ovations offstage presents

A Study Guide for the School-Time Performance

Study guides are free and available online: http://portlandovations.org/offstage/study-guides.shtml

Thursday, October 3, 2013 • 11 am • 70 minute performanceMerrill Auditorium, Portland

Welcome to Portland Ovations

Each year since 1931, Portland Ovations has brought a dynamic season of exceptional

performing artists to Portland, Maine, including classical music, jazz, opera, dance, theater, and

Broadway.

Portland Ovations…

• believes that cultural enrichment should be accessible to all

• provides quality live performances and education experiences

• engages our community with integrity and compassion

• collaborates with other arts organizations, nonprofits, education systems and the

business sector to promote cultural enrichment and lifelong learning

• celebrates the power and virtuosity of the performing arts

• sustains a staff and board who are thoughtful, committed, enthusiastic and fiscally

responsible

In addition to live performances, we bring the exhilaration of the performing arts out into our

community with season-long educational and outreach programs called Ovations Offstage.

Ovations Offstage creates those magical resonating moments when artists and audiences

connect. Whether it’s an unexpected “art happening,” a workshop or masterclass with a

visiting artist, a lively community discussion, or a pre-performance lecture, Portland Ovations

invites you to join us as we explore together the relevance and connection of the performing

arts to our lives.

“Potted Potter” Study Guide

Portland Ovations presents highly acclaimed, innovative, and masterful artists from around

the world who represent a broad range of performing arts—quality performance for young

audiences is our primary concern in assembling our School-Time Performance series.

In this performance, Dan and Jeff have adapted J.K. Rowling’s seven books from her Harry

Potter series for the stage. They have added elements of movement, clowning, song, and

props to enhance the story.

This guide includes information Potted Potter; contextual background about the performance;

cultural and literary connections; suggested activities designed to engage and sustain your

students’ interest before, during, and after the show; as well as a number of resources to help

you extend your exploration. Also included are connections to Common Core State Standards.

Use of this guide will help your students to anticipate, investigate, and reflect upon your live

performance experience.

Please share your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions with us: offstage@portlandovations.org

POTTED POTTER – The Unauthorized Harry Experience –A Parody by Dan and Jeff

A 70 minute performance

Potted Potter takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books

(and a real life game of Quidditch) into seventy hilarious minutes. The show is created by

two-time Olivier Award-nominated actors Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, whose

phenomenal chemistry engages audiences of all ages.

DANIEL CLARKSON graduated from Bretton Hall in 2000 with a spring in his step and

a smile on his face. He is best known for being one half of the double act Dan and Jeff,

creators of both Potted Potter and Potted Pirates. Last year with Jeff, Dan had a fantastic

time presenting on CBBC, appearing on Blue Peter and TMI as well as getting his first ever

piece of fan mail! Other TV credits include Big Brother’s Little Brother, Where The Heart Is,

Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Film includes The Usual Children, The Guilty Hunter and

Finding Beckham. Theatre includes Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Little Shop of Horrors,

Art and Sketch Machine.

JEFF TURNER graduated from the University of Plymouth in 2002, and after three years of

various TIE, fringe and panto appearances he met and started working with Dan in 2005. In

the last five years, he has been an Ugly Sister, co-written and starred in Potted Potter and

Potted Pirates, appeared on Newsnight, Richard & Judy, and Big Brother’s Little Brother.

With Dan he has carved a successful children’s TV career, starting with regular appearances

on Blue Peter in 2005, and has since appeared on The Slammer and TMI, as well as being a

permanent resident of the CBBC office for over a year, starting in 2008.

Excerpted from www.pottedpotter.com and geeky-guide.com

Other Resources

Reduced Shakespeare Company

The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-man comedy troupe that takes long, serious

subjects and reduces them to short, sharp comedies. The company has created seven stage

shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots, and numerous radio pieces – all of

which have been performed, seen, and heard the world over.

http://www.reducedshakespeare.com

Online Resources

Quiz: Which Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat choose for you?

http://quizzes.familyeducation.com/book-lists/harry-potter/what-hogwarts-house-would-

the-sorting-hat-choose-for-you.html?detoured=1

Harry Potter Games

http://www.roundgames.com/onlinegame/Harry+Potter

Activities

Book Covers and Reviews

What are the most exciting/important parts of your favorite book? What pulls a reader in?

Summarizer Challenge – Summarize your favorite book into a half-page description. What are

the key elements of the story? Why should someone else read this book?

Post-Show

What are the main ideas that Jeff and Dan incorporate in the show? What did they omit?

Did this change the story? How/why?

Physical Theatre Activity: Portraits

Recreate a frozen scene from one of your favorite books. Include major characters and actions

without using any movement or words. In writing, describe the portrait- what is going on

in the scene and why is it important to the story? Have the class guess what story you have

created.

Ask:

Some parts of Harry Potter can be scary for readers. Is it okay to include scary things in books

if it gets kids to read?

Wizard Games

Broomstick Races

What you need: broomstick and sport cones or plastic cups

How to play: In two parallel straight lines place cones/cups 4 feet apart.

With the broomstick between their legs have the children weave

through line of cups (like an obstacle course) the one who crosses the

finish line first wins.

Catch the Snitch

What you need: Handheld net (butterfly or fish) and tennis balls

How to play: Kids try to catch the balls thrown into the air by an adult. The child who

catches the most balls wins.

Set the Mood

Get tableware in Gryffindor colors of red, yellow and black. Hang a Hogwarts banner on the

front door for another festive touch!

http://bangordailynews.com/2011/07/07/living/have-a-harry-potter-party/

If You Like the Harry Potter Series…

Other Authors and Titles

Tony Abbott’s The Secrets of Droon series, starting with The Hidden Stairs and the Magic

Carpet

The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander, starting with The Book of Three

Going Through the Gate by Janet S. Anderson

Several books by Avi, including Bright Shadow and Midnight Magic

The Myth-adventures series by Robert Asprin, which includes Myth Conceptions

Lynne Reid Banks’ Omri series, which includes The Indian in the Cupboard

The Thief of Always, a youth book by horror writer Clive Barker

The Lost Years of Merlin series by T.A. Barron, starting with The Lost Years of Merlin

The classic Oz books of L. Frank Baum, which start with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Two series by John Bellairs -- the Lewis Barnavelt series that begins with House With a Clock

in Its Walls and the Anthony Monday series, beginning with The Dark Secret of Weatherend

The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley

The Green Knowe series by Lucy Maria Boston, starting with The Children of Green Knowe

The Magic Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks, including Wizard at Large

Susan Butler’s The Hermit Thrush Sings

The Tales of Gom saga by Grace Chetwin, beginning with Gom on Windy Mountain

The Voyage of the Basset by James C. Christensen

The classic Tripods Trilogy (scifi) by John Christopher, starting with The White Mountains

The humorous Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, starting with Artemis Fowl

The popular new Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins, including Gregor the Overlander

Susan Cooper’s unforgettable Dark is Rising saga, starting with Over Sea, Under Stone

Bruce Coville’s Magic Shop series, beginning with The Monster’s Ring

The Secret World of Polly Flint by Helen Cresswell

Nearly anything by Roald Dahl, but especially The Witches, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate

Factory or The Magic Finger

Diane Duane’s popular Wizardry series, beginning with So You Want to be a Wizard?

Edward Eager’s Magic series, starting with Half Magic

The Dragon Chronicles by Susan Fletcher, including Dragon’s Milk

The Books of Magic, a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman

The Pure Dead series by Debi Gliori, starting with Pure Dead Magic

Odo Hirsch’ Bartlett series, starting with Bartlett and the Ice Voyage

The Liveship Traders trilogy, by Robin Hobb, beginning with Ship of Magic

Eva Ittobson’s The Secret of Platform 13

The hugely popular Redwall series by Brian Jacques, starting with Redwall

Most of the works of Diana Wynne Jones, including the Christomanci series, starting with

Charmed Life, Howl’s Moving Castle, and the Mr. Chesney series, exemplified by The Dark Lord

of Derkholm

The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster

Other Authors and Titles, Cont.

Ursula Leguin’s classic Earthsea series, starting with A Wizard of Earthsea

Madeleine L’Engle’s wonderful Time Quartet, starting with A Wrinkle in Time

The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, beginning with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Tomorrow’s Wizard by Patricia Maclachlan

Patricia McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld

The Danar series by Robin McKinley, starting with The Blue Sword

The Saga of Recluce, by L.E. Modesitt, beginning with The Magic of Recluce

Edith Nesbit’s Five Children series – a personal favorite of Potter author J.K. Rowling –

including The Five Children and It

William Nicholson’s The Wind on Fire series, starting with The Wind Singer

The Magician series by Jenny Nimmo, starting with The Snow Spider

Most of the novels by Garth Nix, including those in his Seventh Tower series, which begins with

The Fall

Bed-Knob and Boomstick by Mary Norton

The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O’Shea

Mervyn Peake’s exotic Gormenghast trilogy, starting with Titus Groan

The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce, which begins with Sandry’s Book; also, most

anything else by this author

Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials saga, beginning with The Golden Compass

Under the Cat’s Eye: A Tale of Morph and Mystery by Gillian Rubinstein

The juvenile, yet amusing, Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka, starting with Knights of the

Kitchen Table

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, another of J.K. Rowling’s personal favorites

The Wren series by Sherwood Smith, starting with Wren to the Rescue

A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket, starting with The Bad Beginning

The Unicorns of Balinor series, by Mary Stanton, beginning with The Road to Balinor

The legendary books of Middle Earth, by J.R.R. Tolkien, including the prequel to the Lord of

the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit

The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, starting with The Thief

The Castle in the Attic series by Elizabeth Winthrop, starting with The Castle in the Attic

Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles, beginning with Dealing With Dragons

The Grand Conspiracy by Janny Wurts

The Shimmer and Thorn series by Laurence Yep, starting with Dragon of the Lost Sea

Most of the novels of Jane Yolen, including Wizard’s Hall

A Plague of Sorcerers by Mary Frances Zambreno

Study Guide Connections to Common Core Standards

This guide offers activities for students at multiple grade levels.

For more information about Common Core Standards:

Maine Department of Education Learning Standards and Goals,

http://www.maine.gov/education/standards.htm

Maine Department of Education Common Core State Standards,

http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/commoncore/index.html

Common Core State Standards Initiative, http://www.corestandards.org/

Maine Department of Education Learning Results Visual and Performing Arts,

http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/vpa/index.html

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Audience

Audience members play a special and important role in the performance. The performers

are very aware of the audience while they perform and each performance calls for different

audience responses. Lively bands, musicians and dancers may desire audience members to

clap and move to the beat. Other performers require silent focus on the stage and will want an

audience to applaud only when they have completed a portion of their performance. As you

enjoy the show, think about being a part of the performance..

• What are the differences between attending a live performance and going to a

movie or watching television?

• What are some different types of live performances? Name a few as a class.

• What kind of responses might an audience give in each circumstance?

• What are the different cues that a performer will give you so that you know how to

respond? For example, might they bow or pause for applause?

Also, remember that a theater is designed to magnify sound and even the smallest whispers

or paper rustling can be heard throughout the auditorium. You are part of a community of

audience members and you all work together to create your theater experience.

Acknowledgements

Portland Ovations Offstage is grateful to Lincoln City Libraries, Bangor Daily News,

PottedPotter.com and GeekyGuide.com for use of their educational materials in compiling

this resource.

Portland Ovations Offstage is made possible in part with support from Gorham Savings

Bank, New England Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, The Maine

Arts Commission, Macy’s, TD Bank, Unum, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Sam L. Cohen

Foundation, and Portland Ovations’ Endowment and its members.

S A V I N G S B A N K