EDUCA
ATION GU
UIDE Tuesday, No
ovembeer 8, 2016
9:30am 9
and 12:330pm Tickets: $
$5.50 per pperson Recomm
mended for Grades P
Pre‐K throu
ugh 2 ABT Stu
udent Matiinee seriess sponsoreed by Alberta Bair Theatter for the Peerforming A
Arts 2801 Third
d Avenue No
orth ▪ Billingss, Montana 59103 406
6‐256‐8915
www.albertabairtheatter.org
A Kennedy Center commission based on the Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems Elephant & Piggie's We Are in a Play! Script and lyrics by Mo Willems Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma Directed by Jerry Whiddon Choreographed by Jessica Hartman Elephant Gerald is an elephant: lumbering, formally attired, prone to melancholy. Piggie is (what else!) a piggie: perky, smiley, full of fun. Total opposites? No way! In Mo Willems's beloved, award‐winning, best‐selling children's books, Elephant Gerald and Piggie are best friends! And in We Are in a Play!, a brand‐new vaudevillian romp of a musical, Elephant Gerald and Piggie sing and dance their way through plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense —
facing fundamental questions like, what do you wear to a fancy pool costume party? Should you share your ice cream? And how can two friends play with one toy? Backed by nutty back‐up singers, The Squirrelles, our duo even gets the audience involved in the action. So get ready for a musical experience ripped from the pages of your favorite books. You'll be doing the "Flippy Floppy Floory" dance all night long! Performance Timing: 60 minutes Description: Elephant and Piggie’s We are in a Play! 
This play is about two best friends, Gerald, who is an elephant, and Piggie. They are joined on stage by some singers called the Squirrelles. The Squirrelles sometimes play other characters – like a penguin and a dog! 
All of the animals in the story are played by people. To become their animal characters, the actors will change their voices and movements. The actors dress up, too ‐ Gerald wears a gray suit and Piggie wears a pink outfit – but they don’t look exactly like animals. 
During the performance, Gerald and Piggie sometimes have strong emotions or feelings. They communicate their feelings through the way they talk and sing and by what they do. 
The performance can sometimes be loud – especially during the party scene and when Piggie plays her trumpet. You can bring your noise canceling headphones or other tools or cover your ears if it gets too loud. 
Gerald and Piggie may ask you to participate! Listen carefully for their instructions and you join in if you want to. Elepha
ant and Pig
ggie’s We Are in a P
Play STUDEENT ACTIV
VITY Post‐Matinee A
Activity—CCONNECT IIT! Purpose Students make conne
ections betwe
een characte
ers or simple events in an
n Elephant & Piggie book with people an
nd events in their lives. Direction
ns After reaading an Elep
phant & Pigg
gie book, askk students too complete tthese questiions consideering the wayss in which the story relattes to their life and the w
world at largge. 1. As I read Elep
A
phant & Pigg
gie, I observe
ed… 2. As I read Elep
A
phant & Pigg
gie, I wonderred . . . 3. This story is liike me because . . . Elephant and Piggie’s We Are in a Play TEACHER EVALUATION FORM NAME: SUBJECT OR CONTENT: GRADE LEVEL: 1. What were some classroom applications of this educational matinee? If you were unable to find and/or use classroom applications, why was this the case? 2. Was the information in the study guide completely, partially or not relevant to the applications referenced in item number one? Please explain. 3. From your vantage point, describe the types of future ABT programming that would directly benefit you and your students at the PK‐2 instructional level. Be sure to include mathematical and linguistic frameworks. Please return this form and your student activity samples to: Education Department Alberta Bair Theater P.O. Box 1556 ▪ Billings, MT 59103 [email protected]