FY17_EllisIsland

2 Please review the following information with your students. We expect everyone to be a good audience member. Good audience members...  Are good listeners  Keep their hands and feet to themselves  Do not talk or whisper during the performance  Do not eat gum, candy, food or drink in the theater  Turn off all cell phones and do not use portable music players, cameras or any other recording devices  Stay in their seats during the performance  Do not disturb their neighbors or other schools in attendance “ Theatre is not theatre without an audience .” Live theatre differs from watching television or movies. Remember that performers can see and hear you. As an audience member you are a vital contributor to the performance experience that you and those around you will have. How you behave and how you react to the show will affect the artists’ performances. That is why each performance is a unique experience, it will never be repeated exactly the same. Talking to your neighbor, sending text messages, and other similar behaviors are distracting to the rest of the audience and to the artists. Please be respectful of the artists on stage performing for you by listening quietly. Of course, it is appropriate to react to what you are seeing – some things may make you laugh, gasp out loud, or you may be asked to respond by answering questions from the performers, singing along or clapping. Most of all, it is important to be present “in the moment” by being attentive and enjoy the performance. And of course – show your enthusiastic appreciation with applause at the end! Curriculum Frameworks This performance and guide provide opportunities for your students to explore a variety of topics. For your convenience we’ve listed applicable Massachusetts learning standards. This list is by no means exhaustive. Please use this list as a guide to assist with creating lesson plans. Curriculum Connections: Communication and Language Arts, Literature, Music, Theatre, Relationships and Family, Social Studies/History Theater Etiquette Connections 6. Purposes & Meanings in the Arts. Connections 7. Roles of Artists in Communities. Connections 8. Concepts of Style, Stylistic Influence, and Stylistic Change.

5 Look Ahead EXCERPT FROM LOOK AHEAD : I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know how to survive. The future is a question. Will I make a life and thrive or simply fail and disappear? Look ahead. I can see her standing proudly with her lamp held high for me. It’s as though she’s saying “welcome” this is where you ought to be. It’s a place you won’t be hungry, it’s a place you can be free! It’s a land where you can have a chance to find security. So yes I’ve left my home, turned my back on all I know. Turning loved ones into memories because I chose to go. My life fits inside a bag of cloth, I’m standing here alone, and anything that happens, happens to me on my own. I can fail or I can fly, I can be famous or afraid, will I wish that I had stayed? Look ahead! Look ahead! Look ahead! INSIDE A BAG OF CLOTH The song says, “My life fits inside a bag of cloth.” Imagine leaving your home forever with just a bag of belongings. What would you take with you? Inside the bag below, list 5 - 10 items you would bring along, and dis- cuss the importance of those items as a class. An Immigrant’s Hopes and Fears Answer the following on the back of this sheet: List the hopes and fears mentioned in this song. What would be your greatest fear if you had to immigrate to a new country? What would be your greatest hope? Pretend you are one of the immigrants from the play. Write a letter home from New York City. What would you tell your family? em-i-grate (verb) im-mi-grate (verb) To leave one’s own country to To come to live permanently in settle permanently in another. a foreign country. “Jacob’s parents emigrated from “My mother immigrated to America Austria.” from Great Britain.”

8 Behind the Curtains Virginia Repertory Theatre 114 W. Broad St. Richmond, Virginia 23220 Virginiarep.org (804) 282 - 2620 contact@virginiarep.org Virginia Repertory Theatre Presents … Ellis Island: Gateway of Dreams Book and lyrics by Debra Clinton Mysic by Jason Marks Virginia Repertory Theatre Nathaniel Shaw, Artistic Director Phil Whiteway, Managing Director This study guide and the text contained therein are the property of Virginia Reperto- ry Theatre. Photocopying of the study guide is permitted. Any other use of the contents must be accompanied by the phrase, “ Text used with permission from Virginia Reperto- ry Theatre, Richmond, VA. ” © Virginia Repertory Theatre, 2017 Theater Etiquette Clap, but know when to do so. You should clap after a play, act, or song, or right before intermission. If you loved the show, you can give a “standing ovation” at the end. That’s when you stand up while applauding. It’s quiet time (sort of). If the play makes you laugh or cry, that is fine, but you can chat with your friends afterwards. Show the actors respect and quiet they need to focus on their roles. Being quiet allows the rest of the audience to concentrate on the play. Many people with different skills and talents work together to make a production such as Ellis Island: Gateway of Dreams come to life. Can you match these theater jobs with their descriptions? 6 ©2017 Virginia Repertory Theatre, Virgini- set designer a person who plays a role or character in stage plays, mo- tion pictures, television broadcasts, etc. playwright a person who creates the look of each character by designing clothes and accessories the actors will wear in perfor- mance. stage manager this person’s job is to pull together all the pieces and parts of a play – the script, actors, set, costumes, lighting and sound, and music to cre- ate a production. actor this job focuses on using light to create effects that match the mood of various scenes in a per- formance. costume de- signer this person is a writer of scripts for plays. The script tells a story through the actions and words of the characters. lighting design- er this person creates the physical surroundings of a play, including any scen- ery, furniture, or props used throughout the play. director this person helps the director and helps or- ganize the actors, de- signers, stage crew, and technicians throughout the produc- tion of a play.

11 An acrostic is a simple poem based upon a single word. Use the words “ Ellis Island ” and find other words or phrases, beginning with those letters. E MIGRANTS L __________ L __________ I __________ S __________ I __________ S __________ L __________ A __________ N __________ D __________ Activi-