Camelot Resource Guide - Pittsburgh Public Theater

Transcription

Education Resource Guide
Funding for The Public’s Education and Outreach Programs was provided by a generous grant from the
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Additional support for all youth education
programs has been provided by The Grable Foundation.
Table of Contents
List of Characters
3
Synopsis
4
About the Playwrights
Ø Alan Jay Lerner
Ø Frederick Loewe
Ø Working Together
5
5
6
7
Meet the Cast
11
Meet the Director
16
Knights of the Middle Ages
17
The Legend of King Arthur
Ø Where is Camelot?
Ø King Arthur and the Grail
20
21
22
Meet Some of Arthur’s Knights
24
Changes Through the Years: Arthurian Timeline
28
The Original Broadway Production
30
A Musical Explosion: Broadway from 1955-1965
33
Medieval Terms
36
Discussion Questions
37
Theater Etiquette
38
PA Academic Standards
39
Bibliography
40
Announcements
41
Pittsburgh Public Theater
~ 2010-2011 Season ~ Camelot
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The Characters
King Arthur – Ruler of Camelot. He served as a simple squire until he
managed to pull King Pendragon’s sword out of the stone and became King.
He desires to rule fairly and create a land where justice and honor are held in
high esteem.
Queen Guenevere – Queen of Camelot. At first she did not want to marry
Arthur, but when she met him and saw the beauty of Camelot, she fell in
love. She is devoted to Arthur and supports his causes.
Lancelot Du Lac – A knight of France and a skilled warrior, Lancelot comes
to be a Knight of the Round Table. He is extremely pious and not
particularly well liked by anyone except Arthur.
Mordred – Arthur’s illegitimate son. His mother is Queen Morgause, who
bewitched Arthur when he was younger. He has come to the Round Table
to stir up trouble.
Merlyn – A wizard type character. Arthur’s teacher. He wants Arthur to be
ambitious and pursue the dream of a chivalrous kingdom.
Sir Pellinore – One of Arthur’s closest friends. He stumbled upon Camelot
one day while in search of a dragon and decided to stay in Arthur’s court
and join the Knights of the Round Table.
Tom – A young boy who wants to join King Arthur’s army.
Sir Dinadan – A Knight of the Round Table.
Sir Sagramore - A Knight of the Round Table.
Sir Lionel - A Knight of the Round Table.
Nimue – A nymph intent on bewitching Merlyn.
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Synopsis
The play opens in the legendary land of Camelot, which is rumored to be a
near-perfect kingdom. It is ruled by King Arthur, who we meet just as he is
greeting his bride Guenevere in the forest for the first time. Though both
are nervous about the marriage, they fall in love and begin their reign as king
and queen of Camelot. Under their guidance, the land prospers and King
Arthur forms a new order of chivalry in which knights are sworn to protect
the weak and perform acts of courage and justice. When the strong, pious
Lancelot Du Lac arrives, he quickly becomes King Arthur’s most trusted
friend and advisor, despite the rest of the court’s dislike for him. Yet the
beautiful world of Camelot is threatened by the advent of a forbidden love,
and King Arthur quickly learns that even in paradise, the threads of
friendship and trust can be broken. Can his new order survive, or will the
events that happen in Camelot be the end of the round table and the dream
of a better world?
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About the Playwrights
Source: http://www.holeintheweb.com/drp/bhd/LernerLoewe.htm
Alan Lerner and Fritz Loewe
The collaborative team of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe were
prolific contributors to the Broadway stage and American musical theater from
1947 into the 1960s. Some of their musicals – Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, and
Camelot – are regularly revived and live on in film versions. Alan Lerner, a
playwright and lyricist, and composer Fritz Loewe not only had a successful
career together, they also had a long friendship.
Alan Jay Lerner
Alan Jay Lerner was born in New York City on August 31, 1918, one of
three sons of Joseph Lerner, a co-founder of Lerner Stores, Inc. He attended
Harvard University where he was a classmate of John F. Kennedy, and studied
at the Juilliard School of Music during his vacations from school. His
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theatrical ambitions flourished at Harvard, where he did sketches and lyrics for
two Harvard Hasty Pudding shows. As the oldest collegiate theatrical society
in the United States, the original student works of the Hasty Pudding Shows
allowed Lerner to gain valuable experience and learn how to write for the
theater. He graduated from Harvard in 1940 and began to write advertising
scripts for radio shows such as the Philco Hall of Fame.
Frederick Loewe
Frederick (Fritz) Loewe was born on June 10, 1904, in Vienna, Austria,
the son of Rosa and Edmund Loewe, a well-known operetta tenor. (Operetta,
best known for the works by Gilbert & Sullivan, was one of the forerunners of
American musicals). A precocious youth, Loewe was playing piano when he
was four years old, and by his ninth birthday he had composed the tunes for a
music hall sketch with which his father toured Europe. At fifteen he had a hit
song with “Katrina,” which sold three million copies in Europe. Yet for all his
success, when he came to America in 1924 with his father he found it difficult
to succeed on Broadway. His initial engagements at New York’s Town Hall
and the Rivoli Theatre did not lead to follow-up bookings, and for several years
he struggled with a variety of jobs, including, a cafeteria busboy, a boxer, gold
mining, cow punching, and a riding instructor. But in 1935 his song, “Love
Tiptoes Through My Heart,” was used in the musical Petticoat Fever.
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Emboldened, he presented his own musical, Salute to Spring, in St. Louis in 1937.
In 1938 his work Great Lady got to Broadway, but had only 20 performances.
Working Together
Lerner and Loewe met by chance at the Lambs Club in New York City
in 1942, and they immediately began working together. Their first
collaboration was Life of the Party in 1942 – an adaptation of Barry Conner’s
farce, The Patsy – for a Detroit stock company. It ran for nine weeks, and they
followed it with a musical comedy, What’s Up? which ran for 63 performances
on Broadway in 1943. In 1945 they produced The Day Before Spring.
None of their shows really took off, however, until
the curtains went up on March 13, 1947 on Brigadoon.
This one was a solid hit. Based on Germelshausen, by
Friedrich Gerstacker, it tells the story of a mysterious
Scottish town that reappears to the outside world for
only one day each century. The original production at
the Ziegfield Theatre ran for 581 performances, and led
Movie poster for Brigadoon (1954)
to the 1954 movie adaptation, which featured Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse and
Van Johnson. The New York Drama Critics Circle voted it “best musical” the
year it opened and it has been revived frequently over the years.
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After the success of Brigadoon, the two took a break from working
together. Loewe was heard telling his friends that he would never again work
with Lerner, and during the next few years Lerner was busy writing Love Life,
with music by Kurt Weill, which was selected as one of the best plays of the
1948-49 Broadway season. He also wrote the story, screenplay and lyrics for
the film Royal Wedding, and the story and screenplay for An American in Paris,
winning him an Oscar in 1951. In addition, he did the story, screenplay and
lyrics for the movie version of Brigadoon. But in 1951 Lerner and Loewe were
back on Broadway with Paint Your Wagon, which opened at the Shubert Theatre
on November 12th. It had a respectable run of 289 performances, and was made
into the 1969 film that featured Clint Eastwood, Lee
Marvin and Jean Seberg.
Lerner & Loewe’s next big success was My Fair
Lady, the story of a young cockney flower seller and her
education and introduction into British society.
This was one of the biggest and most spectacular
successes in American theater. The musical opened at
Flyer for My Fair Lady (1956)
the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 15, 1956 and
broke all existing world records, playing 2,717 performances. It was by chance
that the pair was selected to create the musical adaptation My Fair Lady from
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George Bernard Shaw’s 1914 play Pygmalion; the project was first offered to Noel
Coward and Rodgers & Hammerstein, who turned down the offer. Rex
Harrison and Julie Andrews starred on Broadway, but when the 1964 movie
was made, Andrews was rejected by the movie’s producers in favor of the
popular film star Audrey Hepburn. Harrison kept his role.
Lerner & Loewe’s next collaboration was for the film Gigi, based on the
1944 novel by Colette. When first announced, the project was seen by some as
a transparent attempt to repeat the team’s success with My Fair Lady – which,
for contractual reasons, could not yet be adapted to a film. Such doubts were
dispelled when the Gigi was released, and it subsequently won the Oscar for
best picture of 1958. A moderately successful stage version of Gigi was
mounted in 1973.
Lerner & Loewe’s last Broadway hit was Camelot,
which was based on the novel The Once and Future King by
T.H. White, and opened at the Majestic Theatre on
December 3, 1960 and ran for 873 performances. The
working relationship of the two men was strained, and
after the show opened Loewe retired for good and swore
never to write again. He did work with Lerner one more
Flyer for Camelot (1960)
time, however, on their 1974 musical film The Little Prince.
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Despite their rocky professional relationship, the two remained good
friends, and after Loewe’s retirement, Lerner said in a tribute to Loewe, “There
will never be another Fritz. Writing will never again be as much fun. A
collaboration as intense as ours inescapably had to be complex. But I loved
him more than I understood or misunderstood him, and I know he loved me
more than he understood or misunderstood me.”
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Meet the Cast
DIETER BIERBRAUER (Sir Dinadan) has spent the majority of the past 10 years
performing in Minneapolis, MN. His credits include The Pirates of Penzance, As You Like It
and The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde at The Guthrie; Figaro and Don Juan Giovanni at Theatre
de la Jeune Lune; A Year with Frog and Toad and How the Grinch Stole Christmas at The
Children’s Theater Company; West Side Story, Oklahoma, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at
the Chanhassen Dinner Theaters; and A Man of No Importance, Parade, Floyd Collins, and
Violet with Theater Latte Da. This past fall he made his Off-Broadway debut in Power
Balladz at the Midtown Theater. Other regional credits include: Carmen, Figaro, and Don
Juan Giovanni at American Repertory Theater on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, MA.
GREGGORY BRANDT (Sir Sagramore) is thrilled to be making his debut with The
Public and to be working with director Ted Pappas and this talented cast. Gregg was in
both the Broadway and National Touring productions of Les Misérables (Enjolras), and
was also in the cast of the Broadway musical, A Tale of Two Cities. Additional National
Tours: Camelot and Bells Are Ringing. Some favorite local credits: CLO’S production of A
Musical Christmas Carol (Bob Cratchit u/s), Les Misérables (Bishop of Digne/Grantaire), Into
the Woods (Rapunzel’s Prince), and A Little Night Music (Mr. Lindquist); and PMT’s Disney’s
High School Musical (Coach Bolton). Gregg is a proud member of Actors’ Equity
Association and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Carnegie Mellon
University. www.greggorybrandt.biz
JOSHUA BRELSFORD (Tom) is excited about his first role with the Public Theater, and
thrilled to be a part of the Camelot cast! He is currently in the 6th grade at Winchester
Thurston School, and is grateful to the amazing teachers and coaches who have planted
the seeds for his love of acting and the stage. Joshua was honored to have won the 2010
Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest (Grades 4-8 Division) with his partner Emily
Bassett. His acting experience includes playing the lead role of Wart in Gemini Theater’s
Production of Sword in the Stone. He has also enjoyed roles in Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland,
and Jungle Book. Most recently he played a member of the chorus in Winchester
Thurston’s Middle School production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Joshua lives in
Shadyside with his Nanna, parents, younger brother, and younger twin sisters.
KIMBERLY BURNS (Guenevere) is thrilled to make her Pittsburgh Public Theater debut
and step into Julie Andrews’ shoes! She is originally from Brigantine, NJ and now lives in
New York City. Most recently, Kimberly was seen as Esther Smith in Meet Me in St. Louis.
Other credits include the National Tour of Grease starring Frankie Avalon (Sandy u/s),
Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie) where she received a S.A.L.T. Award Nomination for Best
Actress, White Christmas (Judy Haynes), The Last Five Years (Cathy), The Pirates of Penzance
(Mabel), HMS Pinafore (Josephine), Joseph...Dreamcoat (Narrator u/s), Wuthering Heights: A
Romantic Musical (Catherine), We Tell the Story: the Songs of Ahrens and Flaherty, and Tokyo
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Disney Resort. Recordings include 16 Days, A New Musical. Kimberly is a proud graduate
of Ithaca College’s BFA Musical Theatre program. www.kimburns.com
DUSTIN BUTORYAK (Tom) is 13 years old and proud to be making his Pittsburgh
Public Theater debut. However, he is no stranger to this stage, performing each year in
the Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest held here annually. He has also appeared
in local performance at the Gemini Theater and Carnegie Mellon University’s Philip
Chosky Theater. When he’s not on stage, Dustin can be found studying, reading comics,
wrestling, writing songs, singing, and playing the piano, guitar, or cello. Dustin lives in
Morningside and attends the 7th Grade at Pittsburgh’s Creative and Performing Arts
(CAPA) School in the Theater Arts program.
MARK CAMPBELL (Sir Lionel) was most recently seen as Baron Kemeny in the world
premiere musical, Wallenberg. Prior to that, he was Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the
Fulton Theatre, El Gallo in The Fantasticks in the Midwest, and was in the world premiere
of First Wives Club: The Musical at The Old Globe in San Diego. Mark covered all three
fathers in the Broadway National Tour of Mamma Mia, and has worked at regional
theaters all over the country. Favorite regional credits include: The Beast in Beauty and the
Beast, Harold Hill in The Music Man, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Ravenal in Showboat,
and Phantom in Yeston’s Phantom.
ALEX COLEMAN (Merlyn) is delighted to be back for his seventh show at Pittsburgh
Public Theater, and his sixth with favorite director, Ted Pappas. Ah, the magic
continues! Alex played both Egeus and Peter Quince in last year’s A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, and Carmine Carducci in Harry’s Friendly Service, Baron Van Swieten in Amadeus,
Egeon in The Comedy of Errors, the First Messenger in Oedipus the King, and, for director
Eddie Gilbert, Reb Nachman in The Dybbuk. Film and TV credits include: The Silence of the
Lambs (“Ready when you are, Sergeant Pembry”), Achilles’ Love, Houseguest, Roommates,
“Alone in the Neon Jungle” for CBS-TV, and the featured role of General Braddock in the
PBS special series, “The War That Made America.” Dr. Coleman continues his role of
Associate Professor for Pitt’s Department of Theatre Arts—but only until April, when he
will retire from university-teaching after 30 years at Pitt! Dumbledore lives!
DON DiGIULIO (Mordred) is thrilled to be making his debut at Pittsburgh Public
Theater in Camelot. Locally, Don has worked with City Theatre, PICT, Bricolage,
Pittsburgh CLO, PMT, Unseam’d Shakespeare, Pittsburgh Playwrights, and The Summer
Company, among others. Chicago credits include Woyzeck (greasy joan & co.), Hunger and
Thirst (A Red Orchid Theatre), Proof (Idle Muse), and Sketchbook 6 (Collaboraction). Don
is Artistic Director of No Name Players, with whom he has produced, directed or been
featured in their Pittsburgh premiere of Big Love, the American premiere of This Hotel,
Wonder of the World, and Breaking Up.
ZANNA FREDLAND (A Lady) is thrilled to be back at Pittsburgh Public Theater,
where she was last seen in The Mikado. Favorite roles include Lilli Vanessi in Kiss Me, Kate;
Irene Roth in Crazy For You; Marian Paroo in The Music Man; and Dorothy Brock in 42nd
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Street. Zanna has also been seen as Maxene Andrews in Sisters of Swing, and as Judy
Garland in her own one-woman show. Zanna has appeared with Arizona Broadway
Theater, Galveston Island Musicals, and Ohio Light Opera. A native Pittsburgh, Zanna
is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and Rice University’s Shepherd School of
Music.
AMANDA FRENNIER (A Lady) is thrilled to return home to Pittsburgh to make her
Public Theater debut! Recent regional credits include Gypsy at North Shore Music
Theatre (Louise u/s, Hollywood Blonde) and The Apple Tree with the Pennsylvania Centre
Stage (Eve u/s). She has also had the opportunity to perform seasonally for the Walt
Disney Company. Ms. Frennier is a proud member of Penn State University’s Class of
2010 (BFA in Musical Theatre). Credits at Penn State include Company (April), Sunday in
the Park with George (Celeste), Crazy for You (Polly Baker), and the premiere of Pop! Who Shot
Andy Warhol? (Edie Sedgwick).
KEITH HINES (Lancelot) is excited and grateful for the opportunity to play one of his
dream roles here with the folks at Pittsburgh Public Theater! Keith studied voice with
Florence Birdwell at Oklahoma City University, where he earned his Bachelor’s and
Master’s degrees in Music, and studied acting at Jayd McCarty’s The Studio in New
York. Favorite roles include: Picnic (Hal), Oliver (Bill Sykes), Lucky Stiff (Luigi Gaudi), and
Urban Cowboy (Bud).
DAISY HOBBS (Nimue, Lady Anne) is honored to make her Pittsburgh Public Theater
debut in this magical production! Other regional credits include: The Wiz (Batlimore
Center Stage); The Pajama Game and Hello, Dolly! (St. Louis MUNY); and Cinderella (Paper
Mill Playhouse), where she understudied Suzanne Douglass as the Fairy Godmother.
TV: “Law & Order” (NBC) and “A Walk in Your Shoes” (Nickelodeon). Commercials:
Red Lobster, MTV’S Rock the Vote 2004, and Dr. Pepper. Print: Dance Spirit magazine,
Winterfresh Gum. Daisy is a recipient of the 2009 National Society of Arts and Letters
First Place Award in Drama. She is especially happy to be back in Pittsburgh, where she
graduated less than a year ago from Carnegie Mellon University (BFA Musical Theater).
www.daisyHobbs.com
JOE JACKSON (A Knight) is grateful to be a part of this wonderful production and is
honored to make his Public Theater debut! Since moving to Pittsburgh last year, Joe has
been seen on the Pittsburgh CLO stage in A Musical Christmas Carol (Topper), Oliver (Noah
Claypole), The Producers, Hairspray (Brad), and The Student Prince. Some favorite credits
include The Walnut Street Theatre: State Fair (Wayne), The Producers (Lead Tenor),
Hairspray (Brad), Les Miserables, Carousel, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Oliver, and Born Yesterday;
North Shore Music Theatre: Camelot; Arena Stage: She Loves Me; National Tour: Dr. Dolittle
(w/Tommy Tune!). This Atlanta native and Ole Miss alum is excited to now call
Da’Burgh home as he also begins directing, choreographing, and teaching all over the
city.
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CHRISTINA McCANN (A Lady) is thrilled to be making her Pittsburgh Public Theater
debut! She recently finished performing in her fifth production of Pittsburgh CLO’s A
Musical Christmas Carol and has worked for PCLO in six tours with their Gallery Heroes
program. As a member of the Pittsburgh Opera chorus, Christina appeared in Eugene
Onegin, Carmen, and The Marriage of Figaro, and can be seen next in Dialogues of the Carmelites.
Other favorite local credits include the television pilot “Munhall” starring George
Wendt, Only Me (Sarah), Gypsy (Louise), Chicago (Velma), Brigadoon (Fiona), and The Secret
Garden (Martha). Christina graduated from Penn State University and has been a cantor
at St. Paul Cathedral for more than six years. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity
Association.
JOE PAPARELLA (A Knight) has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in
Leonard Bernstein’s Mass with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of
Marin Alsop. He also appeared as a solo vocalist in the New York City Ballet’s
production of Thou Swell, at Lincoln Center. On Broadway, Joe has performed in Les
Miserables (u/s Thenardier), the 2000 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, and the Beach Boys
musical Good Vibrations. He has toured nationally in Schoenberg and Boublil’s Martin
Guerre, Ragtime, and Mamma Mia! Regionally, he appeared in the Baltimore Center Stage
production’s of A Little Night Music starring Polly Bergen, directed by Mark Lamos, and in
the Kennedy Center’s production of Mame starting Christine Baranski, directed by Eric
Schaeffer. He is a proud union member since 1995.
JONATHAN PENDERGRASS (A Page) is thrilled to be making his Pittsburgh debut
with the Public Theater’s production of Camelot. Jonathan is a junior Musical Theater
major at Point Park University. Favorite credits include Rolf in The Sound of Music, Chino
in West Side Story, and Ren McCormick in Footloose.
NOBLE SHROPSHIRE (Pellinore) last appeared at The Public in The Price. Broadway:
Underling (replacement and tour) in The Drowsy Chaperone; Royal National Theatre’s
premiere of Tennessee Williams’ Not About Nightingales with Trevor Nunn; and Candida at
Roundabout. He performed for nine seasons with Off-Broadway’s Classic Stage
Company where title roles included Hamlet, Peer Gynt, Tartuffe, Leonce & Lena, as well as the
Fool in King Lear, Mephisto in Faust, Hummel in Ghost Sonata, Robespierre in Danton’s
Death, and Gayev in The Cherry Orchard. He has also appeared Off-Broadway as Parris in
The Crucible at Roundabout and at La Mama. Regional: Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alley
Theatre, ART, Arena Stage, Asolo, Cincinnati Playhouse, City Theatre, Denver Center,
Great Lakes, Hartford Stage, Phoenix Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Co., PlayMakers,
Repertory Theater of St. Louis, Stage West, and Westport County Playhouse.
Television: Roger Stifdik in “Strangers with Candy,” “Loving,” and “All My Children.”
Film: The Uninvited and The Asylum Seekers. Training: Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,
London.
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HAYDEN TEE (Arthur) was born in New Zealand and trained at Australia’s National
Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). West End: Marius in Les Miserables, including 20th
Anniversary; Thomas Andrews in the original Australian cast of Titanic (A.T. Award
nomination); Professor Bhaer in Little Women (Glugg Award); Father Grenville in Dead
Man Walking; Lt. Joe Cable in the Australian tour of South Pacific (A.T.G. Award
nomination); I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; Songs for a New World; The Wizard of Oz;
Freddy Einsford-Hill in the international tour of My Fair Lady; Simon Stride and alternate
in Jekyll and Hyde; Bustopher Jones/Gus/Growltiger in Cats; Grumio in Kiss Me Kate;
Captain Hook/Mr. Darling in Peter Pan in the U.S. Solo albums: Hayden Tee Self-Titled,
Generation whY? LIVE. Children’s albums: Sounds like Fun and Wild Aussies. Cast Albums:
The Wizard of Oz. Hayden has performed in Concert and Cabaret throughout Australia,
New Zealand, U.K. and the U.S.A. including hosting Australia’s largest Cabaret
Competition (seven years) and Australia’s theater talk show “The Muftee Show.”
www.haydentee.com
MATTHEW CHARLES THOMPSON (A Knight) Regional: Camelot (Goodspeed), 1776
(Paper Mill), Parade (SpeakEasy). New York Musical Theatre Festival: Things As They Are.
Matthew is a recent graduate of The Boston Conservatory (M.M. in Musical Theater),
where his favorite projects included Chess (Anatoly), Iolanthe (Strephon), and A Bernstein
Tribute with the Boston Pops. Matthew has a BA in Sociology from Boston College and is
a Fulbright Scholar (Germany). He is a proud AEA member!
www.matthewcthompson.com
BEN THORPE (A Page) is a senior BFA Musical Theater major at Point Park University
and is thrilled to be a part of this production. Pittsburgh credits: Parade (Frankie Epps),
Antigone (Haemon), The Light in the Piazza (Roy), She Loves Me (Keller), Sweeney Todd
(Anthony), Dog Sees God (CB), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf).
TED WATTS Jr. (Squire Dap) is thrilled to be making his second appearance at
Pittsburgh Public Theater. He has also worked with Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh
Musical Theater, Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre, The Pittsburgh Playhouse,
Mountain Playhouse, Bucks County Playhouse, and Pocono Playhouse. Ted is also an
Acting and Musical Theater instructor for Pittsburgh CLO, and Pittsburgh Musical
Theater. He is a graduate of Point Park University.
SARAH ZIEGLER (A Lady) is delighted to make her Pittsburgh Public debut! Some of
her favorite past roles include Jane u/s Mabel in Pirates! Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder’d
(Huntington Theatre), Tanya in The Black Monk (Off-Broadway, Samuel Beckett Theatre),
Annie Oakely in Annie Get Your Gun (Millbrook Playhouse), and Phyllis in Iolanth (The
Boston Conservatory). She is a graduate of Hamilton College (BA Music) and The
Boston Conservatory (MM Musical Theater). She lives in New York City and, when
she’s not performing, loves teaching voice and piano lessons to children.
www.sarahziegler.com
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Meet the Director
TED PAPPAS (Director) celebrates his 11th season
as Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Public Theater
and his 18th year of close association with the
company as a director. He has staged 34
productions for The Public, encompassing an
extraordinary range of styles and periods, including
Euripides’ Medea and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King;
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Comedy
of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, and
The Tempest; Schiller’s Mary Stuart; Wilde’s The
Importance of Being Earnest; the American premiere of
Ayckbourn’s RolePlay; the world premiere of Zellers
and Collier’s The Chief; three Gilbert & Sullivan operettas; Kander & Ebb’s
Cabaret; Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus; and Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. He has enjoyed a
distinguished career as a director and choreographer for some of North
America’s great companies including Joseph Papp Public Theater,
Williamstown Theatre Festival, Playwrights Horizons, The Acting Company,
Arena Stage in Washington D.C., the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto’s
Royal Alexandra, Goodspeed Musicals, and New York City Opera under the
leadership of Beverly Sills. He has worked on and off Broadway, at the Cannes
Film Festival, in Las Vegas, and on television, where he served as
choreographer for NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” For the Pittsburgh Symphony
Orchestra, he staged the acclaimed concert The Music of Fred Rogers, featuring
Tommy Tune and John Lithgow. A graduate of Northwestern University and
Manhattan’s Hunter College, he is a past president of Stage Directors and
Choreographers Society, the national labor union.
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Knights of the Middle Ages
Source: Helen Cothran, ed., The 1100s: Headlines in History, (New York: Cengage Gale, 2001).
The mysterious knight gently removed the long strands of hair that were entwined
in the comb. He nearly fainted and fell off his horse as he caressed the strands. He
“began to adore the hair, touching it a hundred thousand times to his eye, his
mouth, his forehead and his cheeks.” Finally, the knight “placed the hair on his
breast near his heart” and continued on his way.
Cothran, The 1100s: Headlines in History.
The knight who lovingly placed the strands of his beloved’s hair next
to his heart is Sir Lancelot and his beloved is Queen Guenevere, the wife of
King Arthur. This depiction of the chivalrous knight is found in Chrétien de
Troyes’ tale, “The Knight of the Cart.” Chrétien was the inventor of
Arthurian romance as we know it, and he did much to shape contemporary
conceptions of romantic love. Lancelot undertakes a quest to win the
queen’s adoration, and for her he suffers humiliation, physical hardship, and
exhaustion. He endures many trials during his adventures, but his loyalty to
his beloved remains unshaken.
This passage about the mysterious knight depicts the romantic side of
knighthood that is probably familiar to most modern readers. Modern
readers would also be familiar to portrayals of knights as fierce warriors
engaged in bloody battles. Knights are depicted as courageous and athletic,
willing to enter dangerous territories and battles with other knights in
service of their lords. In fact, real knights were more practical than
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romantic. They did perform brave feats out of loyalty to their lords during
the 1100s, but they were obligated to do so. Under feudalism, lords granted
knights land in exchange for their service
during wars. Knights had to be loyal or
they would break the feudal contact with
their lords and lose their land.
Because inheritance customs at that time
dictated that only the eldest born son
Serfs working on a manor
would inherit his father’s property, all other sons were effectively
disenfranchised. For most young men, becoming a knight was the only
option open to them unless they wanted to enter into service of the church.
Their relationships with others were not governed by any laws, and
knights were often ruthless. Kings in the early part of the twelfth century
were not yet powerful enough to enforce laws against knightly
transgressions, and knights’ misbehavior continued unchecked. Gradually,
however, a political and cultural backlash formed to oppose knightly
anarchy.
As kings began to enjoy more power and influence as a result of
booming economic expansion, they were able to afford their own armies,
and did not have to rely on knights to protect their territories. Knights, in
18
consequence, became increasingly
unnecessary, and their prestige
declined. As a result of their
declining reputation, knights found
that people whom they used to
treat with abandon were less
tolerant of their behavior and now
Knights of the Round Table
had the kings’ laws to protect them.
Affluent people of the court also began to expect a higher code of knightly
behavior, and began to commission works of literature that depicted
knights as thoughtful, generous, and above all, chivalrous toward women.
Influential women like Eleanor of Aquitaine—who was the duchess of
Normandy and then the queen of England—patronized the arts and
encouraged writers to pen romantic stories of knights and other young men
in love. The troubadours—or traveling storytellers—helped to popularize
courtly love. Other writers, like Chrétien de Troyes, popularized the notions
of chivalry. These depictions in stories and songs helped set a standard for
behavior that real knights were encouraged to live up to.
19
The Legend of King Arthur
Sources: Paper Mill Playhouse Guide for their production of Camelot
Geva Theatre Center Study Guide for their 2004 production of Camelot
Whether Arthur, Guenevere or his knights
of the round table were real people or fictional
characters is unknown. There are some historical
texts that suggest that Arthur was indeed a real
king; Nennius, a Welsh historian studying and
writing somewhere around 800 A.D., mentions a
young leader named Arthur. However, Gildus,
another historian who would have been a
contemporary of King Arthur, never wrote about such a leader. A widely
accepted view is that Arthur was a from a tribe in Wales known as the
Celts, and he served as a chieftain or general in the fifth or sixth century
A.D. in a time known as the Dark Ages.
Britain was a part of the Roman Empire until the Saxons invaded the
island. It is believed that Arthur rallied the different tribes in Britain
together to fight off the invaders, but they were not glorious knights
described in the legends. They were most likely warriors who were most
familiar with Roman customs and were perhaps a little barbaric; rather than
20
wearing armor and using swords, the warriors probably fought with spears
and axes and wore thick leather to protect themselves.
Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, and the other Knights of the Round Table
are mostly likely fictitious characters that were used in stories to represent
the ideals of chivalry. People in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were
fascinated by romantic stories of knights and their adventures, and most
likely troubadours, or traveling storytellers, roamed villages telling anyone
that would listen the stories of knights and their adventures in places such
as Camelot, which started the myth of King Arthur and his glorious knights.
These legends have influenced many aspects of modern society including
manners and proper behavior, rules of sports and organized games, romantic
love, styles of architecture, and judicial law. The popular stories that are
still told today are thought to be part history and part folk tale.
Where is Camelot?
Many historians have made attempts to locate or theorize locations of
King Arthur’s Camelot. Celtic Wales was thought to be a probable site,
along with Winchester, an early capital of England, and South Cadbury
Castle. However, there is little historical or archaeological justification for
these suggestions. The kingdom of “Camelot” first appeared in the
manuscript of Chrétien de Troyes, which suggests that the location was
21
invented around the end of the twelfth century. Many mentions of Camelot
were in French medieval poems, which also leads many historians to believe
that Camelot is a creation of someone’s imagination.
King Arthur and the Grail
Source: Constance Brittain Bouchard, Knights, in History and Legend, (New York: Firefly Books,
2009).
The legend that has contributed the most to the enduring fame of the knight in
literature is that of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The historical
origins of the legend have long been sought, but there is no evidence to associate it
with any one figure. Arthur first appears in orally transmitted Breton and Celtic
legends as a heroic leader who defends his land against both temporal and
supernatural enemies, and is present in various forms in Welsh verse dating from
the seventh to the twelfth centuries. But it was the work of Geoffrey of Monmouth,
Robert Wace, and Chrétien de Troyes, and the interest of Angevin patrons such as
Eleanor of Aquitaine, that raised the Arthurian legend to prominence and ensured
its enduring popularity.
Bouchard, Knights, in History and Legend.
Mystical elements from the orally transmitted legend were
incorporated into early romances, and, after Chrétien, the story of the quest
for the Grail became almost synonymous with the Arthurian world. While
some later stories linked the Grail to a magic cauldron in Welsh legend, the
association with Biblical stories gradually became stronger. In Robert de
Boron’s thirteenth-century trilogy of poems, Josephe d’Arimathe, Merlin, and
Perceval (c. 1200), the Grail became the cup used by Christ at the Last
Supper and by Joseph of Arimathea to catch the last drops of blood from the
dying Christ.
22
Other elements of the legend that became staples of the romance
genre are the Grail Castle and the Fisher King. Resident of the castle and
steward of the Grail, the Fisher King suffers from a wound that can only be
healed by the arrival of a predestined and pure knight. Until then, he suffers
terribly and, as a consequence, his kingdom is a wasteland. Many Arthurian
stories also feature a broken sword, whose rupture and repair occur in
different ways, but are always symbolic.
In the Arthurian romances, knights have to display certain chivalric,
super-human qualities to attain a place at the Round Table. They are
expected to be chaste and impervious to seduction, and to provide service in
return for the love and devotion of a lady. To have any hope of finding and
understanding the mysteries of the Grail, they must display spiritual
fortitude and introspection, humility, and a capacity to show mercy. Many
of the Knights of the Round Table are portrayed as flawed, either giving in
to love, jealousy, or disloyalty, and therefore incapable of completing the
Grail quest. Few surmount all these obstacles to complete their quest.
23
Meet Arthur’s Knights
Lancelot, A Very Human Knight
One of the most famous knights in
Arthurian tradition, but one who seems
to have been an invention of Chrétien, is
Sir Lancelot. Lancelot appears in three of
Chrétien’s tales (Erec, Cligès, and The
Knight of the Cart) and became a main
character in the Prose Lancelot and Vulgate
Cycle. Among his most famous exploits is the conquest of the castle of
Joyeuse Gard, which has been placed under a curse that can only be lifted by
killing the 20 knights guarding its walls and then defeating its king in single
combat. Though many knights have already died attempting this, Lancelot
is undaunted and after many days, much fighting, and, with the aid of
magical shields sent by the “Lady of the Lake,” succeeds. In the castle, he
discovers his own gravestone, revealing the place of his future death.
Yet Lancelot’s fatal flaw, his love for Queen Guenevere, wife of King
Arthur, ultimately prevents him from finding the Grail—many stories tell
that Lancelot’s affair with Guenevere lead to the destruction of Arthur’s
kingdom, after which Lancelot retires to a monastery. In spite of or perhaps
24
due to his very human failings, and Chrétien’s skilled composition and
characterization, Lancelot’s stories become some of the most popular
adaptations of the genre.
The Education of Perceval
In Chrétien’s unfinished Perceval and
Wolfram von Eschenbach’s more complete
Parzival, Perceval is the knight who locates
the Grail. He is raised by his mother in the
woods, where, by keeping him ignorant of
chivalry, she hopes to prevent him from
becoming a knight and thereby avoid the fate
of his father, a knight who died in a faraway land. As a youth, however,
Perceval meets some traveling knights, and, intrigued, decides to set forth to
Arthur’s court to become one. His mother, still seeking to thwart his
ambitions, dresses him in fool’s clothing and gives him advice sure to lead to
failure. Consequently, he offends several people in the court, even
unwittingly insulting Arthur. Realizing what he has done, he leaves,
disenchanted, but then meets a knight, called Gornemant in Chrétien’s story
and Gurnemanz in Wolfram’s version, who undertakes to educate him. The
25
knight stresses good measure and self-control, warning the young Perceval
about being too curious.
Gawain, the Flawed Fighter
Gawain appears in the Perceval stories as
Perceval’s companion. In Wolfram’s version, the
adventures of Gawain when he is separated from
Perceval seem designed to demonstrate the different
trials by which a knight was to learn how to conduct
himself properly and how to reconcile chivalry with
love.
Famed for his courage and courtly ways, Gawain is attractive to many
seductresses, but as a fighter he is flawed in that his strength subsides as the
sun wanes after noon. In later versions of the Grail story, he becomes the
hero of the quest, but the character never became as famous in literature as
Perceval, even though he is portrayed as an advisor
to Arthur.
Galahad, the Purest Knight
In the thirteenth-century Quest for the Holy
Grail (Queste del Saint Graal), part of the Vulgate Cycle,
and in Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, it is Galahad,
26
rather than Perceval, who is chosen to learn the mysteries of the Grail.
Galahad is the son of Lancelot and Elaine, the daughter of one of the keepers
of the Grail, who seduced Lancelot with magic. After being knighted by his
father, Galahad sets off for Camelot.
Arriving at King Arthur’s court, Galahad takes his place at the Round
Table and unwittingly occupies the “Siege Perilous,” a mystical chair that,
tradition has it, belongs to the knight most likely to succeed in the quest for
the Grail. Seeing this omen, Arthur asks Galahad to pull a sword (called
Excalibur in some stories) from a magical stone in order to confirm his
status as the long-awaited hero of the Grail. Galahad does this easily and is
then told of the quest.
Being pure, entirely chaste, and without sin in body or mind, Galahad
surmounts every obstacle, physical and fantastical, and accomplishes the
task of finding the Holy Grail and unlocking its mysteries. At the Grail
Castle, he repairs the broken sword and receives instructions from Christ,
who also tells him to take the Grail away from Britain to a spiritual and
mystical palace, where the Christian faith will be restored. Galahad then
spends his last years in pious contemplation and prayer, before being taken
up into heaven along with the Grail and mystical bleeding lance.
27
Changes Through the Years: Arthurian
Timeline
There have been countless renditions of the legend of King Arthur.
Here are some of the most influential:
Seventh century
Earliest legends of Arthur are transmitted orally in
Breton and Celtic stories.
Twelfth century
Under the patronage of Countess Marie de
Champagne (1145-1198), Chrétien de Troyes
writes his five Arthurian romances, including the
first reference to the Holy Grail and the idea that
the love between Lancelot and Queen Guenevere
was the downfall of Camelot.
Thirteenth century
Wolfram von Eschenbach, a German knight and
poet, writes his tale Perzival that further develops
the story of the Holy Grail.
Fourteenth century
The Vulgate Cycle, otherwise known as Prose
Lancelot is written by French poets, telling of
Lancelot’s calling by the Lady of the Lake, his quest
for the Holy Grail, and Arthur’s death.
1485
Le Morte D’Arthur is published by Sir Thomas
Malory, solidifying stories such as the sword in the
stone, the quest for the Holy Grail, and Lancelot and
Guinevere’s love and puts all the tales together in
novel-form.
1691
Poet John Dryden and composer Henry Purcell
compose the semi-opera King Arthur, which tells
the story of King Arthur’s epic battles.
1833
Alfred Lord Tennyson publishes The Lady of
Shalott, which along with his earlier poems Sir
Lancelot and Queen Guinevere and Galahad, tells
the tale of Arthur’s Camelot.
28
1958
T.H. White publishes The Once and Future King, a
retelling of the myth of King Arthur, upon which
the musical Camelot is based. Several of the
unique plot points in the book (such as the fact that
Merlyn lives backward) are recreated in the
musical.
1960
Camelot the musical opens on Broadway.
It runs for 873 performances and wins four Tony
awards.
1975
The movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a
spoof of the King Arthur legend, puts a new twist
on the tale
29
The Original Broadway Production
Source: Paper Mill Playhouse Guide for their production of Camelot
Lerner and Loewe spent twenty-one months writing Camelot, but the
trials and tribulations of collaborating did not end in the writing process.
Before Camelot opened on Broadway, a series of extremely unfortunate events
came to pass that set an ominous tone over the production.
First, the original costume designer suffered a fatal heart attack and had
to be replaced by his chief assistant. Then,
Lerner, who was coping with painful divorce
proceedings, suffered a nervous breakdown
while writing (ironically) the song “If Ever I
Would Leave You.” He was also hospitalized
with ulcers during the show’s auditions in
Toronto.
During the preview run of the
production, Camelot was running more than
four hours, which meant that a significant
Julie Andrews as Guenevere and
Richard Burton as Arthur in the original
production of Camelot
amount of material would need to be cut or rewritten. Just as Lerner was
discharged from the hospital, director Moss Hart suffered a heart attack, and
would not be able to rehearse the rewrites until he was discharged with a clean
bill of health. Lerner wanted to wait until Hart could return to rehearsals, but
30
this only left two weeks before the opening in New York. As a result, leading
lady Julie Andrews was given a new song to perform at the New York preview
with very little rehearsal time.
Lerner would say later that he was extremely nervous about the last
minute changes, but he credited the professionalism, patience and leadership
of the show’s standout stars for holding the cast and production staff together
to make the show a success. Andrews, who played the
role of Guenevere, had just come from her celebrated
portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Richard
Burton, a noted stage and screen star played King Arthur,
and film star Roddy McDowall appeared as Mordred.
When the show officially opened in New York, the
finished piece was still over three hours long; despite the
Roddy McDowall as
Mordred in the original
production of Camelot
length, the show still received an enthusiastic turn-out
because of the star-studded cast and the fame of the
writers. Lerner and Loewe made additional cuts and changes after the
premiere, which is rarely done after a Broadway opening, but the show still
remained around three hours. The future of the production was looking grim,
until Lerner and Loewe were invited to have their songs from their hit musical
My Fair Lady featured on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which was a variety program
31
broadcast nationwide on CBS. Lerner convinced CBS to give him more time on
the show, and after two songs from My Fair Lady, the cast presented twenty
minutes of material from Camelot, which was the most material ever to be
presented on television from a production running on Broadway. The next
morning, a line had formed halfway around the block at the box office. “That
night the audience came to the theatre and saw the vastly improved musical
that Moss had rehearsed,” recalled Lerner years later. “The reaction and the
applause were overwhelming. The people came up the aisles raving. Camelot
was finally a hit.”
32
A Musical Explosion:
Broadway from 1955-1965
Source: Internet Broadway Database. http://www.ibdb.com/advancesearchaward.asp
Many musicals that have become much beloved classics were
first performed in this decade. Several of these musicals were
adapted into award winning movies, and still enjoy revivals on
Broadway, as well as countless productions in regional theaters
across the country today.
1956
Damn Yankees
Tony Award for Best Musical
Opened May 5th, ran for 1,019 performances
Starring Gwen Verdon (Tony Award for Best Actress) and Richard Kiley (Tony Award
for Best Actor)
1957
My Fair Lady
Opened March 15th, ran for 2,717 performances
Directed by Moss Hart (Tony Award for Best Director)
Starring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison (Tony Award for Best Actor)
1958
West Side Story
Opened September 26, ran for 732 performances
Directed by Jerome Robbins
Starring Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence and Chita Rivera
Tony Award for Best Choreographer and Best Scenic Designer
The Music Man
Opened December 19th, ran for 1,375 performances
Directed by Herbert Greene (Tony Award for
Best Conductor and Musical Director)
Starring Robert Preston (Tony for Best Actor) and Barbara Cook (Tony Award for Best
Featured Actress)
33
1960
Gypsy
Opened May 21st, ran for 702 performances
Directed by Jerome Robbins
Starring Ethel Merman, Jack Klugman and Sandra Church
The Sound of Music
Opened November 16th, ran for 1,443 performances
Directed by Vincent J. Donehue
Starring Mary Martin (Tony Award for Best Actress) and Theodore Bikel
1961
Bye Bye Birdie
Opened April 14th, ran for 607 performances
Directed by Gower Champion (Tony Award for Best Director)
Starring Dick Van Dyke (Tony Award for Best Featured Actor) and Chita Rivera
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Opened November 3rd, ran for 532 performances
Directed by Dore Schary
Starring Tammy Grimes (Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress) and
Harve Presnell
Camelot
Opened December 3rd, ran for 873 performances
Directed by Moss Hart
Starring Richard Burton (Tony Award for Best Actor)and Julie Andrews
1962
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Opened October 14th, ran for 1,417 performances
Directed by Abe Burrows (Tony Award for Best Director)
Starring Robert Morse (Tony Award for Best Actor) and Bonnie Scott
34
1963
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Opened May 8th, ran for 964 performances
Directed by George Abbott (Tony Award for Best Director)
Starring Zero Mostel (Tony Award for Best Actor)
and David Burns (Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor)
Oliver!
Opened January 6th, ran for 774 performances
Directed by Peter Coe
Starring Bruce Prochnik, Georgia Brown and Clive Revill
Tony Awards for Best Composer/Lyricist, Best Conductor/Musical Director and Best Scenic
Designer
1964
Hello, Dolly!
Tony Award for Best Musical and seven other Tony Awards
Opened January 16th, ran for 2,844 performances
Directed by Gower Champion (Tony Award for Best Director)
Starring Carol Channing (Tony Award for Best Actress)
Funny Girl
Opened March 26th, ran for 1,348 performances
Directed by Garson Kanin
Starring Barbra Streisand and Sydney Chaplin
1965
Fiddler on the Roof
Tony Award for Best Musical and six other Tony Awards
Opened September 22nd, ran for 3,242 performances
Directed by Jerome Robbins (Tony Award for Best Director)
Starring Zero Mostel (Tony Award for Best Actor) and Maria Karnilova (Tony Award
for Best Featured Actress)
35
Medieval Terms
Source: Collins English Dictionary—Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins
Publishers.
Chivalry: the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor,
and dexterity in arms; the rules and customs of medieval knighthood; the
medieval system or institution of knighthood.
Feudalism: A political and economic system of Europe from the 9th to about the
15th century, where a lord holds all the land in his kingdom and his vassals must
pay homage, and provide legal and military service. Failure to do so results in
forfeiture of the land.
Vassal: a person granted the use of land, in return for rendering homage, fealty,
and usually military service or its equivalent to a lord or other superior; feudal
tenant.
Noblesse Oblige: The idea that those of high birth and powerful social position
have a moral obligation to act with honor, kindliness, generosity toward those less
fortunate, especially their servants and vassals.
Holy Grail: An object commonly searched for in the Arthurian tales, it was
originally a small stone and later became the cup out of which Christ drank at the
Last Supper, giving it religious relevance.
Round Table: The table where Arthur and his knights were supposed to have sat.
It was round so that there could be no one at the head of the table, thereby
eliminating arguments about supremacy and importance.
Tournament: A series of contests in which a number of contestants compete and
the one that prevails through the final round or that finishes with the best record
is declared the winner; a medieval martial sport in which two groups of mounted
and armored combatants fight against each other with blunted lances or swords.
Lance: a long wooden shaft with a pointed metal head, used as a weapon by
knights and cavalry soldiers in charging.
Quest: The act or an instance of seeking or pursuing something; a search; an
expedition undertaken in medieval romance by a knight in order to perform a
prescribed feat.
36
Discussion Questions
1) Alan Lerner and Fritz Loewe wrote Camelot from 1958-1960. What do you think it
was about this ancient myth that appealed to them? Why do you think they
found the ancient stories of King Arthur relevant for a modern audience?
2) Lerner and Loewe were collaborators on many projects. They wrote many fine
musicals together but it was said that this collaboration put a stress on their
friendship. What do you think would be the benefits and also the challenges of
writing a script, music and lyrics with someone else?
3) Many different authors wrote the stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the
Round Table in different time periods. How do you account for the differences
and inconsistencies in the various stories of Arthur and his knights? How might
the differences and inconsistencies in their storytelling add to the mystique and
intrigue of these myths?
4) How did Arthur’s boyhood and the unorthodox way in which he was chosen to
be King affect his plans and decisions as a ruler and the eventual creation of
Camelot?
5) How does the quest for the Holy Grail relate to King Arthur’s quest to create a
seemingly perfect society?
6) In what ways do King Arthur and Sir Lancelot embody the myth of the romantic
knight? How does each of their relationships with Guenevere support this
myth?
7) In what ways do Lancelot’s passionate feelings for Guenevere go against the
fundamental beliefs of knighthood? Why do you think Lancelot was unable to
control these feelings for the Queen despite his seemingly undying loyalty to King
Arthur and the Round Table?
8) Guenevere, after having a conversation unknowingly with King Arthur, decides
to stay in Camelot and become Queen. What do you think were her motives after
she agreed to stay with King Arthur? Do you think she agreed to marry Arthur
because she had genuine feelings for him, or because she was seduced by power?
9) How did Guenevere’s ideas of what it meant to be a maiden affect her
relationship with Arthur? Do you think her desire to be coveted by knights
contributed to her feelings for Lancelot? Had she not had these ideas about
maidenhood, would she have allowed her relationship with Lancelot to progress?
10) Describe and analyze the role of Merlyn. Do you think King Arthur ultimately
benefited by having him as a confidante and advisor? In what ways did Merlyn’s
presence help or cause trouble for King Arthur?
37
Theater Etiquette
Things to Remember when attending the Theater
When you visit the theater you are attending a live performance with actors
that are working right in front of you. This is an exciting experience for you
and the actor. However, in order to have the best performance for both the
audience and actors there are some simple rules to follow. By following
these rules, you can ensure that you can be the best audience member you
can be, as well as keep the actors focused on giving their best performance.
1. Turn off all cell phones, beepers, watches, etc.
2. Absolutely no text messaging during the performance.
3. Do not take pictures during the performance.
4. Do not eat or drink in the theater.
5. Do not place things on the stage or walk on the stage.
6. Do not leave your seat during the performance unless it is an
emergency. If you do need to leave for an emergency leave as quietly
as possible and know that you might not be able to get back in until
intermission once you have left.
7. Do clap—let the actors know that you are enjoying yourself.
8. Do enjoy the show and have fun watching the actors.
9. Do tell other people about your experience and be sure to ask
questions and discuss the performance.
38
PA Academic Standards
READING, WRITING, SPEAKING AND LISTENING
1.1- Students identify, describe, evaluate, and synthesize the essential ideas of the text.
1.3- Students analyze and interpret the play based on literary elements (such as
melodrama and realism) and devices, dramatic themes, and the use of language.
1.4- In post-show activities students can compose dramatic scenes where they work to
construct dialogue, develop character, and outline plot.
1.6- Students listen and watch Camelot by Lerner & Leowe, analyze and synthesize the
many elements of musical theater, and respond to post-show talkbacks and discussions
with Public Theater Staff, teachers, classmates, and students from other school districts.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
3.8- Students will examine and analyze how human ingenuity and industrial resources
satisfy specific human needs and the anticipation of an improved quality of life. Students
identify and examine the industrial changes of medieval Britain and the positive and
negative impacts of monarchy.
CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT
5.2- Students will observe and evaluate the differences in the essential rights and
responsibilities of citizens within various systems of government. Students also
encounter the issues of conflict of interest between citizen and government, cooperation
or resistance to the law, and participation in government activities. Students interpret
the causes of conflict in the society and analyze its resolution.
ECONOMICS
6.1- Students will assess the strength of the regional, national and/or international
economy and compare it to the Middle Ages based upon economic indicators.
GEOGRAPHY
7.1- Students relate Medieval British geography to events in the play.
7.3- Students examine the human characteristics of geography, especially as they relate
to population, demographics, political, economic and cultural characteristics.
HISTORY
8.1-Students interpret historical events and sources, considering the use of fact versus
opinion, multiple perspectives, and cause and effect relationships by looking close at the
myth of King Arthur.
8.4- Students evaluate the importance of historical documents, artifacts, and sites, which
are critical to world history when examining the legend of King Arthur.
ARTS AND HUMANTITIES
9.1-9.4- Students experience the production and performance techniques of professional
theater. Students consider the cultural and historical context of Camelot. In post show
talkbacks, discussions, and writing assignments students are encouraged to describe the
various elements of chivalry, the quality of life in Medieval England, evaluate the play
critically and aesthetically, and consider the social impact of the work.
CAREER EDUCATION & WORK
13.1- Students will analyze career options in theater arts based on personal interests,
abilities and aptitudes through post-show talkbacks with the cast and production staff
39
Bibliography
Source material for “About the Playwrights” provided by:
http://www.holeintheweb.com/drp/bhd/LernerLoewe.htm
Source material for “Knights of the Middle Ages” provided by:
Cothran, Helen, ed. The 1100s: Headlines in History, (New York: Cengage Gale, 2001).
Source material for “The Legend of King Arthur” provided by:
Geva Theatre Center’s Resource guide for their 2004 production of Camelot
Paper Mill Playhouse’s guide for their production of Camelot
Source material for the introductory story of “King Arthur and the Grail” provided
by:
Bouchard, Constance Brittain. Knights, in History and Legend, (New York: Firefly Books,
2009).
Source material for “The Original Broadway Production” provided by:
Paper Mill Playhouse’s guide for their production of Camelot
Source material for “A Musical Explosion: Broadway 1955-1965” provided by:
Internet Broadway Database, http://www.ibdb.com/advancesearchaward.asp
Source material for “Medieval Terms” provided by:
Collins English Dictionary—Complete and Abridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins
Publishers.
Pittsburgh Public Theater thanks the following for their support of
education initiatives:
Amsco, Inc.
Bridges & Co.
Dominion Foundation
Kinder Morgan Foundation
Levin Furniture
PNC Bank
Target
TDY Industries, Inc.
Union Railroad Company
United States Steel Foundation
UPMC Health Plan
40
Shakespeare Monologue & Scene
Contest
This popular annual event is open to students in grades 4-12.
Contestants present their pieces on The Public’s main stage in
front of a panel of judges. All participants receive a contest t-shirt
and a voucher for two complimentary tickets to a Public Theater
production.
Don’t miss out on the fun! Go to www.ppt.org to learn more.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
www.ppt.org/content/education.cfm
November 1, 2010
COACHING
January 14-February 1, 2011
PRELIMINARY ROUND
February 4-11, 2011
SHOWCASE OF FINALISTS
February 14, 2011
For more information, call the Education Department at 412-3168200, ext 715
This Resource Guide was created by Emily Lewis and Ruthie Snoke
(Education Interns). The Education Department would like to thank
Paper Mill Playhouse, Geva Theatre Center, and Margie Romero for
their contributions to this guide.
Questions or comments may be directed to elewis@ppt.org
41

Camelot Resource Guide - Pittsburgh Public Theater

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