Mr. Popper's Penguins

Discovering Penguins CUESHEET PERFORMANCE GUIDE

Penguins might surprise you. These handsome black and white birds Grownup have wings but use them for swimming instead of flying. Penguins live and baby emperor penguins in the southern half of the world, which is why you won’t find them at chilling out in the North Pole. Some can live in warmer areas though most of them Antarctica. like it cold. And one of their favorite ways to get around and have fun is tobogganing (pronounced tuh-BOG-uhn-ing), or flopping down on their bellies to glide across the ice (or down the stairs if there is no ice around).

A Few More Things

Think about…

Watch for…

■

hat does Mr. Popper decide about continuing W the shows? What would you have done, and why?

■

r. Popper always dreamed of adventures in M Antarctica. Where would you like to go on an adventure, and why?

■ ■ ■ ■

the ways the puppeteers move the puppets. the way Mr. Popper’s dreams are shown. how the letters asking for help get sent. snow!

Listen for…

■ ■ ■

Imagine…

A new adventure for Mr. Popper and Captain Cook.

Where could they explore and what fun would they have? Create simple puppets from items around your home or classroom (like socks) and use them to tell your story to family and friends.

the different sounds penguins make. how the songs help tell the story. the names of famous world explorers.

Remember… Be a good audience at the theater by…

staying quiet (unless you want to laugh),

listening carefully,

following directions,

EXPLORE MORE!

learning to be a proper Popper penguin,

and clapping at the end.

Have fun!

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

Presented by Casa Mañana Theatre Based on the book by Richard and Florence Atwater

Additional support for Mr. Popper’s Penguins is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Adapted for the stage by Pins and Needles Productions from the United Kingdom

Funding for Access and Accommodation Programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education

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

Music by Luke Bateman

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.

Lyrics by Richy Hughes

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. ©2017 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences

Produced by Casa Mañana by arrangement with Kenny Wax Family Entertainment and TC Beech

Playing Around with Penguins M

r. Popper paints houses in Stillwater, England, but dreams of exploring the world, especially Antarctica. One day, thanks to an arctic explorer Mr. Popper has written to named Admiral Drake, a little piece of Antarctica lands right on his doorstep — a penguin. And from that moment on, the quiet lives of Mr. and Mrs. Popper will never be the same.

How the Story is Told Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a musical. That means it’s a story told on stage with actors, sets, lights, music, and lots of singing and dancing— plus a few puppets. By the way, you’ll notice the Poppers talk a little bit differently than most people in the United States. That’s called an accent — an English accent, to be exact.

Imagining Poppers and Penguins Captain Cook arrives at the Poppers’ home. Watch for how the puppeteers move him and the other different-sized puppets in the show.

Squawk! It’s Captain Cook!

What does a newly arrived penguin do? Well, check things out, of course! As he explores every nook and cranny of the Poppers’ home (penguins are very curious creatures, you know), our new arrival gets the name Captain Cook—because “cook” rhymes with the sounds he makes and because he appears to be just as much an explorer as the really famous Captain James Cook.

When Captain Cook seems lonely, the Poppers get another penguin— Greta. And pretty soon, there’s a whole penguin family.

Feeding all those penguins and keeping them cool costs a lot of money, so Mr. Popper creates a penguin show to pay the bills.

Everyone loves the show, but Mr. Popper must decide — what’s best for the penguins? And then Admiral Drake surprises Mr. Popper once again.

NORTH POLE

Arctic Circle

Brrrrrr, Getting Chilly with It Mr. Popper always wished he could have been a polar explorer like Admiral Drake — someone who explores the Earth’s poles, the two coldest parts of the world. These are fascinating places with lots to discover. The North Pole is in the middle of the icy Arctic Ocean, and in surrounding lands you meet polar bears, seals, and arctic foxes. The South Pole, in the middle of the ice-covered continent of Antarctica, is home to seals, sea lions, whales, and, of course, two kinds of penguins.

Washington, DC

United Kingdom

USA

Antarctica SOUTH POLE

The idea for Mr. Popper’s Penguins came from the imaginations of Richard and Florence Atwater more than 75 years ago.

After seeing a movie about an Antarctic expedition (a journey to explore something), Richard and his wife Florence decided to write a playful story about penguins. Try it yourself— what real animal could you tell a fun story about? Share your idea with friends and family.

In the song “Poles Apart,” listen for all the many ways Mr. Popper’s penguin performance is a show better than any other.

From Page to Stage So how do you tell a story about penguins on stage? The people at Pins and Needles Productions in the United Kingdom used their imaginations to figure it out. They decided the best way to show the penguins was by using puppets, and they added singing and music to help tell the story. And stay alert— they might need your help, too, before the show is over!

Playing with Puppets Storytellers often like to use puppets to help tell tales. Puppets can be made out of paper, wood, cardboard, metal, fabric, shadows, and other things—even everyday items like socks, pencils, or pillows. Puppeteers — the people who move the puppets — sometimes put their hands inside the puppets or use rods or strings to move them.

All production photos courtesy of Casa Mañana Theatre.

Create Your Own Paper Bag Puppet It’s time to make your own puppet ! Take an ordinary brown paper bag with the bottom flap facing you.

Draw the upper lip on the flap along its lower edge.

Draw the lower l i p on the body of the bag, where the edge of the flap meets it. Then, fill in the nose, eyes, eyebrows, and ears. Use the lower half of the bag to create your puppet’s body. Slide your hand into the bag and curl your fingers under the flap. Move your fingers to make your puppet “talk” and pretend it is talking with Captain Cook.

Playing Around with Penguins M

r. Popper paints houses in Stillwater, England, but dreams of exploring the world, especially Antarctica. One day, thanks to an arctic explorer Mr. Popper has written to named Admiral Drake, a little piece of Antarctica lands right on his doorstep — a penguin. And from that moment on, the quiet lives of Mr. and Mrs. Popper will never be the same.

How the Story is Told Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a musical. That means it’s a story told on stage with actors, sets, lights, music, and lots of singing and dancing— plus a few puppets. By the way, you’ll notice the Poppers talk a little bit differently than most people in the United States. That’s called an accent — an English accent, to be exact.

Imagining Poppers and Penguins Captain Cook arrives at the Poppers’ home. Watch for how the puppeteers move him and the other different-sized puppets in the show.

Squawk! It’s Captain Cook!

What does a newly arrived penguin do? Well, check things out, of course! As he explores every nook and cranny of the Poppers’ home (penguins are very curious creatures, you know), our new arrival gets the name Captain Cook—because “cook” rhymes with the sounds he makes and because he appears to be just as much an explorer as the really famous Captain James Cook.

When Captain Cook seems lonely, the Poppers get another penguin— Greta. And pretty soon, there’s a whole penguin family.

Feeding all those penguins and keeping them cool costs a lot of money, so Mr. Popper creates a penguin show to pay the bills.

Everyone loves the show, but Mr. Popper must decide — what’s best for the penguins? And then Admiral Drake surprises Mr. Popper once again.

NORTH POLE

Arctic Circle

Brrrrrr, Getting Chilly with It Mr. Popper always wished he could have been a polar explorer like Admiral Drake — someone who explores the Earth’s poles, the two coldest parts of the world. These are fascinating places with lots to discover. The North Pole is in the middle of the icy Arctic Ocean, and in surrounding lands you meet polar bears, seals, and arctic foxes. The South Pole, in the middle of the ice-covered continent of Antarctica, is home to seals, sea lions, whales, and, of course, two kinds of penguins.

Washington, DC

United Kingdom

USA

Antarctica SOUTH POLE

The idea for Mr. Popper’s Penguins came from the imaginations of Richard and Florence Atwater more than 75 years ago.

After seeing a movie about an Antarctic expedition (a journey to explore something), Richard and his wife Florence decided to write a playful story about penguins. Try it yourself— what real animal could you tell a fun story about? Share your idea with friends and family.

In the song “Poles Apart,” listen for all the many ways Mr. Popper’s penguin performance is a show better than any other.

From Page to Stage So how do you tell a story about penguins on stage? The people at Pins and Needles Productions in the United Kingdom used their imaginations to figure it out. They decided the best way to show the penguins was by using puppets, and they added singing and music to help tell the story. And stay alert— they might need your help, too, before the show is over!

Playing with Puppets Storytellers often like to use puppets to help tell tales. Puppets can be made out of paper, wood, cardboard, metal, fabric, shadows, and other things—even everyday items like socks, pencils, or pillows. Puppeteers — the people who move the puppets — sometimes put their hands inside the puppets or use rods or strings to move them.

All production photos courtesy of Casa Mañana Theatre.

Create Your Own Paper Bag Puppet It’s time to make your own puppet ! Take an ordinary brown paper bag with the bottom flap facing you.

Draw the upper lip on the flap along its lower edge.

Draw the lower l i p on the body of the bag, where the edge of the flap meets it. Then, fill in the nose, eyes, eyebrows, and ears. Use the lower half of the bag to create your puppet’s body. Slide your hand into the bag and curl your fingers under the flap. Move your fingers to make your puppet “talk” and pretend it is talking with Captain Cook.

Discovering Penguins CUESHEET PERFORMANCE GUIDE

Penguins might surprise you. These handsome black and white birds Grownup have wings but use them for swimming instead of flying. Penguins live and baby emperor penguins in the southern half of the world, which is why you won’t find them at chilling out in the North Pole. Some can live in warmer areas though most of them Antarctica. like it cold. And one of their favorite ways to get around and have fun is tobogganing (pronounced tuh-BOG-uhn-ing), or flopping down on their bellies to glide across the ice (or down the stairs if there is no ice around).

A Few More Things

Think about…

Watch for…

■

hat does Mr. Popper decide about continuing W the shows? What would you have done, and why?

■

r. Popper always dreamed of adventures in M Antarctica. Where would you like to go on an adventure, and why?

■ ■ ■ ■

the ways the puppeteers move the puppets. the way Mr. Popper’s dreams are shown. how the letters asking for help get sent. snow!

Listen for…

■ ■ ■

Imagine…

A new adventure for Mr. Popper and Captain Cook.

Where could they explore and what fun would they have? Create simple puppets from items around your home or classroom (like socks) and use them to tell your story to family and friends.

the different sounds penguins make. how the songs help tell the story. the names of famous world explorers.

Remember… Be a good audience at the theater by…

staying quiet (unless you want to laugh),

listening carefully,

following directions,

EXPLORE MORE!

learning to be a proper Popper penguin,

and clapping at the end.

Have fun!

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

Presented by Casa Mañana Theatre Based on the book by Richard and Florence Atwater

Additional support for Mr. Popper’s Penguins is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Adapted for the stage by Pins and Needles Productions from the United Kingdom

Funding for Access and Accommodation Programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education

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

Music by Luke Bateman

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.

Lyrics by Richy Hughes

The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. ©2017 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences

Produced by Casa Mañana by arrangement with Kenny Wax Family Entertainment and TC Beech