Presents
October, 2016
Study Guide
SYNOPSIS
Really Rosie follows a typical summer day in the life of
several neighborhood friends. Like many children, they
claim to be bored. Luckily, their friend (and self-proclaimed
leader) Rosie does not believe in being bored and she
decides to film the story of her life, casting them all in
supporting roles. They must audition first (of course) and
then musically tell the exciting, dramatic, funny (and
slightly exaggerated) story of her life. In addition to Rosie and her friends
Alligator, Kathy, Pierre and Johnny, there is her dopey brother Chicken Soup, their
parents and the residents of their neighborhood. Most importantly, they call on
their imaginations to help them stage their glorious musical auditions in hopes of
being chosen by the Producer and taken Very Far Away.
GENERAL DISCUSSION
1. Rosie, the main character of Really Rosie, believes that
she is a star! She makes up movies and puts herself and her
friends in the starring roles. Have you ever played with your
friends at making a movie or a play? If you haven’t, you
might want to try it!
2. Rosie has a very powerful imagination. She uses her imagination to create a fun
experience for herself and her friends. Discuss imagination as a class. Why is it
valuable to have a strong imagination? How can it be helpful in different
situations?
For one day, take a break from technology. Do not
turn on your television, computer, iPod, game
console or anything else that provides electronic
entertainment. Instead of relying on these devices to
fill your time, use your imagination to make your
own fun, just like Rosie and her pals
3. Even though Rosie puts on the air of a famous
actress, she realizes that making a movie is about
teamwork so she casts her friends in the roles in
her movie. Why was it important that Rosie and
her friends listen to each other and work
together? If you have ever tried to create a movie
or a play, you know that teamwork helps get the
job done. Talk about examples of how sharing, working as a team, and being
polite and respectful can help you achieve your goals!
4. Rosie has an annoying little brother named Chicken Soup! As a matter of fact,
the title of her movie is Did you Hear What Happened to
Chicken Soup? Her mother is always asking her to watch out
for her brother because he might get hurt or into trouble.
Rosie starts to fantasize about life without Chicken Soup
around. If you have younger siblings, are you ever asked by
your parents to take care of the younger members of your
family? Do you ever tease your younger sibling? Why do older
sisters and brothers often feel the same way Rosie does?
5. Who is the leader in Really Rosie, and how does this
character show the qualities of a leader? Being a leader
can be very different from being a boss. Does this
character always set the best example for the other
children? Talk about the characteristics of leadership and
times that you have shown leadership at school, at home,
or when playing with your friends.
LITERATURE/CREATIVE WRITING
MAURICE SENDAK
You have probably read or heard of
many of Maurice Sendak’s books.
Where the Wild Things Are is probably
his best known work. Research
Maurice Sendak’s life and works. What
inspired him to become an illustrator
and writer? How many books has he
written and/or illustrated? What awards has he received?
NUTSHELL LIBRARY
Really Rosie features character from Maurice Sendak’s The Sign on Rosie’s Door
and his Nutshell Library collection which
consists of the following titles:
Alligators All Around: An Alphabet
Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months
One Was Johnny: A Counting Book
Pierre: A Cautionary Tale
A. Read The Sign on Rosie’s Door. Why does Rosie make a good character for a
stage play?
B. Read the four titles in the Nutshell Library collection. Each book has its own
theme - the alphabet, months of the year, counting and caring. How is each
theme highlighted in Really Rosie?
THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE
In the play, Rosie wants the kids of Avenue P to act out the story of her life. If you
were going to make a movie of your life story, what characters would you
include? Who would play the parts? Would you have songs? What would the title
be? Write a story about your life. If you include dialogue or conversation between
your characters, this will be your script for your play or a screenplay for your
movie.
LANGUAGE ARTS/VOCABULARY
1. In Really Rosie, the character Alligator
sings a song called “Alligators All Around”
for his screen test in which he recites the
alphabet. The other kids think that the
alphabet is boring, but Alligator doesn’t
think so! Alliteration is used in the
alphabet song, such as B for Bursting
Balloons and C for Catching Colds. What is alliteration? Why does it make
the alphabet seem less boring? Think up your own categories for each of
the letters, and make a song of it! How could we communicate with each
other without language and the alphabet?
2. Rosie refers to her movie as her “magnum opus.” What
does this term mean? It is Latin - what do the two words
mean in Latin? What might be the “magnum opus” of
the following famous artists: Ludwig van Beethoven,
William Shakespeare, Leonardo Da Vinci, Picasso, Mark
Twain, Steven Spielberg?
SCIENCE
In Really Rosie, there is a character called
Chicken Soup who sings a song called “Chicken
Soup with Rice” which praises chicken soup as a
food for all seasons. Chicken soup is associated
with healing colds. Does chicken soup actually
have health benefits? If so, what are they?
a. How do you make chicken soup? What are some variations on classic chicken
soup? Find a recipe for real chicken soup, cook it, and enjoy!
SOCIAL STUDIES
Really Rosie is set in New York City, specifically in Brooklyn. Find New York City on
a map. What is its population and area? When and by whom was New York City
first settled?
Within New York City, find Brooklyn, which is one of the city’s five “boroughs.”
What is a borough? What are New York City’s other four boroughs?
What is the population of Brooklyn?
Why do you think that Maurice Sendak set Really Rosie in Brooklyn?
FILMMAKING
Study the history and process of filmmaking as
a class. What is the fundamental process of
making motion pictures? When was the first
moving picture made? Who developed the
earliest moving picture camera and projector?
When were movies first made with sound?
Additional - Write to Theatre at the Mount
After watching the play, write about it. Tell what you liked
or disliked about the story, the characters, costumes, or
set. Support you thoughts with examples and reasons.
Mail to: Theatre at the Mount,
444 Green Street, Gardner, MA 01440