Flynn Center Presents
Elephant and Piggie’s
“We are in a Play!”
Welcome to the 2016-2017 Student Matinee Season!
Today’s scholars and researchers say creativity is the top skill our kids will need
when they enter the workforce of the future, so we salute YOU for valuing the
educational and inspirational power of live performance. By using this study
guide you are taking an even greater step toward implementing the arts as a
vital and inspiring educational tool.
We hope you find this guide useful. If you have any suggestions for content or
format of this guide, please contact [email protected].
Enjoy the show! -Education Staff
An immense thank you...
The Flynn Center recognizes that field trip resources for schools are extremely limited, thus matinee prices
for schools are significantly lower than prices for public performances. As a non-profit organization,
the Flynn is deeply grateful to the foundations, corporations, and individuals whose generous financial
support keeps matinees affordable for schools.
thank you to Jan and Harris Abbott for sponsoring this performance.
Thank you to the Flynn Matinee 2016-17 underwriters:
Northfield Savings Bank, Andrea’s Legacy Fund, Champlain Investment Partners, LLC, Bari and Peter
Dreissigacker, Forrest and Frances Lattner Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Tracy and Richard Tarrant, TD
Charitable Foundation, Vermont Arts Council, Vermont Concert Artists Fund of the Vermont Community
Foundation, Vermont Community Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, National
Endowment for the Arts, and the Flynn Jazz Endowment. Additional support from the Bruce J. Anderson
Foundation, Green Mountain Fund, & the Walter Cerf Community Fund.
The Kennedy Center
Since 1992, Kennedy Center Theater for Young
Audiences on Tour has been a leader in bringing
imaginative and original works to communities
around the nation. In the program’s 19 year
history, 43 tours have played in hundreds of
cities in 49 states as well as parts of Canada.
More than 2 million children, teachers and
parents have been part of these audiences.
Many of the students who see these productions
may never have the chance to visit the nation’s
performing arts center, but are still able to
experience the professionalism and talent that
has become the trademark of Kennedy Center
Theater for Young Audiences.
The tours begin with a fully mounted production
at the Kennedy Center for Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area audiences, then the shows
are reworked to go out on the road. Many works
are specifically commissioned by the Kennedy
Center and affiliates in order to contribute to the
development of new plays and musicals for
young audiences. It is their belief that supporting
the creation of new works for young audiences
is critical to the ongoing revitalization of the
field.
What to expect
This show is a musical that tells the story of an
elephant named Gerald and a pig named Piggie
who are best friends! Gerald worries that
something could go wrong that would end
their friendship. Piggie isn’t worried at all.
She’s super happy because they’ve been invited to
a party hosted by the Squirrelles!
Gerald and Piggie will solve problems
together, sing and dance to music, make
each other laugh, share their favorite things,
get mad and sad with each other, and even
do a little goofing around with you, the
audience!
The characters are played by humans, not
animals! The audience uses their
imagination to make the leap from humans
to animals. Gerald and Piggie won’t have a
trunk or snout, but they will wear colors that
resemble an elephant and a pig, grey and pinK!
Author: Mo Willems
#1 New York Times Bestseller Mo Willems began his career as a writer and
animator for PBS’ Sesame Street, where he garnered 6 Emmy Awards for
his writing. During his nine seasons at Sesame Street, Mo also served as a
weekly commentator for BBC Radio and created two animated series,
Nickelodeon’s The Off-Beats and Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City.
His debut children’s book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! became a
New York Times Bestseller and was awarded a Caldecott Honor in 2004.
The following year Knuffle Bunny: a Cautionary Tale was awarded a
Caldecott Honor. The sequel, Knuffle Bunny Too: a Case of Mistaken
Identity garnered Mo his third Caldecott Honor in 2008. In addition to
picture books, Mo created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of “Easy
Readers”, which were awarded the Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal in 2008 and
2009 and Geisel Honors in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. His books have
been translated into over 20 languages.
Mo’s drawings, wire sculptures, and sculpture have exhibited in numerous
galleries and museums across the nation, including major retrospectives at
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, the High
Museum in Atlanta, GA, The New-York Historical Society, and the Seongnam
Arts Center in Seoul, South Korea. His graphic story about his family
experiences during 9-11 for DC comics resides in the Library of Congress’
permanent collection. Mo lives in Massachusetts with his family.
***Mo and his family like to draw together at the dinner table every night.
Encourage kids to find some time to drop everything and draw with a
friend, family member, mentor, or on their own!
The story of the play come from these Elephant & Piggie books
???
Which
book do
you
think
this
photo
is
based
on?
Activities
Pre-Show Questions
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Read some of the books as a class. Have students
imagine what Elephant and Piggie might look like, sound
like. If they were to create costumes for Elephant and
Piggie, what would they wear? Would they wear masks?
Makeup? What clothing would they wear? Draw your
ideas and share them as a class!
Create a list of favorite lines from the Elephant and
Piggie books. See if you can combine some to make a
song!
During the Show, look for
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During the show, these two friends experience some
strong emotions and feelings (joy, love, anger, etc.). How
do the actors communicate these feelings using
dialogue, what they say, what they sing, or what they
do?
Watch for ways that Elephant and Piggie show their
friendship and care for each other. Watch how they
share, cooperate, joke with each other, help each other,
and forgive each other. Think about times you’ve done
one of these things to show a friend you cared.
The performers who play the Squirelles play other
characters as well. What changes do they make when
they change characters? Do they change their voices,
body language, the way they move? How do their
costumes change?
Listen for rhyming words during the songs. There will be
rhyming words like “Piggie” and “biggie,” as well as soft
rhymes like “prince” and “audience.” After the show,
create a list of rhyming words, or go on a rhyme
scavenger hunt through the classroom or as you read
stories as a class.
Post-Show Questions
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Elephant and Piggie are very different, but the are still
able to be great friends. Gerald is careful, Piggie is
playful. After the show, think of some other describing
words you would use to describe these characters. What
are some words you would use to describe yourself?
What words would you use to describe a special friend
or family member?
What parts of the show were taken from things that
happened in the book? Which parts were new? Why do
you think the show’s creators chose to include the parts
they included?
Words to Know!
There might be some words in the show that
are unfamiliar, but that’s ok! Here’s a heads
up about some of the words you might
encounter:
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Predicament: difficult situation
Unintended Consequences: things that
happen that surprise you
Pachyderm: a thick-skinned animal like
an elephant or hippopotamus
Swine: a short-haired animal with a
curly tail and hooves, like a pig
Unpossible: a made-up word Gerald
uses when he means not possible or
impossible
Contingency: something that might
happen
Sty: a fenced area, usually for pigs
Manipulate: to change what people do
or the way something happens
Post-Show Collage Activity
Invite students to look through old magazines
and newspapers to find images and words
that reflect their thoughts and feelings as they
were watching the performers on stage. Have
students cut out the images and words and
create a collage which represents the
experience, the ideas that came up for them
during the performance, and the impressions
they were left with. Discuss the collages as a
class.
Movement Memories
Invite each student to choose one particular
movement from the show that stands out in
their memory. Remind them of the different
types of moves they saw and ask for
volunteers to demonstrate the movements as
best they remember them. As each volunteer
performs a movement, invite everyone to
create their own interpretation of that same
movement and perform these pieces
simultaneously. (Hint: use the lights in your
room to cue the start and end of the
“performances.”) Ask the students what made
these movements memorable.
Explore the Theme: Friendship
Friendship Letters
It’s nice to tell your friends how you feel and that
they are important to you! Your family and
friends would love to receive a handwritten letter
from you, too! Even though we have the ability to
text, email, and share pictures online and on our
phones, a handwritten letter is very special.
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If needed, model writing a letter including
the major parts: a greeting, a body with 3
or 4 topics, questions, and a closing.
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Students think of the person they would like
to send the letter. They don’t have to live
far away, but they can if you would like.
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Brainstorm topic ideas to include in the
letter. These can include any news in the
child’s family, what he or she is studying at
school, after school activities, or something
they hope to do soon.
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Students write or dictate a letter to their
chosen recipient. Students could also draw
pictures to represent their thinking.
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When they are finished, place them in an
envelope, seal it, stamp it, and place the
recipient name.
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Send a note home with parents with the
letter, encouraging them to address the
letter and send it on its way!
Friendship Similarities and Differences
Elephant and Piggie are friends who have lots of
similarities, but they also are very different from one
another. Students can discover the things they have
similar to and different from their classmates.
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Place students in pairs.
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Each pair receives a Venn diagram (a copy is
available in the resources section of this guide.)
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Students discuss facts about their lives such as
family information, likes and dislikes, hobbies,
or places they have visited.
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Write or draw all similarities in the area where
the two circles join. Write or draw all differences
in the areas of the circles that are separated.
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This activity can be completed two or three
times with different pairings of students. Pair
students with their friends one time, with
someone they may not be friends with, and
even encourage them to seek out an adult in
their lives to complete the activity with another
time.
Valuable Friendships
In this activity, students will draw a picture of an
example of friendship and caption it.
After reading excerpts from the Elephant and Piggie
stories, ask students to recall times when the theme of
friendship was highlighted.
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Brainstorm ideas of things that friends do
together, how they show that they care for one
another, etc.
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Invite students to draw a picture that shows
one of these examples and to write or dictate a
sentence that explains their picture, using the
sentence starter “I value friendship because…”
Follow-up Questions:
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What does it mean to be a friend?
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What kind of things do you like to do with your
friends?
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What can you do to help a friend feel better
when they are sad or going through a tough
time?
CIRCLE PASS: Feelings
WORDS COME ALIVE:
Arts Integration Activities
Providing the opportunity to actively
explore the world of the show helps
students become more engaged and
connected audience members, thinking
about artists’ choices and approaching the
performance with enhanced curiosity.
For more information about our arts
integration activities:
● click here
● call 652-4548
● Email Lauren at
[email protected]
Ask children to stand or sit in a circle. Explain that there were many
different feelings expressed in the stories, and ask for a volunteer to
show an example, like Piggie feeling really excited that they’ve been
invited to the party. At a signal (or cue) ask that child to turn to the
person next to him/her with Piggie's excited face-in essence to "pass it
on." Then direct the second child to make the very same facial
expression,' and pass it on to a third child. The object is to keep the face
the same as it travels around the whole circle. Repeat the activity a few
times, with other volunteers showing different ways to express a excited
Piggie. Then ask a student to show what Gerald’s face when he feels
worried,, and pass that face around the circle. Ask for many variations
on these feelings too. To deepen student's attention, encourage
students to add gestures to further enhance their facial expressions.
Continue until attention wanes. Explain to students that there are many
ways for people to show the same feelings, and that the actors need to
decide which way(s) they will use when they perform.
Ask students: How do gestures help you understand what
actors/characters are feeling?
Activity: Moving Through Space
Ask students to walk or move freely around the room, aiming for the
open spaces and being careful not to bump into others. To help keep
attention high, instruct them to “freeze” occasionally and also to vary
their speeds or qualities. Examples: Move faster. Move faster still.”
“Travel in slow motion. Travel backwards.” Brainstorm with students
words they would use to describe different characters. Example: Piggie:
playful, happy. Ask students to move from one point of the room to
another, illustrating the first character trait. Then name another
adjective to add to their portrayals. Continue until the whole list is being
embodied. Repeat this exercise for other characters in the story (Gerald,
the Squirrelles, etc.)
To conclude, reflect on how each character felt different. How does
Piggie move differently than Elephant? What kind of physical changes
were evocative of different character traits? Since actors play multiple
characters in the show, how important do you feel having distinct
movements for each character might be? Would this have been a
helpful experience for the actors?
We can’t wait to see you at the theater!
Etiquette for Live Performances:The Essentials
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Listen, experience, imagine, discover, learn!
Give your energy and attention to the performers.
Please do not eat or drink in the theater.
Talk only before and after the performance.
Turn off wireless devices.
No photos, videos, texting, or listening to music.
Teachers, a few reminders:
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Share your experience with us! Use the feedback links, or
share your students’ artwork, writing, responses. We love
to hear how experiences at the Flynn impact our audiences.
Explore other student matinees at the Flynn this season.
We still have seats in some shows and we’d love to help you
or other teachers at your school enliven learning with an
engaging arts experience!
The Flynn is a place for ALL students, and these tools can help!
Pre or Post-Show Video Chats:
Hello
from the
Flynn!
Help students build enthusiasm or process their experience with a free, 5-10 minute video chat before or after the show!
We can set up Skype/Facetime/Google Hangouts with your class to answer questions about the content, art form, and experience.
Contact Kat, [email protected] to set up your chat!
Autism and Sensory-Friendly Accommodations:
The Flynn Center has been working diligently to break down barriers for audience members with disabilities,
with a particular focus on those with sensory-sensitivities. Social stories, break spaces, sensory friendly materials,
and more are available for all student matinees. Feel free to let us know ahead of time if any of these would be useful,
or ask an usher at the show!
Common Core Standards
We appreciate and value your feedback
The Common Core broadens the definition of a “text,” viewing
performance as a form of text, so your students are experiencing
and interacting with a text when they attend a Flynn show.
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Seeing live performance provides rich opportunities to write
reflections, narratives, arguments, and more. By writing responses
and/or using the Flynn Study Guides, all performances can be
linked to Common Core:
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Click here to evaluate our study guides.
Click here for Teacher Feedback Forms for the
performance.
Click here for Student Feedback Forms for the
performance.
Click here for Parent Forms to help parents engage
with their children around the show.
CC ELA: W 1-10
You can use this performance and study guide to address the
following Common Core Standards:
CC ELA: RF 1-4, RL 1-10, L 3-5, SL 1-2
This guide was written & compiled by the Education Department at the
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts with inspiration from the
Kennedy Center Cue Sheet, the Kennedy Center website, and
www.mowillems.com. Permission is granted for teachers, parents,
and students who are coming to Flynn shows to copy & distribute this
guide for educational purposes only.