study guide - virginia repertory theatreexpedition, he began writing a children’s book called mr....

Based on the Book by Richard and Florence Atwater Book by Robert Kauzlaric Music and Lyrics by George Howe

V I R G I N I A R E P E R T O R Y T H E A T R E

STUDY GUIDE

VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS | 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

About Adaptations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

ACTIVITIES

The 5 W’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Who . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

What . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Where . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

About Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE114 W. Broad St. Richmond, Virginia 23220

VIRGINIAREP.ORG (804) 282-2620

Amber Martinez Arts in Education Nanager [email protected] 804-783-1688 ext.1142

©Virginia Repertory Theatre, 2018

THE AUTHORS

Richard Atwater was a professor and writer for

newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune, the Daily

Post, and the Evening Post. In 1932, after watching

a documentary about Richard Byrd’s Antarctic

expedition, he began writing a children’s book called

Mr. Popper’s Penguins. After suffering a stroke a few

years later, he was forced to stop writing and so his

wife, Florence, continued working on the book.

In 1938, Mr. Popper’s Penguins was published to critical

acclaim, and won the 1939 Newbery Medal and the

1940 Young Reader’s Choice Award.

The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the

Association for Library Service to Children, a division of

the American Library Association, to the author of the

most distinguished contribution to American literature

for children.

Since 1940, young readers in the Pacific Northwest

have been participating in the Young Reader’s Choice

Award (YRCA). The award was established in 1940 by

Harry Hartman, a Seattle bookseller, who believed every

student should have an opportunity to select a book

that gives him or her pleasure. The Young Reader’s

Choice Award is sponsored by the Pacific Northwest

Library Association and continues to be the longest-

running children’s choice book award. It is also the only

international award with young readers in both the

United States and Canada participating in the program.


WHERE DID THIS STORY COME FROM? About Adaptations

Where did the story come from? In a theatrical adaptation,

material from another artistic medium (such as a novel or

a film) is re-written and turned into a play or musical.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a children’s book written by

Richard and Florence Atwater. It was published in 1938

and tells the story of a modest house painter named Mr.

Popper, and his family, who live in a small town called

Stillwater. Mr. Popper loves to spend his spare time reading

about Antarctic exploration. He is astounded one day

when a surprise package arrives from explorer Admiral

Drake. When the package arrives and a penguin waddles

out, Mr. Popper is thrilled!

Mr. Popper’s Penguins found a new audience through the

2011 Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. Now it is time for

the Popper family and their penguins to take the stage in

this musical adaptation with book by Robert Kauzlaric and

music and lyrics by George Howe. Filled with adventure

and silly antics, this unlikely family will prove that with a

positive attitude, even the peskiest issues can be solved in

the end.

Special Note: The stage musical of Mr. Popper’s Penguins

contains additional elements that are derived directly from

the fiction of Richard and Florence Atwater. Therefore,

the theatrical version is not a direct transfer from the

Hollywood film to stage. It contains new characters,

stories, and songs.


THE STORY

The charming musical follows a restless house painter

who dreams of Arctic adventures. But everything

changes with the unexpected arrival of a spirited

penguin named Captain Cook.

Caution:

This is a synopsis of the play, so it is full of spoilers.

In the small town of Stillwater, Mr. Popper enjoys life as

a house painter. Mr. Popper has an active imagination

and while he is working, the colors of his paint inspire

his daydreams about traveling around the world.

However, at the end of every day, he is still in Stillwater.

In his spare time, Mr. Popper loves reading books

about Arctic adventures. He loves to learn about the

arctic through books, movies, and Admiral Drake’s

radio broadcast from Antarctica. One evening, Mr.

and Mrs. Popper are listening to the radio broadcast

when Admiral Drake addresses Mr. Popper directly

and announces that he has sent Mr. Popper a special

surprise.

When the package arrives, a real live penguin waddles

out! Mr. Popper is thrilled and decides to name him

Captain Cook. Mrs. Popper is nervous about having a

penguin as a pet but decides it is okay as long as the

penguin follows the rules. Captain Cook makes the

fridge his bedroom, where it is nice and cold.

Mr. and Mrs. Popper begin to notice that Captain Cook

does not seem happy. He will not eat and has become

ill due to his new environment and the warm weather.

The London Zoo ends up hearing the news of Captain

Cook and they send Greta, another penguin suffering

from loneliness, to live in the Poppers’ home. Greta

does the trick and Captain Cook bounces back in

no time. Penguins are social creatures and love each

other’s company.

Finally, winter begins to settle in and the penguins enjoy

the change in climate. The two penguins are too big

to both fit in the refrigerator, so Mr. Popper decides to

open all of the windows to make the entire house cold

like the Arctic. Before long, the entire house has been

transformed into a winter wonderland complete with

an ice skating rink.

Before long, Greta lays ten eggs! Mr. Popper needs to

find ways to generate more income and decides to

put the penguins to work in his painting business. The

penguins spend more time playing than helping, so

Mr. Popper schedules them to audition with a theatre

producer and the penguins are hired to go out on tour.

The penguins walk on a giant ball, lift dumbbells, and

perform acrobatics. You truly have never seen a show

like Mr. Popper’s Performing Penguins.

Admiral Drake decides to pop by for a visit and to see

the penguins’ performance. At the end of the night, he

tells Mr. Popper that it is time for the penguins to go

back home to their natural habitat. Mr. Popper is sad

but understands, so he begins to say a sad, heartfelt

goodbye. That is when Admiral Drake explains that he

expected the Popper family to come with them, much

to the Mr. Popper’s delight! They all travel to Antarctica

for a fabulous adventure.


THE CHARACTERS

BIRDS AND BEASTS

HUMANS

Mr. PopperA painter and interior decorator; a

dreamer and a romantic

Mrs. PopperA homemaker and part-time

bookkeeper; a realist,

and a caretaker

Mr. JohnsonA friendly neighbor

BarberAn excitable business owner

GentlemanAbout to experience the

craziest shave ever

ReporterA real up-and-comer

PolicemanTwo days away from retirement

CuratorA sympathetic administrator

Bus DriverIn a situation way above

his pay grade

PassengerA lost cog in the

twentieth century grind

Theater ManagerCapable and efficient

Mr. GreenbaumA big-shot entertainment magnate,

rather self-important

Cab DriverA workin’ Joe

Copper A big city policeman who

ain’t messin’ around

Sven SvensonA swarthy, swanky Swedish

entertainer and thug

Captain CookA male penguin

GretaA female penguin

SteffanA belligerent seal

Mrs. CallahanA fussbudgety neighbor

Admiral DrakeA famous explorer, not particularly

science-minded

Delivery GuyOne cool cucumber

Nelson, Columbus, Louisa, Jenny, Scott, Magellan, Adelina, Isabella,Ferdinand and Victoria

Baby penguins


ACTIVITIES

This study guide serves as a springboard to learning about and

enjoying Mr. Popper’s Penguins and the theatrical process.

The following pages include activities designed to give students a

better understanding of the story’s themes and the play’s artistry-

preparing them for an informed experience of the show. We

encourage you to use it as a resource both before and after your visit

to the live performance.

The study guide can be an invaluable tool to help:

– Foster creativity and discussion

– Develop interactive projects

– Reference to curriculum-linked activities

Each activity promotes a deeper learning in various disciplines

(Theatre, Language Arts, Music, Visual Arts, Math, etc.) and references

related to Standards of Learning.

Use these activities to help bring the show to life beyond the stage.

The 5 W’sA good way to assess any story is through the 5 W’s.

WHO?Who are the different

characters?

WHAT?What happens in the story?

WHERE?Where does the story

take place?

WHEN?When does the story

take place? What happened

when?

WHY?Why do the

characters behave as they do?

Why do certain events take place?

?


WHO? Who are the different characters?

English Language Arts: Character Maps

Mr. PopperPhysical/Character Traits

How does this character change over time?

What challenges does the character face?

Captain Cook and GretaPhysical/Character Traits



Mrs. PopperPhysical/Character Traits



Admiral DrakePhysical/Character Traits



Mr. GreenbaumPhysical/Character Traits




WHAT? What happens in the story?

Creative Problem Solving; Writing

Use the space to the right to answer

these questions:

1. Mr. Popper had his fair share of problems

when he began raising penguins! Although

the situation was challenging, he did not

give up. Instead, he created a plan to solve

the problems.

a. List 3-5 problems that the Popper

family encountered when raising

penguins.

b. Write a couple of sentences stating

their plan to address the problem.

c. Do you think that this worked?

Why or why not?

2. Why does Mr. Popper want a penguin for a

pet? Why doesn’t his wife want one? What

exotic animal would you like for a pet?

How would you design a special space for

your pet? What would it look like?

3. What does Mr. Popper train his penguins

to do? What would you train your pet to

do? Make a list of the various acts you

would teach your pet to perform.

4. Is Mr. Popper’s solution for keeping the

penguins a good or practical idea, with

windows open in November in a blizzard?

How would you keep two penguins?


WHERE? Where does the story take place?

Animal Adaptations: Science & Environment

Animal

Where is this animal’s habitat?

What is the weather like in this animal’s

habitat?

How does this animal find

shelter?

How does this animal find food?

Does this animal have any

predators?

What behaviors show this animal has “adapted” to its environment?

Penguin

Chipmunk

Brown Bear

Lion

Rabbit

Polar Bear

Here are some terms and definitions:

Continent - a large landmass on Earth

Climate - the normal weather conditions in a particular area

Habitat - the normal environment in which an organism lives

Predator - an organism that lives by eating other organisms

When Captain Cook came to stay

with the Poppers, they quickly

realized that penguins weren’t

adapted to the environment in

London.

Use this chart to write down what

we learn about the characters

through their songs, and how the

songs move the story forward:


WHERE? Where does the story take place?

Map Exploration: Social Studies

Mr. Popper wanted to see the world. He dreamed of seeing tigers in India, climbing the mountain peaks

of the Himalayas, diving for pearls in the South Seas, and visiting the North and South Poles. Let’s explore

some places you would like to explore, too!

Take a look at the United States map below.

1. On your map, draw a circle around the state where

you live.

2. Now, draw a star on 3-5 places you want to visit

around the country.

3. Put a number 1-3 (up to 5) next to the stars. This is

the order in which you will visit these locations.

4. Plan your route by drawing an arrow from your home

to Location 1, to Location 2, and so on, until you draw

a final arrow from your last location back home.

5. Look at each arrow and determine the best means of

transportation to get from one point to the next. Are

you travelling across the whole country? Maybe you

want to take a plane. Are your two locations close

to one another? Maybe you can drive a car or take

a train. Write your mode of transportation next to

each arrow.

6. Share your journey with a classmate or partner, and

make sure to listen to their journey! Share with each

other why you want to visit each place and why you

decided to use a certain type of transportation.

VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS | 1 1

WHEN? What happened when?

Sequencing and Science

Place the number next to the correct event in order of sequence.

CREATIVE ANSWERS

The story begins in September and goes for nine

months. During this time period, we get to experience

winter in London.

What did you think of all the snow inside the house? Do

you know how snow is formed? Snow is formed when

ice crystals in a cloud bump into each other and stick

together. If the temperature of the air below the cloud

is cold enough, snow falls. If the ground temperature

is not cold enough, the snow will melt. All snowflakes

have six sides, and some snowflakes have as many as

100 ice crystals. You will never find two snowflakes that

are alike.

When the penguins are at Mr. Popper’s home, what kind

of fun do they get into? What kind of trouble do they

encounter? When it snows in your town, do you like to

play outside? What kind of activities do you enjoy?

Mr. Popper gets Captain Cook a companion named Greta.

Mr. Popper admires the penguins and explorers of the North

and South Poles.

Captain Cook and Greta have ten children.

Admiral Drake sends Mr. Popper a surprise: a pet penguin

from the South Pole.

Mr. and Mrs. Popper join Admiral Drake and the penguins on

an exploration to the North Pole.

The Poppers and the penguins join the theatre and perform in

cities across the country.


WHY? Why do the characters behave as they do? Why do certain events take place?

Critical Thinking & Reasoning

1. Why do penguins look and act the way they do?Penguins look as if they are wearing little black and white tuxedos. It’s

important for a penguin to be black and white. Find out why below.

When a penguin gets cold, it can turn its back to the sun and

absorb heat.

Penguins’ contrasting colors are important for hiding from predators.

They have a special defense called countershading. When swimming,

a penguin’s white front blends with the sunlight, making it difficult

to be seen from below. Its black back blends with the dark waters,

making it difficult to be seen from above.

2. Why do penguins have ‘wings’ if they can’t fly?Penguins DO fly — under the water! Penguins are great swimmers.

Their ‘wings’ are called flippers and they help the penguins ‘fly’

through the water at rapid speed, reaching 25 miles per hour!

3. Why do penguins waddle?Penguins glide through the water with ease, but on land, they look

a bit awkward. Because they have short legs and big feet, waddling

helps them move faster than if they tried to use their tiny leg muscles.

4. Why do penguins live in groups?Penguins are very social animals and spend most of their lives with

large groups of other penguins. This group is called a ‘rookery’. They

do everything together: swimming, eating, hunting, and nesting. By

living and working together, penguins increase their chances for

survival (power in numbers).


ABOUT US

Virginia Repertory Theatre is a nonprofit, professional theatre company

and the result of the 2012 merger of Barksdale Theatre and Theatre

IV. With a budget of $5.5 million, four distinct venues, an educational

touring arm, and an annual audience over 530,000, Virginia Rep is the

largest professional theatre and one of the largest performing arts

organizations in Central Virginia.

For over 60 years, Virginia Rep has served Virginia’s adults, children,

families and schools and contributed to the cultural, educational, and

economic life of our city and region.

Our Signature Season operates under an annual contract with Actors

Equity Association.

Virginia Rep is a member of TCG and National New Play Network NNPA.

MISSION

Virginia Repertory Theatre creates professional productions of the

great comedies, dramas, and musicals – past, present and future. We

embrace the art form in its entirety, presenting plays of all genres and

national origins, serving an audience of all ages and backgrounds. In

keeping with the legacies of Barksdale and Theatre IV, the hallmark of

our nonprofit company is community engagement. To that end, we

seek national caliber excellence in the arts, education, children’s health,

and community leadership.


RESOURCES AND SOURCES

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Mr. Popper’s Penguins (the musical), book by Robert Kauzlaric,

music and lyrics by George Howe, based on the book by Richard and

Florence Atwater

KidsConnect “Penguin Facts and Worksheets”

Mr. Popper’s Penguins A Study Guide

Mr. Popper’s Penguins Unit Guide:

https://www.homeschoolshare.com/poppers_penguins.php

The Newbery Medal:

http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/

newberymeda

Young Reader’s Choice Award: https://pnla.org/

BOOKS ABOUT PENGUINS

My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Penguins! National Geographic Kids

Penguin Problems by Jory John and Lane Smith

Pierre the Penguin: The True Story by Jean Marcello and Laura Regan

BOOKS ABOUT EXPLORERS

Antarctica by Helen Cowcher

Antarctic Researchers by Out of the Lab Books

Explore Antarctica by Nature Watch

Ice Queen: Exploring Icebergs and Glaciers by Anna Prokos

You wouldn’t want to be a Polar Explorer by Jen Green

study guide - virginia repertory theatreexpedition, he began writing a children’s book called mr....

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