Š Huntington Theatre Company Boston, MA April, 2002
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
This Teacher Curriculum Guide for
THE SONS OF ULSTER MARCHING TOWARDS THE SOMME by Frank McGuinness was prepared for the Huntington Theatre Company by Katy E. Doyle Student Matinee Coordinator with contributions by
Donna Glick Director of Education
Scott Edmiston Literary Associate
Linda Murphy Assoc. Director of Education
Jaime Grande Education & Community
Kristina Aikens Stephanie Hoban Education Consultant Acton-Boxborough H.S.
Associate Ann Marie Parisi Boston University Intern
Abby Washuta Boston University Intern
The Huntington's John Hancock Student Matinee Series receives lead funding from John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. and additional support from many generous donors.
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 Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw. 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 Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme 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 Mastery Assessment of The Sons of Ulster helps students assess the main points of the play. Learning Standards - 1,2,9 Open Response Assessment allows students to create complete answers to thoughtful questions employing topic sentences and supporting evidence from the text. Learning Standards - 1,2,3,8,9,10,11,12,13,15,16,17,18,21,22,23,24,25 Essay Assessment 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 Additional Writing and Research Opportunities encourage 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 by writing and researching suggested topics. Learning Standards - 1,2,3,8,9,11,24,25 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 Media Assessment 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 Quotations allows students to approach relevant thoughts from the script on the themes of the play. Learning Standards - 1,2,3,5,8,9,10,11,12,13,15,17,18,19,21,22,23,24,25 Scene from The Sons of Ulster to analyze. Learning Standards - 2,9,15 Handouts are provided to assist teachers in preparing one or two class periods’ worth of exercises for students. Addenda Massachusetts State Learning Standards - Grades 6-12 Language, Literature & Composition Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework Theatre & Connections Strands .
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AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE Because many students have not had the opportunity to view live theatre, we are including an audience etiquette section with each curriculum guide. Teachers, please spend some time on this subject since it will greatly enhance your students' experience at the theatre. If a Huntington education staff member will be visiting your classroom, we will be covering some of this, but you might want to supplement or continue the discussion begun by the Huntington staff member. 1.
What are the differences between live theatre and the cinema?
2.
How does one respond to a live performance of a play, as opposed to when seeing a film at a local cinema? What is the best way to approach viewing a live performance of a play? What things should you look and listen for?
3.
What is the audience's role during a live performance? How do you think audience behavior can affect an actor's performance?
4.
How does a play script typically differ from a novel? How are the two similar? How does a stage actor approach preparing for his or her role?
5.
What do you know about the theatrical rehearsal process? Have you ever participated in one as an actor, singer, director, or technical person?
6.
What are some of the elements involved in producing a play -- set, costumes, lighting, actors, director, stage management, tech direction, etc.? Depending on your course, here is an opportunity to discuss the various jobs in theatre: set construction, costuming, properties, sound engineering, marketing, program writing and editing, company management, and so on.
7.
How do costumes, set, lights, sound and props enhance a theatre production?
8.
What is a professional stage actor's life like?
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OBJECTIVES
Students will: •
Identify central themes in Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Toward the Somme, including: • the romanticism vs. the reality of war • personal loyalty and friendship • heroism vs. martyrdom
•
Familiarize themselves with the events of the Battle of the Somme
•
Understand the changes in the European psyche due to the devastating effects of WWI
•
Understand the social and political history of the conflict between Irish Nationalists and British loyalists, as well as the significance of Ireland’s presence in the British army
•
Relate the play's themes and issues to their own lives
•
Evaluate the Huntington Theatre Company's production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Toward the Somme.
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PREPARATION
Historical and Social Background World War I World War I had a devastating effect on the psyche of Great Britain and Europe as a whole. From the mid-Victorian era until shortly before the war, England experienced the peak of its economic prosperity and empirical power, only to lose many romantic ideals and almost an entire generation of young men to the horrors of modern warfare. • As a class, have students develop a timeline of the events leading up to World War I. What tensions caused what appeared to be a local conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia escalate into a global war? This timeline may begin as early as 1871 and may be illustrated with drawings or photographs of important people and events. Display the timeline in a prominent place in the classroom and add to it as students discover more information. • Divide the class in half. One half will represent the Allied and Associated Powers, and one half will represent the Central Powers. Ask each side to present its case about why it is going to war against the other side. If possible, assign each student a country to represent, then have each student present at least one reason why her or his country is part of its particular alliance. • Divide students into groups and ask each group to research and deliver oral reports on the development of warfare techniques and peacekeeping strategies before, during, and directly following WWI. Much of this technology—and the resulting fears—may be familiar to us today but were introduced for the first time on a large scale in WWI. Ask students to consider how each of these aspects of the war differed from what existed prior to WWI, and how they may have affected military casualties and public morale. Topics may include: Warfare techniques and technology · · · · · ·
trench warfare machine guns military airplanes German submarines (U-boats) poison gas British tanks
Peacekeeping Strategies · The Hague Conference (or First International Peace Conference) of 1899 · The Hague Conference (or Second International Peace Conference) of 1907 · The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles · The League of Nations 4
• Divide the class in half—one half to represent Great Britain circa 1900-1910 and one half to represent Great Britain circa 1918-1930. Ask students to research and share their findings on the economic status and social morale of Great Britain during each time period. Compare the differences between pre-war and post-war England. In a freewriting session, ask students to imagine themselves as average citizen of England and reflect on the impact the war may have had on their sense of national pride. The Battle of the Somme Refer to the Limelight section entitled “On the Ridge of Dawn: The Slaughter at the Battle of the Somme” for more information on the Battle of the Somme. In 1916, media coverage of major events was, obviously, quite limited in comparison to today. In light of this, ask students to create their own multi-media coverage of the Battle of the Somme. Divide the class into the following groups, each of which will research and then perform a media segment reporting on a particular aspect of the battle: News anchors: Report the lives lost and basic developments of the battle War correspondents: Interview soldiers on the front and report on conditions (weather, the trenches, morale, casualties, etc.) Background reporters: Interview various military personnel about battle strategies, the effects of the battle on the war, and the 36th Ulster Division Domestic reporters: Interview average citizens about their opinions on the battle In their performances, student might play media personnel or the interviewees. In any case, their information must be based in research. Encourage students, if possible, to investigate newspaper reports and literature of the time period as well as current reference materials. Because reports of the time were initially incorrect and the number of casualties grew over time, you may want to divide the presentations up to cover several days and have the news anchors report new developments at the beginning of each class period.
The British Empire and the Conflict Between Nationalists and Loyalists in Ireland Refer to the Limelight section entitled “Ulster’s Sons and Carson’s Men: The History of Protestant Defense” for more information on the history of friction between Irish Catholics (Nationalists) and Protestants (Loyalists). • At its peak, the Roman Empire consisted of approximately 120 million people in 2.5 million square miles. In 1897, the British Empire consisted of approximately 372 million people in 11 million square miles. Ask students to 5
research what countries belonged to the British Empire at the turn of the century, and list them on the board. In a freewriting session, ask students to imagine themselves as a British subject born in a country other than England. Ask students how it might feel to have decisions about the government of their country made by those who don’t live in it. What loyalties, if any, might they feel to the English government? You might even want to ask some students to imagine that the members of their race or religious group have been consistently persecuted by the English government, and other students to imagine that their personal values and religious beliefs are more similar to the majority in England than the majority in their own country. After the freewriting exercise, ask students to share some of their thoughts about how their ideas of loyalty might have been affected by whether they were members of the persecuted group or the group that held common English beliefs. • Have students, individually or in groups, research and deliver brief oral presentations on one of the following developments or important figures or groups in Irish history. Ask students to be careful to consider both sides of any conflicts. After the presentations are finished, ask students to submit a brief written version of their report and compile these reports into a book outlining the evolution of Irish conflicts. If time and technology permit, students could also produce a Web site about their findings instead of or in addition to a book. The clans of Ireland prior to 432 A.D. The Norse invasions of the 7th through the 11th centuries The Norman invasion of 1170 A.D. and the Statutes of Kilkenny Poynings Law (Statutes of Drogheda) Henry VIII’s establishment of the Church of England English plantations in Ireland under Queen Mary The Elizabethan Wars in Ireland Catholic-Gaelic Rebellion of 1641 King William III of Orange King James II The Battle of the Boyne Catholic Emancipation Act The Famine (1845-1849) The Fenian Rising of 1867 Charles Stewart Parnell and the Home Rule League Sir Edward Carson and the Ulster Volunteer Force The Gaelic League Sinn Fein The Easter Rising (1916) The Anglo-Irish War and the creation of the Irish Free State The Irish Civil War Fianna Fail 6
• Three bills for Irish Home Rule were proposed to the British parliament between 1886 and 1912. Divide the class into two debate groups, both of which will debate about the issue of Irish Home Rule from an Irish perspective. One group will research and debate in favor of Irish Home Rule (Nationalists), and one which will research and debate in favor of continued allegiance to British rule (Loyalists). Ask the students to debate as though it were 1912 and the final Home Rule bill has not yet been passed. Issues to consider may include:
· · · · ·
religious beliefs and alliances the history of British rule in Ireland economic, military, and other benefits to British rule ideals expressed through the desire for self-government measures necessary for successful home rule
After debating this issue, engage the entire class in a discussion about what they learned while researching their sides of the debate. Did one side seem more difficult to defend than another? Did any students change their minds as a result of the research? Do American ideals of freedom and democracy play a part in their opinions? You may want to ask the students to freewrite about how their own opinions differ from or agree with the side they defended in the debate. • Provide a copy of the Easter 1916 Proclamation of an Irish Republic (see Handout 1, page 27) to each student, then ask one or several students to stand in front of the class and read the proclamation aloud. Discuss how this proclamation may have affected the emotions of those on both sides of the issue of home rule. How might Irish soldiers fighting on the side of the British in WWI have felt? How is language used to incite emotions? Compare this proclamation with America’s Declaration of Independence. How is the language similar? How is it different?
Introducing Key Issues Romanticism vs. Realism of War Because soldiers were lost on a greater scale than ever before in history, WWI represented for many people the end of romantic views of war and the emergence of a more realistic view of the horrors of war. Many writers—some drawn to enlist by old-fashioned, romantic ideals of the glories of war—were shocked by the reality they encountered and immortalized their experiences in poetry and journals. As a class, read Rupert Brooke’s “The Soldier,” (see Handout 2, page 29) written in 1914 and published in 1915. What overall sentiments and ideas are expressed in this poem? How is 7
language used to produce an emotional response in the reader? Brainstorm ideas about what being a soldier means according to Brooke’s poem. Next, read Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum Est,” (see Handout 2, page 29) written in 1918 and published in 1920. What are the major ideas of this poem? What is the meaning of the title of the poem, and how is the title used? What specific experiences are described in the poem? How is language used to produce an emotional response in the reader? Brainstorm ideas about what being a soldier means according to Owen’s poem. How do these two views conflict? What major assumptions are apparent in both? What might the dates of composition and publication mean in each case? Consider the following statement by poet and decorated soldier Siegfried Sassoon, written to his commanding officer and made public in 1917: I am making this statement as an act of wilful [sic] defiance of military authority, because I believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it… I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defence [sic] and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest. I believe that the purposes for which I and my fellow-soldiers entered upon this war should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible to change them, and that, had this been done, the objects which actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation. In what way did Sassoon’s opinion about the war change? Is this similar to the change described by contrasting Brooke and Owen? What circumstances serve to back up Sassoon’s statements? What circumstances defy it? How does Sassoon suggest enlistment be a contractual agreement? Is this suggestion feasible? Shortly after this statement was made, military authorities announced that Sassoon suffered from shell shock and transferred him from an English hospital to a Scottish one. How do students interpret this response? You may want to continue this discussion by opening it up to include the effects of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and current the war in Afghanistan. Have students’ ideas or opinions about war changed as a result of these events? Consider different public responses to the terrorist attacks—popular songs that were written, the increase of American flags on display, etc. Do these responses seem to align more with Brooke’s ideas or Owen’s? How have critics of the war in Afghanistan been treated? In his address to the joint session of Congress on September 21, President Bush warned Americans to expect “a lengthy campaign unlike any other we have ever seen” that might include “dramatic strikes visible on TV and covert operations secret even in success.” How does this description compare with the descriptions of WWI you’ve been studying? In what ways does WWI seem like a precursor to the current war in Afghanistan? In a free writing session, ask students to reflect on their own views about war and how those views may have developed as a result of the September 11 attacks or other events. Personal Loyalty and Friendship In times of war, due to the amount of time spent together and the extreme circumstances of their situation, soldiers often experience intense bonding with other soldiers and feelings of fierce loyalty toward each other. Sometimes the loyalty the soldiers feel toward each other even 8
outweighs or obscures the sense of patriotism that may have encouraged them to first enlist. Ask students to brainstorm about characteristics that define a loyal friend. List these characteristics on the board and begin a general conversation about loyalty and friendship. How can friendship you in times of need? How can a friend take your mind off your troubles? What happens when a friend turns out to be disloyal? Next, ask students to write an essay about a particularly intense friendship. When writing this essay, students should consider what circumstances affected the formation of this friendship. Did the friend help in a time of trouble? How would the student describe the loyalty of this friend? How much time did/does the student spend with this friend? How long did the intensity of the bond last? If it ended, why? Heroism vs. Martyrdom According to Webster’s dictionary, a hero is “a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities,” while a martyr is “a person who is put to death or endures great suffering on behalf of a belief, principle, or cause.” Both of these words are often used in discussing war and have been used specifically to describe the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Somme. Begin exploring these terms by having students brainstorm about the definitions of the words “hero” and “martyr.” What are the differences between the two terms? What are the similarities? Write the students’ ideas on the board, then have them compare their definitions with dictionary definitions. Next, ask students to think of people from their own lives or from history that they or others consider to be either heroes or martyrs. Have the students bring in pictures, drawings, or words and letters cut from magazines to represent these heroes and martyrs. As a class or in small groups, make separate collages for these heroes and martyrs. You may want to include the student and dictionary definitions of each term within the collage. As a class, discuss the nature of sacrifice. When does a society expect or create opportunities for sacrifice? When does a certain group expect sacrifice? Is sacrifice ever necessary, or is it something that can be avoided? Is sacrifice ever a desirable thing? Consider the sacrifices of the martyrs you have discussed. Were their sacrifices worthwhile? Have each student choose one of the martyrs you have discussed and write a eulogy to be delivered in class. Make sure the students include in their eulogies the sacrifices the martyrs made, and what lasting effects those sacrifices had.
Sources: Daiches, David and Jon Stallworthy. “Voices from World War I.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Seventh Edition, Volume 2. General Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York, NY : W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. 2000. 2048-2084.
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MASTERY ASSESSMENT
Part 1: Remembrance 1. What is Pyper’s state of mind as he recalls the past in the opening monologue? 2. Why does Pyper call those who died heroes? 3. How did Pyper change his life after the Somme? 4. How did Pyper die at the Somme?
Part 2: Initiation
5. How does Pyper treat Craig in this scene? 6. Why does Craig call Pyper a madman? 7. Why does Pyper believe Millen has joined the army? 8. Why did Pyper join the army? 9. According to Pyper what is the only thing he is fit for? 10. How does Millen react to Pyper’s answer? 11. Where have Pyper and Craig met Roulston before? 12. Why did Pyper marry when he was in France? What happened to his wife? 13. Why did Pyper tell this story? Does Craig believe it? 14. Why do McIlwaine and Anderson attack Crawford? 15. By the end of Part II, has Pyper been accepted as part of the group? How do we know?
Part 3: Pairing
16. At the opening of Part III Pyper says he is happy. What has taken place to make him so? 17. How would you describe the relationship between Pyper and Craig? 18. Why are Roulston and Crawford in the church? 19. Why does Moore want to die? 20. How does Crawford react to Roulston’s claims about himself and God? 11
21. McIlwaine calls the war punishment. Who is being punished? What have they done? 22. Moore tells Miller he is going to die. What leads Moore to say this? 23. What reason does Craig give for saving Pyper?
Part 4: Bonding
24. Why did McIlwaine tell the story of the post office in Dublin being taken over? How does it describe Fenians? 25. What does McIlwaine smell in the air? 26. Why do the men re-enact the Battle of Scarva? 27. When Pyper trips and Crawford, as King Billy, falls why do the men end the battle? How does this event change the mood of the group? 28. Why does Pyper believe the men can smell the river before they go into battle? 29. Craig tells Pyper that, “whoever comes back alive, if any of us do, will have died as well.” What does he mean by that statement? 30. Why does Craig believe Pyper will survive the battle? 31. Why do Anderson and McIlwaine give Pyper an orange sash? How does this action reflect the change in Pyper’s relationship with the other men? 32. Why do the men exchange sashes with one another? 33. Why do all the men chant Ulster as they go into battle?
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OPEN RESPONSE ASSESSMENT Instructions for students: Please answer the following as thoroughly as possible in a well-thought out and carefully written paragraph. Remember to use topic sentences and examples from the text. 1. Although the play’s title deals primarily with the battle of the Somme, what else do the men battle on the way toward their final battle? 2. Set in World War I, the soldiers’ fight against the Germans, who or what else do the men consider enemies and why? 3. What different types of people are represented by the eight soldiers and why does the playwright illustrate by their inclusion? 4. What is the significance of religion in the play and why? 5. What is the significance of the soldiers’ different activities while on leave? What does each activity illustrate about the pairs of men? 6. Is any character more heroic than the others? If yes, explain why. If not, explain why not. 7. Pyper is the only survivor of the battle of Somme. Is this significant and why? 8. In the final scene Craig says, “We’re going out to die…whoever comes back alive…will have died as well. He’ll never be the same.” What does he mean by this? Is it true of Pyper, the only survivor? 9.
The soldiers are all different from each other, yet in the final scene they seem very unified. What purpose is served in making the men so very different in character? What is the significance of the sash exchange in the final scene?
10.
Frank McGuiness, the playwright, is Catholic. Is that surprising and why?
11. This play draws from a specific event in history, but what elements can still be considered universal? 12.
What can be concluded about the Irish culture from reading this play? Do you think it is an accurate portrayal, why or why not?
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ESSAY ASSESSMENT 1. Discuss the methods of characterization that McGuinness uses in The Sons of Ulster to make each Ulsterman a realistic, individual character. Be sure to analyze physical description, personality traits, the character’s speech and behavior, as well as how the other characters react to him. 2. Compare young Pyper to old Pyper. Support your argument of how and why he has changed with specifics from the text. 3. Compare and contrast two characters in the play. What are their beliefs, fears, professions? Use Handout 3 on page 30 to help you keep track of their similarities and differences. 4. How is the exposition of the play presented? What do you learn in Part I? Why has the author chosen to have Pyper as an old man begin the play by foreshadowing events? 5. Does the plot development fit into the traditional pattern of a Shakespearean drama (exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution)? If not, analyze how the plot of The Sons of Ulster develops. Does this help to characterize the play as modern drama? 6. Reread the elder Pyper’s opening monologue. Find two examples of foreshadowing for each of the characters that helps the reader understand how they will relate to Pyper in the rest of the play. Discuss the use and effect of foreshadowing in the play as a whole using the examples you have found. 7. Write an essay analyzing a central theme presented in The Sons of Ulster. Is the theme stated or implied? Be sure to provide lines that reveal the theme. 8. Analyze the symbolic nature of colors in the play (red, pink, orange, gold, etc.). In what way is the setting symbolic as well? 9. Does The Sons of Ulster maintain the same mood or tone throughout? Try to define shifts in mood and tone and discuss at what point they occur. 10. Define one of the following terms as it is represented in the play: loyalty, brotherhood, heroism, religion, death, or war . Support your definition with lines and images from the play.
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ADDITIONAL WRITING AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES Writing 1. Pretend that you are one of the characters in the play. Write a letter to an acquaintance detailing your feelings about what is happening to you at the time of the action of the play. 2. Choose a character from the play and create an autobiographical timeline of the ten most important occurrences in his or her life. Choose only ten events which are most focal for that character, understanding that you must prioritize. One event might be very traumatic, such as the death of a loved one; another may be something as simple as a child’s surprise birthday party. Each list should include its character’s childhood and conclude with the end of the play. Events should be ordered in sequence beginning with the earliest event. You may draw from information in the play, use research, or incorporate events that you might envision happening. This exercise can also be fun to do for yourself. Then write a brief autobiography of the character (write in first person) or of yourself based on the timeline. 3. Write a critical examination of one of the actors performing in the Huntington production of the play. Consider how well the character you chose was portrayed through the actor’s use of voice, body language, mannerisms (especially a “signature” gesture), and movement. Consider also how well the actor “played off” the other performers. Was this a solo performance or was the actor a “team player?” Give examples for each of your criticisms. Remember that being critical does not mean only being negative; be sure to include both the things you believe were well done and those you think were not so well done. 4. Write a critical review of the Huntington production of The Sons of Ulster and submit it for publication in your school newspaper. Be sure to send us a copy. Research 5. Research the Easter Uprising of 1916 which is referred to in the play. How were Pearce and his compatriots similar to McGuinness’ characters? Why are the similarities ironic? What do the similarities illustrate? Why do the characters belittle the uprising? 6. Research Irish Troubles during the 1970s and 1980s. Discuss how the roots of these problems are already, according to the play, flourishing during World War I. 7. Research the bombing of Omagh and the Belfast Butchers. Discuss how these real life tragedies might have been done by one or more of the characters of the play. What causes men to commit such atrocities? Are these causes in the play?
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QUESTIONS FOR AFTER ATTENDING THE PERFORMANCE
1.
About the Play and Production
A. What was your overall reaction? Were you moved? Shocked? Empathetic? Explain your reactions. How was the play structured? Did it build to a single climax? Was it episodic? Did this structure help or hinder your understanding of the play? Was the dialogue interesting? Appropriate? Were you aware of the imagery and symbolism during the course of the play? Would you have been aware of these devices without previous preparation? B. Was the pace and tempo of the production effective and appropriate? 2.
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? C. Were the motivations of the characters clear? D. What qualities were revealed by the actions and speech of the characters? E. Did the characters change/develop during the course of the play? F. In what ways did the characters reveal the themes of the play?
3.
About the Set A. Was the set usable and workable? B. Was the set compatible with the production as a whole? Were there any features of the set that distracted from the action of the play? C. Did the design reflect the themes, type and style of play? D. Were the artistic qualities of unity, balance, line, texture, mass and color used effectively?
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E. Did the set provide appropriate environment and atmosphere? F. 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? 4.
About Lighting and Sound
A. Did the lighting establish mood and atmosphere? Was the illumination sufficient? Did the lighting harmonize with, and contribute toward, the unity of the production? B. Were the music and sound effects appropriately conceived? Were they executed effectively? 5.
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 use of color/design serve to illuminate the themes, type and style of the play, or any particular choices of interpretations in this production?
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MEDIA ASSESSMENT These questions and hands-on exercises are interactive challenges in Drama, Music, Dance, Visual Arts and Design that inspire further consideration or understanding of the play. The warm-up exercises in Drama have been adapted from the International School’s Theatre Association publication titled Drama and the Active Study of Literature by Tim Williams. !
Creating Characterization
1. Have each of your students choose a character from The Sons of Ulster 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 what gets in the way of what I want 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?
2. Have students imagine that they have been chosen to play one of the characters in this play. Have them make notes individually on how they would approach their role. Ask students to consider what research would be needed, what physical and psychological qualities might be best to work on, character movement (consider the constraints of turn of the 20th century clothing), and speech patterns (what types of accents do each of the characters have, how do these speech patterns display class/status?).
!
Role Playing/Improvisation
1. Have students look for parallel situations between the characters' stories and their own lives. Have them recall when they have been determined, defiant or dedicated to an important cause. Can they act or portray their own emotions? Do they disguise or hide what really happened? What is difficult to portray, and why? Do 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 18
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. Have students improvise some moment from The Sons of Ulster 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 and what follows? What repercussions would such a change have on the shape and balance 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 involves an interrupted process, or a decision to 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.
3. Have each student select a line from the play that best captures the essence of a particular character. Organizing the class by four main characters, have students present their lines and explain the reasons for their selections. After each character is completed and all the chosen lines have been read aloud and explained, discuss the rationale for choices.
!
Acting
1. Define subtext and motivation in the context of performance. Using the scene from The Sons of Ulster included at the end of this guide, 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?
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! 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 students act out a scene from The Sons of Ulster. They should use props and elements of costumes. Have them consider who stands where, who moves when and where, gestures, tone of voice, music, and intended emotional impact.
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 Sons of Ulster. Have them trace the journey of their characters, addressing the following questions: • 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? 20
!
Visual Art
1. Using plates, paper-mache, and other materials, have your students create masks that represent characters in The Sons of Ulster. Have students perform a scene twice - once with the masks, once without. What impression do the masks make on the audience? How do the masks make the scene different?
2. Pass out art paper, paints, and brushes. Have students create abstract paintings of a character from the play. Make sure the students do not tell their classmates who their paintings represent. Hang the completed paintings around the room. Ask students to pick out qualities, moods, and feelings of each painting. Next have each artist identify the character his/her painting represents and explain how the various details of the painting depict the character.
**** The concept of abstract imagery may need to be explained to some students. Emphasize that they are trying to capture moods, feelings, and conflicts and that their paintings need not perfectly resemble their character (or anything concrete, for that matter.)
3. Have your students choose any character from The Sons of Ulster and create a character collage. The collages should include pictures (hand-drawn or cut from magazines/newspapers) of actions the character performs, images expressing relationships the character has with others, typical moods, feelings, or attitudes, etc. Include quotations from the play that reveal something about the character (these can be quotations from the character as well as quotations about the character).
! Music/Dance 1. Create background music and/or sound effects to accompany scenes in the play.
2. Conceive the final scene of The Sons of Ulster as a movement composition without words. 21
Select a choreographer and dancers, as well as a movement style, i.e., ballet, jazz, hip-hop, blues, or modern. Have students develop a performance together for the class. Is the group’s presentation accurately reflective of the characters in this “grand finale�?
3. Have groups of students bring in tapes or CD's of music or perform and/or compose a piece of music to create a mood for a theme/issue from the play, a symbol in the play, a character in the play, or an incident/moment in the play. Ask them to play an excerpt from the piece of music and explain what mood the music creates, why they chose that particular piece, and what others they considered.
4. Have students take the above activity and instead of finding/creating music, have them create and perform a dance (with or without music) to interpret the similar ideas. Or, have students select and work with one of the pieces from #2 to create an interpretive dance. Have them perform the dance for their classmates, followed by a discussion of the elements of the dance which interpreted the concepts. Allow time for students to talk about the process they used in creating, rehearsing, and performing their dance.
! The Design Process 1. Scenic designer Alexander Dodge and costume designer Michael Krass collaborated extensively to select a color palette for this production which reflects the world of and the characters in The Sons of Ulster. Assign students to work in teams and design scenery and costumes which would appear harmoniously on stage. The students should pay attention to color, fabric and materials.
2. Discuss the role that Lighting Designer Frances Aronson and her work have played in the Huntington production of The Sons of Ulster. Discuss how color, angle, and intensity helped to suggest time of day, mood focus and action. Students should look for pictures or use 22
watercolors and create their own pictures to illustrate these properties.
3. Some students might design a set for a production of The Sons of Ulster and build a model of their designs. Make sure they include the important functional elements of the set. Have the class compare their set designs to the Huntington Theatre Company's set design.
4. Other students might design costumes for the play. Research the clothing styles of Ulster County, Northern Ireland. Exhibit the students' costume designs for each character and have them explain to the class how they are correct for the period and appropriate for the characters of their situations and stations in life. Have the class compare designs with those used in the HTC production.
5. Others might design a poster for the play. Encourage them to consider what message about the play they want to convey to the public in order to sell tickets. Which people should be acknowledged on the poster, and what other information should be included (price of tickets, dates, and so on)?
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QUOTATIONS Use the following quotations to discuss specific events from The Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme in context, or to discuss the universal ideas expressed by the quotations. You might use the quotations as springboards to role-playing, or as the first lines of letters, poems, or short stories. Develop any theme you choose. Also, search for pictures, paintings, other visual images or music to which you might apply one of these quotations as a title.
PYPER Ask me why we did it. Why did we let ourselves be led to extermination? In the end, we were not led, we led ourselves. We claimed we would die for each other in battle. To fulfil that claim we marched into the battle that killed us all. That is not loyalty. That is not love. That is hate. Deepest hate. Hate for one’s self. McILWAINE ...the whole of Ulster will be lost. We’re not making a sacrifice. Jesus, you’ve seen this war. We are the sacrifice. What’s keeping us over there? We’re all going mad...
PYPER I couldn’t look at my life’s work, for when I saw my hands working they were not mine but the hands of my ancestors, interfering, and I could not be rid of that interference. I could not create. I could only preserve. CRAIG I wanted war. I wanted a fight. I felt I was born for it, and it alone. I felt that because I wanted to save somebody else in war, but that somebody else was myself.
McILWAINE I’m very imaginative. I play the drums, you see. An artist like yourself, Pyper. We’re a breed apart, us boys. To hell with the truth as long as it rhymes.
PYPER Invention gives that slaughter shape. That scale of horror has no shape, as you in your darkness have no shape save what you bestow upon those you leave behind. 24
MOORE Are you a soldier, Millen? Are you a good soldier? Am I? I think there’s no such thing any more. There are only cowards, and the worst learn to hide it the best. I can’t hide it any more. I won’t be back. Let me go. Let me fall.
Frank McGuinness (the playwright) ...the man who observes nature...the correspondence between life and death, the connection of light to dark, must choose to celebrate the wonder or cry at the confusion of the world.”
SCENE TO ANALYZE from Part II: Initiation (A loud roar. GEORGE ANDERSON and NAT MCILWAINE enter, tossing their kit bags to each other.) ANDERSON: We’re here, we’re here. No cause for panic, ladies. The men are here. MOORE: Belfast. MILLEN: You’d never think it they’re that quiet. MCILWAINE: Line them up , line them up. We’re ready for them. ANDERSON: I spy a Taig. I spy a Taig. MCILWAINE: Where? Tell me where? ANDERSON: Use your nose, lad, use your nose. Have I not trained you to smell a Catholic within a mile of you? Get him. (MCILWAINE flings back his head, howls, rushes for CRAWFORD.) Tear his throat out. (MCILWAINE hurls CRAWFORD to the bed, snarling and snapping. ANDERSON throws MCILWAINE off CRAWFORD.) Mad dog, mad dog, mad dog. (ANDERSON hurls MCILWAINE off the bed.) MILLEN: What the hell do yous two think you’re doing? ANDERSON: Defending this part of the realm MILLEN: Keep your defending for where it’s needed across the water. Let that young lad go. 25
MCILWAINE: He’s a Catholic bastard, he has no place in this regiment. MILLEN: He’s no Catholic. He’s one of ours. ANDERSON: Look at his eyes. MOORE: Are you a Catholic, son? CRAWFORD: No. MILLEN: Let him go. Do you hear? ANDERSON: I hear. I hear clearly. (ANDERSON lets CRAWFORD off the bed. CRAWFORD stands, then sits, turning his back on them all. He rises suddenly and exits. Soon afterwards ROULSTON follows him.) MCILWAINE: He might deny he’s a Catholic, but he wouldn’t walk in our part of the shipyard. MOORE: We might have known. MCILWAINE: Known what? MOORE: Shut up, you Belfast mouth. MCILWAINE: Friendly company, eh Anderson? ANDERSON: Warm as your mother’s fireside, McIlwaine. PYPER: Boys? MCILWAINE: Look at this bucket. ANDERSON: I know they’re taking on all types, but are things that desperate? PYPER: I’d like to show you something. ANDERSON: I’d say you would if you’d one to show. CRAIG: Leave it alone, Pyper. PYPER: I want to be friendly. Watch this. Let me entertain you, boys. (PYPER rolls up his sleeve.) I observed to the company earlier how remarkable fine my skin is. They agreed. Do you? ANDERSON: What kind of milksop PYPER: Now, I want to show you how someone with my remarkable fair skin can perform magic. A trick. A wee trick. Do you want to see it? Never mind. I’ll show you. Here, look at my hands. Empty. Aren’t they? Right. And nothing up my sleeve. Right. Feel my arms if you like. Feel them. Go on. (ANDERSON briefly feels PYPER’S arms. MCILWAINE tries to squeeze them into submission. PYPER hurls his effort aside.) Now that’s cheating. None of that. Two bare arms. I clench each fist like this. Inside one of my hands something has appeared. I’ll give it to whichever one of you guesses the correct hand. Come on, guess. (Silence.) Come on, guess. Guess. Guess. (ANDERSON touches PYPER’S right hand. PYPER punches him in the groin. ANDERSON screams.) MCILWAINE: You dirty bastard. PYPER: That makes three of us. Warm as your mother’s fireside, right, McIlwaine? (MCILWAINE helps ANDERSON on to a bed.) MCILWAINE: All right, Anderson, old boy? All right? ANDERSON: Where is he? 26
MCILWAINE: Get your breath back. There’ll be time to give him the hiding he’s looking for. More than enough time. Get your breath back. PYPER: Moore? MOORE: What? PYPER: Still going to stay clear of me? MOORE: Clearer. PYPER: What are you like in a fight, Moore? MOORE: Clean, I fight clean. I fight straight. PYPER: You’re not going to survive. MILLEN: We’ll all survive. This is the best army on God’s good earth. PYPER: But we’re the scum of it. We go first. CRAIG: Not if we fight together. PYPER: We will go first, David. CRAIG: Pyper. PYPER: We will go first, David. (ROULSTON and CRAWFORD enter.) MILLEN: Is that what you want, Pyper? Death? I’ve heard about maniacs like you. The ones who sign up not to come back. If that’s what you’ve done, I’m warning you PYPER: I need some sense kicked into me, right? MOORE: Right. More than right. PYPER: Very much more than right. And I might get that kick right here. I might survive from what I learn here. Right? And who’ll teach me? Other sons of Ulster, marching off to war. A good war. A just war. Our war. The war of the elect upon the damned, right? God’s chosen will rise up and fight. Will you rise up with me? The elect shall bond in God’s brotherhood. Right? Right. More than right. It’s good to be right. I’m sorry. I get carried away when I’m right. I’m especially sorry for my violence against you, Anderson. Will you accept my sorrow? ANDERSON: McIlwaine, don’t let that mad bastard anywhere near me. PYPER: I’ve studied anatomy. Perhaps I can ease your pain. (PYPER opens his penknife.) ANDERSON: Keep your hands away from me. I hate all doctors. PYPER: Why are you afraid? ANDERSON: I said keep away from me. CRAIG: Kenneth, for God’s sake. PYPER: This is not the stuff we fashion heroes from. ROULSTON: Pyper. (PYPER stand to attention and salutes. CRAWFORD enters.) If you are responsible for one more disturbance of the peace in this barracks, I will be left with no option but to report you. PYPER: What, Roulston? What will you report? What have you been doing, Christopher? ROULSTON: Get out of the army now. Go to a doctor. You’re mad. He’ll sign you out. Don’t stay in this company. Get out. Go. PYPER: I will get out, Roulston, and do you know how? I’ll die willingly. Will you? Yes. You can feel that. Death. You fear that. Death. And I know death. I’ll let you know it. I’ll take away 27
your peace and that’s the only disturbance I’m responsible for in this company. Right? Right. More than right. (Silence.) MILLEN: I’ve no time for this superstition. MOORE: He’ll learn the hard way. Are you all right, son? CRAWFORD: As I’ll ever be. MILEN: Good man. (MILLEN lies on his makeshift bed, as does MOORE. ROULSTON goes to his bed and begins to read the Bible. CRAWFORD goes over to read it with him. MCILWAINE looks after ANDERSON. Ignored by all except CRAIG, PYPER raises his left hand and with his penknife slits the front of it. CRAIG takes the shirt PYPER had given him. About to toss it at him, CRAIG hesitates, tears a sleeve from his shirt and attracts the others’ attention by so doing. They watch as CRAIG bandages PYPER’s bleeding hand.) CRAIG: Red hand. PYPER: Red sky. CRAIG: Ulster. PYPER: Ulster.
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Name:________________________ Date: _________________________ Handout 1 - The Sons of Ulster - Conflict Between Nationalists and Loyalists in Ireland Easter 1916 Proclamation of an Irish Republic Poblacht Na h-Eireann The Provisional Government of the Irish Republic To the People of Ireland
IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom. Having organized and trained her manhood through her secret revolutionary organisation, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and through her open military organisations, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army, having patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that moment, and supported by her exiled children in America and by gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her own strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory. We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people. In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms. Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish Republic as a Sovereign Independent State, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades in arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and of its exaltation among the nations.
The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien Government, which have divided a minority from the 29
majority in the past. Until our arms have brought the opportune moment for the establishment of a permanent National Government, representative of the whole people of Ireland and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women, the Provisional Government, hereby constituted, will administer the civil and military affairs of the Republic in trust for the people. We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by its valour and discipline, and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the august destiny to which it is called. Signed on behalf of the Provisional Government: THOMAS J. CLARK SEAN Mac DIARMADA THOMAS MacDONAGH P.H. PEARSE EAMONN CEANNT JAMES CONNOLLY JOSEPH PLUNKETT
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