The Dead Curriculum Guide by Huntington Theatre Company

ÂŠ Huntington Theatre Company Boston, MA September 2001

No portion of this Teacher Curriculum Guide may be reproduced without written permission from the Huntington Theatre Company's Department of Education.

Inquiries should be directed to: Donna Glick Director of Education Huntington Theatre Company 264 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115 617-266-7900, ext. 1548 djglick@bu.edu

This Teacher Curriculum Guide for

James Joyceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

the Dead Book by Richard Nelson; Lyrics by Shaun Davey was prepared for the Huntington Theatre Company by Donna Glick Director of Education With contributions by: Mary Mastandrea Lillian McCourt Amy West Marc Aronson Scott Edmiston Jaime Grande Rena Murman Linda Murphy Abby Waschuta Lori Welch

The John Hancock Student Matinee Series is funded in part by a generous grant from the John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. ABOUT THIS CURRICULUM

This curriculum guide has been developed for use in conjunction with the Literary Guide for the Huntington Theatre Company's production of The Dead by Richard Nelson. The guide has also been connected to the Massachusetts State Learning Standards - Grades 6-12 for Language, Literature and Composition and the Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Theatre and Connections Strands (see Addenda). We recommend that teachers read the literary guide for The Dead before approaching this curriculum guide, and that they then read the curriculum guide in its entirety. This curriculum includes the following sections: Audience Etiquette introduces students to the concept of drama and audience etiquette. Learning Standards - 1,2,3 Objectives provide teachers with measurable goals. Preparation offers background information and introduces issues of the play without requiring special knowledge. Learning Standards - 1,2,3,8,9,7,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25 Question & Answer Breakdown of the Action of The Dead helps students assess the main points of the play. Learning Standards - 1,2,9 For Further Discussion encourages students to develop independent judgments about the issues and a clearer understanding of complexities of the play, and helps them to relate such issues to their own lives. Learning Standards - 1,2,3,8,9,11,24,25 For Further Exploration allows students to explore independently and creatively some of the issues and background of the play. Learning Standards - 1,2,3,8,9,10,11,12,13,15,16,17,18,21,22,23,24,25 Writing Assignments affords students opportunities for self-expression and analytical thought and for developing their writing skills. Learning Standards - 1,2,3,5,8,9,10,11,12,13,15,17,18,19,21,22,23,24,25 Questions for After Attending a Performance of the Play encourages students to consider the aesthetic and practical elements of a live performance. Learning Standards - 1,2,9,15 Activities provides hands-on and interactive challenges that can inspire further consideration of the play. Learning Standards - 1,2,9,15 Theatre Standards and Connection Strands Song lyrics from the play Theatre Standards and Connection Strands Vocabulary offers definitions of specific words within the play of The Dead. Bibliography lists valuable sources used by the Education Department in developing this Curriculum Guide. Addenda Massachusetts State Learning Standards - Grades 6-12 Language, Literature & Composition Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Theatre & Connections Strands

AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE Dear Teachers, We haven’t changed this section of our curriculum very often over the twelve years that we’ve been producing study materials. I’m sure we would all agree that in that time attending a live performance of any format has changed dramatically. The evidence is clear. There’s the explosion of reality television, and much of the media’s propensity to exploit violence, as well as embrace content that is sexually explicit and filled with profanity. Even more we lament the lack of a common agreement in our society on what constitutes appropriate behavior. Such ambiguity creates a need for clarity on the Huntington’s part in defining our substantial goals for attaining and maintaining audience behavior, as well as for supporting the actors on stage as they perform “in the moment.” We have learned over the years the more that teachers are vested with control and supported by the HTC staff to manage and discipline their own school groups, the more successful the audience etiquette. Two suggestions for teachers are: If there is substantial noise disturbing your area, please alert one of the Huntington Education staff, so that we may address the problem. At any time that you feel the need to quiet a group of your students who are not within your seating location, please feel free to get up out of your seat and make your presence known to those students. Members of the Education Staff are in the theatre throughout the performance, and can assist you with any disciplinary actions. We also believe that it’s beneficial for students to share their own performance experiences, describing how they felt when the audience shifted about, spoke aloud, or appeared disinterested. Please give your students an opportunity to personalize this issue by describing an instance when they were interrupted by audience noise during a performance. How did it make them feel? How did it affect their performance? While many of your students have attended numerous matinees, we still encourage you to take some time to remind them of the Dos and Don’ts related to audience etiquette at the same time you are reviewing the regulations for field trips from your schools. Unlike at a movie theatre, no food, gum or beverages are allowed at a Huntington Theatre Company performance. Book bags should be left at school or on the school bus. Beepers, cameras, flashlights, laser lights, walk-men, and cell phones are also not allowed in the theatre. Hats must be removed.

OBJECTIVES

Students will:  - identify central themes and issues in The Dead including: - The power of the living over the dead - Struggle for self realization/independence - Epiphany/self-awakening - Irish traditions and culture - The power of memory  - relate the themes and issues of The Dead to their own lives - examine the social, political and cultural environment presented in James Joyce’s The Dead and compare it to the one in which students live today 

- understand generational and cultural contexts of the play’s themes and issues

 th



- gain an understanding of Ireland and Irish culture at the beginning of the century, allowing for perspective on contemporary times

- participate in hands-on activities, including acting, visual arts, music and movement - evaluate the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of The Dead

PREPARATION Introduction This section begins by providing opportunities for students to call upon their past and current experiences as they approach The Dead. We have attempted to create materials and activities that will allow students to relate the issues, themes and events of The Dead to their own lives. The activities are constructivist in nature, allowing students to discover information and explore their own thoughts, beliefs, and feelings while constructing meaning. The order of the questions and activities is intentional, and the questions and activities build on those which precede them. However, teachers should feel free to rearrange the order to meet the needs and interests of their particular students and school curriculum. We recommend that students work in teams or small groups for some of the preparation activities and selected activities throughout the curriculum guide. Return to this section after students have attended a performance of The Dead. Relate the work done in response to this section's themes, issues and ideas after your class has viewed the play in performance.

Background

James Joyce, Author The originality of James Joyce’s style and the influence he had on other writers make him one of the most important writers of the twentieth century. The innovative Irish novelist was noted for his stream-of-consciousness writing which realistically captured the flow of impressions, half-thoughts, associations and impulses of his characters. Have students research the life and works of James Joyce. In groups have them choose one aspect of his life they believe most likely to have influenced his work as an author, and make presentations describing how this aspect relates to his fiction. Some topics to consider might include:  Early childhood, Jesuit training, ultimate rejection of the Catholic Church  Walking tours which provided the basis of Joyce’s encyclopedic knowledge of Dublin 6

    

geography Marriage to Nora Barnacle, family life Life in exile, alienation from his native Ireland Literary and dramatic influences on his writing, for example, Henrik Ibsen Prose writings, including A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses, Dubliners (containing the short story, The Dead) Poetry writings, many of which have been set to music

Historical and Cultural Background The musical The Dead is adapted from the short story of the same name contained in Joyce’s work, Dubliners. Because so much of the book consists of “snapshots” of Dublin life in Joyce’s time, (1882-1941), it is important to help students understand the historical context. Have students, individually or in groups, research one of the following topics focusing on Irish history. Ask them to share their findings in class by making oral presentations.  Research Dublin’s size, economic structure, and place in Europe. How did/does Dublin compare to other European capitals? What is the basis for the differences? How have these differences affected the Irish people?  Research the politics of Joyce’s Ireland and compare and contrast them to our political system today. How does one characterize the relationship between Ireland and England during Joyce’s life? Is it different today? How? How is Ireland’s current relationship with England related to the political climate of Joyce’s Dublin?  Research the role religion played in a person’s life in Joyce’s Dublin. What effects has Ireland’s struggles between Protestants and Catholics had on the Irish both today and in Joyce’s time?  Research the life and death of Charles Stewart Parnell. What were the planks in his political platform? How did he plan to accomplish his plans for Ireland? What effect did his political fall and ensuing death have on Irish politics? How was turn-of-the-century Dublin haunted by Parnell’s influence and the promise of Irish independence, which seemed to have died with him?

Themes and Issues The Power of the Dead over the Living Whether a deceased relative, former lover, or prominent political figure, the omnipresence of the dead influence the lives and behavior of the living to a profound degree. Of particular significance in The 7

Dead are the deceased who haunt the main characters, Gabriel Conway, and his wife, Gretta. By play’s end, the lives of this couple are clearly altered by the heartrending story, captured in song, of Gretta’s first love, Michael Furey. Lyric : “Isn’t it a terrible thing to die so young He was only seventeen It was in the winter And I was leaving Galway Leaving him so poorly O, Michael. Michael Furey He was very fond of me Such eyes he had Big dark eyes I used to walk with him With him. When the time came to go I wrote him Saying I’d be back again In the summer. That night I heard stones On my window. I ran downstairs into the garden Where Michael stood by the wall. I can see his eyes As he shivered in the rain I implored him to go home again That he would catch his death. But he said I do not wish to live And when I was only a week up here I heard Michael Furey was dead. Michael Furey He was very delicate Such eyes he had Big dark eyes I think he died for me For me.” (Gretta) Teachers’ Note: Perhaps the following topic could be assigned to individual students as an essay or journal writing assignment due to the sensitive nature of death and dying, especially in mid-September of 2001. 8

Using these lyrics from the play and the poem following, ask students to write on the topic of the power of the dead over the living What happy memories can be recalled that allow the dead to be sustaining and enriching comfort for the living? What sad memories may induce quiet or discomfort when reflecting on the deceased? What accomplishments of previous generations allow the present generation to consider themselves to be better off socio/economically, in areas of education, or science? Are there ways in which present and future generations are less likely to consider themselves lucky or living in better circumstances? To allow some distance in discussing this topic, students may be more comfortable considering a character from literature, religion, or politics. When Death Comes by Mary Oliver When death comes like the hungry bear in autumn; when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse to buy me, and snaps the purse shut; when death comes like the measle-pox; when death comes like a iceberg between the shoulder blades, I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering: what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness? And therefore I look upon everything as a brotherhood and a sisterhood, and I look upon time as no more than an idea, and I consider eternity as another possibility, and I think of each life as a flower, as common as a field daisy, and as singular, and each name a comfortable music in the mouth, tending, as all music does, toward silence, and each body a lion of courage, and something precious to the earth. When it’s over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms. When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular, and real. I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened, 9

or full of argument. I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world. Consider the tone or attitude of the narrator in the poem “When Death Comes” by Mary Oliver. What is the power of death over the narrator? How does the contemplation of death empower the narrator to affirm all life, her own life particularly? What figures of speech are used to make this a powerful and concrete commentary on the power of the dead over the living? Find one or two other poems whose subject matter is death. Consider the current popular song, “I Hope You Dance”sung by Lee Ann Womack. Discuss the role of the narrator and their viewpoint on the power of living. Is the narrator contemplating his/her own morality? Cite some lines that particularly illustrate this viewpoint.

Irish Tradition and Culture a. The Dead is set at the turn of the twentieth century in Dublin at a Christmas party, (possibly the feast of the Epiphany of the Three Magi on January 6) given by the Morkan sisters and their niece, Mary Jane. The following excerpt from the musical, The Dead describes the festive atmosphere of the traditional, annual gathering: “The dinner tables that Christmas as with all Christmases past were laden with the care of a general preparing for battle: there lay a great ham, there the goose. And between these rival ends ran parallel lines of side dishes: two little ministers of jelly, red and yellow, a little shallow dish of red jam, Smyrna figs, custard dish, chocolate bowl: And in the center stood, as sentries, two squat old-fashioned decanters of cut glass, one for port, the other sherry. And upon the closed piano, three squadrons of bottles, stout ale, minerals ordered according to the colors of their uniforms.” “The tradition of genuine, warmhearted Irish hospitality is still alive among us!” The following excerpt is from the short story, “The Dead.” “The piano was playing a waltzy tune and he could hear the skirts sweeping against the drawing-room door. People, perhaps, were standing in the snow on the quay outside, gazing up at the lighted windows and listening to the waltzy music.” Ask students to respond to the descriptions of the Christmas celebrations. Consider and describe celebrations of Christmas in the United States. How has the observance of Christmas changed over the last hundred years? Do students celebrate Christmas with their families? With their friends? What does Christmas mean to them if they are not Christian? What other religious or secular holidays do they celebrate with their families? With their friends? If the class contains students who have recently immigrated to the United States or have recently become naturalized citizens, include their native customs of Christmas or other holidays as part of the class discussion.

b. Assign students in pairs or groups to explore Dublin by researching famed tourist attractions. Perhaps, a video could be viewed by the class at this initial stage, e.g., Song of Ireland (Travelogue Collection) to enhance student connection and enthusiasm. Some noteworthy attractions are listed here:  Trinity College which houses the Book of Kells (early ninth century manuscripts of the New Testament’s Gospels)  The Abbey Theater (world-renowned for its excellence)  Dublin Castle  Grafton and O’Connell Streets (shopping meccas)  Henry and Moore Streets (bustling, open markets)  Dublin Post Office (site of first confrontation with the British during the 1912 Rebellion)  Guinness Brewery (famed exporter of ale and beer)  Phoenix House Zoo Are there students who have visited Ireland? Ask them to share their reminiscences with the class. They could also share pictures, videos, or souvenirs with their classmates. c. Dublin’s artistic achievements abound! Assign students to research the life and works of a particular Irish author. Have them focus on the themes of failed promises and betrayal, both in the personal lives and writings of the author. Have students write essays exploring how these themes influence the writers’ literary work. After learning about the life of one of the following authors, ask students to role play that author and be interviewed by other class members about how the author’s life is reflected in his work.       

Oscar Wilde George Bernard Shaw J. M. Synge Sean O’Casey Samuel Beckett Brendan Behan Brian Friel

d. Tradition can be defined as the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, etc., from generation to generation. Ireland is renowned for its handing down of some very popular traditions. The following traditions would be quite interesting for students to explore:        

St. Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland who allegedly expelled, drove out, the snakes from Ireland) the harp (played during traditional Irish celebrations) the four-leaf clover (a symbol of good luck) the potato (the nineteenth century potato famine caused thousands of Irish to immigrate, particularly to the United States) Stepdancing (a unique, athletic Irish traditional dance made mostly popular by the musical, Riverdance, available on video) fiddling and folk music the tradition of storytelling keening (a wailing lament for the dead, still popular in Western Ireland) 11

Divide students into student groups to explore one or two Irish traditions. When reporting to the class, encourage students to include illustrations, drawings, or performances in the presentations. Does any student study step dancing? Ask that student to give a five or ten minute presentation to the class and in traditional costume, if available.

Memory “Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.” --Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, Act II “Our memories are independent of our wills. It is not so easy to forget.” --Richard Brinsley Sheridan Memory is indeed the record of our daily living to which we have continual and immediate access. Our memories exist to inform us of what has passed, and to allow us to learn not only from our triumphs, but from our defeats (or mistakes) as well. Memories allow us to revisit events which have brought joy, despair, anxiety or exhilaration. Because memory has the power to induce, or recreate, moods and emotional states, it has often been an important tool of the writer. From Scout’s narrative in To Kill A Mockingbird to Dalton Trumbo’s stream of consciousness novel, Johnny Got His Gun, memory has been used by writers in a variety of ways to evoke images in the mind of a reader or listener. 1. Have your students write about some memory from childhood which evokes a specific feeling or state of mind. Encourage them to write in a stream of consciousness fashion: letting their thoughts flow; capturing moments with remembered senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. Share the writings in class and discuss how the listening audience members were affected by the memories. Epiphany/Self awakening It is typical of James Joyce’s stories that a character arrives at an epiphany or a self-awakening, a time when he or she discovers an important truth that changes their view of life. In The Dead, the character Gabriel’s epiphany is a painful one. It occurs when he discovers that his wife Gretta is still in love with a young man from you past, who died. Assign the following to individual students: Narrate an experience in your life, the result of which included a moment of epiphany, a definite sense of self-awareness or enlightenment. Was it a happy experience? An unhappy experience? How has the experience and consequent feeling of self knowledge changed your thinking, your course of action? Students should evoke specific sensory images to describe the locale, the experience and the way they felt at the time. If students have not experienced such a moment, ask them to foresee such a moment occurring and describe what specific circumstances might arouse such a personal experience. Ask willing students to share their memories or reflections with the class informally. 12

Assign students to choose a character from literature who undergoes an epiphany or self-awakening by means of a physical or literal journey. Describe the characters prior to the journey, events, or episodes that change the character on his or her journey. Has the self knowledge produced positive results? Why or why not? Some literary works to be considered:  The Odyssey by Homer (very influential in the works of James Joyce)  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte  Siddhartha by Herman Hesse  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien  The Awakening by Kate Chopin

QUESTION AND ANSWER BREAKDOWN OF THE ACTION OF THE DEAD Scene One: 1. Gabriel’s opening monologue reveals the “exposition” – or background to the story. List what you learn of the “5 W’s.” 2. What are the differences between Gabriel, the character, and Gabriel, the narrator? 3. Gabriel says it took his wife three “mortal” hours to dress. What’s the significance of the adjective? 4. What is Molly Ivors’ controversy with Gabriel? 5. What condition is Freddy in when he arrives? Who is dispatched to meet him at the door and contain him? What are the reactions of the other characters to Freddy’s appearance? 6. How does the song “Parnell’s Plight” become a mock battle between the men and women who sing it? 7. What happened between Aunt Julia and the choir? partygoers insist it is?

Is her singing ability as competent as the

8. How does each song reveal the nature of the character who sings it? 9. How would you characterize Aunt Julia’s health? 10. What is so unusual about the song Gretta sings? 11. Who leaves just before Gretta sings? What is her reaction? What does Gabriel feel about the song and his wife as she sings? 12. How does the end of Scene One transition into Scene Two? Scene Two: 1. Why

are

people

being

“Sssshhed”

the

beginning

this

scene?

2. Why, do you think, does Gretta ask Michael repeatedly if he is from Galway? 3. The guests reminisce about great musical talents. meanings?

Does that nostalgic yearning suggest other

4. When Gabriel makes his toast, he jokes about all of the guests being “victims” of the hospitality of the Morkan sisters. How can one be a “victim” of a kind gesture? 5. Why is the tradition of Irish hospitality so significant to Gabriel? 14

6. How do Julia, Kate and Mary Jane surprise their guests with their choice of musical selection? 7. What happens to Julia at the end of the number? 8. What dramatic purpose does Mr. Fulham serve? 9. Why does Freddy mean by “You don’t shush the singer, you let the singer sing?” 10. “Who cares if we wake the dead” becomes the sardonic refrain of the last song in Scene Two. As in if response to Mr. Fulham’s banging, everyone joins in a raucous dance. Why? Scene Three: 1. Who are the “two murdered princes in the tower?” 2. Kate seems to be constantly on the verge of tears. Why? 3. Why does Julia take the hot water bottle from Gabriel, but not from Kate? 4. Why do you think Kate calls the unusual snow they are having, “forgiving?” 5. Why might it be fitting to have an Italian aria sung by D’Arcy in the middle of an Irish play? 6. What is the significance of the “lullaby” the men sing to Julia? 7. What is the Gresham? 8. Why does the “Young Julia” make an appearance at the end of Scene Three? Scene Four: 1. This scene concerns the poignant story Gretta tells about her youth. Who was Michael Furey and what was Gretta’s relationship to him? 2. Why did Gretta never tell Gabriel this story before? 3. Why does the memory so profoundly affect Gretta at this time? 4. What is the “unimaginable depth” that Gabriel falls in to at the end of Gretta’s song? 5. The last line of the play refers to the snow falling “Upon the living and the dead.” What recurring themes does that last image recall?

6. The stage direction reads: Gabriel looks at his wife. She turns to him and holds him. Why do you suppose she holds him rather than Gabriel holding her?

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION 1. Read the short story, “The Dead” from James Joyce’s Dubliners. Compare the original short story to the musical adaptation. Do you think that Richard Nelson (adaptor) and Shaun Davey (lyricist/composer) successfully captured the essence of Joyce’s story? To make the comparison, have students examine specific aspects of both, such as: 1. the adaptation of prose into narrative 2. the significance of each character’s song 3. the introduction of Gretta’s song, “Golden Hair” (which is from Joyce’s Poem V) at the end of the first scene, rather than at the end of the story 4. Inclusion/deletions of specific metaphors or dramatic symbols. 2. Images of “the dead” recur many times throughout the play. Using the short story if you do not have access to the script, list as many references as you can find that mention death, the dead or dying. (Some examples are the monks sleeping in their coffins, the refrains “who cares if we wake the dead,” and “Snow will be falling/ On the living and the dead,” the Michael Furey story, the picture of Shakespeare’s murdered princes and one of Romeo and Juliet). Yet, playwright Richard Nelson pointed out in an interview for the magazine American Theatre: “The movie [of the same title] was directed by John Huston when he was dying, and its dark, melancholic feel, comes, in large part, from Huston musing on death. Joyce’s story, on the other hand, was written by a 26 year old man, who was not dying, but rather looking at the rich tapestry of living.” How does the play celebrate life in the midst of so much awareness of death? 3. In Greek mythology, the three Graces are Aglaia (Brilliance), Euphrosyne (Joy), and Thalia (Bloom). How do these Graces relate to the “Three Graces” in Gabriel’s song? 4. Ireland produced many famous and significant writers. James Joyce is joined in posterity by Oscar Wilde, Sean O’Casey, J.M. Synge, Jonathan Swift, Brendan Behan, W.B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker, and Samuel Beckett. Produce examples from some of these writers for students to study. Irish plays alone include: Oliver Goldsmith: She Stoops to Conquer Richard Brinsley Sheridan: The School for Scandal Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband, A Woman of No Importance William Butler Yeats: The Land of Heart’s Desire John Millington Synge: Riders to the Sea, The Playboy of the Western World 16

People often speak of the Irish gift for the musicality of the language and the biting wit of an oppressed people. Have students examine sections of these works as well as Joyce’s Dubliners to explore stylistic and temperamental similarities. 5. George Bernard Shaw wrote that “ The Englishman is wholly at the mercy of his imagination, having no sense of reality to check it” while “the Irishman, with a far subtler and fastidious imagination, has one eye always on things as they are.” How are “things as they are” revealed in The Dead? 6. The names of the most significant men in Gretta’s life also happen to be the names of archangels. The name Gabriel, who, in the Bible announces the coming of the Messiah to the Virgin Mary, means, “Man of God” while Michael means “Who is like God.” How do these descriptions relate to the characters of these men? 7. Most of the conversations that take place during the play seem to center on some aspect of the past dead relatives, lost loves, venerable singers, the way life used to be, etc. Why do you think this is? What is it about the past and the dead that causes this seeming obsession on the part of the characters? 8. The characters in The Dead go to great lengths to support the group’s denial of Aunt Julia’s illness. What do they do to try to avoid dealing with it? Why do you think the characters are afraid to deal with it? 9. When Gretta confides in Gabriel about the young man who died for her love, how does that cause him to look at her in a new way? How does the new way of looking at his wife extend to his view of the world? 10. Examine the relationship between Gabriel and Gretta. What are their interactions like at the beginning of the play and how does this compare to their relationship as the plot develops? How does it change by the end of the play? Is this the end of their marriage or a new beginning? Are all of the consequences of Gabriel’s realization about Gretta’s life negative? Is there anything from which the two of them might strengthen their relationship? 11. The image of snow throughout The Dead is significant. As a city, Dublin receives an average of only 10 days a year of snowfall. Discuss the significance and interpretations of snow and the effect it has on the play’s characters, as well as the audience.

FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION 1. Have students define and discuss the concepts of genre. Divide the students into groups to work on The Dead in the categories of film, (available in video stores) play, and short story. Have students read selected selections from the short story, the play and view the film, and then ask the groups to share their views on the versions of each genre. How effective is each genre in communicating ideas, emotions, characterization, point of view, and sentiment regarding the major themes of James Joyce’s story? Which genre do they feel most connected with, and why? How do you think a playwright decides that a literary idea has the potential to be a theatrical or film production? What are some of the characteristics that would impede adaptation into dramatic/cinematic form? In adapting Joyce’s novel for the stage, Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey made many choices regarding the exclusion of certain plot episodes and characters. Analyze the effect of each omission on the play’s artistic achievement. 2. James Joyce, the author of the novel Dubliners on which The Dead was based, grew up in Ireland, and many of the characters and events in the play are autobiographical. Research and report on the connection between Joyce’s life and the events/characters in the play. Where does Joyce change things, and what, if anything, is the significance of these changes? 3. Define the terms upper class, middle class and working class in reference to the characters of The Dead. While watching the play, were you aware that a fixed criteria or set of rules of behavior existed for each character? Did it seem as if the characters participated in activities at varying levels of acceptance or approval? Were there instances where certain members of the gathering were absent? What meaning could be implied by their absences? 4. Gender roles are important to examine in any work from the past. Discuss how our impressions and feelings might be different if it was Gabriel who had unresolved feeling for a young love. In general, how do issues of gender impact the action of the play and the interactions between the characters? Students should take the time to investigate the accepted gender roles for Ireland at the turn of the 20th century and examine where the play follows or deviates from these defined roles. 5. In the drawing room, the stage directions indicate that there are two paintings on the wall. One is a scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The other is taken from English history and the story of the execution of Richard III’s nephews at his command (See Shakespeare’s Richard III.) Have students explore the symbolism of these images and their relation to the play as whole. 6. There are numerous references in the play to the conflict between The United Kingdom and Ireland at the turn of the twentieth century. Have students form teams for a debate on the issue of whether Ireland should have the right to govern itself. Arguments should be made as if the debate were taking place at the time of the play, and students should research the history of the conflict and the arguments used by both sides of the debate. 7. Professor Harry Levin wrote, “Gabriel Conway is what Joyce might have become, had he remained in Ireland.” (The Portable James Joyce, Penguin Books, p.18) Research Joyce’s life and note the parallels between The Dead and Joyce’s life.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS 1. Ask students to pick a specific relationship between characters - the Aunts, Gabriel and Gretta, Freddy and his mother, etc. - and write character analyses describing what the characters desire from each other and how each character’s actions effects the other character. 2. Have students write a monologue for Gretta or Michael based upon the final scene of The Dead which occurs in Gretta’s past. Use the monologue to explore the relationship between Gretta and Michael. What were each of the character’s emotions at their meeting / departure? What was Michael’s life like before he met Gretta? How did the two of them meet? As a second assignment, students could create a scene between Gretta and Michael, as well as perform their monologues and scenes for the rest of the class. 3. Allow students to read James Joyce’s short story, The Dead, view John Huston’s 1987 movie of The Dead, and instruct them to write a comparative essay of the three versions of the story. Where do the playwright, composer and movie director borrow from Joyce? Where do the play, the movie and the short story diverge? What is the significance of the similarities and differences between the texts and movie? 4.

Choose a topic from the following list and write a critical essay: a) Gabriel Conway and women b) Why The Dead is a Christmas story c) Gabriel Conroy’s epiphany d) Gabriel Conroy- failed redeemer e) Habit and hypocrisy in The Dead

5. Recognizing that The Dead takes place at the turn of the twentieth century, ask students to write about how the play and its themes are relevant (or not) at the turn of the twenty-first century. What elements of the play and its characters resonate with modern day students and life in the digital era? Does this play still have significance? Why or why not? 6. Have students investigate the importance of music in The Dead. How do the songs relate to the characters who sing them? What relevance do the songs have in terms of the major themes of the play? Is there a song in the play that particularly touched or appealed to the students? Which one was it? What made the song so appealing? An in-depth analysis of one song (or a select pair) might be of interest if class or preparation time allows. 7. Divide your class into small groups and ask students to write sequels to The Dead showing what they imagine the lives of the play’s characters could become. How has each character’s life been influenced by the people and events around them? Encourage students to share, discuss, revise, and perform their plays. 19

QUESTIONS FOR AFTER ATTENDING A PERFORMANCE OF THE PLAY Note to teachers: You might assign various groups questions from this section to focus on while attending a performance of the play.

After your class sees James

Joyceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Dead in performance, these students might lead the class discussion on their topic. About the Play and Production A.

What was your overall reaction?

Empathetic?

Explain your reactions.

build to a single climax?

Were you moved?

How was the play structured?

Was it episodic?

your understanding of the play?

Shocked? Did it

Did this structure help or hinder

Was the dialogue interesting?

Appropriate?

Were you aware of imagery and symbolism during the course of the play? B.

Was the pace and tempo of the production effective and appropriate?

About the Characters A.

Did the characters touch you personally in some ways?

Did you care

about them? B.

Were the characters three-dimensional and believable?

Were the motivations of the characters clear?

What qualities were revealed by the actions and speech of the characters?

Did the characters change/develop/undergo transformation during the

course of the play? F.

In what ways did the characters reveal the themes of the play?

About the Set A.

Was the set usable and workable?

Was the set compatible with the production as a whole?

features of the set that C.

Were there any

distracted from the action of the play?

Did the design reflect the themes, type and style of play as written by the

author?

Were the artistic qualities of unity, balance, line, texture, mass and color

used effectively? E.

Did the set provide appropriate environment and atmosphere?

Was the set used to present any symbolic images or did it simply represent

the space in which the

action of the play occurred?

Did it contain

elements of both a "realistic" and a "symbolic" approach? About Lighting and Sound A.

Did the lighting establish mood and atmosphere?

illumination sufficient?

How?

Was the

Did the lighting harmonize with, and contribute

toward, the unity of the production? B.

Were the music and sound effects appropriately conceived?

Did the

music set an appropriate "mood" for the play? About Costumes/ Makeup/ Hairstyles A.

Were all of these elements correct in terms of the period fashion?

Were

they suitable in terms of character and storytelling for the production? B.

Did the costumes and make-up serve to illuminate the themes, type and

style of the play?

Did they express any particular choices of interpretation in

this production?

ACTIVITIES Warm Up Activities - In the past we have included some excellent introductory activities from the International Schools Theatre Association publication Drama and the Active Study of Literature by Tim Williams. We have always included them in the curriculum because they are so clear in their explanations, and are very helpful for teachers who are not accustomed to and/or are a little reticent to use theatre arts exercises in their classrooms. For those of you who have attended at least one matinee in the last seven years, you will find those exercises in any curriculum of that season. If you are new to the Huntington Student Matinee program, and don’t have warm-up activities that you feel comfortable with, please contact Donna Glick at 266-7900, ext. 1548 and she’ll fax you a copy or send you one in the mail. • Five Minute Performances Arrange the class in small groups. Tell each group it is going to have to present the story of the play in exactly five minutes. The students can use whatever methods seem appropriate -- action, prose narration, mime, movement, song, background music, pictures or whatever. Point out that each group must select the most important features, events, and purposes of the play. Send the groups away for a class to discuss and practice. At the next lesson have them perform their five minute versions to the rest of the class, and then compare versions in terms of what was missing, interesting, important, surprising, in common, and emphasized. Discuss why the versions may have differed. • Creating Characterization Have each of your students choose a character from The Dead that he/she would like to portray. As though they were preparing for the role in rehearsal, have them ask the following questions about their characters: a. What do I want in the play? What is my overall objective? b. What is in the way of what I want in the play? What are my obstacles? Who is/are my obstacles? Does the obstacle(s) get in the way of what I want and does it change throughout the course of the play? How? c. Does my character change during the course of the play? What is my character's journey, or plot of transformations? d. What are the contradictions inherent in my character? • Role Playing/Improvisation 1. Have students improvise some moment from The Dead and then test the effects of changing something -- tone of voice, some important trait in a character, or a vital remark. How does such a change affect the selected moment? What repercussions would such a change have on other aspects of the play? Students could improvise what happens before or after some point, or what happens after the play's end. Both these exercises help the class understand how a work of art always involves an interrupted process, or a decision to 23

stop what could be endlessly revised. See if the students can identify some of the writer's main points of choice or decision in their story. Have students find parallels between situations in the characters’ stories in The Dead and their own lives. Have them recall when they have been courageous, proud, angry, hurt, bitter, cruel, inspired, grateful. Can they act or portray their own emotions? Do they disguise or hide what really happened? What is difficult to portray, and why? Would you have to have had a similar experience in order to understand what is being said in a play? This is obviously a difficult and sensitive area for most adolescents to deal with, especially in the company of their peers, and it's not productive to push too hard. It's not meant to lead to a psychotherapy session, but if we believe literature to be of value, then we should be stressing the fact that it is about our own personal experiences as much as the writer's; just getting students on their feet to start playing some experience of their own involves much more commitment than almost any seated, abstract discussion. 2.

•

Acting 1. Define sub-text and motivation in the context of performance. Using a scene from the play The Dead, or the short story, have students examine the subtext or motivation of the lines and action by discussing the following questions: • Does the character say precisely what he or she means, or does the character intentionally mislead other characters? • Are words the character's only expression at this point in the play? • Why does the character speak at this particular time? • Why in this way? • Why to this person? • If the character is silent, why? • Why does the character stop speaking? • What does the character want to accomplish in the scene? • How does the character's intention determine the character's action, tone of voice, or facial expressions?

2. Have each student select a line from the play that best captures the essence of a character. Have the students present their lines and then provide an explanation for their choice. After every student has presented his/her line, discuss the choices in class. 3. Actors often view their roles in terms of journeys. The way their characters change and the creative tensions between each turning point are potential building blocks for creating any given role. Ask your students to imagine that they are actors playing roles in The Dead. Have them trace the journey of their characters, addressing the following questions: 24

· What does my character want in the beginning of the play? · How does each scene affect the “want” or objective, and how does my character change in response to the events in this particular scene? · Is there a “pivotal scene” or moment for my character? A scene or moment in which he/she experiences a “turning point,” or transforms in such a way that he/she will never be the same again? · Does the initial objective for my character change by the play’s end? Define what that change may be. Students should summarize what the overall journey of their character is during the course of the entire play. How can each character’s journey be outlined? • Visual Art 1. Ask students to bring in a photograph from a newspaper or magazine that might suggest a character from The Dead. Ask the students to write or explain orally what they see in the chosen photo that suggests Gabriel, Gretta, Molly Ivors, Aunt Kate, Aunt Julia, Mary Jane, Freddy Malins, or Mrs. Malins. 2. Have each student make a collage, in the medium or media of their choice (paper, cloth, wood, metal, plastic, photographs, illustrations, words or phrases cut from print media), related to themes, moods, individual characters. Display the collages and ask the students who created them to discuss the selection and arrangement of the work. 3.Or, have students create a collage comparing the world at the turn of the 20th century with the present day society. What is the visual effect of these very different outlooks? 4. Some students might design a set for a production of The Dead and build a model of their design. Make sure the design materials include the important functional elements of the set. Have your class compare its set designs to the Huntington Theatre Company's set design.

• Music/Dance 1. James Joyce’s The Dead is filled with Irish folk songs and dances, Ask students to research music and dance styles of Ireland, including the jig, hornpipe, step-dancing, Highland fling, (not Irish, necessarily, but is performed in the play) a reel and others. Have students in groups learn the dances, and demonstrate for their classmates. 2. Create background music and/or sound effects to accompany scenes in the play. Or, use music and/or effects to supplement any of the role-playing activities listed above.

QUOTATIONS The following quotations (chosen from scenes in The Dead) have been selected to enable teachers to discuss specific actions in The Dead in context and also to discuss the universal ideas of the quotations projected out of context. The quotations may also be employed as springboards to role playing, essay writing, creative writing, or research. 1. “An angel passed. The world, I’ve come to think is like the surface of a frozen lake. We walk along, we slip, we try to keep our balance and not to fall. One day there’s a crack, and so we learn that underneath us - is an unimaginable death.” (Gabriel) 2. “And haven’t you your own language to keep in touch with - Irish?” (Ivors) “If it comes to that you know, Irish is not my language.” (Gabriel) 3. “The men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get out of you.” (Lilly) 4. “Gretta - as if pulled back through the dull existence that is time, and back toward the moments that are ecstacy. How I desired her. My soul’s tender fire was heartier than I feared. Children, writing, household cares had not smothered the coals. What was it about her, as she sang that song?” (Gabriel) 5. “O, let’s go, Gabriel. I’d love to see Galway again.” (Gretta) “You can go if you like.” (Gabriel) 6. “Aren’t we tired of simplistic patriotism? I hate this song. It’s mindless.” (Gabriel) 7. “And she sighed like a girl. That’s what I remember thinking - like a girl. And I was so pleased to be her boy.” (Gabriel) 8. “His name...was Parkinson. I heard him when he was in his prime and I think he had the purest tenor voice that ever was put into a man’s throat...O, how I loved that voice.” (Aunt Kate) 9. “Secondhand, thirdhand, thoughts these were. Words so overused by time as to have had their meaning beaten out of them, much as an old sofa loses its stuffing. But no one seemed to mind. Where are the words which can express one’s heart: I have not heard them.” (Gabriel) 10. “Our paths through life are strewn with many bad memories and were we to brood upon them always we could not find the heart to go on bravely among the living.” (Gabriel) 11.“You don’t shush the singer. You let the singer sing Who cares if we wake the dead.” (All)

A SELECTION OF SONGS from

James Joyce’s The Dead

Kate’s Song - Sung by Michael and Others O did you ever hear of Kate Wait till I tell you, wait till I tell you She’ll get you in a terrible state Should you visit the banks of Killarney. Gentlemen, beware the smile For many’s the wile lies hid in the smile Of lovely Kate, just you wait Till you visit the banks of Killarney. That eye so modestly beaming You’d never think of the mischief She’s dreaming – fatal’s the spell That lurks in the eye of Kate Kearney. She lives on the banks of Killarney From the glance of her eye Shun the dangers and fly, for Fatal’s the glance of Kate Kearney.

Parnell’s Song - Sung by Michael, Molly, Gabriel and others Who fears to speak of Parnell’s plight? Who blushes at the name? When cowards mock our patriot’s fight Who hangs his head in shame?

Let’s drink the memory of the brave And the one or tow who stay– To you men, True men who– Are not getting away!

He’s all knave and half a slave Who slights his country thus But a true man Like you man Will fill your glass with us!

We owe our duty to Ireland and We hold her honor in our hand. Through low and high land Come all freemen make a stand.

Some on the shores of distant lands Their weary hearts have laid And by the strangers heedless hands Their lonely graves were made

Off to the shores of distant lands Their weary hearts they bear To work all day with calloused hand For a wage both good and fair.

But though their clay be far away Beyond the Atlantic foam To you men, I say men– For Christ sake don’t come home!

With wives abandoned like the mist With babies left forgot To you men To you I speak Watch out before you rot.

We owe our duty to Ireland and We hold her honor in our hand Through low and high land Come all free men make a stand.

We owe our duty to Ireland We hold her honor in our hand Through low and high land Come all freemen make a stand.

They rose in dark and evil days To right their native soil. They rose in dark and evil ways And avoided work and toil.

Adieu to Ballyshannon - Sung by Gabriel and Gretta Adieu to Ballyshannon Where I was bred and born, Go where I may, I’ll think of you, As sure as night and morn I’ll leave my warm heart with you Although my back I’m forced to turn– And so adieu to Ballyshannon, And the winding banks of Erne.

The music of the waterfall, The mirror of the tide, When all the green-hilled harbor Is full from side to side– A thousand chances are to one That I never may return And so adieu to Ballyshannon, And the winding banks of Erne.

There’s not a house or window, There’s not a field or hill, Bur, east or west, in foreign lands They recollect them still, My loving friends I’ll bear in mind And often shall I fondly turn To think of lovely Ballyshannon And the winding banks of Erne.

Adieu to evening dances, Where merry neighbors meet And the fiddle says to boys and girls, “Get up and shake your feet!” The mournful song of exile now Is all that’s left for me to learn And so adieu my dear companions And the winding banks of Erne.

When Lovely Lady – Sung by Julia When lovely lady stoops to folly

The only art her guilt to cover

And finds too late that men betray

To hide her shame from every eye,

What charms can sooth her melancholy,

To give repentance to her lover,

What art can wash her grief away?

And wring his bosom, is – to die.

Goldenhair – Sung by Gretta Lean out of the window Goldenhair I heard you singing A merry air.

Through the gloom. Singing and singing A merry air Lean out of the window Goldenhair.

My book was closed I read no more Watching the fire dancing On the floor.

Arise my beautiful one Arise, arise The night dew lies Upon my lips and eyes.

I left my book I left my room I heard you singing 29

Naughty Girls – Sung by Julia, Kate and Mary Jane I’m an imp on mischief bent Only feeling quite content When doing wrong.

If I like to sit and chat What can be the harm in that Though the daylight’s gone. If I laugh a bit too loud And that laughter draws a crowd, Is it so very wrong?

At the Roman clubs, no doubt Funny tales you hear about My goings on. Sometimes when I’ve had the fun I repent on what I’ve done But not for long No, I break back into song:

If some youth with manners free Dares to snatch a kiss from me, Do we ask him to explain? No!

I’m a naughty girl Naughty girl And Rome is in a whirl Because I’m a naughty girl.

We kiss him back again! We are naughty girls Naughty girls And Rome is in a whirl Because we’re naughty girls.

Wake the Dead – Sung by Freddy and Company It’s him we have to shush whom I should have shushed Him we have to shush all along. It’s him we have to shush to hear the singer It’s him we have to shush to hear the song. You don’t shush the singer, you let the singer sing Who cares if you wake the neighbors. You don’t shush the singer, you let the singer sing Who cares if we wake the dead. So what if we do wake the neighbors up So what if our revelry wakes the dead? They’ve been asleep since God knows when And they’ll soon be sound asleep again.

Michael Furey

– Sung by Gretta

Isn’t it a terrible thing To die so young He was only seventeen It was in the winter And I was leaving Galway Leaving him so poorly O, Michael.

I ran downstairs into the garden Where Michael stood by the wall. I can see his eyes As he shivered in the rain I implored him to go home again That he would catch his death, But he said I do not wish to live And when I was only a week up here I heard Michael Furey was dead.

Michael Furey He was very fond of me Such eyes he had Big dark eyes I used to walk with him With him.

Michael Furey He was very delicate Such eyes he had Big dark eyes I think he died for me For me.

When the time came to go I wrote to him Saying I’d be back again In the summer. That night I heard stones On my window. Snow will be falling

– Sung by Gabriel

Snow will be general All over Ireland Falling on every part Of the dark central plain. Falling softly upon the Bog of Allen And, further westward, Into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. Softly falling through the universe Softly falling upon our bed Upon your white back Upon your red hair, Upon all the living and the dead. Snow will be general All over Ireland Falling on the churchyard Where lies Michael Furey’s grave. Lying thickly upon the crooked crosses And on the headstones, On the spears of the gate, On the barren stones.

Softly falling through the universe Softly falling upon our bed. Upon Aunt Julia So near to death today upon all the living and the dead. Snow will be falling All over Ireland Faintly falling Upon our loved ones Upon our country Upon our souls. Snow will be falling, Falling softly Faintly falling, All over Ireland, Snow will be falling Snow will be falling Snow will be falling Upon the living and the dead.

VOCABULARY 1. Gaunt – bleak, desolate or grim 2. Cornfactor – an agent or dealer who deals with corn 3. Immaculate Conception – Roman Catholic Church dogma that the Virgin Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin 4. Galoshes – high overshoes 5. Palaver – idle talk; chatter 6. Excursion – trip; journey 7. Bounteous – plentiful; generous 8. Quenched – slaked; satisfied 9. Poignant – touching; moving 10. Wile – trick; trap 11. Discretion – prudence; caution 12. The Pledge – the promise not to drink 13. Knave – unprincipled or dishonest person 14. Clay – land 15. Adieu – goodbye; farewell (French) 16. Whippersnapper – unimportant, presumptuous people: particularly young ones 17. Folly – foolish, unwise action 18. Discerning – showing good judgment and understanding 19. A Skinful – over-consuming, alcohol 20. Joxum – drinks of liquor 21. Decorum – proper behavior 22. Chagrined – embarrassed 23. Laden – filled

24. Sentries – guards 25. Squat – short, thick or broad 26. Decanters – wine vessels 27. Siege – attack 28. Conviviality – feasting, drinking 29. Contralto – lowest female voice 30. Enrico Caruso – famous Italian operatic tenor (1873-1921) 31. Farthing – a former bronze coin of Great Britain, equal to one fourth of a British penny; withdrawn in 1961 32. Skeptical – doubting 33. Quay – landing place along the edge of water (pronounced “key”) 34. The Three Graces – Classical mythology, the goddesses of beauty 35. Incredulous – disbelieving 36. Octaves – a tone of the eighth degree from a given tone 37. Treble – pertaining to the highest part in harmonized music 38. Unrequited – unreturned 39. Heliotrope – light tint of purple 40. Sovereign – a gold coin of the United Kingdom, equal to one pound sterling; went out of circulation after 1914

BIBLIOGRAPHY Deeming, Robert. A Bibliography of James Joyce Studies. 2nd ed. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1977. Deeming, Robert. James Joyce: The Critical Heritage. 2 vols. London: Routledge, 1970. Ellman, Richard. James Joyce. New York: Oxford University Press, 1982. Levin, Harry. James Joyce. Norfolk, Conn.: New Directions, 1960. Moyniham, William, ed. James Joyce’s “The Dead.” Boston: Allyn & Bacon Casebook Series, 1965. Taglieri, Gina. James Joyce’s “Dubliners.” New Jersey: Research and Educational Association, 1996. Torchiana, Donald. Backgrounds for Joyce’s “Dubliners.” Winchester, Mass.: Allen & Unwin, 1986. Walzl, Florence. “Dubliners.” In a Companion to Joyce Studies, edited by Bowen and Carens.

Websites http:/ /www.themodernword.com/joyce/joyce_the_dead.html http://www.jamesjoycesthedead.com/ http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/29/63/frameset.html

Massachusetts State Learning Standards - Grades 6-12 Language, Literature, and Composition #1

Students will use agreed-upon rules for informal and formal discussions in small and large groups.

Students will pose questions, listen to the ideas of others, and contribute their own information or ideas in group discussions and interviews in order to acquire knowledge.

Students will make oral presentations that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience, purpose, and the information to be conveyed.

Students will acquire and use correctly an advanced reading vocabulary of English words, identifying meanings through an understanding of word relationships.

Students will identify, describe, and apply knowledge of the structure of the English language and Standard English conventions for sentence structure, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

Students will describe and analyze how oral dialects differ from each other in English, how they differ from written standard English, and what role standard American English plays in informal and formal communication.

Students will describe and analyze how the English language has developed and been influenced by other languages.

Students will decode accurately and understand new words encountered in their reading materials, drawing on a variety of strategies as needed, and then use these words accurately in speaking and writing.

Students will identify the basic facts and essential ideas in what they have read, heard, or viewed.

#10

Students will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the characteristics of different genres.

#11

Students will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of theme in literature and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.

#12

Students will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. 35

#13

Students will identify, analyze and apply knowledge of the structure, elements and meaning of nonfiction or informational material and provide evidence from the next to support their meaning.

#14

Students will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the structure, elements, and themes of poetry and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.

#15

Students will identify and analyze how an authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice of words appeals to the senses, create imagery suggests mood, and sets tone.

#16

Students will compare and contrast similar myths and narratives from different cultures and geographic regions.

#17

Students will interpret the meaning of literary works, nonfiction, films, and media by using different critical lenses and analytic techniques.

#18

Students will plan and present effective dramatic readings, recitations, and performances that demonstrate appropriate consideration of audience and purpose.

#19

Students will write compositions with a clear focus, logically related ideas to develop it, and adequate detail.

#20

Students will select and use appropriate genres, modes of reasoning, and speaking styles when writing for different audiences and rhetorical proposes.

#21

Students will demonstrate improvement in organization, content, paragraph development, level of detail, style, tone, and word choice (diction) in their compositions after revising them.

#22

Students will use knowledge of Standard English conventions to edit their writing.

#23

Students will use self-generated questions, note-taking, summarizing, precis writing, and outlining to enhance learning when reading or writing.

#24

Students will use open-ended research questions, different sources of information, and appropriate research methods to gather information for their research projects.

#25

Students will develop and use rhetorical, logical and stylistic criteria for assessing final versions of their compositions or research projects before presenting them to varied audiences.

Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Theatre and Connections Strands

Theatre is an art form concerned with the representation of people in time and space, their actions, and the consequences of their actions. Theatre education expands the ability to understand others and communicate through language and actions, and provides a unique opportunity for integrating the arts, linking dance, music, and visual arts elements in performance and production. Theatre includes acting, improvisation, storytelling, mime, playmaking and playwriting, directing, management, design and technical theatre, and related arts such as puppetry, film and video. Theatre Standards: 41. Acting. Students will develop acting skills to portray characters who interact in improvised and scripted scenes. 42. Reading and Writing Scripts. Students will read, analyze, and write dramatic material. 43. Directing. Students will rehearse and stage dramatic works. 44. Technical Theatre. Students will demonstrate skills in using the basic tools, media, and techniques involved in theatrical production. 45. Critical Response. Students will describe and analyze their own theatrical work and the work of others using appropriate theatre vocabulary. When appropriate, students will connect their analysis to interpretation and evaluation. Connections Strand: 46. Purposes and Meanings in the Arts. Students will describe the purposes for which works of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and architecture were and are created, and, when appropriate, interpret their meanings. 47. Roles of Artists in Communities. Students will describe the roles of artists, patrons, cultural organizations, and arts institutions in societies of the past and present. 48. Concepts of Style, Stylistic Influence, and Stylistic Change. Students will demonstrate their understanding of styles, stylistic influence, and stylistic change by identifying when and where art works were created, and by analyzing characteristic features of art works from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. 49. Inventions, Technologies, and the Arts. Students will describe and analyze how performing and visual artists use and have used materials, inventions, and technologies in their work. 10. Interdisciplinary Connections. Students will apply their knowledge of the arts to the study of English language arts, foreign languages, health, history and social science, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering.

Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework - October 1999 Page 57. 38