WatchListenThink

Imagine

Welcome to Stage Page,a reproducable

performance guidepublished by the

Education Departmentof the Arts Center of

Cannon County,Woodbury, TN.

This Stage Page isdesigned to be usedbefore and afterexperiencing Arts

Center productions tomaximize learning and fun!

STAGEPAGE

For Teachers

Curriculum ConnectionsLanguage ArtsGeographyMusicScienceAlso included are some activities forCommunity Connections

Find activities in each subject on pages 6 of STAGE PAGE

The Lion King JR. tells the story of the epic adventures of a curiouscub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities ofadulthood and his destiny as king. Along the way, the young lionencounters a colorful cast of characters including spunky lioness Nala,charismatic meerkat Timon, and loveable warthog Pumbaa. To claim hisrightful place on the throne and save his beloved Pridelands, Simba mustfind his inner strength and confront his wicked Uncle Scar. The LionKing JR. features classic songs from the 1994 film such as “HakunaMatata” and the Academy Award®-winning “Can You Feel the LoveTonight” as well as additional songs penned for the Broadwayproduction.

Watch Listen

A Note To Teachers:AN EXPERIENCE IN THEATRE CAN BE A GATEWAY

into a greater understanding of who we are; it can enhance our understanding of life.You may come to A Year With Frog and Toad for a fun break in the routine as you goon a field trip. You may walk away having glimpsed a significant truth about the worldand how we live in it. It is important to take the time to process your experience bytalking and exploring the great excitement of the theatrical event itself. You can also usethe time spent in the theatre as a springboard into many areas of your curriculum.

The purpose of this material :To prepare your students to see A Year With Frog and Toad. Preparing studentsbefore the show is one way to ensure the educational value of your field trip as well ashelping your students recognize the themes of the show.

Activity Pages: Are for your use in class either before or after your trip to The ArtsCenter. These activities include diverse ideas and concepts that can be adapted to anyage. Please look over each of them to find more activities for your classroom.

Teacher Page: Is full of activities for teachers to use in class to assist the students tofurther understand ideas and concepts discussed in the production they attend.

Theatre Etiquette: To promote discussion in class about behavior in the theatre.

Advocacy: To encourage teachers and students to make their voice heard by reachingout to our legislators and letting them know how important their support is to the arts inTennessee.

Imagine

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Seating:There is often limited time before the show starts to seat students. Asking them to sit as they are lined up ishelpful to us. Please ask chaperones to line up with the student they want to sit with and follow the line. Weseat students on a first come first served basis but do make allowances for very young students. Your groupmay not be able to all sit in the same section.

Please tell our staff if your students will need to use the restroom. If they need to go before the show starts,it’s best to be seated first and then let them up one row at a time. If they need to go before getting back onthe bus, please let us dismiss the other schools first and then let them go one row at a time. Your help with thiswill help keep the lobby clear for those wanting to go straight to their bus.

Theatre EtiquetteDiscuss the word “etiquette” in other situations children are familiar with (church, concerts, graduation cer-emonies, etc.) There are certain things that go on in the theatre that are fairly standard everywhere. A helpfulactivity may be to list some of the students’ ideas on the board and then go over the following with them. Inher book, Theatre Arts in the Classroom, Barbara T. Salisbury gives these suggestions:

1. Arrive promptly for the scheduled performance.2. Take care of all bathroom breaks and drinks of water before the play begins. The performance will

run approximately one hour and students should not leave their seats unless they have an emergency.3. Be considerate of others around you. While waiting for the performance to begin, talk quietly and

keep your hands, arms and feet to yourself.4. Just before the performance begins, usually the lights are dimmed and sometimes it is dark for a few

seconds. Show your knowledge of this theatrical technique by sitting quietly and calmly.5. Listening is important. If you talk during the performance, others may not be able to hear and you

will miss important parts of the story. Feel free to laugh and respond to the actors appropriately.6. Show respect for the actors by giving them your full attention during the performance. Show your

appreciation for their work by applauding at the end of the play and curtain call.7. When the performance is over wait patiently for your turn to exit.8. Most importantly, have fun, enjoy the performance and...

Watch Listen Think Imagine

Whether you’re newcomers or old friends a fewreminders to your students will make your field trip more enjoyable.

Preparing your students for their fieldtrip:page 3

Before the

Show

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Rafiki gathers the animals of the Pridelands to welcome the newborn cub of KingMufasa and Queen Sarabi. The king’s jealous brother Scar, no longer heir to thethrone, skips the ceremony, upsetting Mufasa. Time passes and Young Simba growsinto a curious young lion. Mufasa explains the circle of life and that Young Simbawill one day be king of the Pridelands. Young Simba shares this news with Scar, whoencourages his nephew to visit the forbidden Elephant Graeyard. Young Simbafinds his best friend, Young Nala hunting with Sarafina and the lionesses and invitesher on his adventure. Once they ditch their overbearing babysitter Zazu, the cubsencounter the ravenous Shenzi, Banzai and Ed in the graveyard. Mufasa arrivesand pummels the hyenas then takes the cubs home. Scar emerges from the dark-ness to recruit the hyenas in his murderous plan to become king. Back in thePridelands, Mufasa reprimands Young Simba then shares the guidance of theirancestors, up among the stars.

Enacting his plan, Scar leaves Young Simba alone in the gorge and signals thehyenas to scare a herd of wildebeest. Scar alerts Mufasa, who leaps into the stam-pede to save his son. Mufasa rescues Young Simba, but Scar pushed his brotherback into the gorge, where he is trampled. Scar blames Young Simba, Scar as-sumes the throne, uniting lions and hyenas under his dark reign. Lost in the desert,Young Simba meets Timon and Pumbaa, who take him to their “worry free” junglehome.

Under Scar’s reign, the Pridelands are nearly destroyed. Now grown, Nala decidesto leave and seek help. To her delight, she finds Simba alive in the jungle. Nalaurges him to take his rightful place as king, but still ashamed, Simba refuses. Rafikiappears and helps Simba remember his father. With newfound courage, Simbaagrees to return to the Pridelands. Timon and Pumbaa distract the hyenas whileNala rallies the lionesses. Simba confronts his uncle, the truth of Mufasa’s murder isrevealed, and Scar runs away, pursued by angry hyenas. With peace restored inthe Pridelands, Simba takes his place as king and the circle of life continues.

Most students will be familiar with the story of YoungSimba and the characters of The Lion King. Thesynopsis below can help refresh their minds andmake watching the play more enjoyable.

Teacher Page

The Big Idea

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EVERYTHING IS connectedThe story of THE LION KING is as simple - and as powerful - as a folk tale: a youngprince loses and then reclaims his kingdom after learning from his mistakes andregaining his sense of self.Simba starts his life as many youngpeople do: headstrong and unawareof the consequences of his actions. Hisjourney is not only one of miles, as he isbanished from his homeland and mustreturn to take his rightful place, butalso one of maturity, of growing up.With the help of his family, friends andmentors, Simba discovers inner strengthand his place in the world.

“...You see, Simba, everything existsin a delicate balance. As king, youneed to understand that balanceand respect all the creatures - fromthe crawling ant to the leapingantelope.”

MUFASA

WHAT IS THE CIRCLE OF LIFE?

It’s every living thing connected to another.It’s how we treat our environment. It’show we respect each other. Mufasa tellsSimba that all creatures depend on eachother - we all have our place in theCircle of Life.

Ask your students how they are connected within their own family, within theirbigger circle of school and friends and within an even bigger circle of the world.What can we do to strengthen the CIRCLE OF LIFE?

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CURRICULUM CONNECTIONSLanguage Arts - Animal StoriesWe have been telling “animal stories” - using animals as metaphors to tell humanstories and express human emotions since the dawn of time. This is calledanthropomorphism, or the attribution of human qualities to nonhumans.As a class, create a list of all the animal stories you know: these can be from fables,books, movies or television.Discuss some of the titles on your list.Who are the main characters?How might these animal stories relate to humans?

Geography - The Savanna and BeyondIn THE LION KING, Simba travels from where he is safe and comfortable in thePridelands to the Elephant Graveyard where the hyenas hang out to the junglewith Pumbaa and Timon. Research a bit about the different geographic regions inAfrica and make a list of all the animals that you can think of that live in Africa andwhich regions they live in.

Music - African MusicAlthough Africa is comprised of many nations and separate cultures, African musichas some common traits. Try to hear how these traits are used in THE LION KING.repetition - repeted pattern of sound and rhythm.improvisation - the spontaneous creation of music and words. It is considered ahighly regarded skill.call and response - a choral form in which a leader sings/speaks a line, it is thenechoed by a larger group.Create your own percussion instrument by placing dried seeds or beans in a sealedbox, or can. Now use your instrument to practice rhythm techniques.

Science - The Lions in The Lion KingLions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides. Prides are familyunits that may include up to three males, a dozen or so females, and their young. Allof a pride’s lionesses are related, and female cubs typically stay with the group asthey age. Young males eventually leave and establish their own prides by takingover a group headed by another male.Discuss how the play portrayed a pride of lions. Can you name some of the lionsand where they fit within the pride?

Community Connections - Below are some ways to connect with yourcommunity (CIRCLE)* Volunteer to clean up your school’s playground.* Make a list of all the animals you observe during a single day. How are they part ofyour “circle of life”?* Let each student make a list of the ways he/she can contribute to the class“circle” to make it better.

The Characterspage 7

Rafiki: a mysterious and wise mandrill

Mufasa: a lion, king of the Pridelands, and Simba’s father

Sarabi: a lioness, queen of the Pridelands, and Simba’s mother

Zazu: a hornbill, Mufasa’s loyal yet fretful attendant

Scar: a lion, Mufasa’s jealous brother

Young Simba/Simba: a curious, eager lion who will one day be king

Young Nala/Nala: a spunky, brave lioness and Simba’s best friend

Sarafina: a lioness, Nala’s mother

Banzai: a scruffy male hyena who serves Scar

Shenzi: a tough female hyena who serves Scar

Ed: a dimwitted male hyena who serves Scar

Timon: a sarcastic, outgoing meerkat who lives in the jungle

Pumbaa: a gentle, kind-hearted warthog and Timon’s best friend

Lionesses: the female lions who care for the Pridelands

Ensemble: the animal inhabitants of the Pridelands, including the wildebeest

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DRAW A LION

Speak Up!

Taking a stand for what you believe is advocacy. One of the most exciting things youwill ever do is speak up to the people who need to listen on behalf of people who seldomget heard. Advocacy matters. It is where imagination takes its place in how the world isrun: we imagine how things SHOULD be and we speak up to MAKE IT SO.

Encourages you to speak up!

Here at The Arts Center, we depend on support from our TennesseeLegislators. Tennessee Arts Organizations, like The Arts Center, receivefunding that assists in the ability to offer school matinee performances. Inorder to continue receiving support The Arts Center, along with all Tennes-see Arts Organizations encourages the public to share their experiences. Ifyou enjoyed the show, we ask you to speak up and tell someone! Thankthem for their support of the arts in Tennessee. You can make a difference.

* Go to www.legislature.state.tn.us/* Click on House or Senate* Then click on members* Then choose your county* Send an email or write a letter

Be an Advocate.CommunicateSay What You Think

Tell Someone

The Arts Centerof Cannon County

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