The Red Thread Study Guide

SUPPL EMENTAL MATERIAL S

Tangrams

Books for Lower Middle and Elementary School Students Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah Count your Way Through China by James Haskins The Enchanted Tapestry by Robert San Souci Great Ancient China Projects You Can Build Yourself

by Lance Kramer Long-Long’s New Year: A Story About the Chinese Spring Festival by Catherine Gower The Weaving of a Dream by Marilee Heyer

When Guàiren, the mystic, begins training Ling Shih to prepare for the next steps of her adventure, he tells her the ancient Chinese legend about a servant who dropped a fragile ceramic tile, breaking it into seven pieces. He couldn’t figure out how to put the pieces back together into a square; however, he discovered that he could create many other interesting shapes. From this discovery came the tangram puzzle.

based on chinese folktales

by stephanie ansin & fernando calzadilla

Books for Upper Middle and High School Students The Bone Setter’s Daughter by Amy Tan The Good Earth by Pearl Buck The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston

Copy this page and cut up the seven pieces that make up the square below. Then use the pieces to make a square, a triangle, person riding a horse, duck, and bunny.

Ling Shih becomes very frustrated when she attempts to create specific shapes with the tangrams. Guàiren advises her to sit down, close her eyes, clear her mind, and focus on her breath. If you get frustrated, try following his advice.

Books For Educators and Parents Along the Silk Road by Elizabeth Ten Grotenhuis (editor) Chinese Symbols and Icons complied by The Commercial Press A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols by Wolfram Eberhard Handbook of Chinese Mythology by Lihui Yang and Deming An with Jessica Anderson Turner Myths and Legends of China by E.T.C. Werner

Conscious breathing is the core of Buddhist meditation practice. Most of the time we breathe automatically without paying attention to our inhales and exhales. Taking the time to slow down and focus on your breathing – observing your inhales and exhales, the rise and fall of your abdomen, and the thoughts that float through your mind – helps develop concentration and an awareness of how what you think affects your body and mind.

Miami Theater Center 9806 NE 2nd Avenue Miami Shores, FL 33138 (305) 751-9550 info@mtcmiami.org mtcmiami.org

the red thread

Web Resources Ancient Chinese folktales and culture http://www.chinancient.com/ China for middle school students http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/ Chinese culture, traditions, and etiquette http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/globaletiquette/china-country-profile.html The Secrets of the Silk Road http://www.penn.museum/current-changingexhibits/749-secrets-of-the-silk-road.html The Silk Road Project, founded by Chinese cellist Yo-Yo Ma http://www.silkroadproject.org/ Silkworm Cocooning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6Q6vCBFJL4 Tangrams http://www.tangrams.ca/inner/tanpage.htm Weaving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWXZ8G2EsKI When Silk Was Gold http://antiquesandthearts.com/archive/silk.htm Sunshine State Standards

Choreography by Octavio Campos Original Music & Sound Design by Luciano Stazzone Set, Costume & Lighting Design by Fernando Calzadilla

Directed by Stephanie Ansin

Reading/Language Arts 1.6, 1.7, 2.1, 4.2, 6.1 Theatre C.1, H.1, H.3 Math G.1

Social Studies G.1, G.6, 912.H.3

MTC is funded in part by Ansin Foundation; John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; North Dade Medical Foundation; Gonza Executive Search, LLC; WSVN Channel 7; Andrew L. Ansin; The Green Family Foundation, Inc.; Peacock Foundation, Inc.; Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca; and State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

study guide

The Story Our story begins in 400 A.C.E in Hangzhou, a city on the east coast of China. When a silk weaver named Goˉng Shâo is about to complete a tapestry he has been working on for three years, his oldest daughter, Yáo Xueˇ, convinces his middle daughter, Méi Huaˉ, to help her steal the masterpiece so they can sell it and use the money to acquire fancy clothes, delicious food, and rich husbands. As a result, Goˉng Shâo’s youngest daughter, Ling Shih, sets out on a quest to recover her father’s work. She walks across China for three months until she encounters a mystic named Guàiren who teaches her how to solve complex puzzles and remain calm under stressful circumstances.

Ling Shih’s new abilities enable her to transform a jade statue into a magic horse that flies her to a cave in far western China. There she encounters Wàng, the Prince of Khotan, who is about to celebrate his 21st birthday and marry a princess he has never met. Ling Shih and Wàng instantly fall in love in the midst of their very stressful circumstances. Together, they open Wàng’s first wedding present and find Goˉng Shâo’s tapestry nestled inside the box! Thanks to the flying horse, Ling Shih quickly takes the weaving home to her dying father, and he uses the red thread that was tied around the present to sew one last red lotus on the tapestry and complete his work.

Once the tapestry is finished, Goˉng Shâo and Ling Shih are magically transported back to Khotan just in time for Ling Shih to replace Prince Wàng’s unwanted bride. Even the humbled older sisters are included in the unexpected turn of events: greed and frivolous spending have forced them to become travelling dress vendors. They pass through Khotan right before the wedding, and they end up giving Ling Shih a stunning gown.

Guàiren officiates a beautiful ceremony, and everyone dances to celebrate union, reunion, and homecoming.

The title of the play comes from an ANCIENT CHINESE BELIEF

The Tapestry of Life A tapestry is created by weaving different colored threads togther to make a pattern or image. Goˉng Shâo's tapestry is a metaphor for the powerful connections we have with our family, friends, and community. Our strength comes from the delicate interweaving of our individual lives.

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.

The red thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.

Even today, many Chinese people wear red bracelets that symbolize their desire to find the soul mate they are connected to by an invisible red thread.

• How do you see this ancient Chinese belief reflected in the play?

• Which characters do you think are connected by invisible red threads?

When Ling Shih searches for her father’s tapestry, it takes her three months to walk from Hangzhou to the Kunlun Mountain. Then it takes her a few minutes to fly to Khotan on a magic horse. Later that night, the same horse flies her from Khotan back to Hangzou in less than an hour. When Goˉ ng Shâo finally completes his tapestry, he and Ling Shih miraculously find themselves transported back to Khotan in a matter of seconds.

Hangzhou to Khotan: 2,815 miles

Khotan

Kunlun Mountain

Kunlun Mountain to Khotan: 265 miles

Luoyang

Xining

Xining to Kunlun Mountain: 1140 miles

Luoyang to Xian: 254 miles In China, the Kunlun Mountain has been know as one of the pillars that holds up the sky; deities’ paradise; and the link between Heaven and Earth.

• being good to one’s parents and showing them love, respect, and support • behaving well outside the home so as to bring a good name to one’s parents

Yáo Xueˇ and Méi Huaˉ behave extremely disrespectfully when they steal their father’s tapestry.

Write an essay or have a discussion about the following questions: • Why do Yáo Xueˇ and Méi Huaˉ disobey Goˉng Shâo?

• What would you do if you were in their situation?

• What would you do if you were Goˉng Shâo or Ling Shi?

Hangzhou to Luoyang: 640 miles

Miami to Santa Barbara: 2,799 miles

Santa Barbara

Filial Piety Filial piety is considered the most important virtue in Chinese culture.

It includes:

Hangzhou

Xian

Xian to Xining: 516 miles

• Do you have any invisible, inevitable connections in your life?

• performing the duties of one’s job well so as to obtain the means to support one’s parents Goˉng Shâo named his youngest daughter Ling Shih after Hsi-Ling-Shih, the wife of the first emperor of China.

According to legend, Hsi-Ling-Shih discovered silk when a silkworm cocoon fell into her tea cup and unraveled before her eyes, revealing a long strand of silk thread.

Ling Shih’s Journey

As you can see on the Google maps, Ling Shih’s journey is comparable to traveling from Miami, FL to Santa Barbara, CA.

Where have you gone?

Some journeys take place in time and space. Other journeys take place inside your mind. Think about a significant journey – external or internal – that you’ve taken. For example: a vacation to another city; moving to a new place; making a new friend; or overcoming a fear. Now write about what prompted your journey and what you learned along the way.

(For teachers: This is an FCAT expository essay prompt.)

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