Newspapers in Education and The 5th Avenue Theatre Present
SUCCESS, SATIRE, and SCENERY
A GLIMPSE INTO THE WORLD OF
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
LIVE ON STAGE AT THE 5TH AVENUE THEATRE JANUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 28
The musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, is a satire
first performed in 1961. It is set in the urban offices of a fictional corporation
called the World Wide Wicket Company and tells the story of J. Pierrepont
Finch, a window washer who works his way up the corporate ladder with the
help of a dastardly self-help book.
BUILDING A SET, CREATING A WORLD
In creating an original set for How to Succeed, designers Tom Sturge
and David Sumner hoped to create a world that evoked the 1960s. In
their designs, they’ve used elements from classic “International” style of
architecture and elements from the art of Piet Mondrian. Buildings designed
in the “International” style dominated new construction in the 1950s and
1960s and the art of Piet Mondrian found mainstream popularity during the
same time period.
Like visual art, a set can be described in terms of colors, textures (soft, rough,
smooth), space (open, closed, far, near), lines (straight, curved, broken), and
shapes. How would you describe this set in regard to these elements?
If a part of your life story was turned into a play or musical, what would the
set look like?
At The 5th Avenue Theatre, stagehands install a newly designed set for
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
$18 STUDENT MATINEE TICKETS AND DISCOUNTED GROUP TICKETS AVAILABLE
CALL (888) 625-1418 OR VISIT WWW.5THAVENUE.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is sponsored by
2015/16 SEASON SPONSORS
OFFICIAL AIRLINE
PRODUCTION SPONSOR
RESTAURANT SPONSOR
THE 5TH AVENUE THEATRE – RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
SYMBOLS OF SUCCESS
In the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, the protagonist, Finch,
is “anxious to rise quickly and easily to the top of the business world.” In some ways, he
represents American ambition—a trait that many consider to have helped build our
country. Many will say that the character of Finch (like many protagonists) is symbolic.
But Finch is just one of many symbols that are carefully placed on stage.
SYMBOL – an object, animate or inanimate, that represents or stands for something else.
SYMBOLISM, SYMBOLIZE – the use of symbols to represent an idea or meaning.
Musical theater, like so many other art forms, relies on symbolism to communicate ideas and to help tell a story.
Every element of a musical has the potential to be symbolic: words that are spoken, colors, set elements, props,
melodies, costumes, lighting, sound effects. Every aspect of a musical is designed to help tell the story and
communicate specific ideas.
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Theater artists strive to make every instance of symbolism intentional—regardless of whether or not every symbol
will be consciously noticed by an audience. Often, symbols are layered on top of one another:
The script for How to Succeed describes a
high-rise office building as the story’s setting.
List examples of things that a high-rise
building can represent:
We see Finch and other characters use
elevators to move between floors. Describe
how an elevator represents aspects of Finch’s
story. What other things can an elevator
represent?
CONNECTION TO
SOCIAL SCIENCE
“You’ve been an outstanding mailroom
head and we want you to choose your
successor. And we want you to choose
him on merit. On merit alone.”
-Twimble, Act 1, Scene 4
When we analyze How to Succeed in
Business, there are two key concepts
from social science that we should
also understand:
SOCIAL MOBILITY – The ability of
individuals or groups to move upward
or downward in status based on wealth,
occupation, education, or some other
social variable.
In American society, there is a
prevailing belief in upward social
mobility as a reward for one’s personal
achievements. This belief is the basis
for the concept of…
MERITOCRACY – A government or
society in which citizens who display
superior achievement are rewarded
with positions of leadership. In a
meritocracy, all citizens have the
opportunity to succeed based on their
abilities and accomplishments.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS...
What are examples of social mobility
and meritocracy that you see in the
world?
Do you think that these concepts
accurately describe the world we live
in? Support your opinion with specific
examples.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Throughout a play or musical, we frequently see an increase in what is at stake for a character.
For Finch, it becomes more and more crucial that he succeeds as the story progresses.
How are symbols and symbolism used to reinforce what is at stake in Finch’s story?
What dangers are associated with high-rises and elevators?
How do the authors of How to Succeed
treat these concepts? Does Finch’s
story support these two concepts?
Support your answer with specific
examples from the musical.
“social mobility” and “meritocracy.” The American Heritage®
New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition.
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.
It takes many kinds of people to create a musical, but a show’s composer and lyricist is especially
responsible for its character and legacy. The man who is responsible for the music and songs of How to
Succeed also takes credit for many beloved songs that are still performed around the world—including a
holiday song that you may have heard before…
F
But if Frank took you home to meet
the folks, you would enter a cultured
Manhattan residence and shake
hands with his father, a well-known
professor of music; his mother,
who gave lectures on modern
literature; and his older stepbrother,
a renowned concert pianist. Frank
was the outlier of the family — not
exactly a black sheep, but the son
who chose a different path and
created a persona to match.
Loesser joined the Air Force in World
War II, and wrote morale-boosting
songs like “Praise the Lord and Pass
the Ammunition” — one of the first
hits for which he wrote both words
and music. Others would follow,
including “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” a
song he had written to perform with
his wife at Hollywood parties.
Broadway’s undisputed classics.
After a return to Hollywood to write
the charming songs for the movie
musical Hans Christian Andersen,
Loesser wrote the score and the
book for The Most Happy Fella, a
deeply-felt drama of near-operatic
scope, followed by a delicate
and now nearly-forgotten fantasy,
Greenwillow. In 1961 How to
Succeed in Business Without Really
Trying would round out his Broadway
career with another long-running
smash. The show went on to win
seven Tony® Awards and the Pulitzer
Prize for Drama.
1950 saw the debut of the longrunning Guys and Dolls, one of
by Albert Evans
How to succeed in SATIRE ...
“[FINCH] smiles out front. NOTE: This smile is the first of several that Finch uses throughout the show. These smiles are very important. They are
communications between Finch and the audience. They tell the audience when Finch has successfully worked one of his ploys. The smile is a gentle,
Mona Lisa smile. It should look like a cat that just swallowed a canary and is happy about it.” – Stage directions, Act 1, Scene 2
DEFINING SATIRE
• A satire is a work of art that exposes human shortcomings (e.g. vices,
abuses, injustices).
• It usually makes extensive use of humor—including forms of ridicule,
irony, parody, and caricature. (Elliot, 2004)
• Many satires are written as a way to inspire social reform or to change
society in a positive way.
• To satirize something is to attack or ridicule it through satire.
SATIRE IN YOUR WORLD
What are other examples of satire that you can recognize in popular
culture (TV, blogs, movies, theater)?
What does How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying satirize?
What changes do the authors hope to see in society? Support your answer
with specific examples from the musical.
What kind of change do you want to see—in your community, society,
or our country? If you were asked to create a satire, what issue would
you want to satirize?
Elliott, Robert C (2004), “The nature of satire”, Encyclopædia Britannica.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016 3
How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying is based on a 1952 book
by Shepherd Mead. The book is written as a set of instructions to the reader
and it is meant to satirize self-help books. The musical adaptation of How to
Succeed in Business is also recognized as a satire.
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FRANK
LOESSER
rank Loesser was a short,
pugnacious tough guy who
peppered his speech with
New York street slang and carried
himself like one of the lovable
hoodlums from his own musical
Guys and Dolls. Meeting him, you
might assume he was a lower-class
denizen of the outer boroughs,
someone who had worked his way
up the show-biz ladder driven by
hunger and chutzpah.
March 3-5, following the professional production, nearly 100 local students (ages
14-19) will present an all-student production of How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying on the stage of The 5th Avenue Theatre.
The Rising Star Project production will be entirely performed by a student cast and
student orchestra, and run by a student technical crew under the mentorship and
guidance of theater professionals. The production will also be coordinated, marketed,
developed and produced by a student administrative team under the coaching of
5th Avenue staff.
Rising Star Project is completely tuition-free and made possible by a generous grant
from The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation and with additional support from The
Herman and Faye Sarkowsky Charitable Foundation, The Boeing Company, Susie and
Phil Stoller, Washington State Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts,
GM Nameplate, The Jean K. Lafromboise Foundation, and The Nichols Foundation.
THOUGHTS FOR EDUCATORS...
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COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS & MUSICAL THEATER
Whether performed, read, or experienced live or on film, musical
theater “texts” are inherently rich and interdisciplinary.
The Common Core Standards authors assert that curriculum should
be comprised of a diverse array of classic and contemporary
literature as well as challenging informational texts in a
range of subjects.
To this end, interaction with musical theater
performances and dramatic texts can serve a vital
role in preparing K-12 students to reach core
learning objectives while introducing students
to an important aspect of America’s cultural
heritage.
DRAMATIC TEXT - The words and dialogue that
are used to tell the story. Students can be asked
to analyze not only the literary aspects of a script
and text, but the manner in which an actor delivers
the text (analyzing communicative and public speaking
skills). Song lyrics can be examined for rhyme scheme,
structure, and imagery. The dramatic concepts of “character
objective,” “dramatic action,” and “subtext” can serve as context for asking students to
make inferences based on the text.
How does this character change over the course of the play?
PROGRAM MISSION
The Rising Star Project uses the resources and professional knowledge that exist at
The 5th Avenue Theatre to help young people achieve a fulfilling career, a stronger sense
of self, and confidence in their ability to inspire positive change in the world.
This mission includes taking a proactive role in creating a theater community which is
inclusive and representative of our region; connecting students to American musicals; and
supporting classroom learning by providing quality arts-based education experiences for
students.
To learn more about this education initiative and read the complete mission,
visit www.5thavenue.org.
DANCE & MOVEMENT - Stage directions, “blocking” (the intentional positioning of
actors on a stage), choreography, and fight sequences can be analyzed in terms of
style, purpose, and storytelling.
How was the actor able to express sadness through movement? What relationship
do you see between the two characters based on how they are standing?
MISE-EN-SCÈNE - The visual composition of a production involves lighting, scenic design, costuming, hair, and makeup. Each visual aspect of a
musical production is carefully designed to serve the telling of a story.
Students can be asked to interpret the choices of the designers.
How did this production use lighting to reflect the character’s
emotion? How does this character’s costume reveal aspects of
her personality and point-of-view?
MUSIC - A musical employs both songs and instrumental music to
move a story forward. Students can be asked to explain the purpose
or effect of music in specific moments of the story. Students can
analyze melody, style, mood, and rhythm. Students could also be asked
to consider sound effects or the use of “sound design.”
Why does this character begin singing? Would the play be different if she
continued in spoken dialogue? Does this character change her mind during the
song? How do you know?