Jason and the Argonauts Visible Fictions

Passport
TO CULTURE
Teacher’s Resource Guide
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Jason and the Argonauts
Visible Fictions
Simon Donaldson and Tim Settle
Generous support for
Schooltime provided,
in part, by
just imagine
Arts Education and You
just imagine
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Arts Education Department presents the
12th season of the Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Performance Series.
With Passport to Culture, Verizon and NJPAC open up a world of culture to you and
your students, offering the best in live performance from a wide diversity of traditions
and disciplines. At NJPAC’s state-of-the-art facility in Newark, with support from
Verizon, the SchoolTime Performance Series enriches the lives of New Jersey’s students
and teachers by inviting them to see, feel, and hear the joy of artistic expression. The
exciting roster of productions features outstanding New Jersey companies as well as
performers of national and international renown. Meet-the-artist sessions and NJPAC
tours are available to expand the arts adventure.
The Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Performance Series is one of many current
arts education offerings at NJPAC. Others include:
• Professional Development Workshops that support the use of the arts
to enhance classroom curriculum
• Arts Academy school residency programs in dance, theater and literature,
and Early Learning Through the Arts – the NJ Wolf Trap Program
• After-school residencies with United Way agencies
Foundation
Kid Power!
Through energy efficiency and
conservation, kids can help preserve
our planet’s rich natural resources
and promote a healthy environment.
In association with statewide arts organizations, educational institutions, and generous
funders, the Arts Education Department sponsors the following arts training programs:
• Wachovia Jazz for Teens
• The All-State Concerts
• The Star-Ledger Scholarship for the Performing Arts
• The Jeffery Carollo Music Scholarship
• Summer Youth Performance Workshop
• Young Artist Institute
• NJPAC/New Jersey Youth Theater Summer Musical Program
Tip of the Day
Jason and the Argonauts had to
face many obstacles on their ocean
voyage. Imagine if they also had to
sail through an ocean polluted with
plastic bottles and candy wrappers!
You can help keep our waterways
clean. When you visit a beach or
park, be sure you deposit your trash
in containers so it doesn’t end up in
our oceans and rivers.
Students have the opportunity to audition for admission to NJPAC’s arts training
programs during NJPAC’s annual Young Artist Talent Search.
Made possible through the generosity of
the PSEG Foundation.
Detailed information on these programs is available online at njpac.org. Click on
Education. The Teacher’s Resource Guide and additional activities and resources for
each production in the Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Series are also online.
Click on Education, then on Performances. Scroll down to “Download Teacher Guide
in Adobe Acrobat PDF format” and select desired guide.
Permission is granted to copy this Teacher’s Resource Guide for classes attending the
2009-2010 Verizon Passport to Culture SchoolTime Performance Series. All other rights
reserved.
CONTENTS
On Stage
3
In the Spotlight
4
Theater Talk
5
Unlocking the Mystery of Myths
6
Before and After Activities
7
Teaching Science
Through Theater
7
Delving Deeper
8
2
To Teachers and Parents
The resource guide accompanying each performance is designed
• to maximize students’ enjoyment and appreciation of the performing arts;
• to extend the impact of the performance by providing discussion ideas,
activities, and further reading that promote learning across the curriculum;
• to promote arts literacy by expanding students’ knowledge of music, dance,
and theater;
• to illustrate that the arts are a legacy reflecting the traditional values,
customs, beliefs, expressions, and reflections of a culture;
• to use the arts to teach about the cultures of other people and to celebrate
students’ own heritage through self-expression;
• to reinforce the New Jersey Department of Education’s Core Curriculum Content Standards in the arts.
Passport to culture • Jason and the Argonauts
Photo: Douglas McBride Photo: Léon Gniwesch
On Stage
Jason and his crew, the Argonauts, set sail aboard the Argo.
Visible Fictions of Glasgow, Scotland
gives Greek mythology a rollicking
update with its quirky, super-charged
and utterly ingenious production
of Jason and the Argonauts, a
dramatization of the classic hero’s
quest.
The story has been told and retold for
almost three thousand years. Jason’s
uncle, Pelias, is an evil man. He has
murdered his brother (the King), stolen
the kingdom and rules as a homicidal
bully. The regime begins to rattle and
roll when Jason, banished as a baby,
returns to claim his rightful throne and
sets off a massive domestic shake-up.
In ancient times, however, nothing is
as straightforward as a simple coup
d’état or civil uprising. Jason and his
crew, known as the Argonauts after
their ship, the Argo, must sail to the
other side of the world, find the Golden
Fleece and bring it back in order to
unite the people and set things right.
As if this task is not difficult enough,
the odd monster, a sleeping dragon and
clashing rocks endeavor to ruin his trip
and spice things up, turning Jason’s
expedition into a fantastic journey.
address the audience directly and as
casually as they address each other and
the toy action figures that round out the
cast. Castles, a dragon’s lair, the great
ship Argo, and an itinerary of hotspots
from the ancient world materialize in
the form of a transformative wooden
cart, a handful of props and some
riotous sound and lighting effects.
Those accustomed to theatrical
experiences in a representational
format, where the goal is to create
the illusion of reality, should prepare
themselves for a wild ride into the
world of presentational theater. The
fourth wall has been demolished. The
actors (all two of them) play dozens
of different roles (monsters, dragons,
deities, men, women, and roles already
played by their counterparts), and
While dazzling us with the possibilities
of minimalist theatricality and
inspiring us to fill in the gaps with
our own imaginations, Jason and the
Argonauts takes on the themes of
betrayal, courage, personal growth,
independence, and interdependence.
The themes are formidable and the
production is a whirlwind trip through
a fun house.
Passport to culture • Jason and the Argonauts
3
In the Spotlight
Visible Fictions is one of Scotland’s
leading theater companies with an
international reputation for creating
innovative and dynamic theatrical
productions that inspire, challenge,
engage, and entertain. Sometimes fused
with film, object manipulation or
puppetry, no two Visible Fictions shows
are alike, but all guarantee an equally
memorable and powerful experience.
Photo: Douglas McBride
Douglas Irvine (Director) is a founding
member and the artistic producer of
Visible Fictions. The highly acclaimed
productions for young people which
he has created and directed for the
company include Big Baby, Into the
Dark, Monster, Shopping for Shoes,
The Song from the Sea, Henry and the
Seahorse, Two Weeks with the Queen,
and The Pearl. As co-creator of The
Red Balloon, he led Visible Fictions to
be the first Scottish theater company
to perform on Broadway. He has since
directed for the Mark Taper Forum
in Los Angeles and collaborated with
Seattle Children’s Theatre.
Robert Forrest (Writer) has been a
professional writer for more than 20
years. His theater titles include Guizer
Martin, Kepler, Lucia, Nova, The Book
of Love, and the Visible Fictions/BBC
Radio drama co-production Prince
Unleashed. He has also written for
television and published short stories.
Simon Donaldson (Actor) has theater
credits that include Don Quixote
(Theatre Modo), Big Baby, Into the
Dark (Visible Fictions), Use Once &
Destroy (Squidge Productions), Zlata’s
Diary (Communicado), Fly (Liverpool
Everyman), and The Tempest (Creation
Theatre Co). He won the Carleton
Hobbs Award 2002 for BBC Radio
drama.
4
Tim Settle (Actor) has previously
worked for Visible Fictions on
Where the Wild Things Are and The
Pearl. Other theater work includes
performances in Kes (Perth Theatre),
As You Like It (Oxford Shakespeare
Festival) and Comedy of Errors
(Cambridge Shakespeare Festival). He
has also worked with Scottish Opera
on its production of Twelve Days of
Christmas.
A white dove is sent to fly through the clashing rocks.
Passport to culture • Jason and the Argonauts
Theater Talk
presentational performance - a style
of theater in which the artists make a
deliberate attempt to show the theatrical
aspects of a production (set design,
props, costumes, and acting styles) in a
non-realistic fashion.
props - items used on stage to help
create a sense of place such as an
envelope, a flag or map; the belongings
used by a character on stage such as a
purse, hand mirror or sandwich.
Photo: Douglas McBride
representational performance - a theater
style which tries to create the illusion of
reality on stage and make the audience
feel as though they are spectators of a
real slice of life.
scene - a division of a play, usually
part of an act, in which the action is
continuous.
set - the arrangement of scenery and
props on a stage to create the setting.
Jason and his Uncle, King Pelias, fight over the death of his father.
actor - a person who interprets a role
and performs it.
artistic director - the person who
chooses the material and oversees the
entire theatrical production. He or she
coordinates the efforts of many people
including the author, set designer,
artisans, musicians, actors, and
technicians.
climax - the crucial moment, turning
point or dramatic high point in the
action or plot that occurs usually near
the end of the story or play.
comedy - a story or play treating
characters and situations in a funny or
amusing way; the opposite of tragedy.
fourth wall - the imaginary wall or
boundary through which the audience
sees the action in the world of the play.
When this boundary is “broken” (for
example by an actor speaking directly
to the audience as in Jason and the
Argonauts), it is called “breaking the
fourth wall.”
setting - the place or mood in which a
performance takes place.
gesture - movement of the body, hand or
arm to express an emotion or intention.
monologue - a speech by one actor alone
on stage which often reveals the inner
thoughts and feelings of the character
that he or she is portraying.
playwright - the person who writes the
play.
dialogue – the lines spoken by two or
more characters in a play or narrative.
director - the person who conceives of
the overall concept for a production,
supervises all elements of the production
and guides the actors in their
performances.
Passport to culture • Jason and the Argonauts
5
Did You Know?
• They rationalize and explain the world
we live in so that we believe it can be
understood. Where we come from,
what happens to us and explanations
for miracles and natural disasters are all
matters commonly tackled by myths.
fraughtwithperil.com
Myths are the stories that a culture invents
and passes on to answer its unanswerable
questions and convey its deepest, most
essential beliefs. Myths are not familiar
domestic dramas that deal with the
every-day lives of ordinary people.
Instead they involve heroes and gods and
are set in a time before the world was as
it is today – a time when the interests of
magical creatures, monsters, gods, and
super humans clashed mightily, and the
concerned parties battled on a fairly regular
basis. Myths are sacred tales that explain
the nature of the world and the meaning
of man’s experience. The stories serve
many purposes which include:
Photo: ggpht.com
Unlocking the
Mystery of Myths
• They connect us to others in our culture
by fostering a sense of shared history,
values and beliefs.
• They provide guidelines for behavior.
The culture’s expectations are conveyed
through the actions and reactions
of the heroes (behavior) and deities
(consequences) in the stories. Society’s
activities are justified; myths can explain
customs, laws, social structures, rituals,
even technical information about hunting
and warfare.
• Myths give meaning to life. They imply
that our daily actions are part of the
deities’ grand schemes. Our misfortunes
become more bearable if we can believe
that they are part of a bigger cause and
not the random outcomes of a chaotic
universe.
6
Manu being rescued by the great fish from high tides of the Great Deluge
There are certain symbols, characters,
events, and themes that recur in myths
from many different cultures and time
periods. These elements are called
archetypes and their reoccurrence over and
over in world mythology speaks to the
universality of the thinking and concerns of
all human beings. Some of the archetypal
stories found across cultures include:
• Creation Myths - stories that describe
the beginnings of the universe, the earth,
all life forms, and mankind in particular
as the deliberate act of one or more
deities. Common cross cultural elements
include a Mother and Father, origination
in a place either above or below the
earth, origination out of a chaotic
primordial substance, and a beginning
when animals and mankind interacted
as equals. Examples of creation myths
include Adam and Eve (Book of Genesis),
Falling Sky Woman (Iroquois), Kaang,
the Creator (African Bush), and stories
about Izanagi and Izanami (Japan).
Passport to culture • Jason and the Argonauts
• Flood Myths - myths in which an angry
deity punishes mankind for a serious
moral transgression by sending a flood
that wipes everyone out, so that a
new, morally superior race of humans
can begin. Flood myths teach that the
consequences for antisocial behavior
can be swift and extremely serious.
Examples of flood myths include – Manu
and the Small Fish (Hindu) and Jacarilla
(Apache).
• Quest Myths - stories in which
mortals are called upon to complete an
impossible task involving an arduous
journey and immense obstacles (physical
and/or internal) that must be conquered
in their efforts to succeed. The heroes
of such stories serve as role models and
display those qualities that a culture
expects their youth to strive for and
acquire in their personal quests to
become productive members of society.
Jason and the Argonauts stands as the
quintessential quest myth. On this quest,
Jason makes both a physical journey to
another land and a personal journey in
which he must face and overcome his own
fears, desires and weaknesses in order to
retrieve the fleece and claim his destiny.
In the Classroom
Before the Performance
1. Have your students read an age appropriate
version of Jason and the Argonauts. Online:
mythweb.com/heroes/jason/ provides a simple
version for younger children; bbc.co.uk/history/
ancient/greeks/jason has an excellent synopsis of
the story. Considering the extreme nature of the
adventure (sea voyage, monster battles, dragon
encounter), ask your students for their ideas about
how these incidents might be represented on stage.
a.Working in groups, have students select and
storyboard a favorite scene from Jason and the
Argonauts as it might appear on stage.
b.Ask them to try their hand at staging the scene
with props and simple set pieces. The scene
should be cast only with members of the group.
c. Have the students present their efforts to the
rest of the class. (1.2)*
2. Refer to the map of Jason’s voyage at: myhero.
com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=Jason_Argonauts_
Myth. Compare this map to a modern-day map of
the area to get a sense of the scope of the journey
− geographically and culturally. Have students
research the present day countries that occupy
the ancient sites and create a brochure or ad for
a modern day cruise or travel adventure tracing
Jason’s voyage. (1.5)
After the Performance
1. Ask your students to write a review of the
production using a four-star rating system. A four
star rating requires a discussion of four things
that they liked about the production. A three-star
rating would require discussion of three elements
they liked and one they did not like. A two-star
rating requires discussion of two positive and two
negative elements, and a one-star rating requires
discussion of one positive and three negative
elements. (1.4)
2. Return to the map in “Before the Performance,”
activity 2 above that traces Jason’s journey and ask
your students to find the location of their favorite
incidents. Have them draw or paint pictures of the
particular incidents. Display the pictures on a large,
illustrated map or timeline of the story. (1.2, 1.3)
3. Working in groups, have your students choose a
favorite sequence from a modern hero quest story
such as The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Brave
Heart, or Harry Potter. Ask them to stage the event
using only the members of the group and a chair as
a set piece. See how many different objects they can
transform the chair into - stroller (push it), cockpit
(sit on it), mountain top (stand on it), etc. (1.2, 1.3)
Teaching Science Through Theater (K-8)
By Sharon J. Sherman, Ed.D.
Theater provides children with new experiences and allows them to see the
world in different ways. Creative thought and the power of words bring
imaginative new life to familiar objects, and a darkened theater can be
transformed into a spatial canvas where new ideas germinate. A theatrical
performance is also a wonderful way to introduce the concept of light, as objects
are often illuminated, creating a sparkling world of drama and motion that
captures the imagination.
In accordance with New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Science Standards,
kindergartners should investigate light energy using one or more of their senses.
Have the youngsters look for shadows on the playground at different times of
the day and under different weather conditions. Then, ask them to create simple
dramatizations to present their findings.
First and second graders learn that an object can be seen when light strikes
it and is reflected to a viewer’s eye. If there is no light, objects cannot be
seen. When light strikes substances and objects through which it cannot pass,
shadows result. In the classroom, have the children apply a variety of strategies
to collect evidence that if there is no light, objects cannot be seen. Have them
present their evidence by acting out the relationship between a light source, a
solid object and the resulting shadow. They should use variations of locomotor
and nonlocomotor movement. (A locomotor movement involves moving from
one place to another like running and sliding. A nonlocomotor movement is
performed while remaining in one spot without going anywhere. Examples of
non-locomotor movements are twisting, bending and swaying).
Third and fourth graders learn that light travels in straight lines. When light
travels from one substance to another (air and water), it changes direction. Ask
the students to create an improvisation to explain what happens when light
travels from air into water. Fifth and sixth graders learn that light travels in a
straight line until it interacts with an object or material. Light can be absorbed,
redirected, bounced back, or allowed to pass through. They also learn that the
path of reflected or refracted light can be predicted. Seventh and eighth graders
learn that light energy from the sun is Earth’s primary source of energy, heating
Earth’s surfaces and providing the energy that results in wind, ocean currents and
storms. Have your students produce scripted scenes to illustrate these concepts.
Sharon J. Sherman, Ed.D. is Dean of the School of Education and Professor of
Teacher Education at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ.
The Teaching Science Through the Arts content of this guide is made possible
through the generous support of Roche.
Additional Before and After activities can
be found online at njpac.org. Click on Education,
then on Performances. Scroll down to “Download
Teacher Guide in Adobe Acrobat PDF format”
and select desired guide.
Passport to culture • Jason and the Argonauts
7
Delving Deeper
Books for Teachers
Russel, William, F. Classic Myths to
Read Aloud. Three Rivers Press, 1992.
Zimmerman, John Edward. The
Dictionary of Classical Mythology.
Bantam, 1983.
Books for Children
D’ Aulair, Ingri, and Edgar Parin.
D’Aulairs’ Book of Greek Myths.
Delacorte, 1992.
Zarabouka, Sophia. Jason and the
Golden Fleece. Getty Publications, 2004.
CDs and DVD
Jason and the Argonauts, DVD, Lions
Gate Films, 2000.
Ferrie, Edward. Tales from the Greek
Legends - Junior Classics. Naxos
Audiobooks (unabridged edition), 1995.
Websites
visiblefictions.co.uk
pbs.org/mythsandheroes/myths.html
artsedge.kennedy-center.org/
content/2232/ - “Elements of Myths” is
an arts integrated resource of Verizon’s
Thinkfinity.org. In this lesson, one of
a multi-part unit from ARTSEDGE,
students read and explore several myths
and identify the elements of this literary
form. They then act out a myth in
groups. As individuals, have the students
write a scientific, research-based report
and a fantastic story about a physical
phenomenon of their choosing, making
note of the differences between these two
approaches.
Acknowledgments
as of 8/05/09
NJPAC Arts Education programs are made
possible by the generosity of: Bank of
America, Allen & Joan Bildner & The Bildner
Family Foundation, The Arts Education
Endowment Fund in Honor of Raymond G.
Chambers, Leon & Toby Cooperman, The
Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Amy
C. Liss, McCrane Foundation, The Merck
Company Foundation, Albert & Katharine
Merck, The Prudential Foundation, The
PSEG Foundation, David & Marian Rocker,
The Sagner Family Foundation, ScheringPlough, The Star-Ledger/Samuel I. Newhouse
Foundation, Surdna Foundation, The
Turrell Fund, Verizon, Victoria Foundation,
Wachovia, The Wal-Mart Foundation and
The Women’s Association of NJPAC.
Additional support is provided by: C.R. Bard
Foundation, Becton, Dickinson & Company,
The Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation,
Bloomberg, Chase, The Citi Foundation, The
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Veronica
Goldberg Foundation, Meg & Howard
Jacobs, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Foods,
The MCJ Amelior Foundation, The New
Jersey State Council on the Arts, The George
A. Ohl, Jr., Foundation, Pechter Foundation,
PNC Foundation on behalf of the PNC
Grow Up Great program, The Provident
Bank Foundation, E. Franklin Robbins
Charitable Trust, Roche, TD Charitable
Foundation, Target, The United Way of Essex
& West Hudson, Lucy and Eleanor S. Upton
Charitable Foundation, Andrew Vagelos,
The Edward W. & Stella C. Van Houten
Memorial Fund, and The Blanche M. &
George L. Watts Mountainside Community
Foundation.
For even more arts integration resources,
please go to Thinkfinity.org, the Verizon
Foundation’s signature digital learning platform,
designed to improve educational and
literacy achievement.
Additional resources can be found online
at njpac.org. Click on Education, then on
Performances, then on Curriculum Materials.
Scroll down to “Download Teacher Guide
in Adobe Acrobat PDF format” and select
desired guide.
Arthur Ryan ……………..........................…………………………………………………………………….Chairman
Lawrence P. Goldman ………..................…………………………………..President & Chief Executive Officer
Sandra Bowie………………….....................……………………………………..Vice President for Arts Education
Sanaz Hojreh ……………..................….……………………………..Assistant Vice President for Arts Education
Donna Bost-White……......................….……………………………….Director for Arts Education/Special Projects
Jeffrey Griglak………......................……………….………………………………..……..Director for Arts Training
Verushka Spirito……......................…………………………………………...Associate Director for Performances
Ambrose Liu………………........................……………………………………....Associate Director for Residencies
Caitlin Evans Jones………….......................………………………………….…Associate Director for Residencies
Faye Competello……………........................…………………………………....Associate Director for Arts Training
Mary Whithed………....................………..………………………………….....Program Coordinator for Residencies
Joanna Gibson.......................................................................................Manager of Wachovia Jazz for Teens
Laura Ingoglia………….........................................…................…..……......Editor of Teacher’s Resource Guide
8
Passport to culture • Jason and the Argonauts
One Center Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Administration: 973 642-8989
Arts Education Hotline: 973 353-8009
artseducation@njpac.org
NJPAC wishes to thank Visible Fictions for
assistance in preparing this guide.
Writer: Judith Wiener
Editor: Laura Ingoglia
Design: Pierre Sardain,
66 Creative, Inc.
66Creative.com
NJPAC Guest Reader:
Jeffrey S. Norman
Curriculum Review Committee:
Judith Israel
Mary Louise Johnston
Amy Tenzer
Copyright © 2009
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
All Rights Reserved