FLYNN CENTER PRESENTS

A MIDSUMMER

NIGHT’S DREAM

We appreciate and value your feedback.

Click here to evaluate our study guides.

Click here for Teacher Feedback Forms for the performance.

Click here for Student Feedback Forms for the performance.

Click here for Parent Forms to help parents engage with their children around the show.

Welcome to the 2015-2016 Student Matinee Season!

Today’s scholars and researchers say creativity is the top skill our kids will need when they

enter the work force of the future, so we salute YOU for valuing the educational and

inspirational power of live performance. By using this study guide you are taking an even

greater step toward implementing the arts as a vital and inspiring educational tool.

We hope you find this guide useful. If you have any suggestions for content or format of

this guide, please contact sms@flynncenter.org.

Enjoy the show!

This guide was written & compiled by the Education Department at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts with inspiration from

the National Players Teachers’ Guide and website. Cast photos credited to C. Stanley photography.

Permission is granted for teachers, parents, and students who are coming to Flynn shows to copy & distribute this guide for

educational purposes only.

The Flynn Center recognizes that field trip resources for schools are extremely limited, thus matinee prices for

schools are significantly lower than prices for public performances. As a non-profit organization, the Flynn is

deeply grateful to the foundations, corporations, and individuals whose generous financial support keeps

matinees affordable for schools.

Thank you to the Flynn Matinee 2015-2016 underwriters: Andrea’s Legacy Fund, Champlain Investment

Partners, LLC, Bari and Peter Dreissigacker, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Forrest and Frances Lattner

Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Tracy and Richard Tarrant, TD Charitable Foundation, Vermont Concert Artists

Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, Vermont Community Foundation, New England Foundation for

the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Flynn Jazz Endowment.

Additional support from the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation, Green Mountain Fund, Walter Cerf Community

Fund, the Vermont Arts Council, the Susan Quinn Memorial Fund, and the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The Performance

The Production

Things to Think About Before/During/After the show

The Company: National Players

The Production and the Process

Being on Tour as a National Player

The Look of the Play

Explore Costuming

The Characters and the Relationships

Meet the Characters

A Woman’s Role in Elizabethan Marriage

Questions to Explore Further

All the World’s a Stage: Shakespeare

William Shakespeare Bio

Reflection Questions

Activities to Deepen Understanding

Puck: the Shakespearean Trickster

Play with Shakespearean Language

Life is But a Dream

Bring the Art Form to Life

Art Form: Theatre

Words Come Alive Activities:

Moving Through Space, Interviews

Your Visit

The Flynn Center

Etiquette for Live Performance

Why is Etiquette Important?

Common Core Standards

The Common Core broadens the definition of a “text,” viewing performance as a form of text, so your students are experiencing and interacting with a text when they attend a Flynn show.

Seeing live performance provides rich opportunities to write reflections, narratives, arguments, and more. By writing responses and/or using the Flynn Study Guides, all performances can be linked to Common Core:

CC ELA: W 1-10

You can use this performance and study guide to address the following Common Core Standards (additional standards listed by specific activities):

CC ELA: RL 1-10, RF 1-10, SL 1-4, L 3-6

Before you see the show:

Shakespeare is the most produced playwright in the

world. What do you think it’s like to direct/perform/

create a show that’s been performed so many times

before in so many different ways? How do you make

it original and new, while respecting the history of the

play and playwright?

As you watch the show:

Each of the actors in the play perform as several

different characters. What physical and vocal shifts do

they make to help the audience understand who they

are as each character? How does the company use

costuming to differentiate between characters played

by the same performer? How do you think the actors

transition between characters?

Observe how music is used within the production.

Does it evoke a certain mood or tone? How was your

experience impacted by the music in the show?

Pay attention to how different genders approach and

talk about marriage. Do you see each gender taking a

specific role or status when in relationships? Are there

moments where this role is questioned?

After you see the show:

Which relationships in the play intrigued you the

most? How would you describe the relationship?

What made it unique or interesting?

Which character had the most power in the play?

How did they utilize this power? Were there certain

moments when they were at their most powerful?

Were there any moments where their power was

challenged or threatened?

How did the minimalist scenic design impact your

experience of the play? Did it make it more or less

accessible and universal?

The Production

National Players presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a relatively traditional sense, in regards to time period. The production will be set in Elizabethan times, and costuming will be reminiscent of period clothing, with some creative embellishments. Expect to see a cage-like structure that allows the space to transform and the actors to play and interact with the space. John Traub, scenic designer, says this about the staging and set, “In my court, the visual continuity is through sleek, linear lines—the “Cage” (as it is affectionately known) in Mid­summer [lends] a modern, minimalistic quality to the visual world we’ve created, and gives a chance for the costumes and lights to really pop. It’s a great foundation for these stories and it’s fun to explore how they evolve over time.” Except for the actor playing Puck, all actors will play multiple parts, some portraying 3 separate characters. So let’s follow National Players into

The Company

Now celebrating its 66th season, National

Players is America’s longest running touring

company and has earned a distinct place in

American theater by bringing innovative and

accessible productions to audiences across the

country.

Founded in 1949 by Father Gilbert Hartke,

National Players has performed in theaters,

gymnasiums, opera houses, and outdoor

playing spaces all around the country. Hartke’s

mission—to stimulate young people’s higher

thinking skills and imaginations by presenting

classic plays in engaging and accessible ways—

is as urgent and vital today as it was more

than 60 years ago.

Since 1952, Olney Theatre Center has been

the artistic home of National Players and has

broadened its outreach to engage all learners,

regardless of age, background, or location.

Through the years, Players has been privileged

to perform on 10 USO tours, at five White

House visits, in the Arctic Circle, and

throughout 42 states and territories.

Having performed for over 2.8 million

audience members, National Players is proud

to continue collaborating with audiences

around the world today.

Committed to excellence on

and off the stage, more than

700 artists have been proud

Players.

Learn more, here.

Being on Tour as a National Player

National Players is more than just a group of performers, they are a family of collaborators, working together to bring productions around the country. The ten actors on this tour play multiple characters not just in Midsummer, but in three productions (this tour consists of Midsummer, Julius Caesar, and A Tale of Two Cities. Sometimes, the actors perform more than one of these in a day. That means they have to have lines memorized for three shows, and be able to shift quickly from one to another.

But that’s not all these actors do. The actors take on backstage roles as well, taking care of costumes, stage management, lighting, props and set pieces. The actors rebuild the sets, hang lights, and recreate the world of the show for every performance. The tour members also support educational and outreach efforts, going into schools as teaching artists, running the tour’s social media accounts, and much more. Each year, the actors on the tour will do this for over 90 performances.

Rosie O’Leary is a member of Tour 67 (she also toured with Tour 66, and you’ll see her as Hermia and Snout in Midsummer). She reflects on life on the road , collaborating with her fellow tour members, and about doing a show repeatedly, trying to stay as present as possible:

“It’s about staying optimistic and open. You have to put your own personal agenda and ego aside and do what is best for the group, because being a functioning ensemble is what matters the most. I try to allow myself to play, to be open, and to be surprised in every performance. A lot of that requires breathing in my surroundings and scene partners so that I can be present. If I am honestly present, no performance will be the same, which keeps it exciting.”

The Look of the Play

When someone chooses to produce a Shakespearian play, one of the big creative decisions that needs to be made is whether the play will be set in the period Shakespeare originally intended, or intentionally set in a more contemporary, or non-period specific time and place. In National Players’ production, the costumes are relatively traditional and feel reminiscent of Shakespeare’s time, while the scenery is more abstract.

Explore Costuming

Before the show, if you’re reading Midsummer with your students, have them predict what the costumes will look like in this production. Revisit these predictions after seeing the show!

Have students research costuming in different versions of Shakespearian plays, especially versions of Midsummer. Create a collection of images as a class.

Compare the costumes. Are there similarities, differences?

Do the various costumes evoke different responses?

How do you perceive the same character dressed in distinctive costumes?

Have each student choose a character from Midsummer. It would be helpful to familiarize students with the basics about each character, at minimum knowing the essential characteristics and personalities. Have them choose a time period. If it’s helpful, you can offer a selection of time periods for them to choose from (1940s, 1960s, 1980s, present day, 2100s). They could get even more specific, choosing a specific location or context.

Students can create a costume that fits the personality of the character, but also fits into the time period they’ve chosen. Students should represent their costume visually, but can also describe it, including their motives for their choices. Have students share their ideas and images, observing similarities and differences between their original creations.

A Woman’s Role

in Elizabethan

Marriage

One of the prominent themes in Midsummer is marriage and romantic relationships. In the time Shakespeare was writing, women traditionally had a subservient role in relationships, beginning with

expected obedience to the family patriarch, which then transferred to obedience to their husbands. Women were considered property who transferred ownership on her wedding day, and because people valued purity, women were expected to remain chaste until this transfer of property occurred. After marriage, a woman was valued for her loyalty to her husband. Women were expected to be demure, compliant, and submissive. Marriage was a transaction, often sought out to improve a family’s status, so love and affection were considered secondary, if at all.

So, while Shakespeare is known for writing some very dynamic and powerful female characters (Beatrice, Lady Macbeth, Viola, Rosalind), many of the conventions of Elizabethan marriage still rear their head in his writing. Additionally, it’s important to remember that just because a female character complies with the virtues above, does not make her weak. In many cases, she is a victim of societal expectations, and demonstrates her strengths and opinions within an imbalanced societal structure. Additionally, the same characters listed above as pillars of female power, are also susceptible to the expectations society places on them; it’s often their questioning or clever subversions that establishes their power.

Questions to Explore Further:

How does Hermia submit to the expectations above? How does she subvert these expectations? How do these expectations impact her relationships with others?

What other moments show a disregard for women’s opinions?

Do you think there are instances in today’s society where people are treated as objects and not individuals? Are there counter movements working against this contemporary injustice?

*Chart from

National Players

Toolkit

William Shakespeare is certainly the most famous playwright of the English-speaking

world and perhaps he is the most famous writer period. Despite this distinction, we

actually know very little about his life. Here’s what we do know:

Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town in England, on April

23, 1564. Records from the Holy Trinity Church show that he was baptized there on

April 26th of the same year. His parents’ names were John Shakespeare and Mary

Arden. John was a glover and leather merchant.

Cut to eighteen years later… An 18-year old Shakespeare marries 26-year old,

pregnant, Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582. In May of the following year, Anne

gives birth to their first daughter, named Susanna. A few years later (1585), the couple

has twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet dies at the age of 11 on August 11, 1596.

The next record we have of Shakespeare and his whereabouts is seven years later (1592) when he

turns up in London. By 1594, Shakespeare has become an actor with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men

(later called The King’s Men) and he is also writing for the group. Other members of the popular

acting troupe are Will Kempe, a master comedian, and Richard Burbage, who has built a

reputation as a leading tragic actor. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men find support from the royalty

and are made very popular by the theatre-going public.

In the mid-1590’s, the Plague forces theaters to close their doors in London. Shakespeare and the

rest of the troupe spend this time making plans for the Globe Theater which is to be located just

across the River Thames from London proper. The Globe opens its doors in 1599.

During Shakespeare’ s time in London, Queen Elizabeth I reigned and the theatre scene was

thriving. The Globe Theater attracted theatre-goers from all walks of life and The Lord

Chamberlain’s Men became one of the most popular attractions in the city. Shakespeare became a

successful actor and writer. It is believed by many that Shakespeare died on his birthday in 1616

at the age of 52. He had published at least 37 plays and 154 sonnets as well as numerous lyric

poems. His plays covered a number of subjects and styles including comedies, tragedies,

romances, and historical plays. His work was extremely popular in his day and now over 400 years

later, he still reigns supreme as the most produced playwright in the world.

Reflection

Questions

Why do you think

Shakespeare’s style

and body of work still

seem relevant to

today’s audiences?

What is it about

the themes, ideas, or

style that still feels

current and exciting

today?

Puck: the Shakespearean Trickster

Puck, our master of mischief, creator of clever chaos, is

played in the performance by Marion Grey. Here she

reflects on her interpretation of Puck:

“My Puck is a girl. It can very much make a difference

depending on each production’s approach. When I am

Puck her gender is not the focus; it is more about her

desire to be delighted (which is a universal characteristic

quality regardless of gender). Our version is focusing a lot

on women and faithfulness. For Puck, we are asking, what

does that mean for her to be a girl? Traditionally, it’s not

a great play for women speaking out, because the men

have such a dominant voice. We are finding strength and

qualities in all the women, both the fairies and the

humans. Her biggest strength is she is so self-assured and

confident and knowing of who she is in herself. Her

biggest weakness may be that she gets so caught up in

being entertained that she may not allow herself to

empathize.

A lot of people see Puck as being a trickster and being

mischievous, and she is all of that, but she is very true to

herself. She likes to have fun, and there may be expenses

to be paid for that fun, but it always works out in the

end.”

Imagine your own Puck:

In various productions of Midsummer, Puck has been

played by men, women, and children. The character has

an amorphous identity, that allows for a lot of freedom in

how directors and actors approach Puck.

Create small groups of students; each group will

create their own interpretation of Puck.

Have groups find quotes that they feel are essential

to Puck’s character that will inform their Pucks!

Students can also look at different portrayals of Puck

in various productions.

Students will create their own character sketch of

Puck. Have them address the following items: gender,

age, appearance/costume, personality, morality/

honesty, intentions/motivations, and any other

aspects they feel poignant.

Have groups share their sketches, observing

differences, similarities, and interesting choices.

Play with Shakespearean Language

Fill in the Shakespearean Blanks:

Ask for 2-4 volunteers. Give all but one of the students a

short scene from Midsummer. The students with the

scene will read lines directly from the text. The student

without the text will have to improvise the missing pieces

of the scene. As much as they can, have them attempt to

respond using as much Shakespearean language as they

can (Thous/Thees/Thines, similes and metaphors,

detailed and flowery descriptive language). They should

try to make their responses make sense when spoken

with the actual Shakespearean text.

Life is but a Dream

Dreams are an integral piece of the plot and action of

Midsummer. Is the whole play a dream? Dreams warp the

reality of the characters, and Puck invites us all to be a

part of this whimsical dream world. Discuss as a group

the dream worlds presented in the play. Then, explore

creating your own dream worlds.

Have students imagine their dream world, a new

society with rules created by them.

What elements from our current society would they

like to keep? What would they change?

Would there be rules in this world? What would they

be?

If they were part of this world, how do they imagine

they would transform from who they are to who they

would want to be in this world?

Students could write a story from the perspective of

their transformed selves about life in this newly

imagined world.

Share excerpts as a class and discuss the worlds

imagined. Are there commonalities? Or are the

worlds created vastly different?

The Art Form: Theater

What is theater? Webster’s dictionary says, “a dramatic performance.” Drama is any kind of performance that

presents tells a story through character, action, and dialogue. Some say that theater portrays life—either as it is or

as it might be. But one of the things that makes theater different from real life is that things can happen in theater

that cannot happen in real life—in other words, things that appear to be magical. Mythical creatures of all kinds

appear in the dramatic performances of cultures around the world.

It is believed that people have been acting out stories forever. In all cultures around the world people performed

for each other by acting out stories they knew by heart because they’d heard them or seen them acted out by

others, or because the event happened to them. It wasn’t until about 2,500 years ago (500 B.C.E.) that some Greek

playwrights wrote down the conversations they wanted others to say. These are believed to be the first written

plays and mark the beginning of the western theater as we think of it today.

READ & EXPLORE: Click here for a more in-depth description of theater history and language and terminology.

WORDS COME ALIVE: Arts Integration Activities Providing the opportunity to actively explore the world of the show helps students become more engaged and

connected audience members, thinking about artists’ choices and approaching the performance with enhanced

curiosity. For more information about our arts integration activities, click here, call 652-4548, or email

schoolprograms@flynncenter.org.

Junior Show Choir: “The Lion King” Flynn Youth Theater Company, “Into the Woods”

Echo: Motivation & Intention

Characters are always trying to accomplish something,

which actors call their “motivation” or “intention.” Each

action performed on stage is influenced by emotional or

logical will, an internal force that creates the impetus for

a physical action. For example, an actor might walk to a

table in the room (the action), because they need to find

a phone number (logical) or because they are

overwhelmed and need to sit and reflect (emotional). If

the actor just walked to the table without any intention,

the action will appear random and nonsensical, less-

convincing. But when actions are informed by logical

and emotional motivations, the performances feel

richer, deeper, and more authentic.

Invite students to stand in a circle. Direct a student to

read one of the following lines of text, without first

giving them a motivation, and have the other students

“echo” back their tone of voice.

“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” (Puck)

“My heart is true as steel.” (Hermia)

“And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep

little company together nowadays.” (Bottom)

Ask students to describe the line’s meaning, and see if

they generally assume that the line has a specific

intent. Then ask students to try the line again, with

different motivations (Ideas: To threaten. To calm. To

hurt. To woo. To annoy. To earn respect. To prove your

worth.) Again, have the class “echo” back the new

interpretation. Encourage more volunteers to say the

line with many motivations. Repeat this process several

times before moving on to another line.

Talk with students about the way that a play’s written

text is a basic map, and that actors and directors can

really vary the meaning of a line, a scene, or a play, by

making different decisions about a character’s

intentions. In this way, a theme can be highlighted or

minimized; an audience’s sympathies can be pulled to

different characters, etc.

Ask students: If you were an actor preparing to play

one of the roles above, what is the overarching

motivation you might incorporate into your

performance? Why?

Remind students to listen for these lines in the show

and compare the interpretations with their own.

The Flynn Center

The Flynn has been at the center of Vermont's cultural

landscape for over 80 years—from its earliest days as a

vaudeville house through five decades as a movie theater to its

present life as the region's leading performance center and

arts education organization. Today, the Flynn Center for the

Performing Arts is recognized internationally for its significant

artistic, educational, and community outreach activities;

superb technical capacity; beautiful historic setting; and world-

class presentations. At the Flynn, we celebrate a rich legacy of

connecting our community with the arts. The Flynn is

recognized for its stellar artistic programming in theater, dance, and music; and for educational programs

that reach far into the community to advance teaching and learning. For more about the Flynn, click here.

DISCUSS BEING A

MINDFUL AUDIENCE

MEMBER:

How is going to see a live

theatre performance

different from seeing a

movie, going to a

concert, or watching TV?

In small groups, come up

with a list of positive

audience behaviors, and

behaviors that would be

disruptive to performers

and other audience

members. Come

together and create a

master list.

Etiquette for Live Performances

The Essentials

Listen, experience, imagine, discover, learn!

Give your energy and attention to the performers.

At the end of the show, clap for the performers’ time and energy.

Eating, drinking, and chewing gum are not okay.

Talk only before and after the performance.

Turn off wireless devices. No photos, videos, texting, or listening to music.

Why is Etiquette Important?

A good live performance is a powerful communication

between audience and performer. The more the audience

gives to the performer, the more the performer can give

back to the audience. The performer hears the audience

laughing, senses its sympathy, and delights in the

enthusiasm of its applause. Furthermore, each audience

member affects those sitting near him or her, in addition to

the performers onstage. Technological devices (cameras,

phones, etc.) have become so prevalent in our daily lives,

but using these devices is distracting to the performers

onstage and other audience members trying to watch the

show. Even the light from checking the time, or the buzz of a phone on vibrate can pull

the people around you out of the experience. Cell phone frequencies can even interfere

with the microphones in the production, and taking photos can be unsafe for performers.

Additionally, an artist has the right to decide what photos and videos go out into the

world. Phones keep you from being present and fully engaged with the show. Thank you

for turning devices completely off!

We can’t wait to see you at the theater!

Teachers, a few reminders:

Fill out the Seating and Travel Survey, so we can best accommodate your group’s needs in regards to dismissal,

bussing, students with different needs, etc.

Share your experience with us! Use the feedback links, or share your students’ artwork, writing,

responses. We love to hear how experiences at the Flynn impact our audiences.

Explore other student matinees at the Flynn this season. We’ve still got seats in some shows and we’d love to

help you or other teachers at your school enliven learning with an engaging arts experience!

We have some new initiatives to deepen student connection and experience!

Pre or Post-Show Video Chats:

Help students build enthusiasm or process their experience with a free, 5-10

minute video chat before or after the show! We can set up Skype/Facetime/

Google Hangouts with your class to answer questions about the content, art

form, and experience. Contact Kat, kredniss@flynncenter.org to set up your

chat!

Autism and Sensory-Friendly Accommodations:

The Flynn Center has been working diligently to break down barriers for

audience members with disabilities, with a particular focus on those with sensory

-sensitivities. Social stories, break spaces, sensory friendly materials, and more

are available for all student matinees. Feel free to let us know ahead of time if

any of these would be useful, or ask an usher at the show!

Make your field trip the most meaningful learning experience it can be with a preparatory

Companion Workshop in your classroom!

An engaging Flynn Teaching Artist can come to your school to deepen students’ understanding of both content and form

with an interactive workshop, enriching kids’ matinee experiences. Funding support is often available. To learn more, check

out this link. To book a workshop, click here. Questions? Contact Sasha: schoolprograms@flynncenter.org or (802)652-

4508

Hello from

the Flynn!

National Players’ Suggestions on Being Watching a Shakespearean Performance

• Relax. You do not have to understand every word in Shakespeare’s lexicon to understand his plays. Instead, just try to grasp the gist of what each character is saying, and before long, the rhythm and sound of the language will feel second-nature.

• Watch the performers’ body language, gestures, and facial expressions. In terms of storytelling, body language is just as important as the text, and actors employ a variety of performance techniques to make their dialogue as clear as possible.

• Although he uses prose as well, Shakespeare often uses verse in his plays, a metrical form of poetry called iambic pentameter. This rhythm, which uses stressed and unstressed syllables, makes it easier to both understand and to learn Shakespeare. The rhythm guides the ear to the important parts of each phrase.