A Study Guide for Students and Educators

Music by Chris Miller

Lyrics by Nathan Tysen

Book by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle

Adapted from the novel by Natalie Babbitt

Study Guide materials compiled by Tracy Ann Evans

Student Matinee Program underwritten by:

Short Synopsis

This story is a fantasy about a family named Tuck who accidentally stumble upon a spring in a

wood, which has the ability to give eternal life. They don’t realize at first what they have drunk

until they realize that their bodies are not aging and they cannot be hurt or harmed in any way.

They travel quietly around the countryside; never staying in one place too long so that people

will not realize their secret. Into this family comes Winnie Foster, a little girl in search of

freedom. She learns their secret and falls in love with them so deeply that she will do anything to

protect them. The family and Winnie then must face a villain who would steal their secret for

himself.

Adapted from TheBestNotes.com

Full Synopsis

Act One The show opens in Treegap, New Hampshire, where the various characters name what they want

most in the world: Winnie Foster, to go to the fair; Mae Tuck, to see her sons again; Jesse Tuck,

to take in the familiar sights of Treegap; Miles Tuck, to be unstuck in time; and the Man in the

Yellow Suit, to "learn the secret" of Treegap Wood and become immortal ("Live Like This").

Winnie goes into her house, where she spends most of her time with Mother and her

grandmother now that her father has died. She wishes for a life bigger than their living room and

wants to explore Treegap Wood ("Good Girl, Winnie Foster"). After running outside once again,

Winnie encounters a parade led by the Man in the Yellow Suit that leads to the fair ("Join the

Parade"). Desperate to see the fair, Winnie Foster opens the gate and runs into the Wood after the

faint sound of a music box ("Good Girl, Winnie Foster (Reprise)").

Alliance Theatre 2015

There she meets Jesse Tuck, who drinks from the spring. To keep her from doing the same, Jesse

offers to show her the "Top of the World" as seen from the trees. After, he and Miles kidnap

Winnie and bring her back to the Tucks' house to keep her from revealing their secret. Back at

the Foster home, Mother has called on Constable Joe and his son Hugo to search for Winnie

("Hugo's First Case, Parts 1 and 2"). The Tucks, across the wood from the Fosters, tell Winnie

"The Story of the Tucks" and how they have become immortal by drinking the water in Treegap

Wood.

Winnie stays the night with the Tucks and, while finding clothes for Winnie to wear, Mae tells

the story of "The Most Beautiful Day" when Angus proposed. Winnie decides that staying in

"The Attic" is its own kind of adventure, but decides to sneak out with Jesse to "Join the Parade

(Reprise)."

At the fair, Winnie and Jesse play games and decide to become friends that travel the world

together ("Partner in Crime"). They leave the fair and sit on top of the Treegap water tower,

where Jesse convinces Winnie to drink the water when she turns "Seventeen" so they can be

married. The Man in the Yellow Suit overhears Jesse's speech and decides to follow the Tucks to

get to the enchanted water.

Act Two The Man in the Yellow Suit celebrates his victory with those from the traveling fair

("Everything's Golden"). Back at the Tucks' house, Winnie contemplates Jesse's proposal

("Seventeen (Reprise)"). The Tucks discover that Jesse has asked Winnie to drink the water and

become angry with him. Winnie talks to Miles about his son Thomas, whom Mae mentioned

earlier, and Miles shares how he has not seen Thomas in eighty years ("Time"). The Tucks then

lament what it means to be stuck in time forever, and aim to live more fully in the coming years

("Time (Reprise)").

The Man in the Yellow Suit visits the Fosters and convinces Mother to give Treegap Wood to

him if he can safely bring Winnie home ("Everything's Golden (Reprise)"). Constable Joe and

Hugo see the Man leaving the Foster home, and remark that "You Can't Trust a Man" dressed in

yellow.

Alliance Theatre 2015

Angus takes Winnie fishing and attempts to convince her to live a mortal life instead of drinking

the water with Jesse ("The Wheel"). Miles approaches and tells them that Jesse has gone without

saying goodbye, and Winnie says they can find him at the spring in Treegap Wood. There, Jesse

encounters the Man in the Yellow Suit who tells him of his long journey to find the spring and

forces Jesse to take him there ("The Story of the Man in the Yellow Suit"). The Tucks and

Winnie find Jesse, and the Man in the Yellow Suit offers to make them partners in his water-

selling business. After the Man takes Winnie hostage, Jesse offers him a vial of water in

exchange for her; before he can drink it, however, Mae hits him on the head with a rifle and kills

him instantly. When Constable Joe and Hugo arrive, Winnie tells them that she killed the Man in

the Yellow Suit when he tried to pull a knife on her and Jesse.

Close to being exposed, the Tucks leave town on the advice of Constable Joe. They say goodbye

to Winnie and offer her their music box, thanking her for reminding them that there is "still

something to live for." Jesse says he will leave instructions on how to find him and leaves her

with a vial of water from the spring. Winnie contemplates drinking the water and what it means

to be "Everlasting," but ultimately decides to live out her mortal life and pours the water on a

toad instead.

Through a ballet sequence, the ensemble shows the remainder of Winnie's life: she marries Hugo

and has a son, while her grandmother, Constable Joe, and Mother pass away one by one. Before

she dies, Winnie opens the Tucks' music box and dances one last time at the gate of the Foster

home as she did when she was young.

The Tucks return to Treegap after Winnie has died and discover her grave, which is dedicated to

a "cherished wife, devoted mother, and dearest grandmother." They celebrate the fact that she

lived a full life and encounter the toad Winnie made immortal with the water from the spring

("The Wheel (Reprise)").

Wikipedia

Characters

Winnie Foster - Winnie is a ten-year-old girl who as an only child is overly protected and stifled

with rules. She desperately wants to run away from this and her decision to leave her yard and go

into the Wood sets into motion the plot of the story.

Mae Tuck - The mother of the Tuck family, Mae is very kind and compassionate. She is also

quite untidy in her housekeeping, but a loving wife and mother nonetheless.

Angus Tuck - He is the father of the Tuck family and though outwardly gruff, he makes Winnie

somehow love him the most of the entire family. He is very wise about drinking from the spring

or telling anyone their secret.

Miles Tuck - He is the oldest Tuck child and appears to be about twenty-one or twenty-two

years old. When he and Jesse leave home to seek a life away from their parents, he seems more

responsible, holding such jobs as carpentry and blacksmithing.

Jesse Tuck - He is the youngest son of the Tuck family and stopped aging at 17. He is a free

spirit who does what strikes him at the moment. He is quite handsome and he and Winnie fall in

love.

The Man in the Yellow Suit - He is the villain of the story, a strange man who wears unusual

clothing and is looking to find the spring, which will give him eternal life and make him a lot of

money.

Winnie’s Mother and Grandmother - They are overly protective of Winnie and stifle her

desire to grow and change. However, they recognize the change that takes place in her after her

experiences with the Tucks and support and love her even more. They also give her the space to

grow that she needs.

Adapted from TheBestNotes.com

Protagonists

The protagonist of a story is the main character who traditionally undergoes some sort of change.

He or she must usually overcome some opposing force. The protagonist is Winnie Foster who is

only ten years old. She is at the stage of life where she is beginning to stretch her wings and look

to the world outside her home. However, because she is an only child, her parents are reluctant to

let her go, which only makes Winnie more determined to do so. She learns all about the great

circle of life the Tucks take her home, and she also learns about friendship and love.

The Tucks are also the protagonists, because they are the ones who teach both Winnie and the

reader about the value of following the cycles that life presents and never telling the secret of the

spring. They are simple people, but they understand what life is really all about.

Antagonists

The antagonist of a story is the force that provides an obstacle for the protagonist. The antagonist

does not always have to be a single character or even a character at all. The antagonist is the Man

in the Yellow Suit who wants the secret of the spring so badly that he would cheat, lie, steal and

maybe even kill to get it.

Broadway 2016 - photo credit Joan Marais

Another Antagonist is the human desire to live forever no matter what the consequences. The

temptation to drink from the spring is so great that anyone who knows about it would do so

without a thought for what they might face in a life that never ends.

Adapted from TheBestNotes.com

Natalie Babbitt Author (1932-2016)

Natalie Babbitt was born on July 28, 1932 in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up

there. She said in an interview that she learned from the forays her

husband and sister made into writing that it wasn’t something you would

want to pursue if you didn’t like being alone, didn’t like editing and

revision, and if you couldn’t give it your full attention. It took her many

years to learn this, but eventually she would come to write many books for

young readers. Her first project was a collaboration with her husband on The Forty-Ninth

Magician, and she wrote thirteen more including Tuck Everlasting in 1975 and her most recent

novel Ouch! in 1998. She has been judged as a writer with the feel for the perfect word and

irreverent humor.

Adapted from TheBestNotes.com

Claudia Shear Playwright (1962-present)

Claudia Shear is an award-winning playwright and actress. Her theatre

credits include Dirty Blonde, The Smell of the Kill, Blown Sideways

through Life, End the Day, and Who’s the Daddy? Her film and television

credits include Earthly Possessions, Blown Sideways through Life, Living

Out Loud, It Could Happen to You, and Friends. She writes for various

magazines and news-papers and is a member of the Sundance

Screenwriters Lab and The Dramatists Guild.

Chris Miller Nathan Tysen

Composer (1975-present) Lyricist (1977-present)

Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen have written the award-winning

musicals The Burnt Part Boys, Fugitive Songs, and The Mysteries of

Harris Burdick. Their television work includes writing songs for

Sesame Street (2012 Daytime Emmy winner), Elmo’s World, and The

Electric Company. Their collaboration began at NYU while working

on their MFA degrees in musical theatre.

Production history and early reviews

Tuck Everlasting was originally slated to make its world premiere at the Colonial Theatre in

Boston, Massachusetts, from July 28 to August 28, 2013. However, the premiere was cancelled

because of “a lack of theatre availability for its planned

subsequent production in New York.” It subsequently

made its world premiere at the Alliance Theater in

Atlanta, Georgia. The production ran from January 21 to

February 22, 2015.

In its review of the Atlanta production, the New York

Times said "Indeed, the most dazzling passage is

probably the culminating ballet, wordlessly conveying

the circle of life, as it were, without benefit of spectacular

puppetry and a familiar pop song. It had the woman next

to me repeatedly wiping away tears, and I understood

how she felt." Variety said "Despite its existentialism-lite sweep, this is an intimate family story

of love, loss and the purpose and power of storytelling in the American folk tradition of Twain

and Wilder."

The musical began its Broadway previews on March 31, 2016 at the Broadhurst Theatre with

opening night on April 26, 2016. The production closed on May 29, 2016 after 28 previews and

39 regular performances.

Wikipedia

Broadway creative team w/ Natalie Babbitt

Broadway 2016 - photo credit Joan Marais

Vocabulary used in the play

Bacchanalia - The Bacchanalia were Roman festivals of Bacchus, the Greco-Roman god of

wine, freedom, intoxication and ecstasy... Like all mystery cults, the Bacchanalia were held in

strict privacy, and initiates were bound to secrecy; what little is known of the cult and its rites

derives from Greek and Roman literature, plays, statuary and paintings.

Chicago World Fair - 1893, to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in

the New World. The play mentions “They built a whole city, you know, all white, spread out,”

which refers to White City, what they called the architecture constructed for the World Fair in

Chicago. They used white stucco on the outside of the classically inspired buildings, which stuck

out as incredibly bright in comparison with all the tenement buildings around them

Dray horse - A horse adapted for drawing heavy loads; also used for

plowing, hauling, and other heavy labor. It’s essentially a work horse.

Gatka - A traditional South Asian form of combat training where wooden

sticks are used to simulate swords in sparring matches.

Habeas Corpus - A writ, also known as the great writ that is a summons

that brings a prisoner and a custodian before a court to determine whether

the custodian has lawful authority to detain a prisoner.

High Buttoned Shoes - A Victorian fashion in the mid to late

1800s--Boots that are made out of a combination of leather and

fabric with a long row of buttons going up the ankle.

Jujitsu - Japanese martial art and method of close combat for

defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses a

short weapon or no weapon at all. It was developed originally by

the samurai of feudal Japan.

Midas Touch - Reference from Greek mythology of King Midas,

who had the ability to turn everything he touched with his hand to gold.

Music Boxes - developed in the 19th

century, and interestingly were

originally powered by clockwork and were made by watchmakers. You

have to turn them with a key the same way you do to an old clock.

Silo - A structure frequently used on farms for storing materials in

bulk. In agriculture especially, they’re used to store grain or a type of

fermented seed known as silage.

Termagant - An imaginary deity of violet or turbulent behavior who

frequently appeared in morality plays. The word is also used in

reference to an overbearing woman.

Dray horse

High Buttoned Shoes

Music Box

Ursa Major - Latin for “larger bear”; a

constellation best seen in the month of April that is

dominated by an asterism known as the Big Dipper

in the United States and the Plough in the United

Kingdom. (An asterism is a pattern of stars

recognized in the sky; an asterism is sometimes a

complete constellation, but in the case of Ursa

Major, it is only part of the complete constellation.)

Yokels - An uneducated and unsophisticated person

from the countryside; synonym of words such as

“bumpkin”, “hayseed”, and “redneck”.

You can lead a horse to water...but you can’t make him drink

Adapted from Alliance Theatre Company’s Tuck Everlasting Study Guide

Themes

The great circle of life and how we may be bound by its dictums, but it is for our own good

- The most important theme of the novel involves the great circle of life and how we may be

bound by its dictums, but it is for our own good. The author seems to be speaking about how

death is just as much an integral part of life as living is. We are meant to be born, live, hopefully,

a good life, and then die. To disrupt that cycle would have

devastating consequences to our world. This is the ultimate

lesson that Winnie learns, as shown by her decision to not drink

from the spring.

Change / Metamorphosis - The theme of change or

metamorphosis is also an important idea. The author especially

emphasizes this when she chooses the Toad as Winnie’s first

friend. He represents through the cycles a toad experiences in

its life the change we humans, too, must experience. We are

meant to grow up, do something valuable without lives and

eventually die. This allows the world to progress and change as

well. Drinking from the spring stifles change and growth and so

Winnie chooses to live out her life, changing and growing

through every stage.

Greed - The character of the Man in the Yellow Suit represents

the theme of greed. He is never given a name, because he represents us all when we allow

selfishness and greed to control out actions. His wearing a yellow suit is symbolic of cowardice.

He is not a brave, upstanding individual. He's a coward and a bully who uses the Fosters and the

Tucks to achieve his own ends. His violent death symbolizes how greed leads only to misfortune.

Ursa Major

Do the right thing, even if it is unpopular - The theme of the ability to understand what is the

right thing to do and to act upon it even if it is not the popular choice. Winnie knew she had to

help Mae escape the prison, because it was the right thing to do even though she could get into

terrible trouble and the Tucks could be hurt. This has an important impact on the lesson the

author wants to teach - we owe it to be kind and generous to our fellow human beings.

Moral Judgement / Values - The theme of moral judgment can also be seen in the decisions the

Tucks have made all these years that they have been immortal and especially Mae’s decision to

take another life to save humanity from the consequences of eternal life. Then, Winnie must use

her moral judgment to break Mae out of prison even though it makes her an accessory to a crime.

All of these characters are forced into decisions, which on the surface seem morally wrong, but

underneath are the only decisions they could make.

Love - The last important theme is that of love. Winnie came to love the Tucks and through her

experiences with them, she came to understand some very important ideas about life. In turn, she

came to appreciate and love her parents and her Grandmother even more, because she

understood why they treated her as they. Love also makes her parents realize that Winnie needs

space, too, and that she is a very brave and wonderful little girl.

Mood

Overall, the mood is one of the triumph of the human spirit. Despite

several setbacks, the Tucks are saved and Winnie goes home a better

person. There are moments of darkness when the Man in the Yellow

Suit makes threatening demands on the Fosters and the Tucks, but the

desire of the Tucks to save the world from the consequences of eternal

life eliminate the darkness the Man brings with him.

Symbolism, Imagery and Motifs

Other elements that are present in this novel are symbols and

metaphors. Symbols are the use of some unrelated idea to represent

something else. Metaphors are direct comparisons made between

characters and ideas. There are many symbols and metaphors used by the author such as:

1. “That would have been a disaster that would have made the earth tremble on its axis like a

beetle on a pin.” This comment compares the discovery of the spring by everyone to the

destruction of the earth.

2. The toad is a symbol of metamorphosis or change.

3. The music box symbolizes happiness and a touch of fantasy. It is also the tie that binds these

characters together.

Broadway 2016 -

photo credit Joan Marais

4. The spring was something left over from the original plan for the world, some plan that didn’t

work out too well, a plan that caused everything to change. In this essence the spring symbolizes

the failure of God’s creation of Eden.

5. Angus makes Winnie feel like an unexpected present wrapped in pretty blue paper and tied

with ribbons. This is a metaphor.

6. Angus was looking down at the Man almost enviously, like a starving man looking through

the window at a banquet. This metaphor of death to a banquet for a starving man reveals how

much Angus wishes he could die, too.

7. Winnie’s little rocking chair symbolizes comfort and safety.

8. The hub of the wheel is a constant that must never be broken or the world won’t work.

Motifs

Another element found in this book is a motif. A motif is a recurring thematic element in the

development of an artistic or literary work. There are some motifs in Tuck Everlasting as

follows:

1. The most important motif is the idea of the wheel and the hub. The wheel, or the Ferris wheel,

represents life and death as well as the turning of each year with the month of August at the apex.

The spring is its opposite and represents danger to life on earth. For Winnie, it is the only choice

she feels she has while to the Tucks, the wheel has bumped them off, doomed them to live

forever like rocks along the side of the road.

2. Another motif is that of fantasy. There are fantastic elements in the tale that make it seem

impossible: the spring, the music box, the strange Man in the Yellow Suit who has no name, and

the wood.

3. There is also the motif of bars, gates, and fences. Winnie feels as much a prisoner of her front

yard as Mae will in the prison cell. This emphasizes the idea of change and growth and

independence as a part of life.

TheBestNotes.com

Suggested Topics for Discussion or Writing

Before the Play:

If you have read the book or seen the movie, what is your strongest memory of it?

If you have not and after reading this study guide, what do you think the play is about?

Do you believe in magic? Why or why not?

List three things all families should do or should have, and explain why.

After the Play:

Who was your favorite character? Why?

Do you think Winnie made the right decision?

Would you make the same decision?

If there's anything you could change about the storyline, what would it be?

How did the music affect the story, if at all?

Would you drink from the spring if given the chance? Why or why not?

From Alliance Theatre Company’s Tuck Everlasting Study Guide

Additional Online Resources

AllianceTheatre.org - Study guide created for the original production—It includes a historical

timeline of the play, background on New Hampshire, an overview of art and culture in the

1880’s, flora, fauna, and vocabulary in the play, background on the creative team, and artwork

and poetry from an 8th

grade student who helped compile the study guide

Broadway.com - April 5, 2013 Interview with Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen by Caroline

Slason

MillerandTysen.com - biographies, information on their five musicals, audio and videos of their

music, as well as sheet music of many songs

Pinterest.com - Sarah Charles Lewis, Broadway’s Winnie Foster, has created a page with many

photos

StageAgent.com - video of Broadway cast in rehearsal

TheBestNotes.com - May 9, 2017-"TheBestNotes on Tuck Everlasting" by Diane Clapsaddle.

Detailed analysis of the novel, literary elements, quotes, discussion or essay ideas, and study

questions (with a key)

TuckEverlastingmusical.com - series of videos from the Broadway production including

interviews with the cast and Director, clips and highlights from the play, as well as a peek

backstage and a visit from author Natalie Babbitt

Variety.com - two reviews by Frank Rizzo - Feb. 5, 2015 and April, 26, 2016

Theatre Etiquette

The audience plays an important part in the success of any theatrical performance.

Students who are used to watching television and DVDs at home and those who attend movies

and rock concerts are used to eating snacks, sharing comments out loud, getting in and out of

their seats, and moving around during a show. Please help your students understand that the rules

are different for a live theatre performance.

Please review the following theatre rules with your students prior to your visit:

Food, drinks, candy, and gum are not allowed in the theatre. Concessions will not be

open for the student matinees.

Electronic devices are not permitted in the theatre as they interfere with our sound

system. Please ask your students to leave cell phones, radios, pagers, IPods, etc. at home

or at school. Students seen with such equipment will be asked to leave them at the box

office for pick-up after the show.

Photography and both audio and video recording during a performance is strictly

prohibited. Students will be asked to leave cameras and recording devices at the box

office.

Please encourage them to be considerate to the actors and other members of the

audience. Talking, whispering, and excessive moving around in one’s seat is disruptive

to others. Encourage your students to laugh, clap, or cheer at appropriate times. Students

will be asked to leave if their behavior becomes too disruptive.

Please ask them to stay in their seats during the performance. Encourage them to use

the restrooms before or after the play. We plan to take a five-minute standing

intermission which will not allow enough time for them to leave the auditorium without

disrupting the performance. Students are not allowed to leave the building without adult

supervision.

Ask students not to throw anything onto the stage or into the audience.

Ask students to be respectful of the Hale Centre Theatre staff. They are available to

ensure that all audience members have the best possible experience at the Theatre. Please

report any disturbances or disruptive behavior you are unable to correct to a staff

member.

Please remember, your students are representing your school when on a field trip, and their

behavior is the responsibility of your school’s staff and volunteers. We expect your group’s

adults to sit among your students to help them be on their best behavior. The performers,

artists, technicians, and staff at Hale Centre Theatre work hard to create an educational and

entertaining experience for your students. With your help in following these guidelines, it will be

an enjoyable experience for all.