s c h o o lP E R F O R M A N C E S E R I E S
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the story of rosa parks
Photo by Andy Bustin
Generous support for SchoolTime provided, in part, by
NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
about the performance
Everyone knows the story of Rosa Parks, a Southern
black woman who, one day in 1955, took a great
risk by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white
passenger. Or at least, everyone thinks they know the
story.
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks aims to tell a more
precise story of her historic and courageous act,
which was not the spontaneous response of a tired
worker at the end of the day, as the legend has
grown to suggest. Rather, she was the key player in a
carefully planned, well-coordinated and documented
effort backed by an organized civil rights group.
The play also helps fit her act into the larger sweep of
the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery, Alabama,
to gain equal rights and protections for the nation's
black citizens, which was beginning to gather steam.
To bring the vibrant, important story to the stage,
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks incorporates live
music and song, as well as dramatic storytelling,
including traces of humor. It follows Rosa from her
childhood in rural Alabama, to her determined stance
to "sit down and be counted." The play puts her
action into perspective, dispels myths and explores
what occurred in her earlier life, which allowed Rosa
Parks to take her risky position. It showcases how
one individual can make a difference in an important
struggle.
This play is a production of the Mad River Theater
organization, based in Ohio, which specializes in
creating strong depictions of the stories and history
that have shaped America's small towns and
regions and the people who have lived there. All
those involved in the production are committed to
exploring issues of racism, tolerance, shifting cultural
expectations and women's issues.
Photo by Andy Bustin
2
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks
www.njpac.org/education
in the spotlight: an interview with Mad River Theater Works
Many accounts of Rosa Parks' defiant act perpetuate
the myth that she acted spontaneously simply because
she was too tired to get up after a long day at work. In
reality, it was a planned act of civil disobedience. Why
is it important for modern youth to understand this
distinction?
We feel it is important because it was a carefully
thought out act, with years of planning and action
behind it. Other acts of protest were not working, or
working at varying degrees of success, and at the time,
the most powerful thing they could do to draw attention
and change things for the better, was a peaceful protest
that was aimed directly at commerce. Changing the
hearts and minds of a people is a deep and long process
where as affecting their cash flow can have more
immediate impact and consequence.
How does bringing to the stage Rosa Parks' rural
beginnings and earlier life help bring her into focus as a
person in addition to a historic figure?
It shows the racial struggles in Rosa's life from the very
beginning. It also shows the kids that she was, in fact, an
ordinary person who made a decision to stand up for the
rights she—and everyone else—should have had.
What lesser-known aspects of the now familiar story
of Rosa Parks and the beginnings of the Civil Rights
Movement helped you find new ways of bringing this
story to the stage in a way young people would enjoy?
Deep research has allowed for each scene to present at
least some relatively unknown facts about the story of
Rosa Parks specifically, and the Civil Rights Movement in
general. An example of this in Walk On is the “Grandpa
Scene"—we learn that Rosa’s racial background was
mixed, and that her Grandfather was able to “pass” as a
white man. Their playful interchange, and the song that
accompanies their scene, allows the young audience
simple access to a very nuanced distinction, and helps
them put their mind on the complexities and inequity in
the story that is about to unfold.
Can you talk about what your goals were for the songs,
and how they add to and enhance certain parts of the
storytelling?
Songs can move and accelerate storytelling and enhance
the suspension of disbelief in subtle and powerful ways.
They give the characters new ground to stand upon to
tell their stories, and give the production, as a whole,
a greater appeal, vibrancy and sense of historical time
and place. They also allow the audience new ways to
understand the plot and relate to the characters. We
have all had, at some point in our lives, transformative
experiences with music, whether that be an experience
as deep as sharing in a music session as a player/singer
or as simple as hearing a moving song on the radio. The
power of music is undeniable, and our goal in featuring it
in this play (and in all our work) is to tap in to that core
place within all of us, allowing the story to resonate in
more lasting ways than drama without music might.
Why tell the Rosa Parks story again on stage for this
age group of modern children? What do you hope they
can learn from or understand about this chapter in the
Civil Rights Movement that it's unlikely they will get
from a textbook?
It's important for the children to realize how recent
this piece of history is and for them to get a glimpse of
what Rosa's everyday life looked like before she became
the icon we think we know. Rosa didn't simply sit on
a bus—she had been working with other activists for
years, fighting for equality. That seemingly simple act of
nonviolence—sitting down firm to take a stand— helped
to change everything for all people in America. We
wouldn't all be sitting together in a theater the way we
are if it hadn't been for people like Rosa Parks.
When casting the play, what qualities did you look for
in the actors, besides of course, excellent stage skills?
Most importantly, we look for a sense of calling to the
work. Being connected to the mission of the company
through this work of telling lesser known stories, or the
details within them, that allow people to come together
and know each other better—to bring our audiences to
the point of conflict and resolution that drama offers and
show the healing potential, in each of us, for change. We
look for these kind of qualities, this humanity really, in
the folks we work with.
Additionally, we ask that all our performers be musicians
as well as actors—there have been very few people that
have ever come to work for Mad River Theater Works
that can’t play an instrument or sing. It comes with the
territory, so to speak.
What modern plays and/or films influence you the
most, and which you draw inspiration from?
We’re all influenced by the world and our interactions/
experiences with people the most but a few concrete
examples are The Color Purple (both the musical and the
film) and A Raisin in the Sun.
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks
www.njpac.org/education
3
The P.E.R.F.O.R.M. activities will enable students to get the most out of a SchoolTime performance.
TEACHER FOCUS
STUDENT ACTIVITY
PREPARE
Prepare with the language of the era
Prepare for the performance by introducing
the vocabulary and concepts of segregation in
the South in the 1950s during the Civil Rights
Movement.
Examine the emotion of the era
As you go through a single day at school, imagine
that all students who are wearing different color
socks than you cannot participate in any of the
fun activities you can—lunch, recess, clubs, gym
class, etc. As you do each of those things, think
about what it would feel like if you had to sit on the
sidelines and watch.
EXPERIENCE
How to experience the performance
Let your students know that a play like this
is likely to spark a range of emotions and
questions. Reassure them that this is normal,
and even helpful, so they can imagine the
characters as real people.
Observation
Ask yourself how each of the people in the story
might have felt about their situation—including the
bus driver, Rosa, the rest of the black passengers,
the white passengers, and the police. Think about
the how it's possible to enjoy a performance about
something so that at its core, depicts a terrible part
of our history. Think about how it can be both sad
and uplifting at the same time.
REFLECT,
Reflect and respond to the performance
Afterwards, lead the class in a discussion
about what Ms. Parks did and how it helped
bring about important change. Ask students
to share the feelings they experienced while
watching the play, and why we still need to
learn from and remember stories like this in
2015.
Civil Rights Movement stories
Choose from additional stories such as the
Freedom Riders, the Woolworth lunch counter
sit-in, and the March to Montgomery. Find the
connections between these and Rosa Parks' acts.
Consider whether each could have happened
without precedents.
FOCUS
Then and now
Introduce students to at least two current-day
instances when a planned act has successfully
turned public attention and outrage on an
issue of injustice. Focus on the individual who
took the risk.
Now and then
Speculate on what kinds of activism, and what
issues, Rosa Parks might be involved in today. Look
at the website of the Rosa and Raymond Parks
Foundation for Self-Development for inspiration,
and consider what she might work on if she were
active in 2015.
ORIGINATE
Act as the producer
Help students gain deeper insight into the role
of modern activism. Assist them to complete
a skit by introducing the terms and format of
writing a play script, including tips for dialogue
and scene.
Be the playwright
In small groups, write a short 5-minute skit
in which either a modern day activist takes a
dramatic stand OR an imagined situation in which
Rosa Parks would do something dramatic in 2015.
Have a part for a narrator to introduce the topic
and prepare the audience.
REHEARSE
Act as audience
Provide feedback for student skit groups as
they rehearse, and suggest additional readings
and/or films to watch.
Rehearse and practice
Rehearse your full skit, alternating roles among
students in your group. Record it if possible and
watch it with your group members; talk about how
to make it better. Rehearse again.
MAKE
Prepare a stage
Provide a venue for student skits, and if
possible, additional audience. Help students
prepare a paper program to hand out to the
audience.
Act it out
Perform your short skits. As you watch other
groups' skits, think of questions to ask those
students about their play and its meaning.
for the
performance
the
performance
RESPOND
and READ
magic
4 Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks
www.njpac.org/education
NJ ARTS STANDARDS
NATIONAL ARTS STANDARDS
COMMON CORE STANDARDS/
NJ SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS
NJ Arts Standards
1.1 The Creative Process
1.2 History of Arts & Culture
1.3 Performance
1.4 Aesthetic Response & Critique
English Language Arts
SL 3-8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions
SL 3-8.2 Interpret information presented in diverse media
SL 3-8.4 Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
RL 3-8.7 Compare and Contrast
National Arts Standards
1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for
presentation.
6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic
work.
7: Perceive and analyze artistic work
8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural,
and historical context to deepen understanding
Social Studies
16.1.12.D.13.a Determine the impetus for the Civil Rights
Movement and explain why national government actions
were needed to ensure civil rights for African Americans.
6.1.12.D.13.b Compare and contrast the leadership and
ideology of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X during
the Civil Rights Movement and evaluate their legacies.
FIND THE STANDARDS –For more detailed information on the standards, visit these websites:
COMMON CORE STANDARDS - www.corestandards.org/
NJ SOCIAL STUDIES STANDADS - www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2014/ss/
NJ ARTS STANDARDS - www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2009/1.pdf
NATIONAL ARTS STANDARDS - www.nationalartsstandards.org
RESOURCES
An interview conducted with Rosa Parks in 1995, at
age 82:
www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/par0int-1
The fuller background story of Rosa Parks and her
bus moment:
www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/rosa-parks-andthe-montgomery-bus-boycott-pt-1/
The story of the bus on which Rosa Parks made her
seated stand:
www.thehenryford.org/exhibits/rosaparks/story.asp
The black teenager whose rebellious act on a bus
preceded Parks by nine months:
www.npr.org/sections/
codeswitch/2015/02/27/389563788/before-rosa-parks-a-teenager-defied-segregation-on-an-alabama-bus
Myth and Fact in the Rosa Parks Act and the
Montgomery Bus Boycott:
www.socialstudies.com/c/@10ybJGBs6We9k/Pages/
article.html?article@rosaparks
Rosa Parks answers questions from 7th and 8th
grade students:
teacher.scholastic.com/rosa/interview.htm#brave
A timeline of the Civil Rights Movement milestones:
www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
An online biography of Rosa Parks:
www.biographyonline.net/humanitarian/rosa-parks.
html
The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self
Development – to carry on her work in the areas of
youth development and civil rights:
www.rosaparks.org/
Inspirational quotes by Rosa Parks:
www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rosa_parks.
html
The fiery anger behind Rosa Parks' calm demeanor:
www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-rosa-parks-archives20150203-story.html
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks
www.njpac.org/education
5
cultural connections
sit only in certain seats in the back of the bus
and surrender those seats to white people
if necessary. Other laws forbid black people
from eating in certain areas of a restaurant,
attending the same public schools as white
students, or shopping, working, or registering
to vote.
In many instances, organized groups staged
nonviolent protests, and when they were
attacked by white mobs, police officers
frequently looked the other way, offering no
assistance or protection. Secret societies like
the Ku Klux Klan acted with the tacit approval
of many governing bodies, using threats,
intimidation, and terrorism, often harming
and killing black people they thought were
trying to change the balance of power.
The Southern United States in the 1950s was a land
of stark contrasts, with an enforced line separating
black and white citizens. Terrible conditions existed
for black people in nearly every area of life. This was
due to a combination of historically unjust laws,
long-held customs, lax police enforcement, and
biased government officials and business owners.
Even religious leaders felt they could act on personal
prejudices to continue segregation, when newer laws
were passed making such practices illegal.
Unrest among millions of black people was igniting
a steely determination within organized activist
groups who planned nonviolent challenges to the
way things were. The NAACP (National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People), as well as
CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), in conjunction
with many churches and civic organizations, were
beginning to coordinate efforts to incite protest, and
eventually, progress.
This was a time when so-called Jim Crow segregation
laws were common and accepted. Some required
black people to drink from separate water fountains,
enter certain public buildings from different doors,
6 Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks
This is the world into which Rosa Parks was born and
grew up. As a working woman in Montgomery, she
understood that in the South, working to obtain equal
rights was the most important activity in which a black
person could participate. At least 12 years before her
famous bus sit-down, Parks had been quietly working
behind the scenes as a member of her local NAACP
chapter, determined to change conditions, especially
for black youth. She held leadership positions, and
dedicated many hours of her personal life to the cause,
supporting others whose acts of civil disobedience
preceded hers, but in the end had less impact.
When called, she stepped up to the challenge of her
now-famous bus ride home from work that day in
December 1955. Yet it was far from a spontaneous
act. Instead, she and other activist leaders planned
it carefully, knowing that she had the potential to
become a symbol for the cause—a hard-working,
married, law-abiding woman whose quiet, calm,
courteous protest might catch the imagination of the
public. Her arrest and lack of bitterness helped others
to understand, and the resulting uproar launched the
full Civil Rights movement and changed our country
forever.
www.njpac.org/education
vocabulary of the Civil Rights Movement
Brown vs. Board of Education – A landmark 1954
Supreme Court decision on a lawsuit brought
against the Topeka, Kansas, Board of Education by 13
black parents. The ruling declared that pre-existing
laws allowing for segregated public schools were
unconstitutional. It meant that blacks and whites
would now share the same classroom. This ignited
violent protests and made it necessary for federal
troops to supervise schools in districts across the U.S.
(not only in the deep South), to ensure the safety of
black students.
Civil Disobedience – An act in which individuals or
a group purposely, and often publicly refuse to obey
certain laws or instructions from police or government
officials. Acts of civil disobedience are meant to
bring attention to unjust policies and spur change.
Most acts of civil disobedience are carried out via
nonviolent protest.
Civil Rights Act of 1964 – A sweeping, critical piece
of federal legislation that addressed discrimination on
a large scale, making it illegal to discriminate based
on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It also
removed obstacles to voter registration, education,
and the workplace. While it would take many
additional laws to force compliance, this Act marked
an enormous victory for Civil Rights activists.
Freedom Riders – In 1961, white and black students
from the social justice organization CORE (Congress
of Racial Equality), rode busses together from
Washington, D.C. to the deep South, to show that
some states were not enforcing anti-segregation laws.
Jim Crow Laws – Enacted between the 1890s
and 1950s, they mandated segregation of public
schools, public places, and public transportation, and
allowed the segregation of restrooms, restaurants,
and drinking fountains. They called for "separate
but equal" status for blacks, but in reality blocked
or seriously impeded black entry, equal access,
opportunities, and rights. In many cases, Jim Crow
laws were purposely misinterpreted to deny black
citizens their rights.
Little Rock Nine – In 1957, at all-white Little Rock
Central High School, nine black students enrolled.
The Arkansas governor ordered the National Guard
to prevent them entering the school building despite
the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling. Eventually,
President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the U.S.
Army to escort them into the building amidst
threatening white protesters. Warriors Don't Cry, a
memoir by one of the nine students, Melba Pattillo
Beals, was published in the 1990s, and is still popular
among young readers.
March on Washington – A nonviolent protest in 1963,
during which more than 200,000 people marched
in the nation's capital, congregating on the National
Mall, where Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
delivered his stirring "I Have A Dream" speech.
Montgomery Bus Boycott – Lasting from Rosa Parks'
sit-down in December 1955, until December 1956,
this was a sustained social protest campaign that
challenged the legal policy of segregation on public
transportation in Montgomery, Alabama. Several
prominent Civil Rights leaders, including Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., led the Boycott.
NAACP – The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People first organized in
1909, with its stated mission "to ensure the political,
educational, social, and economic equality of rights
of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial
discrimination." The group was a key component
of the Civil Rights Movement, organizing protest,
marches, sit-ins, and other efforts to combat
segregation and Jim Crow laws. The organization is
still active today, awarding scholarships, recognizing
African-American achievements, and lobbying for
social justice.
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – A Baptist
minister, King was the most visible and important
leader of the Civil Rights Movement, stirring millions
to action with his speeches and participation in acts
of civil disobedience. He advocated and demonstrated
nonviolence, and led the 1963 protest in Montgomery,
Alabama, and the March on Washington. He was
assassinated in 1968.
Segregation – The enforced, purposeful separation of
a group of people based on ethnic, racial, religious or
other minority status that differs from the majority.
Before the Civil Rights Movement, races were legally
segregated in the U.S. in many public and social
interactions.
Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks
www.njpac.org/education
7
NJPAC ARTS EDUCATION STAFF LISTING
John R. Strangfeld, Chair
John Schreiber, President & CEO
Alison Scott-Williams, Vice President of Arts Education
MeiLing Roberts, Administrative Assistant to the Vice President
of Arts Education
Kristina Watters, Manager of Operations and Systems
Caitlin Evans-Jones, Director of Partnerships, Performances,
and Professional Development
Rosa Hyde, Manager Arts Education Performances
Eyesha Marable, Manager of Sales and Partnerships
Ashia Fulmore, Coordinator, Sales, Partnerships and Professional
Development
Jennifer Tsukayama, Senior Director of Arts Education
Jamie M. Mayer, Director of In-School Programs
Victoria Revesz, Manager of In-School Programs
Kyle Conner, Coordinator of In-School Programs
Rebecca Hinkle, Director of Arts Education
Patricia Sweeting, Coordinator of After School & Summer
Programs
Mark Gross, Director of Jazz Instruction
Alexis Almeida, Coordinator of Music Programs and New
Initiatives
Teacher Resource Guides
Michelle Cameron, The Writers Circle
Judith Lindbergh, The Writers Circle
Lia DiStefano, Graphic Designer
BRING THE ARTS TO YOUR SCHOOL
In-School Residencies: Drama + Social Studies. Dance + Math. It all adds up in NJPAC’s In-School Residencies in which
professional teaching artists partner with educators to bring the arts into the classroom. Each 7- to 10-week program
culminates in a student performance or an interactive family workshop. All programs address state and national standards.
NJPAC is the regional provider in New Jersey for international arts programs like the Wolf Trap Institute’s Early Learning
Through the Arts Program and Dancing Classrooms Global.
Assemblies: NJPAC presents engaging school assembly programs that are presented by professional artists that invite
students into the enchanting world of live performance. NJPAC’s assembly series promotes cultural awareness and
invigorates learning by presenting works that are connected to your’s school’s curriculum.
STUDY THE ARTS AT NJPAC
After School and Saturday Programs: NJPAC’s after school and Saturday programs are geared towards students at every
level—from those who dream of starring on Broadway to those who are still learning their scales. Students work with
professional artists to build technique and develop their own creative style in chorus, contemporary modern dance, hip hop,
jazz, musical theater and symphonic band.
Summer Programs: Want to begin to explore the arts? Or immerse yourself in the study of one genre? Then join us at NJPAC
next summer in one of seven programs that spark the creativity in every child through the study of music, dance and theater.
THE
F O U N D AT I O N
NJPAC Arts Education programs are made possible through the generosity of our endowment donors:
The Arts Education Endowment Fund in honor of Raymond C. Chambers, The Joan and Allen Bildner Family Fund, Toby and Leon
Cooperman, Albert and Katherine Merck, and The Sagner Family Foundation
Generous annual support for NJPAC Arts Education Programs is provided by:
The Star-Ledger, McCrane Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane, Surdna Foundation, John and Suzanne Willian/Goldman Sachs
Gives, MCJ Amelior Foundation, The Johnny Mercer Foundation, Jennifer A. Chalsty, Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, Panasonic
Corporation of America, and Atlantic, Tomorrows Office
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call our education sales team at
973-353-7058 or email us at [email protected]. Visit us at www.njpac.org/education.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center • One Center Street • Newark • NJ 07102
NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER