Cuesheet Performance Guide
“I know now the world is upside down I roamed around and never found even a hint of equal ground Unbalanced, unstable I was unable to see Until I stepped into shoes of someone less fortunate than me We switched clothes, switched faces, ditched status, ditched places, So I could see what life was like on the other side …” —Kid Prince
An adaptation of the novel The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain Written by Brian Quijada | Music by Marvin Quijada Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh
Presenting Sponsor of Performances for Young Audiences
The Heart and Roots of Hip Hop
Out of a troubled time comes creativity and resistance. That’s the story told in Kid Prince and Pablo. This fable-like tale draws its truth from the very real urban America of the early 1970s. Times were tougher than usual for the families and young people of color in these communities. Budget cuts, crime, corruption, and crony capitalism seemed designed and determined to suffocate human spirits. One night in 1973, a spark leapt between twin turntables. They were spun by the legend-to-be DJ Kool Herc at a dance party in The Bronx, New York City, extending the breaks to lengths humans had never heard before. The dance floor went wild. The spirit caught, it flared, and soon it jumped beyond its borough. Other creative flames from hopeful poets, guerilla artists, and fearless philosophers joined forces to become a movement and a culture. They called it Hip Hop. It evolved into the sound, the cyphers, the steps, and communities that simply refused to die. Critics cried out that this life-preserving defiance was a threat to what they believed was theirs to own. Side-stepping the nay-sayers, Hip Hop inspired voices of hope and protest within every race, country, class, and creed.
Aficionados of Hip Hop identify six elements in its matrix, specifically: ■ DJing—the artistic handling of beats, breaks, and music ■ MCing, aka rapping—improvising spoken-word poetry to a beat ■ Breaking—Hip Hop’s athletic and improvisational style of dance ■ Writing and wildstyle—individualized and stylized graffiti ■ Theater and literature—drama, poetry, and stories inspired by Hip Hop ■ Knowledge of self—the moral, social, and spiritual principles that inform and inspire Hip Hop ways of being
No matter how mainstream Hip Hop becomes, its heart and roots still draw on underground reservoirs of resistance. Wherever you find the urge and urgency to speak truth to power, the spirit of Hip Hop will be there. How will you use your Hip Hop?
, , Can t Stop Won t Stop Seeking Answers
Kid Prince and Pablo is a dystopian allegory—its “parallel universe” shines light on unjust circumstances in the real world. Here are a few things to wonder about before the show, recognize during it—then examine, analyze, and evaluate afterward. ■
Oppression is a key theme in the play. Name the oppressors and the oppressed in the show. Identify specific ways Pablo, Francois, and Harold push back against oppression. What forms can oppression take in real life? Can people be both oppressed and oppressor?
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Privilege and fairness. The play’s Prince Maximillion Washington seems like a lucky guy, but his experiences with Pablo and others help him see his position in a new way. Define what privilege means to you. What privileges does Kid Prince possess compared to Pablo and other characters? Discuss how and why his thinking about privilege and fairness shift during the show. Question why Pablo refuses Max’s apology near the end.
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People and places. The United. Mex. The Promised. New Wave and New New Wave. Compare and contrast the places and people in the show with the world you know and live in. Describe the imaginary world where the play takes place. Who are the main groups in the story, and what motivates them? Who would you compare them to in our world? Why is Hip Hop banned in their world?
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Character arcs. Kid Prince and Pablo are the main characters of the play. Describe them at the beginning and again at the end. Analyze how their behaviors, attitudes, and lives change. (For example, how does Pablo learn to use the tools available to him to express his worldview to others?) What is the character arc for each of them?
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Breakthrough. Sometimes characters in the play speak directly to the audience which is called “breaking the fourth wall.” Point out what purpose you think it serves. How did you feel when the cast was speaking right to you?
USE YOUR POWER Fresh Hip Hop generations don’t wait for others to say what needs saying or do what needs doing. You’re the only person who sees like you see, thinks like you think, shines like you shine. But if you’d like ideas of how to light it up and start creating, consider these… ■
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Two worlds. Jobs, health care, education—the play presents each of these as areas and sources of inequality in the United. Identify and evaluate what you see as an inequality in your community, country, and world. Who is suffering, why are they suffering, and what would it take for their suffering to be relieved? Create a campaign in art and words for King Max, sharing your ideas to address this inequality and spelling out why changes are in the best interests of everyone. Interdependence vs. independence. Near the end of the play, King Max raps: I’ll be your king, but I will not rule I’ll serve/This is the declaration of interdependence. What is the difference between independence and interdependence? Summarize the strengths and limitations of each. Write a “declaration of interdependence”—in poetry or prose—for King Max to deliver about breaking from the past and building a fresher future for all citizens of the United, especially for oppressed groups.
David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education
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Empathy . Empathy is a kind of emotional superpower which takes two main forms. First, there is interpersonal empathy that allows us to connect with others by imagining and understanding what they’re going through. Second, there is social empathy. It builds bridges of understanding between different groups and cultures. Note moments of interpersonal and social empathy in the show. Discuss what role they play in managing conflict and building bonds. How have you experienced empathy in your own life?
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Trade shoes with somebody. Like in Kid Prince and Pablo, imagine you switched places with someone so that you live their life and they live yours. Who would you switch with? What might you discover living in their shoes? What would you want them to learn about your life? Create that scenario as a graphic novel, as lyrics, or as a one-act play or dance.
Additional support for Kid Prince and Pablo is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Anne and Chris Reyes; and the U.S. Department of Education. Funding for Access and Accommodation Programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program. 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.
© 2019 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts