A SO LO RE P EDUCATION & OUTREACH
STU DY GU IDE 2013–2014 ACCESS TO THE ARTS: STUDENT M ATINEES
STUDY GUIDE
b as e d o n t h e nove l by
John Steinb e ck
a d apt e d by
Frank Galati
ASOLO REP
EDUCATION
& OUTREACH
dire c t e d by
Michael Donald Edwards
MARCH 12 - APRIL 19
ASOLO REP LEADERSHIP
Producing Artistic Director
MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS
Managing Director
LINDA DIGABRIELE
FSU/Asolo Conservatory Director,
Associate Director of Asolo Rep
GREG LEAMING
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
CREATIVE TEAM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CO NTE X T & CO NTROVERSY........................................3
Director
MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS
WHY THE GRAPES OF WRATH?...............................3
Adapted by
FRANK GALATI
THE BO OK & BAN NIN G.........................................3
Resident Dramaturg
LAURYN E. SASSO
LIFE & D ISCRIMINATI O N....................................4 –5
IN 1930s OKL AH OM A
Costume Design
B.MODERN
THIS PRO DUC TI O N.....................................................6
Sound Design
MATTHEW PARKER
CHAR AC TERS & COSTUMES..................................6
Scenic Design
SCOTT BRADLEY
M USI C .................................................................6
Lighting Design
PAUL MILLER
ADAP TATI O N.........................................................7
Composer/Music Director
TIM GRIMM*
Voice & Dialect Coach
PATRICIA DELOREY
Stage Managers
KELLY A. BORGIA* & PATRICK LANCZKI*
AF TER THE PERFOR M ANCE...................................... 8
STUDY GUIDE HOW-TO
ASOLO REP EDUCATION
& OUTREACH STAFF
Each discussion and activity has been selected to explore the
content and themes of The Grapes of Wrath. This guide may
be used in its entirety or discussions and activities may be selected
to enhance specific lessons. In this packet, there are activities for
Theatre, Music, Visual Arts, Language Arts, and Social Studies
classrooms. Activities correspond with Common Core and Sunshine
State Next Generation Standards.
Education & Outreach Director
KATHRYN MORONEY
Curriculum Key
Fight Director
BRUCE LECURE
Education & Outreach Specialist
TIFFANY FORD
LACC: Language Arts (CCSS)
Education & Outreach Apprentice
KIMBERLY WICZER-HAUPERT
SS: Social Studies (NGSSS)
TH: Theatre (NGSSS)
MU: Music (NGSSS)
VA: Visual Arts (NGSSS)
* Appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
Study Guide Written by: Tiffany Ford
CONTEXT &
CONTROVERSY
(LACC, SS, TH)
WHY THE GRAPES OF WRATH?
“In every bit of honest writing in the world...there is a base theme. Try to
understand men, [for] if you understand each other you will be kind to each other…
Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love.” – John Steinbeck
“Maybe it’s all men an’ all women we love; maybe that’s the Holy Sperit – the human sperit – the whole shebang.
Maybe all men got one big soul ever’body’s a part of.” – Jim Casy, the preacher
“The Joad family is unwittingly thrown into ruin, treated like outcasts – with no unions, no social security, entirely on their
own. They are caught up in massive social, economic, and political events that they have no control over. They have to
pick up whatever they have and go on a 2,000 mile journey across a forbidding forbidding landscape on the hope
they will reach a land of milk and honey. The story is Biblical in stature. The intensity of the journey tests everything they
have as individuals, and as a family. They confront the biggest questions any of us ever have to in life and finally they
summon from within them powerful and abiding truths about their essential humanity. Finally, with nothing left, with no
ability to even sustain themselves, an extraordinary thing happens. The young daughter, Rose of Sharon, has given
birth to a stillborn baby at the height of a great storm. Her breasts are filled with milk – she does something of such
extraordinary grace that it almost shames us. You would like to believe that you would be the person who gives milk to
the starving stranger. That is really why we’re doing the play.” – Artistic Director, Michael Donald Edwards
DISCUSSION
• Steinbeck and Edwards describe the importance of kindness and healing. Is our society in need of healing? Why or why not?
• What do you wish people today or in your life understood about each other?
THE BOOK & BANNING
(LACC, SS)
“I’ve done my damndest to rip a reader’s nerves, I don’t want him satisfied…I tried to write this book the way lives are being lived not
the way books are written…Throughout I’ve tried to make the reader participate in the actuality, what he takes from it will be scaled
entirely on his own depth or hollowness.” – John Steinbeck
These are the words of John Steinbeck in defense of his novel. They were written in a letter to his own editor, who had misgivings
about the impact the novel would have when it was published. His fears were rightly justified. Upon its release the novel seemed to
polarize the entire country. To this day it still appears on multiple lists of “The most banned books in the history of America.”
DISCUSSION
Find out why libraries, schools, and other organizations banned The Grapes of Wrath. What would cause you
to ban a book or other artistic work?
SOUND FAMILIAR?
• What are some other examples of modern artistic works (books, movies, songs or plays) that are
controversial today? Why? How do they resonate with you?
• Do you think this controversy helps or hinders the popularity of that piece?
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LIFE & DISCRIMINATION
IN 1930s OKLAHOMA
(LACC, SS, MU, TH)
Listen to these interviews with Woody Guthrie, American folk musician who lived and wrote through the Dust Bowl era. His music captures
the voice and struggles of people like the Joad Family. In his interviews with Alan Lomax in 1940, Guthrie describes what he refers to as
“Steinbeck Country”.
When the Great Dust Storm Struck
(start at 8:45)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUU8-HcgqIs
So Long, It’s been good to know Ya’
(song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYFEc9WJ5h0
To access these tracks, follow the
(clickable) YouTube links to the right,
and play the recommended segment.
Migrants Arrive in California
(start at 9:35)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYFEc9WJ5h0
Talkin’ Dust Bowl
(song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkAxuqrVNBM
1889–1906: SETTLING THE WEST
GRANMA AND GRANPA JOAD SETTLE IN OKLAHOMA.
“Granpa would a been a-seein’ the Injuns an’ the prairie country when he was a young fella.
An’ Granma would a remembered an’ seen the first home she lives in...” – Tom Joad, eldest son
The pioneer settlers who pushed quickly into Oklahoma Territory established farms despite
periodic droughts, low prices for crops and livestock, lack of capital, and other problems.
This was one of the most rapidly settled agricultural frontiers in American history.
1906–1929: PUTTING DOWN ROOTS
MA AND PA JOAD MEET, MARRY, START A FAMILY, AND TAKE OVER THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
The deflation, drop in farm prices, and high interest rates that began in the 1920s severely
affected all of American agriculture. Oklahoma farmers were among those hardest hit,
and if they had not yet lost their farm to foreclosure, they were about to…
“Your folks was gonna stick her out when the bank come to tractorin’ off the place. Bumped
the hell outa this house, an’give her a shake like a dog shakes a rat... Bank can’t afford to
keep no tenants. Them sons-a-bitches.” – Muley, the neighbor who stayed
The Great Depression created even worse conditions. Farmers sought to increase their
position and efficiency by using more and better production equipment, forming cooperatives,
and appealing for federal help. The USDA suggested farmers should become more self-sufficient.
“I just puttin’ one foot in front of the other.” – Tom Joad, eldest son.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
When a homeowner can no longer afford the monthly mortgage payments on their home loan, the home goes
into foreclosure. This means that the bank takes over ownership of the home, and the homeowner must leave.
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• Why and how do families lose their homes to foreclosure? Today, what are the common causes and results?
1929–1930s: PACKING UP AND MOVING ON
THE JOAD FAMILY LOSES THEIR HOME AND THEIR LAND.
“This whole country’s empty. I can’t stay here no more. I got to go where folks is goin’.” – Jim Casy, the preacher
At this time, a decade long drought caused The Dust Bowl period in many states across the Southwest. The combination
of drought, economic depression, and poor or inappropriate farming practices in the Great Plains led to one of the most
serious environmental catastrophes the United States has ever experienced. Thousands abandoned their farms and migrated
to California and elsewhere.
MA, PA, GRANMA, GRANPA, UNCLE JOHN, AND THE CHILDREN (TOM, ROSE OF SHARON, AL,
NOAH, WINFIELD, AND RUTHIE) SQUEEZE INTO ONE TRUCK WITH ONLY THEIR MOST ESSENTIAL
BELONGINGS, AND JOURNEY TOWARD CALIFORNIA.
“We’re the people that live... we keep a’ comin’.” – Ma Joad
DISCUSSION
• If the life you had created for yourself was falling apart, would you stay and try to
salvage it, or would you leave everything you know and try to reinvent yourself?
• What risks are involved for these characters? What risks would be involved for them today?
LATE 1930s–1940s: THE NEW WORLD
THE FAMILY ARRIVES IN CALIFORNIA. GRANMA AND GRANPA HAVE PASSED AWAY
ON THE JOURNEY, AND NOAH HAS BEEN LEFT ON HIS OWN.
“Some die, but the rest is together.” – Ma Joad
California received more than 250,000 migrants from the Southwest. The term “Okie” denoted any poverty-stricken migrant
from this area. Many hoped for a small plot of their own fertile land. When this did not happen, they hoped for harvesting
jobs, pushing out Hispanic and Filipino laborers. The influx of migrants depressed wages, satisfying farm owners, but creating
a downward spiral of poverty for the farm workers. Because “Okies” arrived impoverished and wages were low, many lived
in filth and squalor in tents and shanty towns along the irrigation ditches. Consequently, they were despised.
“Them goddamn Okies got no sense and no feeling’. They ain’t human. A human being wouldn’t live like they do. A human
being couldn’t stand to be so dirty and miserable. They ain’t a hell of a lot better than gorillas.” – Gas Station Attendant
The landowners and growers feared the “Okies” might unionize and demand better wages. Unions were created, which led
to strikes in the fields. However, the migrants did not have a very strong class consciousness. Due to their background running
farms back home before the Dust Bowl, most identified more with farm owners than laborers.
“Think Pa’s gonna give up his mean on account of other fellas? An’ Rosasharn oughta get milk. Think Ma’s gonna wanta
starve the baby jus’ ‘cause a bunch a fellas is yellin’ outside a gate.” – Tom Joad, eldest son
SOUND FAMILIAR?
• What correlations do you see between the human rights and worker’s rights issues
of today with the 1930s Dust Bowl era?
• What groups of people are segregated and thought of as “others” and “not like the rest of us” today?
Why do people still have a tendency to think this way? What are the consequences?
GOING FURTHER
Read about the Coalition of Immokolee Workers, and their recent efforts to speak up for farmworkers in Florida, and nationally.
http://ciw-online.org/about
http://ciw-online.org/blog/2014/01/nation-ozy
DISCUSS: What do you think are the benefits of worker’s unions today? Could there be negative consequences in addition to the positives?
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THIS PRODUCTION
CHARACTERS & COSTUMES
THE JOAD FAMILY
GRANMA JOAD
GRANPA JOAD
= relative
= marriage
UNCLE JOHN JOAD
NOAH
JOAD
TOM JOAD
Friends with
John Casy
PA JOAD
AL
JOAD
The Joad family at the beginning of their journey.
MA JOAD
ROSE OF
SHARON
JOAD
CONNIE
RIVERS
RUTHIE
JOAD
WINFIELD
JOAD
The Joad family at the end of their journey.
THE CHARACTERS (VA, TH, LACC)
Watch the actors describe how they learn about and relate to their characters in The Grapes of Wrath.
Go to www.asolorep.org/education/resources and watch The Characters Webisode
SOUND FAMILIAR?
• Which of these three characters do you think you will most relate to when you see the production? Why?
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• Choose a character in a book or play you are currently reading. Imagine you are cast as that character in the play. What will you need to research or prepare?
THE CHARACTERS: GOING FURTHER
A character arc is the development and eventual change that occurs within a character over the course of the story.
Usually there is something fundamental about a protagonist’s beliefs that changes by the end of the story.
Think of another play or movie you have seen in which a character has a clear arc. How do the costumes and actors portray this
change in the character? Watch the Costume Designer explain her process of interpreting a character’s growth through clothing.
Go to www.asolorep.org/education/resources and watch The Costumes Webisode
THE MUSIC (MU, LACC, TH)
“The idea was that music would function as the engine that drives the truck… a propelling energy.” – Frank Galati, playwright and adaptor
Watch folk musician and Music Director Tim Grimm explain the role music plays in Asolo Rep’s production of The Grapes of Wrath.
Then, listen to a song written by Tim Grimm for this production.
Go to www.asolorep.org/education/resources and watch The Music Webisode
Go to www.asolorep.org/education/resources
and listen to The Song Sample
QUESTIONS
• What did Tim Grimm describe in the webisode that you heard in this song?
• Choose a song that resonates with you, and describe what you think it expresses. Choose a song that expresses something you expect to see or feel watching the production. Describe why and how you would
use this song in The Grapes of Wrath.
THE ADAPTATION (LACC, TH)
“I think Steinbeck, who was very interested in the theatre… would have really been excited by the prospect of compressing a
story like The Grapes of Wrath, and letting it live out its life in stage time - on the stage.” – Frank Galati, playwright and adaptor
Watch Frank Galati discuss how and why he adapted Steinbeck’s novel to a stage play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHxMXTfDOs8
source: Stratford Shakespeare Festival
ACTIVITY
In the video above, Galati describes how he used the car salesman chapter in the novel to inform and inspire a scene he wrote in
the play about the Joad family. Think about how Galati overlapped time, imagery, and sound from different moments/chapters in
the novel as he wrote the play. Choose a moment from a novel (The Grapes of Wrath, or any other novel that resonates with you).
This could be a moment you would most like to see in performance, or a moment that is difficult to imagine in performance. Write
your own adaptation of this moment as a scene in a play.
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AFTER THE
PERFORMANCE
TIME TO REFLECT (LACC, SS)
Reflect on what these characters are saying about community:
“Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there... I’ll be in
the way guys yell when they’re mad an’—I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry and they know supper’s ready. An’
when our folk eat the stuff they raise an’ live in the houses they build—why, I’ll be there.” – Tom Joad
“It ain’t kin we? It’s will we?...I never heerd tell of no Joads or no Hazletts, neither, ever refusin’ food an’ shelter or a lift on the
road to anybody that asked. They’s been mean Joads, but never that mean.” – Ma Joad
DISCUSSION
• How do we see people helping each other in The Grapes of Wrath? Why are we surprised when the characters rise above violence and choose community?
• Describe a moment in your life when you were surprised at the help from another person that you were witnessing or receiving.
ACTIVITY
In a groups of 3-5, produce a 5 minute TV news segment of an event in The Grapes of Wrath as if it is happening in our city
today. Alter the details to update the time period (names, dates, and any technology involved). Group members should work
together to write the script of the segment, and assign jobs/positions. One group member should be the reporter, and others
should act as the real characters involved the news story as needed.
Make sure to consider both the negative and positive impact of the event on the people and community involved. For example:
A news segment about the moment that Tom Joad punches a police officer could include the recklessness, passion, and violence
of the event. It could also capture how a group of people came together to stand up for themselves, how Jim Casy protected
Tom, and what this means for that community.
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