1

(Show Companion)

Resource Guide for Teachers & Students

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TADA! Youth Theater

p.1

Using the Show Companion

p. 1

Theater Etiquette Tips

p. 2

About Unsung & Heroes

p. 3

Interview with the director /

choreographers of Unsung

p. 4

Did You Know?

p. 5

Say What?

(Glossary of terms)

p. 6

Crossword Puzzle

p. 7-8

Guide Activities

p. 9-13

Theater Terms

p. 14

_______________________

P: 212-252-1619

F: 212-252-8763

education@tadatheater.com

www.tadatheater.com

Award-winning Musical

Theater Shows, Classes &

Camps.

Singing, Dancing & Acting

Since 1984!

For nearly three decades,

the Drama Desk Award-winning

TADA! Youth Theater has

afforded young people of all

backgrounds the opportunity to

explore and perform musical

theater together in an

educational, supportive and

professional environment.

TADA!’s mission is two-fold: 1) to

present high-quality musical

theater productions performed

by talented kids for family

audiences; and 2) to provide a

safe, creative, and nurturing

place where kids can harness

their inherent energy, build their

self-esteem, and realize their true

This Show Companion is a practical,

hands-on resource for teachers,

parents and kids that contains

background information related to

TADA!’s production and curriculum-

based exercises.

potential through the unique

collaborative art form that is musical

theater. Through TADA!’s high-quality

work, young people gain confidence

and learn commitment, responsibility,

communication and teamwork—skills

that are critical to their success in

both school and life.

TADA! focuses on four key program

areas: 1. The Resident Youth Ensemble: a

completely free pre-professional

training & youth development

program;

2. Original musicals professionally

produced for family audiences at

affordable prices;

3. Renowned in- & after-school arts

education residencies to enhance

curriculum & culture at schools and

community centers;

4. On-site theater classes & camps for

children ages 2 to 14, taught by

seasoned theater & teaching artists,

for which need-based scholarships

are provided.

The contents of this guide may be

explored before and after attending

Unsung & Heroes, which runs July 11 –

August 1, 2014.

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1. Laugh, cry, and sigh – but don’t talk. You hear the actors; they hear

you. Any reaction that comes from your experience of the play

supports the performance, but shouldn’t distract from it.

2. Please enjoy food and beverages in the lobby – not the theater – and

please put any garbage in the garbage cans before the show.

Note: Actors will hear if you’re unwrapping throat lozenges or hard

candy. Please do that before or after the show – not during the

performance. No gum is allowed in the theater.

3. Please silence all phones, tablets and anything else that might make

noise or light up during the show. Then, after the show, be sure to like

it, tweet it, post it and talk to your friends to tell them how much you

enjoyed it!

4. Please stay in your assigned seat.

5. Photographs (with or without flash – and even on your phones) as well

as the recording of the show in any way are not allowed. Recording

the show is distracting and potentially dangerous to the actors as well

as your fellow audience members. Additionally, recording is prohibited

to protect the artistic work that went into making the show.

Tips for Teachers and Group Leaders: Please arrive approximately 30 minutes early.

Assign one chaperone for every fifteen students and ask your

chaperones to disperse themselves amongst the student group to

help support best behavior.

We want to extend a sincere thank you to all teachers, parents, and

group leaders who bring their students to TADA! Youth Theater. We

greatly appreciate your supporting theater and arts education.

Show Companion / Page 3 of 18

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Unsung Choreography by Joanna & Ryan Greer

Songs by Jody Shelton

“A world premiere dance-theater piece about the

most daring thing for every kid: coming of age.”

Heroes A new musical based on the play by Tom Keegan &

Davidson Lloyd with book by Janine Nina Trevens

Music & lyrics by Tammy Holder Direction by Janine Nina Trevens

Choreography by Joanna Greer

Musical Direction by Tammy Holder & Adam Jones

“When the sun disappears, a group of kids learn what

it takes and what it means to be brave.”

Performed by

TADA!’s Resident Youth Ensemble

Recommended for audiences 3 and up

Set & Lighting Designer: Steve O’Shea

Costume Designer: Megan Turek

Production Stage Manager: Phoebe Duncan

Dates: July 11 – August 1, 2014

Running Time: approx. 60 min.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

JONATHAN – loner teenage boy who likes comic books

JJ – Dylan’s older sister

TODD – Kyla’s older brother

KYLA – Todd’s younger sister

DYLAN – JJ’s younger brother’s friend

GEORGIA – Paula’s best friend who loves boy bands

PAULA – Georgia’s best friend who loves boy bands

WOMAN OF GREAT MAGIC – older teenager

AQUAFINA – Vanna White-type character

GUARDIAN OF THE WATER – Game show host

4WONDERS OF WINTER (4WOW) – 4 member boy band

Comprised of Duke Lemmings, Cal Hood, Irving Ash and

Cliff Michaels

Musical Numbers for HEROES

OUR DAY IN THE SUN

I WANT THIS

WE CAN BE HEROES

JOURNEY SONG

THE GUARDIAN SONG

STAR YOU ARE

NO HERO

HEROES

SUNRISE

HEROES REPRISE

____________________________________

TADA! Here We Are

Music & Lyrics by Joel Gelpe

The Band

Piano – Adam Jones

Percussion – Ray Grappone

Bass Guitar – Reynaldo Nunez

Production Photos

2014 Heroes (left)

Unsung (right)

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Unsung is described as a dance-theater piece. What is dance-theater and can you explain what we

can expect when attending this performance?

Joanna Greer (JG): Dance Theater is a performance genre that combines the two forms. Usually there

is no plot; instead, specific situations, fears, revelations and human conflicts are presented. Audiences

are stimulated to follow a train of thought as well as the emotions the dancers express through their

bodies and spoken words. There is no singing.

Ryan Greer (RG): With Unsung, as choreographers, we went into the first rehearsal with the music by

Jody Shelton, the templates for how the dances would come to life, and the idea that we wanted the

kids in TADA!’s Resident Youth Ensemble to express their feelings about coming of age. We interviewed

each cast member in the piece, several questions on how they feel about growing up, and then we

cut and pasted, poeticized and collaged their responses into the script of the show. The whole

experience is an artistic collaboration on a theme.

Can you tell us how Unsung came to life?

JG: Nina Trevens, TADA!’s Executive and Artistic Director, commissioned me to create a world premiere

dance-theater piece to precede the musical, Heroes. I immediately thought about asking Ryan to

serve as co-choreographer.

RG: I was thrilled when I was asked to join the team for this world premiere piece. We immediately

knew that we wanted to construct an “exquisite corpse” around the coming-of-age theme, and use

the music by our friend and talented singer-songwriter, Jody Shelton. We knew the piece would remain

true to the theme and find itself when we combined the dance, the music, and the words written by

the Ensemble.

Unsung is a companion piece to TADA!’s summer show, Heroes. Is Unsung also based on Heroes?

RG: While Unsung is not based on Heroes directly, they share the same core value.

JG: Both shows are a celebration of the people who encourage and inspire us and the power to live

life to the fullest.

What are your roles and how did you collaborate to create Unsung?

JG: We are director/choreographers, which for Unsung means we provided the base concept and

created the dances together. RG: Additionally, we selected the music by Jody Shelton; cast the piece

with members of the Resident Youth Ensemble as well as guided them in their choices: writing & acting

the text, dancing the dances, and furthered our vision with designers to make the piece come to life.

What would you like us to know about your work and achievements with this world premiere piece?

JG: Unsung – and theater in general – is a true collaborative experience. This brand new piece is

possible because of the great effort, passion and creativity of every individual involved. RG: We are

proud to be responsible for imaging this sounding board for everyone to express their creativity.

Joanna Greer Ryan Greer

5

The Heroes Journey

TADA!’s musical, HEROES, is based on the play by Tom Keegan and Davidson Lloyd. The musical’s book,

written by Janine Nina Trevens with music/lyrics by Tammy Holder, follows the general format of a “hero's

journey.” The Hero’s Journey is a basic pattern of storytelling found in many narratives from around the

world. The term, “hero’s journey,” was identified and developed by Joseph Campbell – an American

mythologist, writer and lecturer.

Hero[es] ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous

forces are encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious

adventure with the power to bestow blessings on mankind.

(Joseph Campbell, 1949)

The journey begins with life as is. The moment before the journey begins (before change is initiated) one

feels unfulfilled. This incites “The Call to Adventure” (i.e., one’s dream; desire for something better than the

present). With a vision for how things could be the “Initiation” moves the expedition forward. Next, the

journey is halted due to some difficulties (“Challenges”) that are often unforeseen. At this stage, doubts

and fears are unearthed (e.g., monsters to fight; dragons to slay). At this point, actions employed

throughout the journey are questioned and hope falters.

With perseverance, a “Revelation” stage develops providing opportunities to make it less lonely and

hopeless. With new found hope, the journey forges on, feeling less exhausting. Eventually, the

“Transformation” occurs where there is added clarity, purpose and focus. With revitalized energy, the

journey continues until the goal is achieved and the dream is realized. This achievement is cause for

celebration and through reflection of the journey (the stage of “Return”) we learn from and revel in the

accomplishments made.

6

BATMOBILE: The car used by the superhero Batman.

BELATED: Late-coming.

GUARDIAN: Someone who protects something or someone else.

JEOPARDY: A game show on TV in which contestants are quizzed on general

knowledge.

OBTAIN: To get.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT: A game show on TV in which contestants guess the prices of

household items.

QUEST: A journey with a purpose.

RATED G: Appropriate for all ages.

WHEEL OF FORTUNE: A game show on TV in which contestants play a word game

and spin a wheel to see how much money they could win.

WITS: Wisdom, knowledge, understanding.

ZIPPY: Quick, lively.

from the musical that include words from the glossary:

Woman: You must go on a journey to obtain the elements necessary to bring back the sun.

Guardian: Be quick, be zippy. Spell it now, ‘Mississippi’.

Woman: Use your wits and help each other.

Kids: We have a quest to do and discover.

Quotes

7

Name: _______________________

HEROES Crossword Puzzle

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

8

Down

1. What do the kids need to get to bring back to the sun? A: earth, water and

__________.

3. JJ, Todd, Dylan and Kyle need to get what?

5. Kyla and J.J. trick the Guardian into helping them answer his own question by

getting him to spell the word _______.

7. What gadget does J.J. have that just came out?

8. Kyla doesn’t believe she can be a hero because she is just a ______.

10. Jonathan realizes that sometimes, when you don’t think you’ve done anything,

you’ve done the _______.

13. The Woman of Great Magic tells Jonathan that he passed his test because he

had the courage to ask for _______.

Across

2. Name the boy band that helps out Georgia and Paula by giving them a small

bag of earth.

4. The Guardian of the Water greets the group by singing, “HEY THERE! STEP RIGHT

UP! MAKE YOUR CLAIM TO FAME. THE GUARDIAN OF THE WATER WOULD LIKE TO PLAY

A ______!”

6. This person is Kyla’s older brother; he uses her help to answer the Guardian of the

Water’s math test.

9. What super hero does Jonathan love the most?

11. The Woman of Great Magic advises Kyla, Todd, Dylan, and J.J. to help each

other and use their _______.

12. The Woman of Great Magic makes the _______ disappear when she hears the

kids singing about all the things they want.

14. One of the TV game shows that The Guardian of the Water sings about is _______.

WORD BANK

GAME MOST WITS TODD SUPERMAN HELP 4WOW iPHONE6

MISSISSIPPI SUN WATER JEOPARDY KID FIRE

9

THEME 1: Heroes Work Together

Whether it is a group of superheroes like the Fantastic Four or The Avengers, a group of

firefighters or teachers, or a group of regular kids (like the ones in Heroes) working together is

an important way to achieve many goals and solve many problems. We come to rely on the

people around us to get things done. Without team-work and collaboration the kids in eroes

would not have been able to bring back the sun!

THEME 1: Heroes Work Together

Whether it is a group of superheroes like the Fantastic Four or The Avengers, a group of firefighters

or teachers, or a group of regular kids (like the ones in Heroes) working together is an important

way to achieve many goals and solve many problems. We come to rely on the people around us

to get things done. Without team-work and collaboration the kids in Heroes would not have been

able to bring back the sun!

ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES Focus:

Creativity and Innovation, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication and

Collaboration, Creative Writing and Language Arts, Theater Arts, Self-Expression, Multiple

Perspectives, Visual Arts

Related Subjects:

Flexibility and Adaptability, Leadership and Responsibility

Level:

Elementary School (and higher)

Discussion Questions:

1) What are some groups of everyday people/individuals that we think of as being

heroic?

2) Do you think that they could do their jobs or perform their roles without the help of

others? Why or why not?

3) Are there times when working independently is more important that working in a

group? Why or why not?

Water, Earth & Fire Dance Activity In a Large Group

In the plot of Heroes, the characters must work together to bring back the sun by finding

the elements: Water, Earth & Fire. Follow the directions below to create a collaborative

dance inspired by these elements.

Materials Needed: paper plates, crayons, markers, music (iPod or other device)

1. Each participant should be given a paper plate to decorate with images of one of

the elements (Water, Earth, & Fire).

10

Activity continued from p. 9

THEME 2: Bravery

“...focus on your task. Don’t let your fear overtake you.” (Woman of Great Magic)

In Heroes, the Woman of Great Magic sends the characters on a journey where they must

face certain tests in order to bring back the sun. The kids don’t know what to expect on this

journey. Walking into an unknown situation can be scary, but despite their fears they must

journey on! This is called bravery. Bravery is “possessing or showing the quality of mind or spirit

that enables a person to face difficulty or danger.”

Now that each participant has their decorated plate, ask everyone to balance their plate on

their hand (without grasping it) and walk around the space. If you like, play music here.

3. If anyone’s plate falls, they must freeze and wait for another participant to pick up the plate

and hand it to them. You may not pick up your own plate, but may help another by picking up

another’s plate should it fall.

4. While moving around the space, all the participants experiment with balancing the plate on

different parts of their body – still no grasping! (e.g., elbow, shoulder, head, back, etc.). Again,

if a plate falls, the participant must freeze and wait for the help of another person.

5. As the participants move around the space instruct them to exchange their plates with

another person. Working together, have them all try to make the exchanges at different height

levels:

High

Medium

Low

With the elements you have all worked together to create a collaborative movement piece

(like in Heroes companion piece, Unsung). See the extension below to take this activity to the

next step!

Extension:

1. Now that you have experimented with different ways to move with your element plates,

break into groups by element (Water, Earth & Fire) with 3-5 participants per group.

2. In each group create an element dance using the plates and incorporating the following:

An entrance

An exit

A high exchange

A medium exchange

A low exchange

3. After rehearsing your dances and sharing them with the group, take away the plates and

repeat the dance without them. Now you have small group dance pieces inspired by the

elements and you did it working together!

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What does “bravery” mean to you? Discussion: Partner or Small Group

Word Cloud: Create a word cloud with words, people or ideas that come to mind when you

think about bravery. You can also add words that answer the question, “What does bravery

mean to you?”

People often tell us to be “brave” when facing our fears. But what does bravery really mean?

Below are some quotes about bravery. Read through them with a partner and use the

discussion questions to determine the quote that best represents your idea of bravery.

“Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid.” (Franklin P. Jones)

“It is easy to be brave from a safe distance.” (Aesop)

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” (Emerson)

“The opposite of bravery is not cowardice but conformity” (Robert Anthony)

● How is bravery related to fear?

● Is bravery being without fear?

● How would you describe bravery to another person?

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Everyday Heroes Activity: Individual

We all show our bravery in different ways. Think of someone who is a hero to you in your life.

What do they do that is brave; that makes them a hero? Answer the questions on the

worksheet below and then draw a picture of them.

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Super Heros Activity: Individual

The heroes in our story are just everyday kids, but there is a long history of heroes that have

special abilities: Super Heroes! Use the worksheet below to create your own original super hero.

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A GLOSSARY OF SELECT TERMS & CAREERS IN THE THEATER

1. BLOCKING: The actor’s movement on stage is known

as “blocking.” The Stage Manager writes the blocking

notation into the Prompt Script.

2. BLACK BOX THEATER: The interiors of most black box

theaters are painted black. The absence of color gives

the audience a sense of "anyplace" and allows

flexibility from play to play or from scene to scene.

Since almost any open space in any building can be

transformed into a black box, the popularity and

appeal for theater companies to use this type of

performance space is high.

3. COSTUME: Anything that an actor wears on stage is

referred to as a costume. The Wardrobe department

(the department responsible for creating costumes)

provides clothes, shoes, hats, and any personal

accessories such as umbrellas, purses and eyeglasses.

4. CYCLORAMA (a.k.a. CYC): A curved wall or drop at

the back of a stage, used for creating an illusion of

unlimited space or distance in the background of

exterior scenes or for obtaining lighting effects.

5. DROP: A drop is a large piece of painted canvas

that is “flown in” by the flyman (see FLYMAN).

6. DIRECTOR: The person who guides the actors during

the rehearsal period as they stage the play. The

director is responsible for presenting a unified vision of

the play to the audience.

7. DESIGNER: The people who work with the director to

decide what the production will look like. Designers

must choose the color, shape and texture of everything

you see on the stage. There are several areas that

need to have designers: costumes, set, lighting and

sometimes sound. The designers work very closely with

the director to create the environment in which the

play will take place.

8. FLYMAN: The person responsible for the manipulation

of the scenery which is in the fly gallery (the space

above the stage). The scenery is manipulated by ropes

attached to a counterweight system.

9. GREEN ROOM: The green room, usually near the

entrance to the stage, is where the actors & crew sit

while waiting for their turn to go on stage.

10. HEAD OF WARDROBE: Responsible for the day-to-

day running of the wardrobe department and for

unifying all aspects of production. For example, the

head of wardrobe oversees the budget, tailoring

(including the cutters, first-hands, stitchers, dyers, etc.),

accessories, and millinery.

11. ORCHESTRA PIT: The orchestra pit is the place where

the musicians perform during a musical. Usually the

orchestra pit is between the front row of the audience &

the stage. TADA!’s orchestra pit is located on stage left.

12. PROPS: Anything that the audience sees that is not

worn by an actor & is not a structural part of the set such

as: food eaten during a play, dishes, books, phones, etc.

13. PROPS MASTER: The person who buys items that will

be used or adapted to become props. Props masters

also purchase the raw material used to build props.

14. PROSCENIUM: A term describing the physical

characteristics of a theater. A proscenium theater is one

in which the audience & the actors are separated by a

picture-frame opening that the audience looks through

to see the actors. Surrounding this opening is the

PROSCENIUM ARCH. If there is an acting area on the

audience side of the proscenium arch, it is referred to as

the APRON.

15. SCENIC ARTIST: The people who are responsible for

painting & decorating the surfaces of the set. Some of

the techniques they use include: wood graining,

stenciling, marbling & brickwork. They also paint the

drops & scrims that are flown in.

16. SCRIM: A scrim is a piece of gauze that is painted

and used as part of the scenery. When a scrim is lit from

in front it is opaque, you cannot see through it. When a

scrim is lit from behind it is transparent, you can see

through it. This allows for many different visual effects to

be created by the lighting & set designers.

17. STAGE CREW: The people who ensure that

everything runs smoothly on stage during a

performance. The stage crew is responsible for changing

the sets between scenes & acts.

18. STAGE MANAGER: The person who makes sure that

all rehearsals & performances run smoothly. During a

performance the stage manager also makes sure that

all of the technical elements (e.g., lights, sound, curtains

flying in and out) happen at exactly the right time.

19. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: The person who is responsible

for coordinating all of the technical elements of a

production. Technical directors work with the people

who build the sets, props, costumes, wigs & special

effects to make sure that everything runs smoothly.

20. THRUST STAGE: A thrust stage is a stage that is

surrounded on three sides by the audience.