Enrichment Guide
TOMÁS AND THE LIBRARY LADY
By José Cruz González • Directed by Tamara Carroll Created in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance. Illustration: Rōnā Ebert
Leading Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor
Media Sponsor
This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
Ir en un viaje / Going on a journey When Tomás was traveling with his family, he fit all his belongings into a maleta. If you were going on a long trip and could only take a few things
with you, what would you take? Draw those items in this suitcase and write them on the lines in the space below.
Sobre el Verdadero Tomás Rivera About the Real Tomás Rivera The real Tomás Rivera (who inspired the character of Tomás in the play) was an accomplished professor, writer and poet.
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He was born in Crystal City, Texas, to a family of migrant farm workers, and he worked in the fields as a young boy. In 1958, he earned a bachelor’s degree at Texas State University with a major in English and minors in Spanish, history, and education. Mr. Rivera wrote poemas, short stories, and a novel. There is an award named after him that honors authors and illustrators who write about Mexican American experiences.
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1st Grade ELA §110.11. (b)(7)(A)
3rd Grade Social Studies §113.14 (b)(15)
Photographs of the real Tomás Rivera were acquired with permission by the Tomás Rivera Archives, Special Collections, University of California, Riverside.
Diseño de Vestuario / Costume Design Costume designer Rebecca Drew Ramsey created these drawings (known as “renderings”) as inspiration for the costumes the characters wear. Many of the characters work outside, so she used denim—or blue jean material—as the main fabric. The actors all play more than one part, so they have to be able to change their costumes very quickly (and often onstage!). The large drawings show the actors’ main costume and the smaller drawings show the costume pieces they add to be come different characters. 3rd Grade Theatre §117.113. (b)(3)(A)
Haz Tu Propia Portada del Libro Make Your Own Book Cover Tomás and the Library Lady was adapted by playwright José Cruz González from a book that was written by author Pat Mora. That means Gonzalez took Mora’s story and turned it into a play. At left is the cover from the book. Each of the books Tomás read had a different cover. Use the blank book at right to design your own book cover, either of Tomás and the Library Lady, one of your favorite books, or for your own autobiography.
Kindergarten ELA §110.11
Autobiografía / Autobiography An autobiography is a story that the author writes about his or her own life. If you were going to tell the story of your life, what would you want to write about? Use this space to make a list of important events, or write your story.
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4th Grade ELA §110.14 (b)(9)
Tomás and the Library Lady Team Director...............................................................................................Tamara Carroll Tomás/Ensemble.....................................................................................Ben Bazán Áma/Ensemble....................................................................Martinique Duchene Library Lady/Ensemble................................................................ Claire Stephen Library Lady/Ensemble..............................................................Kathleen Brown Stage Manager.......................................................................... Katie S. Anderson Set Designer/Video Designer...............................................Stephanie Busing Prop Designer.......................................................................................... Scott Groh Lighting Designer.........................................................................Andrew Carson
Costume Designer......................................................... Rebecca Drew Ramsey Sound Designer................................................................... Lowell Bartholomee Music Track Recordings................................................................ Robert Peirson Composer............................................................................................. Julián Arizola Education Director................................................................................... Nat Miller Performing Arts School Manager..................................................... Chad Dike Pre-Professional Manager.................................................................... Jen Young Education Associate..............................................................................Katie Shaw Education Assistant...........................................................................Shannon Fox
Los Trabajadores Migrantes en la década de 1940 / Migrant Workers in the 1940s Many farm and agricultural workers joined the U.S. Armed Services during World War II, so the U.S. government started the Bracero Program (the name comes from brazos, which is the Spanish word for “arms”), which brought many Mexican workers to the U.S. to work on farms during the 1940s. 5th Grade Social Studies §113.16. (b)(4)(G)
Discussion Questions 1. Why did Tomás’s family need to move to from Texas to Iowa and then back to Texas? How did moving make Tomás and his family feel? 2. Have you ever had to leave a place or a person that was very important to you? What was that experience like for you? 3. At the beginning of the play Tomás is very afraid of going back to school. How did he overcome his fear? 4. Tomás taught the Library Lady words in Spanish and she taught him words in English. What do you like to teach to your friends? What has one of your friends taught you? 5. Who is a person that made a big difference in your life? What did they do that was special? 6. The real Tomás Rivera grew up to be a writer and teacher who worked with Chicano stories and students. How do you think his experience with the Library Lady helped him decide what to do as an adult?
Preguntas de Discusión 1. ¿Por qué necesitaba la familia de Tomás mudarse de Texas a Iowa y luego regresar a Texas?¿Cómo crees que Tomás y su familia se sintieron? 2. ¿Alguna vez has tenido que dejar algún lugar o alguna persona muy importante para ti? ¿Cómo fue la experiencia para ti? 3. ¿Al inicio de la obra, Tomás tenía mucho miedo regresar a la escuela. ¿Como lo superó? 4. Tomás le enseñó unas palabras en español a la Señora de la Biblioteca y ella le enseñó palabras en Inglés. ¿Qué te gusta enseñar a tus amigos? ¿Qué te ha enseãdo uno de tus amigos? 5. ¿Quién fue la persona que ha hecho una gran diferencia en tu vida? ¿Qué hizo que fue especial? 6. El verdadero Tomás Rivera creció para ser un escritor y profesor que trabajó con historias chicanos y estudiantes chicanos. ¿Cómo crees que su experiencia con la Señora de la Biblioteca le ayudó a decidir qué hacer cuando sea adulto?
Working conditions for immigrants were often harsh, and they did not have protections like overtime pay and the ability to form unions to stand up for their rights. Many migrant workers, like Tomás and the Rivera family, had to move long distances frequently (like Texas to Iowa and back again), following the crops to find work.
Aprender un Nuevo Idioma Learning a New Language Learning a new language can be tricky. Draw a line to match the English and Spanish words that mean the same thing. If you get stuck, see if you can find a friend to help you.
SPANISH ENGLISH Leer Library Casa Friend Ayuda Travel
Amigo Read
Viajar Home Biblioteca Help Foreign Language (Spanish) §114.25 (c)(1)(d)
We want to hear from you.
Dear ZACH;
Write a letter or postcard about your favorite part of the play and mail to: ZACH Theatre Attention: EDUCATION 1510 Toomey Road Austin, Texas 78704
Official Healthcare Sponsor of ZACH
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This project is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
1510 Toomey Road, Austin, Texas 78704 | 512-476-0594 x236 | zachtheatre.org | education@zachtheatre.org