PLAYTIME POPPY AUDIENCE GUIDE
Kennedy High School
presents
This fish-out-of-water musical
DECEMBER 2016
comedy, is based on the New
Line Cinema production of Elf,.
It follows Buddy the Elf in his
quest to find his true identity.
Buddy, a young orphan,
mistakenly crawls into Santa’s
bag of gifts and is transported
to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous
size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks
on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh
reality that his father is on the naughty list and that his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa,
Buddy is determined to win over his new family & help remember the true meaning of Christmas.
ADULTS: This guide is designed to…
 Assist you to ENGAGE & INSPIRE your students as they prep for attending the performance
 Provide guidance afterwards as students REFLECT on what they saw and heard at the theater
 Be a MENU of possible lessons/activities that you can choose from to fit the needs of your students
 Connect with IOWA CORE standards and expectations across a variety of academic subjects & grades
Enjoy the Learning!
The Contents
PART
1)
2)
3)
1: KNOW ABOUT THE PLAY
Characters & The Story
The Author & The Composer
Basic Theatre Vocab & Etiquette
.1
PART 2: LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1) “Pre-Show Prep”
2) “After the Show” Follow-Up Fun
PART 3: RESOURCES
1) Websites
2) Books
1
PART 1: KNOW ABOUT THE PLAY
THE AUTHOR
The play is based on the
NEW LINE CINEMA FILM
Written by
THE STORY
begins at the North Pole as Santa
Claus and his Elves are working in the shop but are
interrupted by the arrival of Buddy the Elf, who,
despite an abundance of enthusiasm, falls short in
his toy-making abilities. Charlie, the boss, expresses
disappointment, but the elves quickly chime in to
make Buddy feel better. Charlie tells Buddy to take a
break and asks Shawanda to pick up the extra slack.
Unaware that Buddy is listening, they reveal that
Buddy is, in fact, a human and not an elf. Buddy
then sets off from the North Pole to New York City
to find his real dad. Upon arriving there, Buddy is
surrounded by the sights and sounds of the city.
Asking a passing teenager where to find the Empire
State Building, Buddy sets off to meet his father.
Buddy bursts in, excited to meet his father for the
first time. Stunned with Buddy's declaration that he
is Walter's son, Walter demands that the Security
Guards escort Buddy out, dropping him at the Macy
store's Christmas department. Buddy falls in love at
first sight with Macy's elf, Jovie, and inspires other
Macy's Employees to decorate with some Christmas
Spirit. But then runs into troubles at the store, with
his dad and his new friends. In the end Buddy helps
everyone get back into the Christmas spirit, with a
little help from the real Santa, and everyone gets
what they want for Christmas!
David Berenbaum
David Berenbaum is a native of
Philadelphia and a graduate of New York
University's Tisch School of the Arts. He is
best known for writing the 2003 Will
Ferrell Christmas comedy classic, "Elf".
He also wrote "The Haunted Mansion"
for Disney, based off the famous theme
park ride; the film starred Eddie Murphy.
THE COMPOSER
The music was composed by
Matthew Sklar
A composer from Westfield, New Jersey,
his works have appeared on Broadway as
well as in regional theatres. He was
nominated for the 2006 Tony Award for
Best Original Score for The Wedding
Singer. Sklar credits his start in
composing to his music teacher, Kristine
Smith-Morasso at Edison School, who
asked him to write a song for his 8th
grade graduation. On a whim, he sent the
song to Walt Disney Productions, which
recorded it for the Mickey Mouse Club.
He graduated with honors in 1991 from
the Juilliard School Pre-College Division as
a composition major. His piece
Symphonics, for full orchestra, was
premiered at Lincoln Center by the
Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, conducted
by Sklar. He then studied at New York
University from 1991-1995. He has been
a pianist, conductor, and dance music
arranger for many productions including
Shrek, 42nd Street, Miss Saigon, Les
Misérables, Nine and Caroline, or Change.
He has been working on Broadway since
the age of eighteen.
The Characters
 Santa Claus
 Buddy
 The Elves,
including Charlie, Shawanda and Jovie
 New Yorkers:
(Jogger, Teenager, Police, etc.)
 Walter Hobbs (Dad) & his family
 Macy Employees:
(Saleswoman, Manager, Security, etc.)
2
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
The performers have worked hard to prepare this play.
Audience members can show respect by demonstrating the following:
1. Arrive at the theatre on time.
2. Visit the restroom before the performance begins.
3. Silence cell phones to minimize disruptions to the actors and other audience members.
4. Applaud! It’s welcomed and encouraged at appropriate times to show your
appreciation of the performers’ hard work.
5. Participate (sing, speak, move etc.) when the performers invite you to do so.
6. Be a good listener and keep your focus on the performance.
You won’t want to miss any of it!
*You can practice your audience skills before attending the performance…
Divide up into small groups. Each group creates a short skit, practices, and then performs it.
When watching the groups perform you can practice being a good audience member!
BASIC THEATRE VOCABULARY
Acting-the process by which an individual interprets & performs the role of an imagined character
Adlib- to improvise or make up parts of dialogue
Articulation- speaking clearly so that every word is understandable
Backstage – The space behind the acting area, unseen by the audience
Blocking- the actor’s movement from place to place and action on stage
Character- the role played by an actor as she or he develops and portrays another by creating a
different voice, body and personality
Choreography-the art of creating and arranging dances on the stage
Costume- carefully selected or specially designed clothing worn by the actors
Cue – a signal (dialogue or action) that indicates something else is to happen
Dialogue- the stage conversation between characters
Diction –the clarity with which words are pronounced
Director- the person who oversees the entire process of staging a production
Downstage-the part of the stage closest to the audience
Ensemble-a cast of actors working together to present a performance
AUDIENCE
Green Room-a room near stage where actors await to go on stage
Make-up -cosmetics and hairstyles that actors wear on stage to emphasize characterizations
Narrator –a character who tells the story of the play directly to the audience
Projection- speaking loudly so your voice can be heard in the back of the theater space
Props –all the stage furnishings, including furniture that are used by the actors
Set-all the scenery that makes up the physical environment of the world of the play
Strike- dismantling all of the pieces (sets, costumes, props, etc.) at end of the run of a show
Upstage –the area of the stage farthest away from the audience and nearest the back wall
3
PART 2: LEARNING ACTIVITIES
“Pre-Show Prep” Before You Go You Can …
Literacy Skills:
 Elf Letters!
 Discover your inner “elf”! Imagine you are one of Santa’s elves.
 Write a letter to a classmate, friend or family member.
 Give compliments and praise in your letter…let the person
know what you appreciate about him/her.
 Sign it with your “elf” name.
In Elf Jr, Buddy’s father
Walter Hobbs seems to be a
workaholic & has lost the
Christmas spirit -but is he
really so bad? Holidays are
the perfect time to think
about the good in all people!
 Be a Researcher
 Research the origins of the historic folklore associated with Santa, elves, the North Pole, etc.
*Where did these holiday symbols and characters come from and why?
*How have they changed over time?
 Use a graphic organizer to keep good notes with your findings.
 Then create a report with your information.
 Share what you learned with your class or family.
*You could create an iMovie or video of your information too.
Science:
 Candy Cane Science
Explore how candy canes dissolve:






Add water to each of your containers at different temperatures (hot/warm/cold)
Make a prediction. Then add a mini candy cane to each of the containers.
Start your stopwatch and/or record the start time. Observe what happens.
Check your experiment every so often and note any changes.
Time how long it takes the candy cane to dissolve. What did you discover?
Chart your results. Be sure to keep a science journal with your discoveries.
 Maple Syrup Buddy loves maple syrup.
 Explore the importance of maple syrup with the Indian Creek Nature Center!
Take note: ICNC will be hosting an interactive table prior to the public
performances of this show where you can create a maple seed helicopter and
taste ICNC’s homemade maple syrup!
 During the month of March, maple syrup is a favorite food at the nature center.They collect
sap from maple trees and boil it into syrup. Be sure to attend the annual ICNC spring Maple
Syrup Festival!
 Research how trees produce syrup and create an iMove or PPT about it.
Watch this video for ideas:
http://iptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/wpsu09.sci.life.stru.wpsumapsyr/maple-syrup
(*Teachers attending the School Matinees can contact the Nature Center Education staff
at http://indiancreeknaturecenter.org/
to find out more about taking your class on a Study Trip to the ICNC!)
4
Math Skills:
 “Snow” Much Fun


Use images of real snowflakes, have students explore various lines of symmetry and geometric
shapes identifiable in each of the snowflake images. Then have students create their own
snowflakes out of paper using various geometric shapes and symmetry.
Make your own snowballs out of real snow or other items (marshmallows, cotton balls, etc.).
Predict how far you can throw them. Then measure the distance you actually can throw them.
How close did you come? What was the difference?
 Present Math
 Make a list of five favorite holiday gifts. Research the cost of each.
What is the total of all the gifts together?
 The North Pole Toy Company has produced 4,500 video games. The demand was so great
though that Santa asked the elves to double the number of video games for delivery this year.
How many more games did the elves need to make? How many video games in total did Santa
need for delivery this year?
 In the workshop this year the first elf used 10 feet of wrapping paper, the second elf used 14
feet of wrapping paper and the third elf used 12 feet of the wrapping. Santa wants to know how
many total feet of wrapping paper were used by these three elves. (Can you figure out how
many inches that would be? What about in yards?)
Social Studies:
 Travel Map
 Make a Travel Map of Buddy the Elf’s travels.On a globe, locate the North Pole, and then find New
York City. Trace Buddy’s path from Santa’s workshop to the United States.
 Then plot out part of Santa’s trip around the world. Pick two countries and create a path from one
to the other. What countries, continents, and bodies of water are between the originating location
and the final destination? Describe the view from overhead – do you see deserts? Rain forests? Any
physical landmarks like the Great Wall of China?
 Holiday Culture & Traditions
 Interview another person in your class about the specific holiday traditions that may be
unique to their family. Then have that person interview you about your own holiday
traditions. Share your findings with the class and discuss the similarities and differences.
The Arts:
 Be a Designer
 Pick a character from the play. Design the character’s costume.
 A costume rendering is a drawing which shows a characters costume drawn on a human form, and
often includes attached samples of fabric used in the costume.
 Draw the picture and explain your costume ideas.
 Be a Composer
 Use a familiar tune (such as Jingle Bells) and write your own lyrics to a song about yourself. In the
play Buddy discovers information about himself. What unique qualities do you have? What are you
good at? Can you play the song on an instrument? Teach it to your friends and have them sing along!
5
PART 2: LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
“After the Show” Follow-up Fun!
 Imagine Own Story
 Choose one of these writing prompts. Use your imagination. Write down your ideas!
 If I were one of Santa’s elves I would…
 I would like to be Buddy because…
 You are filling out a job application for Santa’s workshop. You should be hired as an
elf because…
 Write a Letter
The Arts:
Write a review of the performance or thank you letter and send it to the Kennedy High School
Department, and/or Playtime Poppy Children’s Theatre.
 Be aDrama
Designer
PickItaOut
character from the play. Design the character’s costume.
Act
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 Draw
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and
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your
costume
ideas.
expressions helped convey the character’s emotions.
 Be a Composer
Be
a aSet
Detective
Use
familiar
tune (such as Twinkle Little Star) and write your own lyrics to a song for the play.

Create
a
list
of the
geometric
thevoyage
architecture
the sets
of the performance.
 Your song could
be about
giantshapes
insectsfound
or theinsea
or evenofabout
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 Can
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it to your
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performance? Draw a sketch of your favorite set from the show.
 Be a Sculptor
Make
a sculpture
of your favorite insect in the show. Be sure to put in all the correct body parts
Do
some
Reflecting
 Useand
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(old
nut,answers
bolts, tins
etc.) questions after you see the
 Discuss
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and wire them together.
performance:
 1)Or Who
use food
items
(marshmallow,
pretzels,
etc.)
are the
main
characters from
the play?
2) Where does the story take place?
3) What conflicts/problems happened?
4) How were the conflicts/problems solved?
5) What was your favorite costume, set or props used in the play?
6) Was there any music in the play? If so, how does it affect the mood of the story?
7) Were there any surprises in the play?
8) What was the best part of going to the performance?
 Celebrate your Learning!
 Share your learning with family or friends. Tell them about your experience and show them
your work (project, writing, etc.).
 Make an edible “elf hat” treat to celebrate. Check it out at:
http://www.designdazzle.com/2014/11/edible-elf-hats
or http://ediblec rafts.craftgossip.com/elf-hat-snack
6
PART 3: RESOURCES
WEBSITES:
Playtime Poppy Children’s Theatre
 http://www.playtimepoppy.org
Indian Creek Nature Center
 http://indiancreeknaturecenter.org
Kennedy High School Drama Department
 http://www.kennedyactivities.com/theatre
Elf and Holiday craft websites with related lesson plans and activities:
 http://www.kiwicrate.com/projects/Crafty-Christmas-Elf/894
 http://www.northpole.com/academy/activities
 http://www.craftymorning.com/elf-crafts-kids-make-christmas
 http://www.playideas.com/25-awesome-elf-crafts-for-kids
 http://www.craftionary.net/best-elf-crafts
Kids’ Drama Activities
 http://www.kidactivities.net/post/drama-introduction-and-menu.aspx
 http://www.kinderart.com/drama
 https://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/how-to/tipsheets/five-easy-dramagames
BOOKS
The Shelf Elf
by Jackie Mims Hopkins & illustrated by Rebecca McKillip Thornburgh (2004)
How Does the Show Go On: An Introduction to the Theatre
by Thomas Schumacher & Jeff Kurtti (2007)
Backstage Cat
by Harriet Ziefert & illustrated by Jenni Desmond (2013)
Maple Syrup Season
by Ann Purmell & illustrated by Jill Weber (2008)
7
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Kennedy High School Drama Department
Directors Nick Hayes & Steven Tolly
Student Cast & Crew
Season Sponsor:
Matinee Sponsors:
Show Sponsor:
Media Sponsors:
Playtime Poppy Board of Directors & Volunteers
Don’t forget to learn the
Playtime Poppy Song!
For the lyrics and music go to:
“The best way to
spread Christmas
cheer, is singing loud
for all to hear.”
-Buddy the Elf
http://www.playtimepoppy.org/about/playtime-poppy-song/
Playtime Poppy has been serving the Cedar Rapids community since 1951,
bringing the stage to life with children’s theatre and a love of the performing arts.
Playtime Poppy’s song has been sung by generations of children, parents and
grandparents, spreading smiles with its fun melody.
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