995, “triebwerk” in German means “to work with driving force,” and refers to the group’s desire to create powerful theater. The company is known for their use of music and the ability to create unique theater experiences using the simplest of ingredients.

PERFORMANCE GUIDE

About Theater Triebwerk

Presenting Sponsor Performances for Young Audiences

From Page to Stage

Moby Dick is a play in one act based on the novel of the same name by American author Herman Melville. It tells the story of the hunt for Moby Dick, an enormous white whale that had bitten off the leg of Captain Ahab on an earlier voyage. The action of the play takes place on a sailing ship based in Nantucket, Massachusetts and on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the middle of the 19th century.

Theater Triebwerk (pronounced TRIBE-work) transformed Melville’s lengthy novel into a oneact play by reducing the plot and cutting 25 characters down to ten. Three actors combine costumes, simple objects, music, and sound to bring Melville’s story to life. One more thing— you might notice the performers speak English a little differently. That’s called an accent, and they have one because their first language is German, not English.

What Happens in the Story?

Some History First For many centuries, the mysterious whale was an essential part of human life and the global economy. This was mostly because the fatty oil gathered from whale blubber was used to light lamps in the days before electricity. Many whaling ships sailed out of the island of Nantucket, which became a headquarters for sailors bent on catching whales. From there, men journeyed around the world for years at a time, risking life and limb to capture these colossal whales.

In the 1800s there were eight types of whales commonly hunted for their oil. A whale such as Moby Dick could have measured up to 60 feet in length and weighed as much as 120,000 pounds.

A Great American Novel The need for whale oil reached its peak in the 1800s, and the whale trade became so popular it prompted many 19th-century authors to write about whale hunting on the high seas. Novelist Herman Melville drew upon his own experiences as a whaler as well as true tales of violent encounters with the gigantic animals to create his 1851 masterpiece, Moby-Dick—a powerful story of friendship, ambition, and revenge.

Herman Melville (1819–1891)

Driven by revenge for his lost leg, Ahab orders his men to the boats when they spot Moby Dick.

On board a whaling ship known as the Pequod (PEA-qwod), a young sailor named Ishmael (ish-MALE) and his fellow seamen struggle to survive a perilous journey on treacherous seas.

However, the men soon realize their greatest danger is their vengeful captain, the peglegged Ahab. As the hunt drags on, Ahab loses all sense of reason and threatens to bring down the whole crew in his attempt to capture the very whale responsible for the loss of his leg.

A Cast of Characters Here are some of the play’s main characters. Remember, there are only three actors, so be sure to watch how they quickly change roles—and costumes.

Ishmael, the narrator or storyteller, and sailor Ahab, captain of the Pequod Queeqweg, (QWEE-qweg) an island native and harpooner Starbuck, first mate Stubb, second mate

The “Other Actors” A variety of musical instruments help to tell the story, so much so that they have been nicknamed the “other actors.” Listen for how the sounds of the double bass, cello, and ship’s bell can add excitement or suspense through original songs and sound effects.

The Voyage of the Pequod from the book Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.

From Page to Stage

Moby Dick is a play in one act based on the novel of the same name by American author Herman Melville. It tells the story of the hunt for Moby Dick, an enormous white whale that had bitten off the leg of Captain Ahab on an earlier voyage. The action of the play takes place on a sailing ship based in Nantucket, Massachusetts and on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the middle of the 19th century.

Theater Triebwerk (pronounced TRIBE-work) transformed Melville’s lengthy novel into a oneact play by reducing the plot and cutting 25 characters down to ten. Three actors combine costumes, simple objects, music, and sound to bring Melville’s story to life. One more thing— you might notice the performers speak English a little differently. That’s called an accent, and they have one because their first language is German, not English.

What Happens in the Story?

Some History First For many centuries, the mysterious whale was an essential part of human life and the global economy. This was mostly because the fatty oil gathered from whale blubber was used to light lamps in the days before electricity. Many whaling ships sailed out of the island of Nantucket, which became a headquarters for sailors bent on catching whales. From there, men journeyed around the world for years at a time, risking life and limb to capture these colossal whales.

In the 1800s there were eight types of whales commonly hunted for their oil. A whale such as Moby Dick could have measured up to 60 feet in length and weighed as much as 120,000 pounds.

A Great American Novel The need for whale oil reached its peak in the 1800s, and the whale trade became so popular it prompted many 19th-century authors to write about whale hunting on the high seas. Novelist Herman Melville drew upon his own experiences as a whaler as well as true tales of violent encounters with the gigantic animals to create his 1851 masterpiece, Moby-Dick—a powerful story of friendship, ambition, and revenge.

Herman Melville (1819–1891)

Driven by revenge for his lost leg, Ahab orders his men to the boats when they spot Moby Dick.

On board a whaling ship known as the Pequod (PEA-qwod), a young sailor named Ishmael (ish-MALE) and his fellow seamen struggle to survive a perilous journey on treacherous seas.

However, the men soon realize their greatest danger is their vengeful captain, the peglegged Ahab. As the hunt drags on, Ahab loses all sense of reason and threatens to bring down the whole crew in his attempt to capture the very whale responsible for the loss of his leg.

A Cast of Characters Here are some of the play’s main characters. Remember, there are only three actors, so be sure to watch how they quickly change roles—and costumes.

Ishmael, the narrator or storyteller, and sailor Ahab, captain of the Pequod Queeqweg, (QWEE-qweg) an island native and harpooner Starbuck, first mate Stubb, second mate

The “Other Actors” A variety of musical instruments help to tell the story, so much so that they have been nicknamed the “other actors.” Listen for how the sounds of the double bass, cello, and ship’s bell can add excitement or suspense through original songs and sound effects.

The Voyage of the Pequod from the book Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.

Ready to Climb Aboard?

A Few Last Things…

Watch…how the actors use their body movements, facial expressions, plus a range of voices to change characters—and create the feeling of being out at sea.

Listen…how the songs and music add to the storytelling.

Pay special attention to the sounds the instruments make from the creaking of the oars, to the moaning of the ship’s hull, to the mysterious whale himself.

The harpooner known as Queequeg, who throws barbed spears (or harpoons) at whales, scans the horizon looking for Moby Dick.

Think About…the three main characters in the play—Ahab, Ishmael, and Starbuck.

Compare and contrast their actions and feelings toward one another.

Create…a big story in a small space. Try choosing an epic story or fairy tale and think how you could tell it with only two other people and with little or no props. Practice different ways to show one big scene from the story.

And remember…

You don’t have to be a seafarer to be a good audience member—just stay seated and quiet, don’t eat, turn off your phone and other electronics, and remember to watch, listen, and clap at the end.

Photo credits: Cover: photo by Oliver Fantitsch; illustration from The Natural History Museum/Alamy.

Page 2: Whale Fishery—Attacking a Right Whale, New England whaling ca. 1860.

Page 3: Oliver Fantitsch.

Page 2 and 3: background image from The Natural History Museum/Alamy.

Page 4: Talula Sheppard

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President, Education Additional support for Moby Dick is provided

by The Clark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Based on the novel

by Herman Melville Presented by Theater Triebwerk from Germany

Hoist sail, raise anchor, and join the hunt for the great white whale! You’re off on an epic sea adventure as one of America’s greatest novels comes to life on stage.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Departwment of Education but do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. © 2016 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Explore More!

Go to KC Connections on ARTSEDGE artsedge.kennedy-center.org/ students/kc-connections

Cuesheet

Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1995, “triebwerk” in German means “to work with driving force,” and refers to the group’s desire to create powerful theater. The company is known for their use of music and the ability to create unique theater experiences using the simplest of ingredients.

PERFORMANCE GUIDE

About Theater Triebwerk

Presenting Sponsor Performances for Young Audiences