Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
Theatre Etiquette
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Curriculum Connections
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Characters
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ARRIVE EARLY
We suggest school groups arrive at least 45
minutes prior to curtain time. This gives you
enough time to visit the washroom, make
seating arrangements, and get settled before the
show.
IF YOU’RE RUNNING LATE
The show starts promptly at the time publicized
so if you are late, please do not enter the
theatre. See the Front of House manager, who
will seat your group during the “latecomers call”
(~10 minutes into the performance). Please note
that we can’t guarantee you will be seated
together, in the seats you booked, if you arrive
late.
Content Advisory
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Synopsis
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Language of the Play
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About The Playwright
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Further Exploration:
Pre-show and Post-show
Discussion Questions
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Bring it to the Classroom:
Pre-show and Post-show
Activities
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DURING THE PERFORMANCE
During the performance, the use of cameras or
other recording equipment is strictly prohibited.
Sources
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See the Show
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If you must leave the theatre during the
performance, you may not be allowed to reenter until intermission or at an appropriate
moment in the play. For your safety in the dark
theatre, an usher will assist you back to your
seat.
BEFORE THE SHOW
No food, drinks or chewing gum is allowed in
the theatre. Please finish refreshments and eat
lunches or snacks in lobby.
Please turn off all electronic devices.
Those performing on stage are affected by the
energy and attention you give them: the more
effort you invest in enjoying the show, the better
your experience will be!
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Dreary and Izzy explores material which relates to the following courses:
DRAMA
As a piece of contemporary Canadian theatre penned by a female First Nations writer, Dreary and Izzy is
an extraordinary example of the current state of Canadian drama: rich and complex, with many new
plays giving voice to experiences not frequently told on Canadian stages. Students will observe the
essentials to building a character’s presence on stage, and specifically, the technical vocal training
required to indicate heritage, culture, class and a character’s mental state – all of which are integral to
the telling of this story.
ENGLISH
English students will familiarize themselves with the powerful writing that makes this play a valuable
example of Canadian storytelling. Dreary and Izzy displays the importance of oral speech to convey an
idea to a community, as well as the skills necessary for storytelling. This production highlights the
lifestyles of two different cultures, bringing them together to communicate a story.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The play highlights some of the social revolutions that took place in Canada during the 1970s. It also
demonstrates the intersection of First Nations heritage with Colonial values, as seen through the lens of
the family unit. Specifically, students hear characters debate these points and consistently see the effects
of assimilation on the character Izzy.
HEALTH AND CAREERS
Dreary and Izzy demonstrates the importance of family and how healthy relationships are integral to
human survival. The play also discusses sexuality and the consequences of substance abuse on both the
individual and the family.
BC FIRST NATIONS/ABORIGINAL STUDIES
Building upon the connections outlined under SOCIAL STUDIES,
Dreary and Izzy features two First Nations characters and offers a
snapshot of the difficulties the community faced in the 1970s. The
loss of heritage and the personal politics of cultural assimilation are
both debated and dramatized. The reality of living with Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome can be witnessed, and the impact of this state
on both the individual and the family unit is central to the play’s
story. Also pivotal to the play are the personal rights and freedoms
of the character Izzy, who is both First Nations and affected by FAS.
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
CHARACTERS
ISABELLE MONOGHAN was adopted from a neighbouring reserve by the Catholic Monoghan family.
Severely affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, “Izzy” houses childlike behaviour in an adult’s body. Having
limited self-awareness (including not understanding the consequences of her actions), she assertively
urges others to meet her desires yet is unaware of her impact on others.
DEIRDRE MONOGHAN is the biological daughter of the Monaghan parents who recently passed away.
She is the solitary caregiver of her adopted sister Isabelle. Nicknamed “Dreary”, she has few social skills
and finds herself sacrificing life’s opportunities (including attending university) after spending a large
majority of her life looking out for Isabelle.
MRS. HARPER, a nurse, is the family friend of the Monoghan’s. Deirdre seeks her out for support and
medical advice. Mrs. Harper is talkative, opinionated and overtakes most conversations.
FREDDIE SEVEN HORSES is a vacuum salesman that takes a liking to Deirdre after showing up on the
Monoghan household doorstep. Calm, gentle and helpful, he becomes a source of support for Deirdre
and a source of interest for Isabelle. As a First Nations man, he also has a vested interest in ensuring
Isabelle does not lose her heritage while being raised under the Monoghan’s Catholic values.
CONTENT ADVISORIES
Dreary and Izzy contains mature subject matter that is crucial to the development of the play’s characters
and plot points. We encourage viewer discretion and encourage all educators to be aware of the content
before attending the shows with their students. Mature content is presented in Dreary and Izzy, as
follows:
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The Display of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome:
o Isabelle, heavily affected by FAS, lacks a “filter” – she is unable to recognize how her
words and actions may be inappropriate
 As such, we require students to display maturity and sensitivity to the show and
Izzy’s character, in particular.
Discussion of Sexuality:
o Deirdre discusses Birth Control with Freddie.
o Masturbation is referenced (twice).
o As Isabelle is growing into an adult, she has reached a stage of sexual development and
her FAS condition means she is direct in expressing her desires. She describes her sexual
involvement with a boy at her swimming lessons, and later attempts to have Freddie touch
her while he is tucking her in to bed (to which he declines).
o Freddie is accused of raping Isabelle.
o We discover that Isabelle had sex with the red-haired boy from the swimming pool.
Pregnancy:
o It is revealed that Isabelle is pregnant (implying sexual behavior).
o Izzy is seen dripping with breast milk.
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
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The Institutionalization of Isabelle:
o The presentation that Izzy’s rights and freedoms to be a mother are revoked due to her
disability.
Adoption:
o Isabelle is adopted from a First Nations family into a Catholic family.
o Isabelle’s child is taken from her, at the end of the play.
Strong Language:
o Swearing occurs at various points throughout the play.
SYNOPSIS
The play begins with a prologue from Isabelle, revealing what she could have been, had she not been
affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Just as she is about to appear, she fades into darkness.
The action of the play begins in August of 1975, a week after Isabelle and Deirdre’s parents die in a car
accident. The girls have just returned from the funeral, and Deirdre is both exhausted and exasperated.
Struggling to hold it together, Deirdre is Isabelle’s primary source of care and support. She takes on the
responsibility of food, cleaning, arranging Isabelle’s activities and facilitating how to get her to them.
None of this is easy with Isabelle’s manipulative and childish responses to her efforts, being more
interested in her sexual exploits with her “boyfriend” at the swimming pool than in grieving her parent’s
death.
Soon into the play, Isabelle falls ill. In a state of panic, Deirdre calls their family friend, Mrs. Harper, for
advice. The help she gets is lackluster and Deirdre is soon thrown back into parent-mode for her sister.
Help arrives in the form of a ringing doorbell, rung by a boy named Freddie. Though he originally arrived
with the intent to sell the girls a vacuum cleaner, he takes a liking to Deirdre. They begin to talk, and the
sisters both feel as if they’ve made a new friend. In conversations with Freddie, it becomes obvious that
Isabelle does not fully understand her heritage, having grown up in a
Catholic household (which will become a small point of contention
for Freddie, later in the play).
Freddie eventually leaves, having sold no vacuums. Deirdre puts
Isabelle to bed. Having left a vacuum attachment on the couch,
Freddie returns to retrieve it, making it obvious that he wishes to
remain in contact. Freddie and Deirdre make plans for the following
day.
At Deirdre’s request, Mrs. Harper stops by for a visit. Deirdre admits
her discomfort at having no experience with men, explaining the
story of meeting Freddie and wondering whether she is the type to
engage in a sexual relationship. Deirdre makes a note to take Isabelle
to the doctor in the morning.
As Deirdre wakes up the next morning, she finds Isabelle sleeping in
a pile of her own vomit and whisks her to the medical clinic. The
door is left open and Freddie finds the house left empty. He and Mrs.
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
Harper visit the girls at the hospital. Deirdre finds herself taken aback by the degree of support Freddie is
giving the girls, and their relationship grows closer both physically and emotionally.
Deirdre makes a run to a doctor’s office in order to pick up birth control, leaving Freddie to babysit
Isabelle. Isabelle attempts to convince Freddie to fulfill her sexual desires, to which he declines,
embarrassed, and asks her to only talk about that subject matter to Deirdre or a doctor.
Deirdre returns and she finally has her dinner date with Freddie. During their conversation, Freddie sparks
a topic that he is passionate about: the assimilation of the First Nations into Catholic European culture.
Isabelle wakes up and wants to be in on the social activity. The trio decides to have a “camp out” in the
living room. As Deirdre and Freddie stop into the basement to get sheets, the phone rings and Isabelle
answers it. She tells Mrs. Harper a story that isn’t true about what happened when Freddie was
babysitting her. Deirdre and Freddie return, and everyone goes to sleep. Freddie, however, can’t fall
asleep because he and Deirdre can’t be intimate like he had hoped. He dejectedly slips into the bathroom
to relieve himself. Mrs. Harper comes charging through the door, ready to apprehend Freddie based on
what she heard from Isabelle on the phone. Deirdre is horrified, but believes Mrs. Harper’s accusation of
the sexual assault. Isabelle cries, and Freddie, confused, hurt, and frustrated, leaves for good.
The dramatic action ends, but the play itself continues with an epilogue from Deirdre, explaining the
events that followed that night. Isabelle suddenly became constantly fatigued and sick; signs of a
pregnancy. It was determined that Deirdre could no longer care for Izzy and a baby, and so Isabelle was
admitted to a medical centre. Deirdre explains the sacrifices she made to stay with Isabelle: moving to
Red Deer and taking up a graveyard cleaning staff shift at the centre. She describes the stories she tells
Isabelle when she visits at night, and she describes the shock and shame she felt when Isabelle’s baby
was born bearing bright red hair – the same traits of the boy from Deirdre’s swimming lessons. The
baby’s features prove that Freddie was telling the truth.
The play ends with a strong symbolic image of Isabelle, catatonic and empty, leaking breast milk in a
hospital gown.
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
LANGUAGE OF THE PLAY
The following words appear in Dreary and Izzy and may be unfamiliar to students.
BLACKFOOT
A First Nations confederacy that originates in the Northern Great Plains that is made
up of different tribes including the Kainai, Siksika, and Pikani.
FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME
The result of women engaging in alcohol abuse while pregnant. Children born with
this condition share similar mental and physical disabilities such as impaired motor
skills, hand-eye-coordination and lowered intelligence as the cognitive faculty is
impaired.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Tara Beagan is a Canadian-based playwright, whose first play Thy
Neighbour’s Wife debuted in Toronto in 2004, winning a Dora
award for Outstanding New Play. Since then, she has written 12
plays and has worked on other collaborative projects. As descendant
of both Ntlakapamux and Irish Canadian roots, Beagan has written
several plays including Dreary and Izzy, Quilchena, and Free As Injuns
to explore and celebrate the culture of the First Nations people. As
well as being a playwright, Beagan has written and acted in both
television, film and radio productions.
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
FURTHER EXPLORATION
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
PRE-SHOW
Assimilation
 What is assimilation?
 What do you know about assimilation?
o What cultures are commonly affected by assimilation?
First Nations History
 What do you know about the social status of the First Nations in 1975?
o What social movements were in progress at that time?
 What are some of the potential problems with First Nations children being put up for
adoption?
o What are the perceived gains vs. the potential risks and losses?
POST-SHOW
Assimilation
o What was Freddie’s point of view on Isabelle’s adoption?
o What are the benefits of Isabelle’s adoption?
o What did Freddie symbolize to Isabelle? And how does that differ from what he means to
Deirdre? Does him being of First Nation heritage have any impact on Isabelle?
Personal Rights and Freedoms
o What personal rights and freedoms did Isabelle have revoked due to her condition?
o When did care-giving support Isabelle and when did it cause damage?
o What are the sexual rights and freedoms of Isabelle? Does she have any say or control over
her body?
o During this time period, how could Deirdre have sought out help for her and Isabelle’s
situation? What would you have done?
o In what ways does Fetal Alcohol Syndrome affect children? What systems do we have in
place nowadays to support those who are affected?
o Deirdre gives up many of her freedoms in order to care for Isabelle.
 Does Deirdre stick with Isabelle out of fear, love or obligation? Explain/justify your
answer.
 How far would you go to care for Isabelle, if you were Deirdre?
 Would you have adopted Isabelle’s baby?
 Would you trust Freddie after meeting him for such a short time? Would you do
anything differently if you were Deirdre?
Classic Tragedy in a Contemporary Play
o What are the elements of Classic Tragedy (otherwise known as Greek Tragedy)?
o What were some of the dramatic elements in Dreary and Izzy that make it a contemporary
example of a classic dramatic tragedy?
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
BRING IT TO THE CLASSROOM
Activities to connect students to the world of the play.
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
PRE-SHOW
LOVE AND SACRIFICE
Activity 1
Goal: Deirdre sacrifices many opportunities for growth in her life in order to take care of her adopted
sister, Isabelle. Have students evaluate how far they would go for their loved ones.
It’s important that students understand there is no right or wrong answer, no “should’s” or
“shouldn’ts”. Everyone has their own individual sense of boundaries around personal sacrifice.
Directions: Have every student in the class stand up beside their chair. Ask them to think of a sibling,
best friend or family member.
Ask students to reply to the following questions with “yes” or “no”. If the student answers “no” to the
question, they will sit down.
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Do you care about whether or not your person makes friends?
Would you sacrifice having a social life in order to hang out with your person?
Would you spend more than two hours after school helping your person in whatever way they
need help?
Would you skip going to school to care for your person if she/he was sick?
Would you take on work to support this person if nobody else could?
Would you move cities to be with your person?
Would you move provinces to be with your person?
Would you move countries to be with this person?
Would you risk your future to be with this person?
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Discussion Questions for those who are the last standing:
What makes you willing to risk all or most of these things for your person?
Does love or fear play a part in your sacrifice?
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Discussion questions for those who sat down:
What about the question led you to sit down when you did?
At what point does caring for someone else’s well-being make you care less about your own?
Activity 2
When it comes to family, list the common instances where we make personal sacrifices of our rights, so
that the ones we love can enjoy theirs. When and where would you draw the line and put your rights
and freedoms first over those of your family members?
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
After viewing play, related questions for Activity 1 & 2:
 Was Deirdre right to risk her future for Isabelle’s sake?
POST-SHOW
STEREOTYPES
Goal: Students will be able to differentiate stereotype from real life representation. As well, they will be
able to understand how the unity of the characters, despite their differences, creates an underlying
message.
Materials: Whiteboard, pen
Tara Beagan wrote Dreary and Izzy to highlight the social situation of First Nation peoples in the 1970s.
How does she acknowledge the history of the First Nation peoples while avoiding the stereotype?
Instructions:
1) As a class, have students brainstorm all of the stereotypes they can think of about First Nations. Once
the list is finished, have students decide whether Dreary and Izzy fit any of these stereotypes.
2) Have the class compose a list of elements they found to be non-stereotypical about Dreary and Izzy.
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Once finished, compare the lists. Does the variety in answers reveal any of the messages in the
play?
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Which of the stereotypes are ignorance, and which are derived from historical fact?
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Is there any benefits to understanding the root of the stereotype?
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How are the stereotypes harmful towards First Nations?
Further the activity:
3) What are the stereotypes of Catholicism?
 Does Deirdre fall into any of these stereotypes?
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What in the play is uncharacteristic of the “Catholic” stereotype?
If Deirdre and Isabelle can both be placed in different “stereotype” groups, what does their closeness
mean in the grand scheme of the play? What does their sisterhood represent?
ASSIMILATION THROUGH ADOPTION
Goal: To have students understand the importance of personal heritage, and the importance of cultural
events.
Materials: Pen, paper
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
Isabelle gained an incredibly loving and supportive family through her adoption into the Monoghan
family, but lost the chance to connect with her First Nations heritage. During the period of the play, the
1970s, there were limited resources for Aboriginal children to reach out to in order to find out about
their culture and history.
Instructions: Have students pair up to design a program that would help adopted children (those
suffering from FAS and those not) remain connected to their roots. Students will present their ideas to
the class.
Make sure students answer the following:
 Was your program idea practical for the 1970s or would it be better suited for this decade?
 How would those of First Nations descent benefit from the program?
 What are the resources required to launch such a program (both financial and personnel)
SOURCES
http://www.playwrightsguild.ca/playwright/tara-beagan
http://www.catalysttcm.com/tarabeagan.html
http://www.cbc.ca/books/2012/01/8th-fire-playwright-tara-beagan-on-the-need-for-storytelling.html
http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=150867
http://www.nowtoronto.com/stage/story.cfm?content=150780
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
SEE THE SHOW
We look forward to seeing you and your students in the lobby. Here’s a few ways students can join us.
School Group Ticket Information
School Group rate: $18 per student
One complimentary teacher ticket per 8 students
Gateway Theatre Box Office: 604.270.1812
www.gatewaytheatre.com
Box Office Hours:
Mon-Fri 12-6pm / Sat 2-6pm (reduced hours July through Labour Day)
Gateway Theatre Outreach Program
We invite your students to spend a day at Gateway Theatre learning about the fascinating world of
theatre and exploring careers in the performing arts. Join us on the day of our technical rehearsal, an
intense period of activity just before Opening Night.
Outreach activities take place from 10am – 2pm for groups of up to 30 students.
This outreach program has been generously sponsored by the RBC Foundation since 2008, enabling
over 500 students to spend a day learning with us.
Inquiries:
Gateway Theatre Education Manager 604.247.4975
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Dreary and Izzy Educator Guide
eyeGO Program
The eyeGO is an access program for high school students to educate students about the process of
being a patron of the arts. eyeGO is a National program with strict rules to ensure the students get the
experience expected by the National office.
http://www.eyego.org/
The process:
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Any student attending high school can access a sponsor (Gateway Theatre) performance for $5
Each ticket must be purchased by a high school student (there are no group purchases)
Tickets are to be picked up at the box office with ID
Student ID must be shown in order to receive the preferential price
If tickets are ordered over the phone, the regular service charges will apply.
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