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TEACHER’S STUDY GUIDEto support Concrete Theatre’s production of this

musical cabaret celebrating friendship and diversity inEnglish, French and Cree for young audiences (K to 6)

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Book, lyrics and music by Tomson Highway

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presents

The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane MosquitoBook, Music and Lyrics by Tomson Highway

Featuring:

Julie Golosky as Mary Jane Mosquitowith

Ryan Sigurdson as Samba-Cheese Sans-Façon

Creative Team:

Directed by: Mieko OuchiDesigned by: David Fraser

Stage Managed by: Gina Puntil

Poster Designer: Isabelle GagnonStudy Guide Coordinator: Jana O’Connor

Photography by: Ian Jackson

CONTENTS:

PagePlay Synopsis ……………………………………………………………… 3About the Playwright ……………………………………………………… 3About the Cast & Creative Team ………………………………………… 3Sing Along Song Lyrics …………………………………………………… 5Cree Vocabulary …………………………………………………………… 6Themes ……………………………………………………………………... 6Questions for Discussion …………………………………………………. 6Activities ……………………………………………………………………. 6Related Reading and Websites …………………………………………. 8

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PLAY SYNOPSIS

The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito is a charming and whimsical cabaret in English,French and Cree, that follows the adventures of Mary Jane, a young mosquito from Petit Petit LePaw, Northern Manitoba. Born without wings, Mary Jane is an outcast and is mocked by the otherinsects. She struggles to overcome the many obstacles in her life and to find her place in the world.With the help of her Aunt Flo, Mary Jane discovers her true voice through singing, and learns that herway to shine in the world is to share this gift.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

TOMSON HIGHWAY was born in a tent near Maria Lake, Manitoba in 1951. He was the 11th of 12children born to Joe and Pelagie Philomene Highway. His father, Joe, was an accomplished hunter,fisherman and sled-dog racer. His family lived a nomadic lifestyle and his first language was Cree.

His parents, with no access to books or TV or radio, would tell their children stories and Tomson fell inlove with the oral tradition of storytelling. When he was six, he was taken from his family and placed inresidential school in The Pas. Although he resented being taken away from his parent and family, hedid learn music, and had plans to become a concert pianist.

He traveled to London to study, and earned his music degree in 1975 and a Bachelor’s of Arts in 1976from the University of Western Ontario. But instead of becoming a professional concert musician,Highway instead decided to dedicate his life to the service of his people.

He has worked as the artistic director of the Native Earth Performing Arts Inc. and as a cultural workerfor the Native Peoples' Resource Centre from 1975-1978. He was the Program Analyst for the OntarioFederation of Indian Friendship Centres and has also worked for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenshipand Culture. From 1983-1985 he worked as a freelance theatre artist and in 1985 he was the artisticdirector of the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Company.

His awards and recognition include: Winner, Dora Mavor Moore Award, for Dry Lips Oughta Move toKapuskasing, 1989, Nominee, Governor General's Literary Award, for Dry Lips Oughta Move to

Kapuskasing, 1989, Winner, Wang Festival Prize, 1989, Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award, forDry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, 1989, Nominee, Governor General's Literary Award, for TheRez Sisters, 1988, and Winner, Dora Mavor Moore Award, for The Rez Sisters, 1986.

ABOUT THE CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

The Cast

JULIE GOLOSKY is a talented and accomplished Edmonton-based actor and singer of Cree ancestryoriginally from Fort McMurray, Alberta. She has received her Master of Music degree from theUniversity of Alberta. Julie has been singing and acting for over twenty years in and around Alberta,and as far as Hilo, Hawaii, and Pretoria, South Africa. Julie is a founding member and currently singswith Karen Donaldson in the roots duo called The Crow Girls, performing at various events includingthe Esquao Awards, National Aboriginal Day and for the Institute for the Advancement of AboriginalWomen. She has acted professionally for more than ten years, appearing on many stages inEdmonton, including the Citadel Theatre, The Edmonton Opera, Theatre Network, Catalyst Theatre,and at Fringe Festivals as one-half of the dynamic singing duo the Skreaming Divas. Recent actingcredits include Queen Elizabeth in THE QUEENS (The University of Alberta), Pat in WAITING FORHER BEAU (Edmonton Fringe 2004), Simone in WORKPLAYS (Ground Zero Productions), Annie inTHE MAKING OF WARRIORS (TheatreYes), and as Malvolio in TWELFTH NIGHT (Foot of a FleaCo-op). Other Productions include THE BEGGAR'S OPERA, THE MUSIC MAN, MACBETH, andOLIVER! (Citadel Theatre), THE BLUE ORPHAN (Catalyst Theatre), TREATMENT with TheatreYes,and DIVABOLIQUE and THE REGINA MONOLOGUES with The Skreaming Divas. Julie also teachesa musical theatre program for children at Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton.

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RYAN SIGURDSON is an Edmonton-based actor, musician and vocal coach. A graduate of theTheatre Arts Program at Grant MacEwan College, Ryan has appeared in musicals with the CitadelTheatre (Cabaret), the Mayfield Dinner Theatre (Evita), and Leave it to Jane Theatre (Saturday Night,Floyd Collins). His musical background has taken him from playing in the University of AlbertaAcademy Strings on violin and viola to singing with Pro Coro Canada. An accomplished pianist, Ryanis the musical director for the St. Albert Children’s Theatre, having worked on such shows asFootloose, Bye Bye Birdie and Honk!. Ryan has also composed and arranged the music for severalEdmonton theatre productions including two for which he received Sterling Award nominations: Eros

and the Itchy Ant (Teatro la Quindicina) and A Dybbuk for Two People (Northern Light Theatre).

The Director

MIEKO OUCHI is an Artistic Co-Director of Concrete Theatre. Mieko has been interested in producingthe play since meeting and hearing about the show from Tomson at the 2002 Banff playRites Colony.While at the Colony working on her own play The Red Priest which explores the life of baroquecomposer Antonio Vivaldi, she and Tomson ran into each other as they practiced the piano and theviolin in nearby practice rooms. Tomson invited her to listen to some of the music from the show, andMieko quickly found a way to bring Mary Jane to Edmonton. Mieko brings her classical music training(14 years of violin) and bilingual French skills to the show. Recent work with Concrete includesdirecting the award-winning productions of The Plum Tree, Are We There Yet? and Naomi’s Road,and writing and performing in Rice: stories with a slant. She has a passion for working on new plays,is the past Playwright in Residence at Workshop West Theatre in Edmonton. She is currently writinga commissioned play for the National Arts Centre-English Theatre on Leni Riefenstahl: The Blue

Light, as well as working on a France-Canada/Banff Centre commissioned translation of Jeremy

Fisher by Mohamed Rouabhi. Her latest documentary film Minor Keys, was made for the NFB andCBC’s The Nature of Things on the subject of child music prodigies. It won Best BiographyDocumentary at the prestigious 2004 Yorkton Film Festival, as well as garnering three nominationsfor the upcoming 2005 AMPIA Awards for Best Documentary, Best Director and BestCinematography. In 2004, Mieko was nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award forDrama for her play The Red Priest.

The Designer

DAVID FRASER has been designing with Concrete Theatre for four seasons and has designedNaomi’s Road, Rice and numerous productions at both the 2002 and 2003 Sprouts Festivals. Lastseason David was awarded the Sterling Award for outstanding lighting design on Theatre Network’sproduction Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and most recently he designed the lighting on Who’s Afraid of

Virginia Woolf at Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary, and A Summer Evening… for The Brian WebbDance Company which was presented by Dancemakers in Toronto.

The Stage Manager

GINA PUNTIL is a graduate of Red Deer College's Theatre Studies program. She has worked at FortMcMurray's Keyano College as the Resident Stage Manager for the Keyano Theatre company andthe Stage Management instructor for the college. In Edmonton, Gina was the Production Manager atTheatre Network and worked on many memorable productions including; Vincent in Brixton, A Skull in

Connemara and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Also during her time at Theatre Network, Ginaproduction managed the Syncrude Next Generation Arts Festival. She will return to this position forthe festival in May 2005. Other project credits include: La Duchess de Langais and the Tranny Trilogy

(Guys in Disguise) and Workshop West Theatre's Kaboom Festival. Other stage management creditsinclude: Swollen Tongues (Bittersweet Theatre) and The Black Rider: The Casting of the MagicBullets (November Theatre) which toured to Edmonton, Whitehorse, Saskatoon, Calgary, Vancouverand Victoria.

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SING ALONG SONG LYRICS

Song #1 - Nagamoon

Patty-Cake, Patty-Cake, Baker Man,Bake me a cake a-faster than you canTommy-let, Tommy-let, take your pan,Make me an omelet that’s bigger than a man;Daddy-Cake, Daddy-cake, take your van,Take me to the beach for a real fine tan;Little Tick, Little Tickle, daughter of the man,Give me any lip and I’ll put you in a can.

Patty-Cake, Patty-Cake, pag’wee siganis,Pag’wee siganis and pag’wee siganis,Tommy-Let, Tommy-let, sasapi-skisa,Sasapi-skisa and sasapi-skisa,

Daddy-Cake, Daddy-Cake, ootapanas ootin,Ootapanas ootin and ootapanas ootin,Little Tick, Little Tickcle, pooni-nagamoo,Pooni-nagamoo and pooni-nagamoo

Song #2 - Ten Times Ten Times TenTen times ten times, that’s how it works,Ten times ten times, you’ll see how it works;Love sent, love given, comes back to you,Love felt, love shared, it comes back to you.(Repeat)

Song #3 - SageetoowinSagee-Too-Win, sagee Sagee-Too-win Too-win, sagee -Ni- Too-winNi-moo, ni-moo Ni-See-tan, see-tan Ni-moo, ni-moo

See-tan, see-tanSagee - toowinSagee-toowin, L’amour, finalement,Hey, Asum, astum peesa- Entrez!Gee-hin Viens! Entrez, entrez

Dans mon, mon coeurL’amour est en train, d’entrerDans, dans ma, dans ma L’amourMa vie, ma vie. Sagee-toowin, sagee-toowinL’amour, finalement.... L’amourEntrez!Viens! Entrez, entrezDans ma, ma vie

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CREE VOCABULARY

Cree English

Tansi HelloIsqueewuk igwa napeewuk Ladies and GentlemanIgwani kwa-yes Thank youWeecheewagan FriendSageetoowin LoveNagamoon Song

THEMES

• Friendship• Diversity• Discovering your talents• Bullying• Sharing• Fitting in• Dealing with anger & frustration• Moving to a new location (e.g. new house, school, city or town, etc…)

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

• Why do you think Mary Jane had a hard time making friends?• Have you ever had a new student join your class? What did you do to make them feel

welcome?• How would you deal with a bully?• Mary Jane discovers that her special gift is the gift of song. What is your special gift/ what

makes you different & special?• In the play Mary Jane deals with her own frustration and anger. What makes you frustrated or

angry and how do you deal with it?

ACTIVITIES

#1 - Singing A Round

Mary Jane’s special gift is the gift of song. A simple and fun way to try singing is by singing a round.Below you will find the lyrics to a traditional French round, and the English version. If you areunfamiliar with the melody of the round, visit www.kididdles.com/mouseum/f010.html to hear it.

Begin the round by singing first in unison; and when everyone knows the melody well enough to holdhis own, in two parts; and later, in three or four — whatever this particular round calls for."Rounds" are performed in the following way: One singer, or one group of singers, starts out. Whenthe score shows the figure "2," the second singer, or second group, comes in, and so on.

One can end rounds in two different ways: (1) Either everyone keeps on singing the melody andrepeating it until the leader indicates the time to end and the singers hold the final note. (2) Or a roundmay be ended in the same manner it began: by having every part sing their melody twice or threetimes and then stop, so that the last group to start singing is the last to finish.

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Are You Sleeping?

TraditionalWritten By: UnknownCopyright Unknown

Frère Jacques,Frère Jacques,Dormez vous?Dormez vous?Sonnez les matines,Sonnez les matines,Din, din, don!Din, din, don!

English Version:

Are you sleeping,Are you sleeping?Brother John?Brother John?Morning bells are ringing,Morning bells are ringing,Ding ding dong,Ding ding dong.

#2 – Meet the Bugs from North Kildonan

Mary Jane comes from Petit Petit Le Paw, Manitoba, a town populated by mosquitoes. She moves toa new town, one where she is the only mosquito, surrounded by all kinds of new bugs. In the play, shetalks about all of the new bugs she meets.

House flies Sand flies Dragon flies ButterfliesHorse flies Wasps Honeybees Tse tse fliesBlack flies Hornets Moths

Research what the different bugs that Mary Jane encounters might look like. Then the class can drawillustrations of some of the following characters Mary Jane meets and tries to befriend.

Billy Bob Bumblebee Minnie Matouche (a housefly)Wanda May Wasp Betty Ann Butterfly

#3 – Design the town of Petit Petit Le Paw

Imagine what a Mosquito town might look like and make an illustration of Mary Jane’s hometown.

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RELATED READING AND WEBSITES

Cree Children’s Books

Children’s Books by Tomson Highway

Caribou Song by Highway, TomsonISBN 0002255227

Fox on the Ice: Mahkesís mískwamíhk e-cípatapítby Highway, TomsonISBN 0006481361 (pbk.)

Additional titles:

www.pemmican.mb.ca/children.htm(this site offers info about some of the following titles)

li minoush by Bonnie MurrayIllustrated by Sheldon DawsonTranslated by Rita FlamandEnglish/Michif CreeGrades K-3

ISBN 1-894717-06-6

li paviyon di michif by Bonnie MurrayIllustrated by Sheldon DawsonTranslated by Rita FlamandGrades K-3, 32 pages

ISBN 1-894717-19-8In the second book of the Michif Children's Series, Thomas and his classmates have to find an itemthat represents a culture and bring it to class to talk about. Thomas learns something about his ownMétis culture.

li saennchur fleshii di michif by Bonnie MurrayIllustrated by Sheldon DawsonGrades 1-5

ISBN 1-894717-23-6This is the third book in the Michif Children's Series. Once again Thomas learns something new abouthis Métis culture, this time it's about the Métis sash or li michif saennchur fleshii. Practice your Michifwhile you learn about Métis culture!

The Dream Catcher Pool by Jane ChartrandIllustrated by Zaawaazit Mkwa TsunGrades 1-6

ISBN 1-894717-26-0Heyden helps his Grandmother build a dream catcher pool and learns about his culture.

The Nanabosho Series by Joe McLellan and Matrine McLellanThe series based on Ojibway legends was created to bring Aboriginal stories to Aboriginal children.Growing up, Joe often wished that he had stories to read about Métis children like himself. Joe is wellknown for his numerous readings, storytelling sessions and his appearance on Sesame Street.

The Birth of Nanabosho Nanabosho Dances

0-921827-14-8 0-921827-00-8

How The Turtle Got It's Shell Nanabosho Steals Fire

0-921827-40-7 0-921827-05-9

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The Aboriginal AlphaBet for Children by Evelyn BallantyneIllustrations by J. Marlene Ross and Noah HeadGrades PS-2

ISBN 1-894717-13-9

The colour illustrations which accompany each letter are of traditional artifacts and cultural articles.

Akihtasona: peyak isko nestanaw: Métis Numbers 1 to 20 in Creeby Anderson, Dr. AnneISBN 1552200213 (pbk.)

Alfred nistam e-kiskinahamaht: Alfred's first day at schoolWritten and illustrated by Darrell W. Pelletier.ISBN 0920915469 (pbk.)

Amiskohkânis ekwa kotaka achimôna: The pet beaver and other storiesby Anderson, Dr. AnneISBN 1552200469 (pbk.)

Defeating the wihtiko: Â-kî-paskiôâht wîhtikow by Castel, SidneyISBN 0968985831 (paper)

How Eagle Got His Good EyesWritten and illustrated by the Grade 5 and Grade 7 studentsof Oscar Blackburn School, South Indian Lake, Manitoba, CanadaISBN 087406743X (pbk.)

Lisa ekwa Sam: Lisa and SamWritten and illustrated by Darrell W. PelletierISBN 0920915582 (pbk.)

Mâchêsis: Little Hunter by Anderson, Dr. Anne1552200442 (pbk.)

The Little Duck: Sikihpsis by Cuthand, Beth0919441742 (pbk.)

Wanisinwak iskwesisak: awasisasinahikanis:Two Little Girls Lost in the Bush: a Cree Story for Childrenby Bear, GleciaISBN 0920079776

Wesakejack and the Bears by Ballantyne, BillISBN 0921368461

Wesakejack and the Flood by Ballantyne, BillISBN 0921368453

Cree Web Resources

http://www.native-languages.org/cree.htm(Information on the language, history and people, as well as additional links)

http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/(Indian and Northern Affairs Canada)

http://www.gcc.ca/cra/chrd.htm(The Grand Council of the Crees)

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French Children’s Books (Bilingual)

Let's Eat!: Allons Manger! by Fairfield, LesleyPrimary ReadersISBN 0919964435 (pbk.)

Passing the Peace by Brookes, DianeBook guides children through the numbers 1 to 10 in four different languages:English, French, Inuit and InuinnaqtunISBN 0921254202 (pbk.)

Québec, je t'aime: Québec, I love you by Tanobe, MiyukiText in French and English in parallel columnsISBN 0887761569 (pbk.)

The Kids Can Press French & English Word BookEdited by Katherine FarrisText in English and FrenchISBN 1550740229

The Lion in the Lake: a Bilingual Alphabet Bookby Oberman, SheldonISBN 0920541364

The Sleighs of my childhood: Les Traîneaux de mon Enfanceby Italiano, CarloISBN 0912766115

The Tunnel by Wildsmith, BrianISBN 0192799622

Tous les animaux: All the animalsPhotographies originales de Geoff Dann et Dave Kingillustrations de Simone End et John WoodcockTraduction et adaptation de Gaëtan du ChatenetISBN 2070575128

Transportation by Pachano, J.ISBN 092079114X (pbk.)

Walking-Out Ceremony by Pachano, J.French language and Cree content

6-30, Stanley A. Milner Library Bldg.7 Sir Winston Churchill SquareEdmonton, AB T5J 2V5Phone: (780) 439-3905Fax: (780) 433-4782Email: ctheatre@telus.netWebsite: www.concretetheatre.ca