STUDY GUIDE THEATRE GARGANTUA, 651 DUFFERIN STREET, TORONTO, ONTARIO, M6K 2B2 ©2016 THEATRE GARGANTUA – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS A. NOTES FOR TEACHERS Getting to the Show ....................................................................................................................3 Before You Arrive ........................................................................................................................3 Theatre Etiquette ........................................................................................................................4 B. PRODUCTION CREDITS Production Credits and History ...................................................................................................5 C. ABOUT THEATRE GARGANTUA Who We Are ………….....................................................................................................................6 How We Create ...........................................................................................................................6 Genre ...........................................................................................................................................6 Company Bios ..............................................................................................................................7 D. ABOUT THE SACRIFICE ZONE Plot Summary ..............................................................................................................................8 Topics Explored ...........................................................................................................................8 Curriculum Connections ..............................................................................................................8 Themes ........................................................................................................................................9 Meaning of the Title ....................................................................................................................9 Creating The Sacrifice Zone .......................................................................................................10 E. SPOTLIGHT ON THE CREATIVE TEAM An Interview with the Playwright ..............................................................................................11 Set Design in Development .......................................................................................................12 F. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND TOPICS Agree or Disagree? ....................................................................................................................13 Quotes to Inspire Discussion .....................................................................................................13 Pre-­‐Show Discussion Questions ................................................................................................13 Post-­‐Show Discussion Questions ...............................................................................................14 G. LESSON PLANS Lesson 1: Using Allegorical Gestures .........................................................................................15 Lesson 2: Creating Soundscapes ................................................................................................17 Lesson 3: Interdisciplinary Thematic Compositions ...................................................................19 G. WRITING AND REFLECTION EXERCISES Pre-­‐Show Writing Exercises .......................................................................................................20 Post-­‐Show Writing Exercises ......................................................................................................21 I. EXCERPTS FROM THE SACRIFICE ZONE Excerpt #1: School Children .......................................................................................................22 Excerpt #2: Laura and Patrick in the Woods ..............................................................................23 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE A. NOTES FOR TEACHERS GETTING TO THE SHOW: The Sacrifice Zone will be performed at: Factory Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario BEFORE YOU ARRIVE: •
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Please provide your cell phone number to our Producer Yolanda Ferrato before the event at [email protected] Please have your phone charged and turned on while on route to the theatre. In order to accommodate teachers, students, and our performers, we do our very best to start every performance on time. Please do your best to arrive at the theatre 20 minutes early with your students so we can begin on time. Please contact Yolanda Ferrato on her mobile, (647) 999 4207, should you have any difficulty finding the location, if your group is going to be late for the performance, or if you have any other concerns. Yolanda will be your contact person at the theatre and therefore will not be at the Theatre Gargantua office. Thank you for bringing your students to the world premiere of Theatre Gargantua’s The Sacrifice Zone. This study guide is designed to help engage your class with the company and its production. THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE THEATRE ETIQUETTE: While some of your students may be seasoned theatregoers, others may be new to the experience. It is important to ensure that all students are familiar with general theatre etiquette. Here are a few guidelines to review before arriving at the theatre. Do not bring food, drinks, candy, or gum into the theatre. If you anticipate the need to take any medication such as cough drops or throat lozenges, please unwrap them and keep them nearby before the performance begins. Turn off all cell phones or other electronic devices before the performance begins. These devices not only distract your fellow audience members and the actors on stage, but can also interfere with our sound and communication systems. A good rule to follow is that if you can see the light from your device, so can everyone else! Photography, audio, and video recording during the performance are prohibited by the Canadian Theatre Agreement, and can endanger our performers. If you need to leave the theatre at any moment during the show, please do so quietly. However, you may not be permitted back into the audience once the performance has begun. This is at the discretion of the front of house manager who will determine if there is an appropriate moment to re-­‐
enter. Please use the washrooms at least five minutes prior to the start of show. Theatre is a two-­‐way exchange between actors and audience. Actors are thrilled when the audience is engaged in and responsive to their work. By being attentive, responding and clapping, you are contributing to their performance. However, please be considerate by remembering that talking, whispering and moving around is distracting for the actors and disruptive for other audience members. All that’s being asked is a shared respect for everyone in the audience and on the stage. Every performance is followed by a brief Q&A. Encourage your class to think of some questions in advance to ask the cast after the show. The performers are always interested to hear what the audience has to say. If you or any of your students want to share feedback about the performance or learn more about Theatre Gargantua, you are more than welcome to e-­‐mail the company at [email protected] or drop us a line at 416 260 4660. We’d love to hear from you.
THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE B. PRODUCTION CREDITS The Sacrifice Zone Written by Suzie Miller Directed by Jacquie P.A. Thomas The Sacrifice Zone premiered at Factory Theatre in 2013 with the following cast and creative team: Ensemble................................................................... Ciara Adams Joel Benson Pam Patel Michelle Polak Michael Spence Set Design...................................................................Michael Spence Costume Design..........................................................Sheree Tams Lighting and Projection Design...................................Laird Macdonald Sound Design and Live Foley......................................John Gzowski Dramaturg..................................................................Bruce Barton Stage Manager...........................................................Tracy Lynne Cann Production Manager..................................................Rae Powell Associate Producer....................................................Yolanda Ferrato Artistic Interns...........................................................Ashley Caggianello, Isabelle Siciliano 5 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE C. ABOUT THEATRE GARGANTUA WHO WE ARE Theatre Gargantua is one of Canada’s leading multi-­‐disciplinary theatre companies. Since 1992 we have been committed to the development of original, ground-­‐breaking Canadian physical theatre. Our productions explore compelling subjects and use daring physicality, striking designs, rich vocal layers and an innovative use of emerging technologies. We begin with an inspired idea and explore it with our talented ensemble of actors, directors, writers, and designers through a series of workshops and public presentations over the course of a two-­‐year cycle; the work is then ready for its world premiere! The company is committed to the production of original work that is beautiful to look at, listen to, experience and remember. Theatre Gargantua has garnered dozens of nominations, awards and recognitions for outstanding scripts, direction, sound designs, set designs and light designs. HOW WE CREATE Theatre Gargantua, in collaboration with an exciting diversity of guest artists from a wide variety of disciplines, develops its work in a unique 2-­‐year cycle, beginning with an inspired concept and distilling it into a richly layered imagistic work through exploratory workshops. Each cycle involves annual spring, summer and fall phases, with planning and preparation taking place between each phase. The first year of the cycle’s development ends with a publicly presented work-­‐in-­‐progress, allowing the audience a rare glimpse into the process of bringing a new Canadian work to life. Nine such cycles have been created to date: The Trials -­‐Fortune’s Desire, Raging Dreams-­‐ into the visceral, love not love, The Exit Room, Phantom Limb, (nod), e-­‐DENTITY, fIBBER, IMPRINTS. This year we launched our SideStream Cycle with the first installment of Shrapnel. Now, after two years of development, we are proud to present The Sacrifice Zone, Theatre Gargantua’s 10th cycle of work. GENRE Theatre Gargantua’s work is most often described as physical and multidisciplinary. But how do these words describe what you are going to see? Physical, or “movement” theatre, is theatre that uses the actors’ bodies to tell the story, sometimes just as much, than the words they speak. This means that movement is not naturalistic. Instead it can be heightened, or stylized, in order to be as expressive as possible. Multidisciplinary theatre is theatre that incorporates two or more art forms. A Theatre Gargantua production fuses together elements such as text, music, movement, and film into engaging and thought provoking theatre. 6 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE ABOUT THE COMPANY Jacquie P.A. Thomas, Artistic Director Jacquie is the founder and Artistic Director of Theatre Gargantua. In addition to her role as founder and Artistic Director of Theatre Gargantua, Jacquie has served Gargantua as an actor, director, producer, writer, composer, choreographer, dramaturg and writer, earning 10 Dora nominations for her artistic contributions to the company. Other selected credits include the Ossetynski Actors Lab in Los Angeles, Roy Hart Theatre in France, The National Theatre of Greece and the Gardzienice Theatre Association of Poland. Jacquie was awarded a Harold Award for contributions to Toronto’s independent theatre community in 2004, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 for contributions to Canadian Culture and Community. Michael Spence, Associate Artistic Director Michael is Associate Artistic Director and an award-­‐winning, long-­‐standing member of Theatre Gargantua’s creative team. He has been involved in all of TG’s productions, appearing in all major Cycles and writing or designing for many of the company’s noted works. His script for The Exit Room was nominated for Outstanding New Play at the 2000 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and he won the award twice for Outstanding Set Designs. He has received a total of nine Dora nominations for his work with the company. In 2004 Michael was a recipient of a Harold Award, a distinguished honour for members of the Toronto independent theatre community. He is also an accomplished musician and singer-­‐songwriter. He recently directed the first instalment of Shrapnel, which represented his directorial debut with the company. 7 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE D. ABOUT THE SACRIFICE ZONE PLOT SUMMARY The Sacrifice Zone takes place in a community whose economic prosperity depends on the resource extraction company which operates there. The play begins with a terrible accident that leaves several workers dead, and then follows three connected story lines. Storyline 1: Hannah’s husband is one of the workers who was killed in the accident. Encouraged by her friend Alex, who has lost his wife in the same accident, she decides to fight for justice by demanding a public inquiry. The town fears an inquiry will shut down The Company and leave their community economically devastated. As a result, the community turns against Alex and his daughter Nina, and Hannah and her son Sam. Sam, struggling to deal with the loss of his father and being ostracized by his classmates, creates an imaginary world of superheroes who will help him fight for justice. Storyline 2: Patrick and Laura are a couple who meet while working for The Company. They build a life together in the community, but the accident and ensuing events have an unexpected effect on their relationship. Storyline 3: Elly, a young music teacher has just arrived in the town around the time of the explosion. She will be teaching at the local public school and becomes a witness to various incidents that occur within the community. TOPICS EXPLORED CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS •
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Sacrifice Social Justice Environmental Sustainability Corporate Greed Government Inquiry Community Bullying Poverty Grief and Loss Love •
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Geography Social Studies and the Humanities Media Studies Drama English Civics and Citizenship Environmental Education 8 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE THEMES Justice, Choice and Responsibility – what would you sacrifice to get what you want? Sacrifices made in the name of justice is the main theme of The Sacrifice Zone. We began our creation process by exploring the human instinct for fairness, and the unquenchable need for justice. In our chaotic, competitive universe, justice is a paradigm that defies objective definition. Instead it is shaped by our lived experiences, our values, and the ways we choose to see the world around us. The investigation of these ideas led us down many fascinating paths, to conflicts that ranged from the mundane to the massive. At the core of these struggles, we found the unavoidable truth that justice always comes with some cost. Gradually the question emerged: how much would you sacrifice to make things right? Throughout our process, we recognized the relationship between the choices each character makes and the impact those choices have for them and their society. In our society everyone is responsible for something. Whether our responsibilities are personal obligations, or more of a communal responsibility we make all kinds of choices every day that can largely impact our lives. With every choice we make, there is always an outcome or maybe even a consequence. It is important that as citizens of our world and as individuals in our communities, we are aware of our own responsibilities and take responsibility for the choices we make in our day-­‐to-­‐day lives. This exploration continued to enforce the idea of sacrifice. Each character in The Sacrifice Zone is approached with a choice. Our original theme of justice led to an even greater contemplation -­‐ how much would you sacrifice to make things right, and are you willing to take responsibility for your actions and choices and to accept the consequences? MEANING OF THE TITLE A sacrifice zone is a term coined by American journalist Chris Hedges in his narrative non-­‐fiction graphic art book Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZe411pO_js). He uses the term to describe communities of people that are caught in endless cycles of illness, poverty, and disempowerment. The well-­‐being of the land and the people living in these ‘zones’ is sacrificed for the well being of others. Large corporations arrive and proceed to extract natural resources like oil and coal from the land, damaging waterways, polluting the air, and poisoning the soil. The people that live in these communities may experience greater opportunities for employment when the companies arrive, but it is often at the detriment of their health and the health of their families. Research has discovered drastically heightened rates of cancer and birth defects among inhabitants in these zones, and water and soil so contaminated few animals or plants can survive. In our story the company is incurring so much profit, and salaries are so high, that people from all over the country, suffering from financial hardships in their own communities, are moving into this 9 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE place to find work. Many of the characters are well aware of the risks they are taking in making this decision, but do so out of financial need, or a belief that they can help make a difference. The title reflects the personal sacrifices these characters have to make throughout the story, highlighting questions about humanity’s obsession with justice and its consequences. CREATING THE SACRIFICE ZONE This production is the culmination of two years of development. During spring of the first year, the initial concepts for the cycle were introduced to the design team and artistic ensemble. Following this, a design workshop and artistic retreat were held during the summer. Right from the beginning of this process we used physicality, vocal scoring and design to explore ideas. Artists shared their own stories about justice and our playwright, Suzie Miller, used these to begin writing the first draft of the script. Ideas about greed and consumption in the world economy became reoccurring topics of discussion. This lead us to further research into the lifestyles of those who live in Canadian sacrifice zones. One of our actors had spent time working in Fort McMurray, located in Alberta’s oil sands, and shared many stories with us about what life is like there. Two interesting video links which inspired ideas for our story include one about the on-­‐site oil sands accommodations in Fort McMurray (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct7bziwvY0E) and another, which is an Ethical Oil commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SjZlqbDudI). Your students will find connections to these videos in our performance. The first draft of our script was then developed over a seven-­‐week rehearsal process leading to the first public performances of the piece in the fall. This lets audiences become part of our development process as well. The Sacrifice Zone’s Director, Jacquie PA Thomas, and ensemble member and set designer Michael Spence, then travelled to Sydney, Australia to work with Suzie and a group of Australian actors on developing the script. Our second summer began with a 2-­‐week session where the artists continued to workshop the script with Suzie – who worked with us via Skype this time -­‐ while further developing both musical and physical creation. Here is a video link documenting some of that process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOwVRDO5lc4. The last phase of development began in late September. The artists came together to begin the final rehearsals of the production. Suzie joined us again in Toronto to further develop the script, and new design choices have been made for the world premiere in November 2013. 10 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE E. SPOTLIGHT ON THE CREATIVE TEAM AN INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT SUZIE MILLER Q: Where do you gain inspiration from for your writing? In particular The Sacrifice Zone? If you are working with a company like Theatre Gargantua, they will come to you with an idea or theme. We develop that idea with actors based on their experiences. For The Sacrifice Zone we started looking at the idea of Justice as an idea of responsibility and obligation as citizens, and the choices that we make based on those obligations and responsibilities. In life, if something unjust is happening, or something is being destroyed there is significance in what you chose to ignore. So we started with this theme and then it morphed into story telling. For other plays, I find reading the newspaper really inspiring, one of their stories can pull you in just in one paragraph. For example, a story about a weird case in court, or something that happened at the zoo, or something really unusual that happened in people’s lives. Sometimes that can be the spark to create a character or create a story. Other stories can come to you if you just think about something. A playwright wrestles with ideas so that the story is told like a regular story, but underneath it are a lot of ideas. Q: Do you ever experience writer’s block, and how do you overcome that? I have a funny position on writer’s block. The minute you know it exists, you will probably get it. I think writer’s block is really about fear and being afraid to write. The great thing about being a playwright, in comparison to a novelist, is working with actors and directors who constantly ask you questions and get you out of your own head. Having a conversation about an idea that you are struggling with can give you the spark that pushes you forward. You may cut half the play away and write in a different direction, but it means you don’t get “blocked.” The definition of writer’s block is when you actually can’t move forward. I think this happens when you don’t have people around you to have a discussion with about the issues and the characters. You can write about anything. Sometimes the best thing to write about is in your own family or happening in school or in your own community. Q: What advice do you have for young people interested in playwriting? I had a thing when I was a very young playwright: read a play a day. For one year I read other people’s work. Go to a really cool theatre library and get some good plays. Get 14 for two weeks. Don’t get a whole book on Chekov, but read the Greats like Anton Chekov, Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neil, Caryl Churchill. You’ve all read Shakespeare, but go see really funky productions of Shakespeare -­‐ really bold and genius ones. Go and see exciting theatre -­‐ something cutting edge. 11 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE Q: Why playwriting? I think that if you’re a collaborative person or a person who likes to be with other people, playwriting is the form of writing that lets you be part of a community. The theatre community is a really great community. The people you are surrounded by are very warm and you just make really great friends for life. SET DESIGN IN DEVELOPMENT Below are images of the maquette our set designer Michael Spence built in early September. After researching images from factories, mines, and the oil sands he designed five structures that could be functionally used by the actors. His aim was to highlight the theme of justice through the concept of compartmentalization. As human beings we compartmentalize information in order to define our sense of justice. Elements that were of important consideration to him in the design of these structures included: • Creating projection surfaces for our Projection Designer to use • Creating surfaces which may be used to create percussive sound • Highlighting the alienating and sterile feeling of mass production and consumption • The size and weight of the structures in relation to the actors who will carry, stand on, and stand in them. !
! Sheree Tams, Costume Designer !
These are some models Mr. Spence constructed of the prisms. 12 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE E. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND TOPICS AGREE OR DISAGREE? •
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We live in a fair and just society. It is important to treat others with justice and fairness. Revenge is sometimes justified. There is justice and fairness at my school. QUOTES TO INSPIRE DISCUSSION An eye for an eye ends up making the world blind. -­‐Mahatma Gandhi Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. -­‐Martin Luther King Jr. The man who opts for revenge should dig two graves. -­‐Chinese proverb PRE-­‐SHOW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS •
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What are my views on Justice? How does our definition of Justice impact our life? Is it important to take responsibility for the choices we make? Why? How can I use my body and my voice to express my ideas in performance? What is the meaning of justice? Who determines what is just? Is it okay for people to have different opinions about what is just? Does justice look the same in all countries? How are justice and vengeance or retribution related? Can people disagree on what is just? How can these disagreements be handled? Has the concept of justice changed throughout history? When have you experienced injustice or unfair treatment? What are examples of justice/injustice in your world? 13 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE POST-­‐SHOW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS •
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Did this production change or strengthen your own opinion about Justice? Did this production change or highlight your responsibilities in creating a Just society? Theatre Gargantua creates all of its own work, sharing and developing ideas as an interdisciplinary ensemble. Why do you think they chose to tell a story about Sacrifice Zones in this way? What was most effective for you about the way this story was told? What was confusing or unclear to you? What did you learn about the use of movement to tell a story? Why is movement so important in theatre? What did you learn about the use of sound to tell a story? Why is sound or music so important in theatre? What did you learn about the value of set, costume, sound, lighting and projection to design this production? Based on the work you have just watched, is there anything you are inspired to change in the compositions you created? How might you use what you have seen to inspire your own creations? How important is Justice to you? What can you do to promote justice? What is your viewpoint on revenge or redemption? 14 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE F. LESSON PLANS In this unit students will use a variety of dramatic forms and presentation techniques to create a thematic interdisciplinary performance. The first two lessons can be taught before or after attending the production. Parts of the third lesson may be taught prior to seeing the production, however, sections of the lesson focus on production reflection and can thus only be done after viewing. Unit Guiding Questions: •
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What are my views on Justice? How does our definition of Justice impact our life? Is it important to take responsibility for the choices we make? Why? How can I use my body and my voice to express my ideas in performance? Assessment and Evaluation: Students will write and perform a piece based on the theme of justice. Lesson 1: Using Allegorical Gestures Student will examine their own understanding of Justice and how it relates to the understanding of their classmates, beginning to develop a physical score with classmates. 1. Ask students to free write, making two lists of possible endings to the beginnings of the following "opposite" sentences: a. Justice is... (or Everything is fair when...) b. Injustice is... (or Things are not fair when...) 2. Working through the two different lists they have created, ask students to share some of their answers with the class. This may spark discussion topics such as: • What is the meaning of justice? • Who determines what is just? • Is it okay for people to have different opinions about what is just? • Does justice look the same in all countries? 3. Working individually, ask students to come up with 3-­‐5 actions (in Theatre Gargantua's rehearsals these are called Allegorical Gestures) which represent the concept of Justice or Injustice for them. Encourage student to be clear and specific about their choices, creating moments that can be repeated accurately. 15 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE 4. In groups of 3-­‐4 (*make sure you have an even number of groups as you will need to pair them together in Lesson 2), ask students to share their allegorical gestures by presenting them to their group. They should present them 2-­‐3 times in repetition before moving on to the next group member. 5. Ask groups to choose 2 of the 3-­‐5 allegorical gestures presented by each member. They should choose the allegorical gestures which most invoked a sense of justice or injustice. Each group should, collectively, have 6-­‐8 chosen allegorical gestures. 6. Ask students to teach their allegorical gestures to their group members. Explain that they may each need to take a moment on their own to review the two allegorical gestures that were chosen in order to ensure that they are clear, specific and easy to teach to their group members. Students are developing a common physical vocabulary in each group. 7. With their groups students should now decide on an order for their 6-­‐8 allegorical gestures. Give the groups time to rehearse this order until they are moving together in unison. Explain that they will need to find simple ways of transitioning from one allegorical gesture into another without halting the movement. Encourage them to slow down and simplify transitions if some group members are struggling. Alternatively, if some groups are moving forward quite quickly, you might ask them to further develop their transitions and pick up the pace of the movement phrase they are beginning to create. 8. Ask groups to share their movement phrases with the class. If there is time left, you may choose to provide some suggestions on how to vary the phrase. You may ask them to rehearse the phrase 'in the round' with each student in the group beginning one allegorical gesture after the student before them, you may position them differently within the group so they are facing different directions, you may ask certain group members to repeat an allegorical gesture a few times before moving onto the next, or ask them to suspend, sharpen, soften or speed up pieces of the phrase. Homework: Ask students to free write from their point of view, describing their own definition of Justice, or, their opinion on Justice in Canada, or in their school. 16 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE Lesson 2: Creating Soundscapes Students will further develop their movement phrases, incorporating sound and text, telling a story they have written themselves. 1. Ask students to review the stories that they wrote for homework, preparing to share them with the class (without having to read them word for word or hide behind their paper). If a student has not completed the assigned homework, you might provide them with one of the excerpts from The Sacrifice Zone which you will find in this study guide (pg. 21). Alternatively, you may choose to use these excerpts instead of student writing, or, share these excerpts with the class as "scenes on responsibility and justice from The Sacrifice Zone". 2. Give students an opportunity to share their story with a classmate. 3. Choose or volunteer students to share their stories about Justice with the class. 4. With the whole class, work on creating a vocal soundscape. This will become the soundtrack to their movement piece. • Begin by creating with a short simple vocal rhythm pattern, which the whole class can join you in repeating as a loop. Once the pattern is established, encourage students to improvise and add their own sounds and rhythms to the pattern. Let students know that it is important to listen very carefully to the sounds their classmates are making. Their sounds should complement and support one another (not detract or overpower). • Once a soundscape has been established and you have encouraged all students to participate you may choose to give them some further instruction, while the soundscape is still going. These instructions may include: o Choose a sound or series of sounds that you can repeat, creating a loop. o Increase the volume of your sound. o Make your sound sharp/Make your sound soft. o Change the pitch of your sound. o Speak your story about Justice over the soundscape. • If students have a difficult time listening and contributing to the soundscape, you may ask some of them to try a new sound, while encouraging others to maintain the sound they have chosen to support them. 5. Give students time to review the movement phrases they created last class. Take time to check in with each group, providing them with suggestions for ways they may further develop the phrases (see suggestions from #8. in Lesson 1). 17 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE 6. Have students share their movement phrases with the class. After each group, ask the class for ‘first response’ answers to how the phrases impacted them. Ask them to consider the stories they heard from their peers -­‐ do any of the movement phrases (or even parts of it) remind them of a particular story? Assign a story to each group from the ones the students brought in for homework, or, assign them excerpts from The Sacrifice Zone attached. 7. Pair groups together. While one group performs their movement phrase, have the other group develop a soundscape that can be used to support the movement phrase. The group that is performing the movement phrase may have impulses to add to their soundscape. Encourage this, then alternate, allowing the other group an opportunity to explore the same activity. 8. Keeping the groups paired together, involve another layer to these soundscape and movement phrase compositions: ask the students to layer in the assigned story about Justice. They may want to simply start by having one student read it while the rest of the group performs the collaboration. Further development may include assigning particular parts of the story to particular students in the group -­‐ both those making the soundscape and those performing their movement phrases. You may encourage more then one student to speak a line of the text together for emphasis. Again, allow them to play and make choices about this composition. 9. If students do not have enough time to complete the composition you might encourage them to: a) plan a time to meet with their group prior to the next class in order to work on completing the work. b) document the composition (video tape) on their phone or computer in order to watch and listen to the work at home, preparing three suggestions for improvement to offer during the following class. OR record them yourself to post on a private youtube channel to share with the class. c) shorten or simplify sections of their composition in order to ensure ample time to complete the work 18 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE Lesson 3: Interdisciplinary Thematic Compositions Students will complete and perform their interdisciplinary thematic compositions for the class. They will reflect on the experience of seeing The Sacrifice Zone and use this as inspiration to edit and adjust their compositions. 1. Begin with a discussion about the content and style of the production: • Did this production change or strengthen your own opinion of Justice? • Did this production change or highlight your responsibilities in creating a Just society? • Theatre Gargantua creates all of its own work, sharing and developing ideas as an interdisciplinary ensemble. Why do you think they chose to tell a story about Sacrifice Zones in this way? • What was most effective for you about the way this story was told? • What did you learn about the use of movement to tell a story? Why is movement so important in theatre? • What did you learn about the use of sound to tell a story? Why is sound or music so important in theatre? • What did you learn about the value of set, costume, sound, lighting and projection to design this production? • Based on the work you have just watched, is there anything you are inspired to change in the compositions you created? • 2. Based on their answers try to identify clearly what has changed among the students perspective on Justice and on the possibilities of interdisciplinary theatre creation. 3. Send the students back to their original creation groups to brainstorm 10 ways in which they would like to improve their compositions. You may then ask them to narrow down the list to 5 ways, cutting out any 'unrealistic' wishes. The may be inspired to create new allegorical gestures, new soundscapes, edit their text or shift around the ways in which the composition has been layered. 4. Give the student time to work on the improvements they would like to make to their composition, first with their initial group, then adding the group that is providing the soundscape for them. 5. Have students perform their interdisciplinary thematic compositions for the class. 6. Divide the class into separate groups and using some ideas and concepts from The Sacrifice Zone have the students create a presentation on the impact our choices make in our lives. How much do we sacrifice when we make a decision or choice about something? 7. Present the pieces in front of the class. 19 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE G. WRITING AND REFLECTION EXERCISES English and Humanities/Social Science, Grades 9-­‐12 Pre-­‐show Writing Exercise: Student will examine their own understanding of Justice and how it relates to the understanding of their classmates, and begin to use different points of view as inspiration for character and situation in a short story. 1. Ask students to free write, making two lists of possible endings to the beginnings of the following opposite sentences: a. Justice is... (or Everything is fair when...) b. Injustice is... (or Things are not fair when...) 2. Working through the two different lists they have created, ask students to share some of their answers with the class. This may spark discussion topics such as: • What is the meaning of justice? • Who determines what is just? • Is it okay for people to have different opinions about what is just? • Does justice look the same in all countries? 2. Ask students to free write from their point of view, describing their own definition of Justice, or, their opinion on Justice in Canada, or in their school. 3. Ask students to write a short story inspired by the discussion on Justice. For example, a story about a character who is seeking justice, a story about someone who has been treated unjustly, or about an unjust situation. 20 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE Post-­‐show Writing Exercise: Students will reflect on their experience of the production and develop critical analysis writing skills, by articulating how different elements of production contributed to the over-­‐all production. 1. Begin with a discussion about the content and style of the production. Questions might include: Did this production change or strengthen your own opinion about Justice? Did this production change or highlight your responsibilities in creating a Just society? Theatre Gargantua creates all of its own work, sharing and developing ideas as an interdisciplinary ensemble. Why do you think they chose to tell a story about Sacrifice Zones in this way? Theatre Gargantua creates all of its own work, sharing and developing ideas as an interdisciplinary ensemble. Why do you think they chose to tell a story about Sacrifice Zones in this way? 2. After the initial discussion, ask students to write a short analysis of the production. Encourage them to include their responses to the above questions as well as the following: -­‐What was most effective for you about the way this story was told? -­‐What was confusing or unclear to you? -­‐What did you learn about the use of movement to tell a story? -­‐What did you learn about the use of sound to tell a story? -­‐What did you learn about the value of set, costume, sound, lighting and projection to design a stylistic production? 21 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE H. EXCERPTS FROM THE SACRIFICE ZONE Excerpt #1 School children -­‐ each says a line, as if being interrogated by the police OK yes we said some things. Nothing too terrible. We were just kind of playing around. We didn’t like him though, not since …. Doesn’t matter. We just didn’t like him. Everyone knows. Him and his mum were really wrong. And he looked stupid. Every day he looked more and more stupid. And today we told him he looked stupid. And some other stuff. Yeah we might have thrown some rocks around at lunch time. So what? We were just hanging out. She was our friend again. We talked to HER. Yeah. Singing a song from school. But we made her change the words. So it became -­‐ a song about him. He was the enemy. Him and his mum. The enemy. Nothing this bad was ever supposed to happen though. We stopped chasing him. But she kept going. We didn’t know anyone would get hurt. It was an accident. 22 THEATRE GARGANTUA The Sacrifice Zone STUDY GUIDE H. EXCERPTS FROM THE SACRIFICE ZONE Excerpt #2 Laura and Patrick -­‐ they are in the woods LAURA Look there’s a cluster of dead trees. And yet we’re 20 kilometres from the plant. PATRICK They’ll probably grow back. LAURA The ponds way up the river are pretty poisoned Do you think? PATRICK What? LAURA Well if there’s seepage from the waste pond -­‐ PATRICK Come on. You’re not at work now. LAURA There could be, you know. PATRICK I think you should notify someone at work LAURA Yeah I will. You know the Company’ll have to move eventually, they can’t just keep going at the same site – it’s unsustainable PATRICK I don’t know, they can keep regenerating LAURA Not if all the trees are dead! PATRICK Yes but we need resources Laura And if the company wasn’t here we’d just have to import them. From somewhere else where they might have terrible safety standards, or use the income for things we don’t agree with So instead of using our own resources we’d be sending our money to support regimes that repress women and children. LAURA What about the people whose land and lives are affected here. Do they matter less? 23