Š Huntington Theatre Company Boston, MA 02115 May 2006 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
Limelight
teacher literary & curriculum guide
Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Nicholas Martin B.U. Theatre May 12 - June 11, 2006
HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY IN RESIDENCE AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY
HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY
Nicholas Martin
IN RESIDENCE AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director
Michael Maso Managing Director
Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Nicholas Martin
Table of Contents STAFF This Teacher Literary and Curriculum Guide was prepared for the Huntington Theatre Company by
Table of Contents 3 The Upstart Crow of Elizabethan London 4
Love’s Labour’s Lost and Its Place in the Canon
5
Theatre in the Time of Shakespeare
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Nicholas Martin and William Shakespeare
Donna Glick, Director of Education
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Did You Know?
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Audience Etiquette
Ilana Brownstein, Literary Manager
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Synopsis/Objectives
9
Introduction to Love’s Labour’s Lost and Key Themes
Justin Waldman, Artistic Associate
10 Shakespeare and his World: Team Topics
Melinda Jaz, Education Associate With contributions by
12 Mastery Assessment
Lauren Ignaut Artistic Intern
12 Related Works and Resources 13 Writing Assignments
Rena H. Murman Education Consultant
13 Further Exploration 14 Media Assessment 15 Questions for After the Performance
Jacqueline Bennett Education Assistant
16 Lesson Plans
Melissa Wagner-O’Malley, Layout Exclusive Television Partner:
17 Handout 1: Vocabulary 18 Handout 2: Crossword Puzzle Production Co-Sponsor
Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Nicholas Martin B.U. Theatre May 12 - June 11, 2006
THE UPSTART CROW
of Elizabethan London
W
illiam Shakespeare (1564-1616) was born in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon to a semiprosperous family. His youth is a blank slate to scholars, with only baptismal and school records to show his progress. In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he eventually had three children: Susanna, and twins Judith and Hamnet. Until 1592, there is only speculation to go by when attempting to map Shakespeare’s rapid rise in the London theatre scene. It was in this year that the first mention of him is made in print, disparagingly at that, by Robert Greene, who resented the actors who deserted him in favor of an “upstart crow,” a man
who “in his own conceit [is] the only Shake-scene in a country.” That “upstart,” of course, was Shakespeare. From that point forward, records of Shakespeare come fast and furious. In 1593, Shakespeare dedicated his poem Venus and Adonis to the Earl of Southampton, who became a patron of the young writer. By 1594, Shakespeare had written The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, the Henry VI plays, King John, Titus Andronicus, Richard III, and his long poem The Rape of Lucrece. By the end of that year, he added Love’s Labour’s Lost to the roster, and was able to purchase a
share in the newly formed Lord Chamberlain’s Men. For being so early in his career, he already had quite a few of the classics under his belt. Contemporary with Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, Robert Greene, Thomas Lodge, and Thomas Kyd, Shakespeare was unusual in his role as a jack-of-all-trades: a playwright, actor, poet, director, and producer. He was truly in and of the theatre, and in Love’s Labour’s Lost, we see Shakespeare’s debt to the comedic modes of the time, and to those classical writers who came before him. As Shakespearean scholar David Bevington points out, the play’s “witty debates and amicable war between the sexes” features “an array of humorous characters including a clownish bumkin, a country slut, a fantastic courtier, a pedant, a country curate, and the like, whose mannerisms and word-play add to the rich feast of language” that centers its attention on propriety and impropriety. Its forms and arguments draw on Roman and Italianate comedy, while maintaining an authentically English flavor. In the period after Love’s Labour’s Lost and his entry into the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Shakespeare became one of the bestknown writers of his time, presenting his plays at court before the Queen and serving as the Chamberlain’s resident playwright. In the late 1590s, Shakespeare’s family earned its heraldic coat of arms — a prestigious mark of status and wealth — and his plays began to appear in print, proving his popularity with the general public. He was a singular force in the theatre of the time, writing the best of the popular forms, and securing his reputation for centuries to come. – Ilana M. Brownstein Limelight Literary & Curriculum Guide 2005-2006
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Folio for Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, 1598
LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST
And Its Place in the Canon W
ritten early in Shakespeare’s career, Love’s Labour’s Lost has garnered much attention and thorough analysis from scholars, but has been all too commonly forgotten by the modern American theatre. It is a play that relies upon, in Shakespeare’s own words, a “great feast of languages,” and requires an ensemble committed to verbal acrobatics and puns. This spring, Nicholas Martin takes up the challenge of a play that doesn’t fit squarely into the blueprint of other Shakespearean comedies. 4
Huntington Theatre Company
Love’s Labour’s Lost is a play that spoofs man’s attempt to woo, and pontificates on the nature of love — the humor is timeless, as the subject continues to puzzle most of us some 400 years later. The mark left by this play in the greater Shakespearean canon is proof of his brave experimentation with dramatic structure. Evidence suggests it was once part of a pair, with each play commenting on the nature of relationships between the sexes. Francis Meres’ 1598 book, Palladis Tamia: Wits Treasury, mentions both Love’s Labour’s Lost and
Love’s Labour’s Wonne. Further records of the latter work exist, but the play thus titled has been lost to history. Some scholars believe we might know the play under a different name, perhaps All’s Well That Ends Well, however a bookseller’s log from the 1630s casts doubt on this assertion. Written around 1594, Love’s Labour’s Lost was created just as theatres were reopening, following their closure from an outbreak of the bubonic plague. It was during this same period that he most likely wrote Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream which, when taken together with Love’s Labour’s Lost, are known as Shakespeare’s “lyrical plays.” Sometimes called an unfinished work, Love’s Labour’s Lost breaks with traditional comedic structure, but if it’s true that the play was once one-half of a disputation on the nature of love, this goes far in terms of explaining its unorthodox ending. Of Elizabethan drama it’s often said that you know a comedy because everyone marries in the end, whereas a tragedy can be identified by its body count. Shakespeare’s comedies nearly all end in marriage, but in Love’s Labour’s Lost, the playwright uncharacteristically breaks with custom. It’s this unexpected turn of events that accounts for its popularity as the focus of centuries of critical analysis. When at the play’s conclusion the audience is sent into the world, with the instruction from the players “You that way, we this way,” Shakespeare deeply challenges expectations. The lords — amateur philosophers — all part ways with the ladies, pledging to study and remain true, hoping to earn their hands in marriage at some future date. Shakespeare’s open defiance of narrative norms can be seen as an act of literary rebellion against the conventions of his age, avoiding the predictable form of the genre to encourage his audiences’ consideration of more serious themes. – Lauren Ignaut
THEATRE IN THE TIME OF
Shakespeare S
hakespeare’s life roughly coincides with the rise of professional theatre in England. Before Shakespeare’s time, plays were mostly performed on religious feast days. These were largely morality dramas based on religious subjects such as the lives of saints. But in the early Renaissance, the concept of a secular theatre for the purpose of entertaining a paying public began to take hold. By the mid1500’s, around the time Shakespeare was born, traveling troupes of English actors often performed in the courtyards of inns or out of the back of a wagon. Private entertainments might also be performed, in the homes of wealthy patrons. The growth of the middle class during the Elizabethan era contributed significantly to the burgeoning of theatre. Increased demand for entertainment spawned the founding of dozens of public playhouses in London in the late 16th century. The first professional playhouse in England was built, it is believed, in 1576 by the actor James Burbage. Because an edict forbade the erection of playhouses within London’s city limits, Burbage located his theatre just north of the city. His playhouse was called simply “the Theatre.” There, Burbage’s company of actors, known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, offered plays for general admission for the first time. Performances in the Theatre were held only in the daytime, using natural light. The price of admission gave spectators access to the courtyard and permission to stand in front of the stage; a stool to sit on cost a bit more. For a higher price, seats were available in galleries surrounding the courtyard and overlooking the stage. Shakespearean scholar Sylvan Barnet describes the typical Elizabethan theatre
as “capable of holding some 800 spectators standing in the yard around the projecting elevated stage and some fifteen hundred additional spectators seated in the three roofed galleries.” On performance days, a flag would fly from the flagpole atop the roof. The commencement of a performance was signaled by three blasts of a trumpet. Performances began about three o’ clock and had to end before dark. When Burbage lost the lease to the land where the Theatre stood, he tore down the building and relocated to the other side of
In Shakespeare’s time, theatre companies fought intensely for patronage and audience. the Thames River. He called his new playhouse the Globe. The Globe was destroyed in 1613 when a cannon was shot — part of a performance of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII — set fire to the roof. In Shakespeare’s time, theatre companies fought intensely for patronage and audience. They also competed for access to the best plays. Scholars have speculated that one of the reasons that Shakespeare’s plays were not always promptly published in his lifetime was to prevent rival companies from getting access to the texts. Shakespeare’s company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, was one of the most
popular theatre companies in London, and Shakespeare was its primary playwright. The other eminent company and rival to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men was the Lord Admiral’s Men, which performed the works of Christopher Marlowe, John Lyly, Thomas Kyd, and Thomas Dekker at the Rose Theatre. Little is known about Elizabethan stage design, but what is known leads to the conclusion that the Elizabethan stage was essentially presentational. There was little realistic scenery, and apparently no attempt was made to conceal the fact that the actors were playing characters other than themselves. Signs were sometimes hung on the stage to indicate a locality, or else the setting was created through language, as in Love’s Labour’s Lost when Lorenzo states at the beginning of Act V, “The moon shines bright. In such a night as this, When the sweet wind did kiss the trees, And they did make no noise.” Shakespeare’s language was intended to spark the audience’s imagination and let it play over the bare stage and the costumed actors, creating the desired theatrical image. While the scenery was simple, the costumes were frequently extravagant. In their use of costume, players seem to have been more concerned with presenting visual splendor and luxuriance than historical accuracy. Color was used to signify class, rank, or mood. Scarlet was used for nobility; blue represented a serving man or merchant. It is quite likely that the original Shylock was presented with a red beard and a false nose. Properties and special effects were also often a popular part of the spectacle. For woundings and killings, blood was released from bladders and sponges concealed in costumes. Fog was created by releasing smoke from under the stage. Thunder was represented by drums or a bullet rolling on a sheet of metal. Night scenes were evoked by bringing actors on stage with flaming torches. – Rena H. Murman Limelight Literary & Curriculum Guide 2005-2006
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Nicholas Martin & William Shakespeare Every year across the world, William Shakespeare’s plays grace an untold multitude of stages. That’s a lot to ask from a single playwright. It’s amazing that even 400 years after his death Mr. Shakespeare is able to keep up this frenetic pace. In preparation for their upcoming collaboration on Love’s Labour’s Lost, Mr. Shakespeare sat down with Huntington Artistic Director Nicholas Martin for a little meeting of the minds.
WS: I know you’re well known as an interpreter
of my work, but I haven’t been able to catch any of your productions. Can you tell me a bit about the plays of mine that you’ve done? NM: Yes. I’ve directed Titus Andronicus. I started with the hardest one first. I loved it. I did A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Williamstown. I did Macbeth at the Old Globe with Victor Garber, a great friend of mine. And I did Romeo & Juliet in North Carolina. But as an actor, I’ve been in 27 of your plays.
Which of these was your most successful and why? Titus Andronicus, believe it or not. Because I had a really great idea about it — I had a really great idea about Romeo & Juliet, but it didn’t work. And why would that be? I thought with Romeo & Juliet it was fun to do it in modern dress, and in some ways it is fun to do it in modern dress in modern Verona, but unfortunately you get to the
Jeremy Shamos as Nick Bottom & Kate Burton as Queen Titania in the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s 2004 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Nicholas Martin.
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Huntington Theatre Company
scene where they could just pick up a cell phone and solve the whole play, so that’s no good. So I made it a telephone strike in Verona and by that time you’re just into farce, so it all just went for naught.
What’s a cell phone? Oh, that’s right. You don’t even know what a cell phone is, Mr. Shakespeare. Sorry about that. Anyway, back to Titus Andronicus. I was watching “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome” and I thought what a great way to do Titus Andronicus because there’s no period, you can fight with any weapons, and it’s savage. It was very exciting. And also, it only ran and hour and 45 minutes, because there is so much you can cut out of it. No offense… None taken…I hear, as a young actor, you were not enamored with my work. What changed? Was it you or was it me? I know this sounds defensive; it isn’t that I wasn’t enamored of your work. I really didn’t know it. I think that most high school students that are taught your plays don’t get it because it’s badly taught and they’re taught the wrong kinds of plays. If you’re taught As You Like It — which is one of your great plays, Will — in a dry and unconvincing way you’re not going to love Shakespeare. But then when I went to college, I was cleaning the theatre (because that’s what Freshman did at Carnegie Mellon), they were rehearsing Anthony & Cleopatra and it was literally like I fell in love. It was love at first sight. So I stopped cleaning the theatre and began a life-long love affair with it. Of the 27 productions of my plays that you’ve been in, which ones stand out? I was very lucky to be in four great Hamlets, which is really unusual. I was in Campbell Scott’s, I was in Richard Easton’s, and I was in Bill Ball’s. Those certainly stand out. Any production of King Lear, I’ve only been in it once, but I was very young and playing the fool in King
Lear is sort of the short man’s Hamlet. So that production stood out greatly.
So of my 36 plays, what made you pick Love’s Labour’s Lost as the first play by me you’ve done at the Huntington? Well, I love it. It’s got a young, vital, sexy cast. Or let me put it this way: it should have. I know that I can cast that. Especially between the great Boston actors and my friends in New York, I knew I could cast it beautifully and I have. Also, there’s something about Love’s Labour’s that has an energy and a feeling of springtime and renewal that I love. Also, I can say this because it’s true — and it is certainly a plus — it’s almost the first feminist play that I can imagine because the girls are so much smarter than the guys. And finally, the play sums up everything that I love about a play. It’s cheerful and spirited through out and ends on an autumnal note when someone dies. This is the kind of play that attracts me the most because it seems to be a microcosm of a journey through life. Interestingly enough, Love’s Labour’s replaced a musical in your season. Did you know beforehand that it contains 18 song allusions and 4 songs? Was that a consideration to you? I didn’t think of it when I chose the play, but I am incorporating a lot of music and a lot of piano playing. Did you have pianos in your day, Will? Yes we did, Nicky. Well, you had harpsichords anyway, I’d imagine… I’m incorporating a pianist into the play who’s going to play an original score by Michael Friedman. He’s going to take us into the world and out of the world of the play. But nothing you’d object to, I hope. Thank you so much for talking with me, Nicky. I’m very much looking forward to working with you. Same here. I just want to say one more thing to you, Mr. Shakespeare. Many, many sins have been committed in your name and yet you have outlasted them all. Thank you. – Justin Waldman
Did you know? The following words and phrases are believed to be invented by Shakespeare. Note to Teachers: Use the words below for a Shakespearen vocabulary lesson and/or as a handout to highlight the relevance of Shakespeare’s words in today’s everyday language. A complete list can be found at http://www.pathguy.com/shakeswo.htm Words used for the first time in Love’s Labour’s Lost: academe, courtship, critic, ode, zany, manager, design, domineering, generous, heartburning, obscene, humor, jig. Accessible Accommodation Addition Aerial Amazement Anchovy Arch-villain Assassination Auspicious Baseless Batty Bedroom Belongings Besmirch Birthplace Bloodstained Buzzer Candle holder To Champion Characterless Cheap Chimney-top Circumstantial Coldhearted Countless Critical Cruel-hearted Dauntless Dexterously Disgraceful Distracted Distrustful Domineering Downstairs Droplet To educate
Employment Enrapt Epileptic Eventful Expertness Exposure Eyeball Fairyland Fanged Fashionable Fitful Fixture Foppish Fortune-teller Foul-mouthed Freezing Frugal Gallantry Generous Glutton To gossip Green-eyed Grime To grovel Homely Hostile Hot-blooded Impartial Inaudible Indirection Inducement Informal Invitation Invulnerable Jaded Juiced
Lackluster Lament Laughable Leaky Lustrous Madcap Majestic Malignancy Manager Marketable Militarist Mimic Misgiving Monumental Moonbeam Motionless Obscene Ode Olympian Outbreak Pendant Premeditated Puking Radiance Rant Savagery Skim milk Swagger Torture Tranquil Undress Unreal Varied Vaulting Worthless Zany
Limelight Literary & Curriculum Guide 2005-2006
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BU Theatre by T. Charles Erickson
Audience Etiquette Because many students have not had the opportunity to view live theatre, we are including an audience etiquette section with each literary/curriculum guide. Teachers, please spend time on this subject since it will greatly enhance your students’ experience at the theatre. 1. 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? 2. What is the audience’s role during a live performance? How do you think audience behavior can affect an actor’s performance? 3. What do you know about the theatrical rehearsal process? Have you ever participated in one as an actor, singer, director, or technical person? 4. How do costumes, set, lights, sound and props enhance a theatre production?
SYNOPSIS
& Objectives Note to Teachers: Use the following synopsis and lesson objectives to inform your teaching of the Love’s Labour’s Lost curriculum.
L
ove’s Labour’s Lost tells the tale of the King of Navarre who, along with his three young lords, takes a three-year oath of chastity that precludes them from seeing or visiting women, in order to focus on their academic studies. Their oaths are tested almost immediately by the unannounced visit of the Princess of France and her three beautiful ladies-in-waiting. Covert meetings, misdirected love notes, and battles of wits ensue as the men try hilariously to keep their promise.
Objectives Students will: 1. Identify key issues in Love’s Labour’s Lost including: • Listening to your head vs. listening to your heart • Actions speak louder than words • With Spring, Winter must follow 2. Relate themes and issues of the play to their own lives. 3. Explore the world of William Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Theatre. 4. Participate in hands-on activities that enhance understanding of the production. 5. Evaluate the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost.
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Huntington Theatre Company
INTRODUCTION TO
Love’s Labour’s Lost AND KEY THEMES Note to Teachers: Use the following ideas to engage your class in thinking about Shakespeare, introducing them to Love’s Labour’s Lost and its major themes.
that ‘Light seeking light doth light of light beguile’ (I.i.77) avowing that too much reading or the fairness of a woman causes blindness, but the woman illuminates a man’s soul.
INTRODUCTION Begin your introduction by creating two lists on the classroom board: What do we know about Shakespeare? What do we want to know about Shakespeare? Students may already possess some knowledge of Shakespeare’s life and works. Encourage the students to list absolutely everything and anything they can think of. When the second column is created (what do we want to know?), divide the list by the number of students in the class and have them each research a question for homework. Then, as an overview, read aloud “Love’s Labour’s Lost and its Place in the Canon” (P. 4), which discusses the play’s place in Shakespeare’s repertoire of writings. For discussion, ask students why they believe so many people- from actors to writers to researchers- are still so incredibly interested in Shakespeare?
Actions Speak Louder Than Words One aspect of Love’s Labour’s Lost sets this play apart from the rest of Shakespeare’s canon. Where most of his works end with traditional marriages, the four men in Love’s Labour’s Lost are asked to wait ‘a twelvemonth and a day’ (V.ii.869) before reuniting with the women. Uncharacteristically, Shakespeare insists that the men mature before their wedding day. Since the men break their original oath to study for three years in the absence of women, their words are not to be fully trusted. So the women leave their suitors with the promise of marrying in one year, proving that their actions speak louder than words.
KEY THEMES Listening to your Head vs. Listening to your Heart In Love’s Labour’s Lost many of the characters struggle between doing what they’ve committed to do and letting their hearts lead them. The King and his gentlemen-in-waiting all sign an oath to stay away from love and focus solely on their academics. In the presence of the Princess and her ladies-in-waiting, they find themselves completely helpless in the temptations of love. Berowne states
With Spring, Winter Must Follow Both literally and figuratively, with the warmth and excitement of Spring must come the cold and bitterness of Winter. Following the untraditional ending of Love’s Labour’s Lost, the reader is presented with two famous songs: Spring and Winter (right.) The characters, as well as the reader, realize that their witty, sprightly, love-induced time has come to an end. Scholars have argued that the play does not simply and suddenly change course, “but rather forces the audience to realize, as the young men do, that the world contains both daisies and icicles, merry larks and brooding birds.” (Gilbert, 1993)
Spring When daisies pied, and violets blue, And lady-smocks all silver-white, And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue Do paint the meadows with delight, The cuckoo then, on every tree, Mocks married men, for thus sings he: ‘Cuckoo! Cuckoo, cuckoo!’ O word of fear, Unpleasing to a married ear. When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, And merry larks are ploughmen’s clocks, When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws, And maidens bleach their summer smocks, The cuckoo then, on every tree, Mocks married men, for thus sings he: ‘Cuckoo! Cuckoo, cuckoo!’ O word of fear, Unpleasing to a married ear.
Winter When icicles hang by the wall And Dick the shepherd blows his nail And Tom bears logs into the hall, And milk comes frozen home in pail, When Blood is nipped and ways be foul, Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-who; Tu-whit, tu-who: a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. When all aloud the wind doth blow, And coughing drowns the parson’s saw, And birds sit brooding in the snow, And Marian’s nose looks red and raw When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-who; Tu-whit, tu-who: a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. Limelight Literary & Curriculum Guide 2005-2006
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SHAKESPEARE AND HIS WORLD:
TEAM TOPICS Note to teachers: Use the following exercise to further introduce your students to Shakespeare and his world.
W
e suggest that your class explore the background of Shakespeare and his world in teams. Divide your class into four groups. The following are suggested team topics about which each group might gather information to investigate, then report back to the rest of the class. Do not hesitate to eliminate some and add other areas as you uncover more ideas during the teaching plan. Though areas are listed for you, they are not to be treated as isolated and unrelated to other areas, but rather as topics that should be explored as being interconnected and complimentary. Keep in mind that you want to present each topic in a related and interesting way; present the materials in order to give a glimpse into what it was to live in Elizabethan England, experience Shakespeare’s wonderful theatre, and understanding his fascinating world.
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” – Hamlet
TEAM TOPIC 1: THE MYSTERIOUS BARD Why do we call Shakespeare “ the bard”? How was Shakespeare’s life reflected in his plays? Where was he born and what was his family like? How did his writing reflect the culture? Conversely, how did the culture reflect his writing? As often as possible, relate your findings to our times and to your own culture. Above all, try to be creative and to have fun discussing unusual aspects of your topic. Work with another group investigating team topic 2 (“Life in Elizabethan England”) if you need more ideas! Suggested areas to investigate: • Shakespeare’s parents and family • His education • His career as actor and playwright • His theatre companies • His income and lifestyle • His plays (don’t describe them, but acquire a list to share) • His non-theatrical writings • His gravestone • His will • His personality • The themes of his writings 10
Huntington Theatre Company
Suggested visuals: • Picture of Shakespeare • Handout of his plays and their dates • Pictures of the area in which he lived • Pictures of his theatres • Facts on the globe Related recommendations: • A reading of some of his poetry and sonnets • Role play a TV talk show with Shakespeare as the guest. Host and team members can ask him questions in an interview-like episode for the class. Watch a short documentary or film about the playwrights life TEAM TOPIC 2: LIFE IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND Why do historians refer to the time period Shakespeare lived in as “the Elizabethan era”? What was the Elizabethan era? Don’t just tell us facts, but include biographical and personal informationits out there! Was queen Elizabeth a poet like Shakespeare? How did she influence her subjects and society? Above all, try to be creative and have fun discussing the unusual aspects of you topic.
Suggested areas to investigate: • Queen Elizabeth I and her style of ruling England • The English navy trade and exploration • Children and childhood • Different occupations • Food and eating habits • Important people and figures • Style of dress • Significant historical events and occurrences, such as the plague or the defeat the Spanish armada • Type of government Suggested visuals: • Pictures of the Queen • The film Elizabeth (2000) staring Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush • Paintings depicting the plague or the Spanish armada Related recommendations: • Bring “Elizabethan food” for the class to sample • Role play a scene using information you have gathered • Make a chart comparing life in Elizabethan England to life, as you know it, in today’s society. TEAM TOPIC 3: ELIZABETHAN THEATRE AND THE GLOBE Where did Elizabethan actors showcase their fantastic talent? How was Shakespeare’s theatre different from other theatres of the time? Investigate when the Globe was built, what made it unique and why history remembers the theatre as the premier location for Shakespearean performances. Also, include characteristics of a Shakespearean actor, and who was allowed to attend the theatre. Above all, try to be creative and fun, discussing any unusual aspects of your topic. Suggested areas to investigate: • The Playhouse in London in Shakespeare’s time • Scenery and props in Elizabethan theatre • Staging conventions in theatre
• Comparison of today’s theatre a udiences and Shakespeare’s theatre audiences • An Elizabethan actor’s life • Unusual facts about the Globe
Suggested visuals • Model of Elizabethan theatres, especially the Globe • Illustrations of scenes from Shakespeare in Love (1998) staring Gwyneth Paltrow Related recommendations: • Create a chart profiling the nature of theater during Shakespeare’s time, compared to the nature of theatre today. • Create an illustration of what the Globe looked like — both inside and outside the theatre
TEAM TOPIC 4: COSTUMES AND LEISURE Explain the unique characteristics of fashion during the Elizabethan era. Indicate what clothes said about a person: their station in society or how much power they possessed. How did people in Elizabethan England pass the time? What does the sport of bear baiting tell us about the culture? As often as possible, relate your findings to our times and to your own culture. Suggested areas to investigate: • Men’s and women’s fashions • Children’s fashion • Accessories (capes, hats, etc.) • Jewelry and heirlooms • Fabrics commonly used • Where the dye for fabrics originated • Fashion according to different social classes
• Fashion for different occasions • Costumes in the theatre • Games Elizabethans played • Compare Elizabethan fashion to ours: what do our fashion and leisure time activities represent about our various cultures?
Suggested visuals: • Illustrations of fashion and costumes • Pictures of various activities and games • The films Elizabeth or Shakespeare in Love or any film version of Romeo and Juliet (especially 1969) Related recommendations • Teach the class an Elizabethan game • Organize a fashion show Limelight Literary & Curriculum Guide 2005-2006
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Act 5, scene 1 22. What are Don Armado, Holofernes and Nathaniel planning?
MASTERY
Assessment Act 1, Scene 1 1. What is the King of Navarre’s reasons for wanting to turn his court into a miniature academy?
23. What does Holofernes suggest?
Act 4, scene 2 16. Who is Holofernes? 17. What is he talking about when Jacquetta and Costard enter?
2. Which of his three “gentlemen-inwaiting” is the most reluctant to sign the King’s oath? Why?
18. Who has written the letter Jacquetta holds? Who was it intended for?
3. What is Costard the clown accused of?
Act 4, scene 3 19. Why is everyone hiding in this scene?
4. What is his punishment?
20. Does the King have the right to be angry with his gentlemen-in-waiting for breaking their oaths? Why or why not?
Act 1, scene 2 5. Who has Don Armado fallen in love with? 6. Why is telling her of his feelings risky?
21. Who calls the King out on his hypocrisy?
Act 5, scene 2 24. How do the King and his men test their ladies’ affections? 25. Who warns the women of this plan? 26. What do the ladies decide to do with this information? 27. During “The Nine Worthies” performance, Marcade interrupts with important news. What has happened? 28. What does the Princess demand of the King, before she agrees to marry him? 29. What does Rosaline tell Berowne he must do?
7. What is the message of Don Armado’s soliloquy? 8. Why is Costard put in jail?
Act 2, scene 1 9. What message does Boyet relay to the Princess of France? 10. Where do the Princess of France and her ladies-in-waiting have to stay? 11. What does the Princess mean when she encourages her ladies to engage in a “civil war of wits?”
Act 3, scene 1 12. Why does Don Armado send Moth to free Costard from prison? 13. In his soliloquy, who does Berowne blame for his uncontrollable actions?
Act 4, scene 1 14. What is the major mishap in this scene? 15. Who is responsible? 12
Huntington Theatre Company
RELATED WORKS & RESOURCES You might explore the following resources with similar themes and related ideas as supplements to this literary and curriculum guide. In Print Gilbert, Miriam. Shakespeare in Performance: Love’s Labour’s Lost. Edited by J.R. Mulryne and J.C. Bulman. Manchester UK: Manchester University Press, 1993. Words and phrases coined by Shakerspeare http://www.pathguy.com/shakeswo.htm Shakespeare Resource Center http://www.bardweb.net/index.html Teaching Shakespeare http://www.onu.edu/org/shakespeare/welcome.htm
WRITING
Assignments Note to teachers: Have students answer the following as thoroughly as possible in a wellplanned and carefully written essay. Remind them to use topic sentences and examples from the text.
ESSAY QUESTIONS 1. It is said that Shakespeare may have written a sequel to Love’s Labour’s Lost, entitled Love’s Labour’s Wonne. Write a brief synopsis of what you think Shakespeare would have included in this lost sequel. 2. Choose a part of the story where we hear about a scene that is not part of what is being acted out on the stage. Write this scene in play format.
3. Write a letter to one of the following production members, sharing your impressions of the show and asking any questions you might have: Nicholas Martin, Director Mariann Verheyen, Costume Designer Michael Friedman, Composer Ben Stanton, Lighting Designer Alexander Dodge, Set Designer Drew Levy, Sound Designer A cast member Stephen Kaus, Production Stage Manager
4. One could argue that all of Shakespeare’s language is rich and powerful, but this is especially true of Love’s Labour’s Lost. Have student compare and contrast the use on language between two characters in Love’s Labour’s Lost. For example, does the King seem to speak differently than the clown? How so? 5. Choose a scene and a character from the play. Write a soliloquy for the character — what would that character be saying to the audience in this scene, if the action suddenly stopped?
Send this letter to the Huntington’s Education department and we’ll be sure to pass it along!
FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION Note to Teachers: The following ideas and questions can be used to further explore the text. They can be used as prompts for class discussion or additional writing assignments.
Shakespeare sculpture in Chicago by William Ordway Partridge, 1894
1. Setting the Play in the Edwardian Era – In contemplating where to set this play, director Nicholas Martin considered a range of possibilities, from the Elizabethan era to modern day. In the end, it was the Edwardian era that seemed most appropriate to house a youthful cast. Martin notes that it was a time of insouciance and frivolity, and had a carefree quality that only lasted from the fin de siecle through the first World War. “It was the last time that the western world was really at peace, and there was any clear sense of a hopeful future,” Martin says. “The end of the Edwardian period has a lightheartedness to it — there was a real rejection of Victorian era constraints. This play has been set in the 1930s, the 50s, the 60s, but to me those were decades of such strife. The period from 1900-1912 seems to hold a sense of hope and innocence that resonates deeply with this play.” Students should be encouraged to research the Edwardian Era and contemplate the production differences between setting it in that era as opposed to setting in 1910. 2. Shakespeare and Women – In Elizabethan England women were not allowed on the stage. Explore how this might have affected the way Shakespeare wrote female roles. Compare the women in Love’s Labour’s Lost to another Shakespearean work that the students might be more familiar with (i.e. Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet.) Can any conclusions about Shakespeare’s attitudes towards women be gleaned? 3. Shakespeare’s Use of Language – In Love’s Labour’s Lost, Shakespeare uses the longest word in any work of English literature: HONORIFICABILITUDINITATIBUS. Students should research and compile a definition as well as discover the word’s origin.
Limelight Literary & Curriculum Guide 2005-2006
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MEDIA
Assessment Note to Teachers: The following exercises are interactive, hands-on challenges in Drama, Music, Visual Arts, and Design. They aim to give students a better understanding of the many kinds of tasks that contribute to a theatrical production.
DRAMA 5 Minute Performances: Break students into small groups. Tell each group that they are going to have to tell the entire story of Love’s Labour’s Lost in five minutes. Give them one entire class period to prepare. Students should be encouraged to think about the most important moments in the play. The next day, have students perform their five-minute versions for the rest of the class. Compare the versions: what did all of the scenes have in common? Were any of the groups missing something important? Did the performances tell the story as a tragedy or as a comedy? Discuss why the versions may have differed. Creating Character Have each student choose one character from Love’s Labour’s Lost that he or she might like to portray if the play were being performed at your school! As though they were preparing for their audition, ask students to answer the following questions about their character: 1. What is my character’s overall objective in the play? If I had to name the one thing my character wants more than anything, what would it be? 2. What is keeping my character from getting what he/she wants? What are the obstacles? 3. How does my character change during the course of the play? 14
Huntington Theatre Company
MUSIC When Kenneth Branagh decided to make Love’s Labour’s Lost into a movie, he chose to set it as a 1930’s musical complete with top hats and tap dancing. Show students a clip from this movie. Ask your students, if they were to direct Love’s Labour’s Lost today, in the town they live in, what music might they choose to incorporate? Why? Ask students to bring this music in for the next class. During the next class, break students into small groups. Have them share their musical choices with each other. Groups should decide on one song and one corresponding passage from Love’s Labour’s Lost where they can envision using this music. Students should decide how the will present the scene with the music for the class. VISUAL ART Have each student in the class choose their favorite character from the play. Provide the class with various magazines, scissor and glue. Students should create their character by piecing together bits of magazine images into a collage. Hang the student’s artwork around the room. Can the class tell which character each person has chosen? How? DESIGN Directors often choose to set Shakespeare’s plays in a time other than the Elizabethan age. Briefly research the dress of the following time periods in the United States: 1910, 1945 and 1980. Choose one character from Love’s Labour’s Lost and sketch three costumes — one for each year. How would you costume the character if the director decided the play was set in 1910, 1945 and 1980? Be prepared to discuss your choices.
QUESTIONS FOR AFTER
Attending the Performance Note to teachers: After viewing the play, ask the following questions: 1. About the Play and Production A. What was your overall reaction? Were you surprised? Intrigued? Amused? 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? Poetic? 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 any way? 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 action and speech of the characters? E. Did the characters develop or undergo a transformation 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 the play? D. Were the artistic qualities of unity, balance, line, texture, mass and color used effectively? 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. What mood or atmosphere did the lighting establish? Was the illumination sufficient? Did the lighting harmonize with, and contribute toward, the unity of the production? B. How did the sound used in the play enhance your overall experience?
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 color/design of the costumes and make-up serve to illuminate the themes, type, and style of the play? Limelight Literary & Curriculum Guide 2005-2006
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Lesson Plans Teachers’ note: Choose activities that are appropriate for your classroom period. All assignments are suggestions.
ONE-DAY LESSON PLAN introduces students to the context and major themes of the production. DAY ONE - Introducing the Play 1. Begin with the discussion prompts outlined in Introduction and Themes (P. 9). 2. Distribute Mastery Assessment (P. 12) Love’s Labour’s Lost for students to read before, and to review again after attending the performance. 3. Read the Synopsis (P. 8) of the play aloud for students. Discuss their immediate reaction to the plot. How do they think it will differ from other plays by Shakespeare that they’ve read? 4. If time allows, discuss further pages from the literary guide, narrating highlights for students. Optional: Distribute Vocabulary Handout and ask students to define each word. A vocabulary test could be administered after viewing the play. FOUR-DAY LESSON PLAN introduces students to the production and then, after viewing the performance, asks them to think more critically about what they have seen. Includes time for class discussion and individual assessment. DAY ONE - Introducing the Production: Same as Day One above; completed before seeing the production. DAY TWO - Shakespeare and His World: Team Topics (P. 10) DAY THREE - The Production: Attend the performance at the Huntington Theatre Company. Homework: Students should answer the Mastery Assessment questions. DAY FOUR - Test Individual Assessment: Choose one question from Essay Questions (P. 13) for students to answer during the class period. SEVEN-DAY LESSON PLAN completely integrates Love’s Labour’s Lost into your schedule. Within seven school days, you can introduce the play, assign reading and vocabulary, and assess your students on both a group and individual level. Students will ideally view the play after completing Mastery Assessment questions. DAY ONE - Introducing the Play: Same as Day One, above. Optional: Distribute Vocabulary Handout due on Day Four. Homework: Have students read a portion of the play. DAY TWO - Shakespeare and his World: Team Topics Homework: Have students read a portion of the play (teachers should choose the amount of reading according to student ability and/or time restraints) DAY THREE - Shakespeare and his World: Team Topics Providing two days for this exercise will allow the students to fully engage with the topics outlined. This day could be used for presentations. Homework: Have students read a portion of the play. DAY FOUR - Attend Performance Optional: Vocabulary Handout due. DAY FIVE – Students should review the play by answering the questions outlined in the Mastery Assessment. DAY SIX - Allow students to break into small groups according to the exercise they are interested in. Each group should work on a different Media Assessment (P. 14) exercise. Homework: Students should prepare for the test on the following day. DAY SEVEN - Test Optional: Students may choose to complete one of the For Further Exploration (P. 13) or Media Assessment tasks for extra credit. 16
Huntington Theatre Company
Name:_______________________________________________________
Date:_____________________
Handout 1
VOCABULARY IN LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST Define the following terms. abhor
sequent
mirth
flout
brazen
vassal
prodigal
impudency
desolation
abrogate
sinewy
monger
gait
cipher
verbosity
purgation
ingenious
dote
agate
solace
negligent
gall
colliers
visage
recompense
interim
durance
apt
sovereignty
oracle
gibing
commiseration
vizard
remuneration
knavish
edict
arbitrate
superfluous
orthography
grapple
condign
vouchsafe
reprobate
liege
embassy
audacious
swain
ostentation
guerdon
coppice
warble
reprove
luster
envoy
barbarism
thrasonical
peremptory
hackney
cormorant
zealous
scurrility
magnanimous
epithet
bedeck
threshold
perjury
idolatry
countenance
felicity
sententious
malady
pernicious
beguile
transgression
immure
coxcomb
Name:___________________________________________________________
Date:_____________________
Handout 2
CROSSWORD 3
2
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4
5
6
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8 9 10 11
12
14
13 15
16
17
18 19
20
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22
Across 1 The King of _________ 3 The Princess is loved by the _________. 6 Costard delivers the wrong _________. 7 Longaville’s love interest 9 Armado gives Costard “_________” as payment. 11 Armado’s page 12 The Princess receives a _________ from the King. 13 Armado is from _________. 14 The Princess comes to Navarre to discuss the fate of _________. 16 Maria receives a _________ necklace from her admirer. 18 Berowne gives Costard a “_________” as payment. 19 The clown 21 Mercade arrives to tell the Princess that her _________ died. 22 Holofernes and Nathaniel often speak in _________.
Down 1 Performance of the _________ Worthies 2 Berowne’s love interest 3 Dumaine’s love interest 4 Katherine receives a single _________ from her admirerer 5 The King sentences Costard to fast on _________ and water. 8 The number of weddings at the end of the play 10 The Princess is from _________. 11 The ladies put on _________ to disguise themselves. 12 Armado’s love interest 15 The men’s oath was to have lasted _________ years. 17 _________-in-waiting 20 At first Berowne is hesitant to _________ the King’s oath.