A Thousand Cranes

Children’s Tour

September - December 2012

2012 / 2013 EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH SPONSORS

S

yracuse Stage is committed to providing students with rich theatre experiences that explore and examine what it is to be human. Research shows that children who participate in or are exposed to the arts show higher academic achievement, stronger self-esteem, and improved ability to plan and work toward a future goal.

Many students in our community have their first taste of live theatre through Syracuse Stage’s outreach programs. Last season more than 30,000 students from across New York State attended or participated in the Bank of America Children’s Tour, Backstory performances, artsEmerging, the Young Playwrights Festival, and our Student Matinee Program.

We gratefully acknowledge the corporations and foundations who support our commitment to in-depth arts education for our community.

Children’s Tour Naming Sponsor

ArtsEmerging Sponsor John Ben Snow Foundation, Inc. General Education Sponsors

Lori Pasqualino as “Annabel” in the 2010 Bank of America Children’s Tour: Annabel Drudge... and the Second Day of School.

Photo by Michael Davis

Content collection, layout design, and portions written by Michelle Scully

Timothy Bond

Producing Artistic Director

Syracuse Stage and SU Drama

820 E Genesee Street Syracuse, NY 13210

www.SyracuseStage.org

Director of Educational Outreach

Lauren Unbekant (315) 443-1150

Manager of Educational Outreach

Michelle Scully (315) 442-7755

Group Sales & Student Matinees

Tracey White (315) 443-9844

Box Office

STUDY GUIDE CONTENTS

4. Production Information 5. Introduction 6. Teaching Theatre

8. Letter from the Director 9. Content and Culture 12. Context and Discussion 16. In the Classroom 18. Sources and Resources 19. Syracuse Stage Performance Information

(315) 443-3275

Syracuse Stage is a global village square where renowned artists and audiences of all ages gather to celebrate our cultural richness, witness the many truths of our common humanity, and explore the transformative power of live theatre.

Celebrating our 40th season as the professional theatre in residence at Syracuse University, we create innovative, adventurous, and entertaining productions of new plays, classics and musicals, and offer interactive education and outreach programs to Central New York.

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AT SYRACUSE STAGE The Bank of America CHILDREN’S TOUR brings high-energy, interactive, and culturally diverse performances to elementary school audiences.

The BACKSTORY Program brings history to life as professional actors portray historical figures in classrooms and other venues.

ArtsEMERGING takes students on an in-depth exploration of one mainstage season production using a multi-cultural, multi-arts lens.

The YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL challenges students to submit original ten-minute plays for a chance to see their work performed at Syracuse Stage.

The STUDENT MATINEE SERIES provides student with the opportunity for a rich theatrical experience as part of our audience.

PRESENTS THE BANK OF AMERICA CHILDREN’S TOUR

WRITTEN BY

Kathryn Schultz Miller DIRECTED BY

Lauren Unbekant

COSTUME & SCENIC DESIGN BY

STAGE MANAGER

SOUND DESIGN BY

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Katrin Naumann

Katherine McCombs

David Huber and Jonathan Herter

Cynthia Moore

PUPPET DESIGN BY

Gabriel Quirk

FEATURING Betty Etheredge Sadako Erin Schmidt

Oba Chan/Modern Girl Sammy Lopez Father/Actor/Spirits/Modern Boy Tyler Spicer Kenji Bank of America is one of the leading global supporters of the arts. Our Arts and Culture Program is a critical element of our Corporate Social Responsibility activity. This includes innovative and unique initiatives such as Syracuse Stage’s Children’s Tour, that enable arts institutions and programs to flourish. This enduring commitment to the arts is based on a belief that a thriving arts and culture sector brings untold benefits to economies and societies throughout the world. It is the company’s responsibility, as a major corporation with global reach, to help sustain this vital economic organ.

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

4

introduction

Welcome!

As you take your students on the exciting journey into the world of live theatre we hope that you’ll take a moment to help prepare them to make the most of their experience. Unlike movies or television, live theatre offers the thrill of unpredictability.

With the actors present on stage, the audience response becomes an integral part of the performance and the overall experience: the more involved and attentive the audience, the better the show. Please remind your students that they play an important part in the success of the performance!

A few reminders...

BE PROMPT

Give your students plenty of time to arrive, find their seats, and get situated. Have them visit the restrooms before the show begins!

RESPECT OTHERS

Etiquette Audience

Please remind your students that their behavior and responses affect the quality of the performance and the enjoyment of the production for the entire audience. Live theatre means the actors and the audience are in the same room, and just as the audience can see and hear the performers, the performers can see and hear the audience. Please ask your students to avoid disturbing those around them. Please no talking or unnecessary or disruptive movement during the performance. Also, please remind students that cellphones should be switched completely off. No texting or tweeting, please. When students give their full attention to the action on the stage, they will be rewarded the best performance possible.

GOOD NOISE, BAD NOISE

Instead of instructing students to remain totally silent, please discuss the difference between appropriate responses (laughter, applause, participation when requested) and inappropriate noise (talking, cell phones, etc).

STAY WITH US

Please do not leave or allow students to leave during the performance except in absolute emergencies. Again, reminding them to use the restrooms before the performance will help eliminate unnecessary disruption.

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

5

teaching theatre

Most (but not all) plays begin with a script — a story to be told and a blueprint of how to tell it. In his famous treatise, The Poetics, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle outlined six

Elements Drama of

that playwrights are mindful of to this day:

Plot What is the story line? What happened before the play started? What does each character want? What do they do to achieve their goals? What do they stand to gain/lose?

Theme

What ideas are wrestled with in the play? What questions does the play pose?

Does it present an opinion?

Character

Who are the people in the story? What are their relationships? Why do they do what they do? How does ages/status/etc. affect them?

Language Music

What do the characters say? How do they say it? When do they say it?

How do music and sound help to tell the story?

Spectacle

What visual elements support the play? This could include: puppets, scenery, costumes, dance, movement, and more.

Other Elements: Conflict/Resolution, Action, Improvisation, Non-verbal communication, Staging, Humor, Realism and other styles, Metaphor, Language, Tone, Pattern & Repetition, Emotion, Point of view.

ACTIVITY At its core, drama is about characters working toward goals and overcoming obstacles. Ask students to use their bodies and voices to create characters who are: very old, very young, very strong, very weak, very tired, very energetic, very cold, very warm. Have their characters interact with others. Give them an objective to fulfill despite environmental obstacles.

Later, recap by asking how these obstacles affected their characters and the pursuit of their objectives.

Any piece of theatre comprises multiple art forms. As you explore this production with your students, examine the use of:

WRITING

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

VISUAL ART/DESIGN MUSIC/SOUND DANCE/MOVEMENT

INQUIRY

How are each of these art forms used in this production?

Why are they used?

How do they help to tell the story?

6

teaching theatre

Most plays utilize designers to create the visual world of the play through scenery, costumes, lighting, and more. These artists use

Elements Design of

to communicate information about the world within the play and its characters.

LINE can have length, width,

texture, direction and curve. There are 5 basic varieties: vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved, and zig-zag.

SHAPE

is two-dimensional and encloses space. It can be geometric (e.g. squares and circles), man-made, or free-form.

FORM is three-dimensional. It encloses space

and fills space. It can be geometric (e.g. cubes and cylinders), man-made, or free-form.

COLOR

has three basic properties: HUE is the name of the color (e.g. red, blue, green), INTENSITY is the strength of the color (bright or dull), VALUE is the range of lightness to darkness.

SPACE is

defined and determined by shapes and forms. Positive space is enclosed by shapes and forms, while negative space exists around them.

TEXTURE refers to the “feel” of

an object’s surface. It can be smooth, rough, soft, etc. Textures may be ACTUAL (able to be felt) or IMPLIED (suggested visually through the artist’s technique).

APPLIED LEARNING

Have students discuss these elements BEFORE attending the performance and ask them to pay special attention to how these elements are used in the production’s design. Whether your students are observing a piece of visual art (painting, sculpture, photograph) or a piece of performance art (play, dance), allow them first to notice the basic elements, then encourage them to look deeper into why these elements are used the way they are.

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

7

a letter from the director

Dear Educator, It is my pleasure to present A Thousand Cranes, a collaboration between the Syracuse University Department of Drama and Syracuse Stage. A Thousand Cranes is the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a young Japanese girl stricken with “radiation sickness” almost ten years after the bombing of her city, Hiroshima.

You may wonder why we would want to present a play for children about such a serious topic. I believe that children today face very real struggles: at home, in their neighborhoods, and in many countries other than our own. If we can acknowledge these struggles through the power of theatre and the arts, we can empower children to make positive choices regarding their future.

As a young girl I remember reading Sadako’s story and how much it resonated with me.

Here was the story of a young girl facing with dignity, grace, and an irrepressible spirit a very serious illness brought on by the effects of war. Her story not only reminds us of the fragility of life, but also of the impact a simple gesture of kindness can have on future generations.

This is a story of beauty and hope.

It is my hope that you and your students will be inspired!

Sincerely,

Lauren Unbekant Director of Educational Outreach

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

8

content & culture

Government: Parliamentary with constitutional monarchy

Japan at a glance

Prime Minister: Yoshihiko Noda (elected Aug 2011) Main Exports: Motor vehicles, semiconductors, and office machinery Agriculture: Rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, pork, fish Currency: Yen

Japan is sometimes called ‘The Land of the Rising Sun,’ which the Japanese flag represents.

Population: Area: Population Density: Capital: Largest City:

Japan United States 127,590,000 314,440,000 145,883 sq mi 3,794,066 sq mi 874.4/sq mi 80/sq mi Tokyo Washington, D.C. Tokyo – 12,790,000 (32,450,000 Metro) New York City – 8,363,710 (19,006,798 Metro)

More than 70% of Japan consists of mountains, including more than 200 volcanoes. Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan and an active volcano.

If you could put the island of Japan inside the United States, it would stretch from Syracuse all the way to Florida!

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Hiroshima is about the same distance from Japan’s capital, Tokyo, as Syracuse is from our capital, Washington, D.C. 9

content & culture

Japanese Tradition

Japan is a much older country than America, so tradition is very important to Japanese people.

A Thousand Cranes gives us a glimpse into some Japanese traditions. Let’s look even further!

Obon

Our story takes place on and around the holiday of Obon, or “the day of the spirits.” In the Buddhist religion, it is believed that the spirits of our ancestors return to Earth once every year to visit their relatives. People (like Sadako’s family) light candles and hang lanterns to light the spirits’ way.

New Year

Like in America, the Japanese New Year is celebrated on Jan 1. For many, it is the biggest holiday of the year.

Foundation Day

When Sadako sees the Obon candles floating down the river, she thinks the river is burning. Looking at this picture, can you see why?

On February 11th each year, the Japanese people express patriotism and love for their nation on Foundation Day. The date is significant as it is both the day the first Japanese Emperor was crowned in the year 660 B.C. (according to one of the earliest Japanese history records) and the day that the new Japanese Constitution was put into effect in 1889.

The Doll Festival

A celebration on March 3rd by families who have daughters. They decorate their houses with dolls and peach blossoms to bring good luck to their daughters.

Respect for the Aged Day

The third Monday in September is set aside as a day to show respect for our elders.

Golden Week

A collection of four national holidays within seven days:

Showa Day, April 29, is the birthday of former Emperor Showa, who died in the year 1989. Greenery

Day used to be celebrated on this day until 2006 when it was moved to May 4th.

Constitution Day, May 3, is the day the new post war constitution was put into effect in 1947.

Greenery Day, May 4, is dedicated to the environment and nature, because Emperor Showa loved plants and nature. Before being declared Greenery Day, May 4 used to be a national holiday due to the Public Holiday Law which declares any day that falls between two other national holidays shall also be a holiday.

Children’s Day, May 5: Also known as“The Boy’s Festival.” On this day Families pray for the health

and future success of their sons by hanging up carp streamers and displaying samurai dolls, both symbolizing strength, power and success in life.

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

10

content & culture

FOOD & DRINK SADO

Japanese Tradition

Tea is a very popular drink in Japanese culture, both for its good taste and its many health benefits.

Tea is often served on special occasions and religious holidays in a Tea Ceremony, or Sado.

SUSHI

The island of Japan is perfect for growing rice and fishing, so it wasn’t long before Japanese chefs found a unique way of combining the two. There are many kinds of sushi.

Usually fish, meat, or vegetables are rolled inside a sticky rice, or placed on top of the rice. Sushi is now a popular food in the United States, too!

TEMPURA

Do you like fried food? If so, you’d love tempura.

Meat, seafood, or vegetables are battered in a special flour and fried in hot oil.

Tempura can be dipped in soy sauce, or rolled inside rice to make tempura sushi.

THEATRE IN JAPAN

Most plays performed in Japan are one of these styles: Noh Theatre is one of the oldest types of theatre in the world! Music and dance are used, and the actors wear masks like the one shown here.

Kabuki Theatre was started by working people who could not always afford to see expensive Noh plays. Kabuki actors don’t wear masks, but instead use colorful makeup.

Bunraku Theatre is a special kind of theatre where the stars are not people, but puppets! The puppets are almost as big as a human, and it takes 3 people to bring them to life.

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

HAIKU

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. All haiku are three lines long. The first line has 5 syllables, the second line has 7, and the last line also has 5 syllables.

Haiku are usually written about nature, feelings, or experiences. They are short, so each word is very important. Here’s an example: Green and speckled legs Hop on logs and lily pads, Splash in cool water.

What do you think this haiku is about?

Try writing your own!

ORIGAMI

Origami is an old tradition of folding paper to make animals and other figures.

No scissors or glue are allowed - just one or more pieces of square paper. An origami crane is a symbol for peace all across the world. Why? Because of Sadako Saski, the little girl in A Thousand Cranes.

Each year, people from many countries fold paper cranes and send them to Hiroshima in her memory. Of course, origami artists make more than just cranes.

By using more than one piece of paper (but still without glue or scissors!) you can make all sorts of shapes and creatures!

11

context & discussion

World War II

The second World War was the largest war in history. Soldiers from dozens of different countries fought in Europe and in Asia. In the end over 50 million people died.

How did this happen? There are no easy answers to that question, but let’s look at some important causes.

Alliances

War in the Pacific

An ‘alliance’ is an agreement between two or more countries. It says that if one country is attacked, the others will help defend it. Right before the first World War, many countries began making alliances, which is why so many countries fought in that war. Most of these alliances still existed when the second World War began.

In what ways are alliances good for countries?

In what ways might they be harmful?

While the war raged in Europe, Japan (who had an alliance with Germany) was beginning to attack neighboring countries like China and Thailand. Although the United States had not yet entered the war, Japan launched a sneak attack on the USA in 1941. On the morning of December 7, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes arrived at an American military base in Hawaii called Pearl Harbor. American President Franklin Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan, and the USA was officially in the war. Soon, American troops were fighting both in Asia and Europe.

Why do you think Japan attacked Pearl Harbor before the USA had entered the war?

Germany

Germany was defeated in the first World War and the country was left in ruins. Many roads, businesses, farms, and homes were destroyed, and many people had trouble affording food and clothing. Many Germans hoped for a strong leader who could fix their problems. Adolf Hitler promised to do just that, but the German people got more than they bargained for. Hitler’s first goal was to reclaim areas of land that had been taken from Germany after World War I. These areas had been given to countries like France and Austria, but in the 1930’s, Germany began to take them back with force.

Appeasement

Because the first World War was so terrible, most countries wanted to avoid another war.

So, when Germany began invading France and Austria to reclaim their territories, no one stopped them. These countries adopted the policy of ‘appeasement,’ the idea that letting Germany have some of its old territories back might prevent another war. Unfortunately, Hitler did not stop there, and in 1939 he invaded Poland, too. Now Britain and France (who had alliances with Poland) had no choice but to declare war on Germany and its allies.

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Newspaper headlines from 1939 (top) and 1945 (bottom.)

12

content & discussion

The Atomic Bomb

Today, we hear a lot of talk about ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ This phrase describes bombs and other weapons that can be hundreds of times more powerful than normal bombs or guns. The first weapon of mass destruction ever built was the atomic bomb. The A-Bomb ended the fighting in Japan during World War II, but peace came at a terrible price: hundreds of thousands of people died.

One of them was Sadako Saski, the main character of A Thousand Cranes. What was the A-Bomb, and why was it used?

The Bomb

While World War II was raging, scientists across the world were making many discoveries in the field of physics. They were studying energy what it is and how it can be used. Although they were looking for ways to make our world better, they soon realized that the powerful atomic energy they were researching could also be used to make powerful weapons. Just one bomb had enough energy to destroy an entire city. Despite the scientists’ warnings, militaries on both sides of the war raced to develop these new atomic bombs.

Each side feared that their enemies might be the first to build and use the A-Bomb.

Top: the atomic bomb; Bottom: the ‘mushroom cloud’ over Hiroshima that rose from just one bomb.

Harry Truman

When Franklin Roosevelt died in 1945, he was replaced by his vice-president, Harry Truman.

Truman fought in the first World War, so he knew the terror of war. Germany was close to defeat, but the war in the Pacific showed no signs of ending any time soon. With both sides so evenly matched, the war could have continued for many more years. Truman had a tough decision to make.

He knew that if the war continued, millions of people would die. On the other hand, the USA had just finished building a supply of A-Bombs. One or two of these could knock Japan out of the war immediately. He knew that these bombs would kill many Japanese civilians, but they might save millions of lives in the long run. Truman agonized over the decision, carefully weighing all his options. This was not a decision to be taken lightly.

Hiroshima & Nagasaki Finally, Truman made his decision. He sent a warning to the Japanese Emperor: surrender now or face “utter destruction.” The Emperor did not surrender, and on August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Sadako Sasaki’s hometown of Hiroshima.

Two days later, a second bomb was dropped on another Japanese city, Nagasaki. The two bombs killed 120,000 people, and injured countless more. Many of the survivors seemed fine at first, but later grew sick.

One of them was Sadako Sasaki. They called it ‘radiation sickness,’ but we now know it as leukemia. It was a result of the huge amount of atomic radiation energy released from the bombs. Japan immediately surrendered and the war was over. The Japanese people, like Sadako’s family, did their best to recover from the devastation, but it would change their lives forever.

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

13

context & discussion

A Vision of Peace

A Thousand Cranes is based on a true story. Sadako Sasaki was just two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on her town, Hiroshima. Her grandmother, Oba Chan, died in the bombing, but the rest of her family survived. Sadako grew up healthy and happy until, ten years after the bombing, she fell mysteriously ill. The illness was leukemia, or ‘radiation sickness,’ as they called it at the time. Her chances of recovering were very small. Sadako knew she was dying. An old Japanese legend says that if a child can fold one thousand origami cranes, her wish will be granted by the gods. Sadako began folding her cranes, wishing that she would be cured. As she got closer to the thousandth crane, her wish changed. Instead of her own health, she prays for peace in the world so that no other children would be hurt by war and violence. Before she can finish, her grandmother’s spirit visits her on Obon to take her away.

When Sadako died, her friends and classmates finished folding her cranes for her. When they had folded all the cranes, they wondered if they could do more to make sure that Sadako’s prayer for peace would be answered.

Just two years before Sadako died, the people of Hiroshima built The Peace Memorial Park as a reminder of the importance of world peace. Sadako’s friends decided to add a statue to the park. The statue would represent Sadako and all the other children who died because of the bomb. Sadako’s friends raised money to help build the statue, and sent letters to politicians. In 1958, two years after Sadako’s death, the Children’s Peace Monument was finished.

Today, another statue of Sadako stands right here in the USA, in Seattle, Washington (pictured left). In Hiroshima, The Peace Memorial Park includes a museum, several monuments, and of course, Sadako’s statue. Written at the base of the statue: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. For building peace in the world.”

David Heard, age 10, was fighting a form of cancer called neuroblastoma when he saw a performance of A Thousand Cranes at his Dad’s alma mater, Lafayette College, in fall of 2010. When the show closed, the cast of students gave David the thousand cranes from their production along with wishes for recovery. The colorful cranes brightening his hospital room gave David an idea and, inspired by Sadako’s story, he took action. With a vision to brighten the lives of other children fighting cancer, he set a goal: send 1,000 cranes to each of the 5 pediatric cancer centers where he had been treated. He was quickly joined by Lafayette College students, children from local schools and others in his home town of Easton, PA. Once a local paper’s story about David was picked up by the Associated Press, cranes were coming in from all over the country and around the world. The response was so enormous, David quickly expanded his goal to bring his message of hope to children suffering with pediatric cancer throughout the country.

Sadly, like Sadako, David did not live to see his goal completed. After battling cancer for over 2 years, David Heard passed away on February 11, 2011. But his legacy is very much alive. Together with Lafayette College theater professor Mary Jo Lodge, David’s parents, Tom and Susan, continue David’s mission through what is now called the National Crane Project.

With the added goal of spreading awareness about pediatric cancer, the National Crane Project is installing paper crane mobiles throughout the country. Nearly 100,000 cranes have been folded and strung since the project’s inception in 2010.

Get Involved

Help bring a crane mobile to your school, library, doctor’s office, hospital or cancer center! The National Crane Project needs your help to find locations to install their beautiful mobiles. Contact information is available at

http://theater.lafayette.edu/nationalcraneproject/

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

14

context & discussion

Disaster in Japan 2O11

On March 11, 2011, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit off the east coast of Japan. The quake -- one of the largest in recorded history -- triggered a 23-foot tsunami that battered Japan’s coast, killing hundreds and sweeping away cars, homes, buildings, and boats. People felt shaking all over Japan’s main island, Honshu. This earthquake had the energy equivalent of 8,000 Hiroshima atom bombs and caused the greatest devastation to Japan since the atom bombs were dropped in 1945.

The devastation from the earthquake and tsunami was further complicated by the damage done to the Fukushima nuclear power plant resulting in a level 7 radioactive leak (the same level as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster). It took months to stop the leak of radiation into the Pacific ocean where levels rose to 4,000 times the legal limit.

The physical damage is estimated to have been more than $250 billion. The National Police Agency of Japan reported (as of March 12, 2012) a total of 15,867 deaths, 6,109 injured, and 2,909 people missing. More than 146,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and 500,000 people were temporarily or permanently displaced.

Paper Cranes for Japan

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Photograph by Andrew Moore for The New York Times

In the wake of the devastation, organizations around the world were searching for ways to help those who had been impacted. Like Sadako, many people were inspired by the legend of the 1000 Cranes. By mid-march, DoSomething.org had partnered with the organization “Students Rebuild” and started the “Paper Cranes for Japan” campaign. Launched in hopes of inspiring children around the world to show support for the victims of the March 11th disaster by folding paper cranes for a massive art exhibit, it became much more.

In hearing about the campaign, The Bezos Family Foundation quickly pledged to donate $2 to a disaster relief fund for every paper crane that was received up to a total of $200,000. In the first 12 days they received over 90,000 paper cranes. By the end of April they received over 600,000 at their headquarters in Seattle, WA. In the end, the group received more than 2 million cranes from 38 nations (including all 50 U.S. States) and doubled the donation.

In July of 2011, the cranes were sent to the artist Vik Muniz. Muniz, famous for his use of avantgarde materials and featured in the film “Wasteland” for combining his artistry with humanitarian work, was the perfect artist to enlist. In his Brooklyn studio, Muniz used the cranes to create a mosaic of a large crane and then photographed it to create the final image that you see in progress above. A poster of this image can still be purchased at http://studentsrebuild.org/your-cranes-continue-makedifference. All proceeds benefit Architecture for Humanity’s Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Rebuilding Program.

by Michelle Scully

15

in the classroom

How to Fold a Paper Crane

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

16

in the classroom

Vocabulary Buddhism: a religion, originated in India by Buddha (Guatama) and later spreading to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, and parts of Southeast Asia, holding that life is full of suffering caused by desire and the way to end this suffering is through enlightenment that enables one to halt the endless sequence of births and deaths to which one is otherwise subject Hibakusha: a survivor of either of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and

Nagasaki, Japan in 1945 (from hi = suffer and baku = burst open, explode)

Honshu Island: an island in central Japan on which Hiroshima is located: chief

island of the country

Leukemia: any of several cancers of the bone marrow that prevent the normal manufacture of red and white blood cells and platelets, resulting in anemia, increased susceptibility to infection, and impaired blood clotting Origami: the traditional Japanese art

or technique of folding paper into a variety of decorative or representational forms, as of animals or flowers

Radiation: the process in which energy is emitted as particles or waves

Ritual: an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite; any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner

Samurai: a member of the hereditary warrior class in feudal Japan

Shinto: the native religion of Japan, primarily a system of nature and ancestor worship

Tsunami: a large, often destructive, sea wave produced by a submarine earthquake, subsidence, or volcanic eruption. (from Japanese tsu=harbor and nami=wave) Definitions courtesy of http://dictionary.reference.com

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

17

sources and resources

TEACHING THEATRE/ARTS TheatreTeachers.com http://www.theatreteachers.com/ ArtsWork.com http://artswork.asu.edu/ ChildDrama.com http://www.childdrama.com/lessons.html Educational Theatre Association http://schooltheatre.org/ Kennedy Center http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons.aspx Viola Spolin http://www.spolin.com/ Princeton Online Art Lesson Plans http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/Files/elements.htm

A Thousand Cranes Study Guide SOURCES AND RESOURCES Read more about Japan and the US: http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/US/JP Read Sadako Sasaki’s Story: Coerr, Eleanor, illustrated by Ronald Himler (1977, then republished 2004). Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Puffin Books.

Read more about the Earthquake of 2011 and Paper Cranes for Japan: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fast-facts-japan http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/159785.pdf http://useconomy.about.com/od/criticalssues/a/Japan-Earthquake.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/9116636/Japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-factbox.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/24/paper-cranes-for-japan-la_n_851669.html#s267218 http://world.time.com/2011/03/12/japan-and-the-quake-a-long-history-of-living-with-disaster/ http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/21/magazine/mag-21Look-paper-cranes.html?ref=magazine http://www.publicinterestdesign.org/2011/08/22/vik-muniz-paper-crane-poster-to-benefit-afh/ http://theater.lafayette.edu/nationalcraneproject/

SYRACUSE STAGE A Thousand Cranes STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

live, interactive and creative education Conceived and Directed by Lauren Unbekant Written by Len Fonte & Reenah Golden

The richness and dexterity of Shakespeare’s wordplay is on lively display in this cross-centuries poetry slam. Performed by a pair of feisty professional actors, Hip-Shake pits a wily Elizabethan actor, direct from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, against a streetsmart hip-hop poet of today.

Jabs of iambic pentameter unfold in rhythm and rhyme only to be met with couplets of retort in this very lively and very entertaining show.

March 2013

$550 For more information or to book a performance contact: Michelle Scully

Education Manager

(315) 442-7755 miscully@syr.edu SyracuseStage.org

Hip-Shake is the perfect way to make Shakespeare’s language come alive for middle school students, high school students, and adults alike. The show is suitable for performance in classrooms, auditoriums, community centers, libraries, churches, museums, or any other performance space. Audiences will have the unique opportunity to speak with the characters during a question and answer session following the performance. Our informative study guide can assist in further exploration.

Groups attending Syracuse Stage and SU Drama’s co-production of Shakespeare’s glorious comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream (performing at Syracuse Stage March 6 – 31) can book Hip-Shake at a 10% discount.

Performances available Monday thru Saturday, March 1-31 at your school or venue!

Book now for best availability!

Bring the whole family to

at Syracuse Stage 820 E. Genesee Street Syracuse, NY 13210

Saturday, December 1 - Noon & Saturday, December 8 - Noon All tickets $8 Box Office: 315.443.3275