and
2017 Study Guide
UniSon
DIGITAL IMAGE COURTESY OF THE GETTY’S OPEN CONTENT PROGRAM
a new musical by UNIVERSES (Steven Sapp, Mildred Ruiz-Sapp
and Willam Ruiz, a.k.a.Ninja)
August Wilson
Sealed Pithos jar
Steven Sapp,Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, William Ruiz
- aka.Nin ja
The Myth of Pandora’s Box
August Wilson
UNIVERSES
The name Pandora means, “all gifts,” or “the
all gifted.” According to Greek mythology,
she was the first female human formed by
the gods, who each gave her gifts such as
musical talent, artistry and beauty.
•
Born Frederick August Kittel on
April 27, 1945 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a German immigrant
father and an African-American
mother. He would later adopt his
mother’s last name, Wilson.
Is a group of multi-disciplined performers who combine music, poetry, dance
and theatre to create powerful, moving
and relevant works that speak to the
current American cultural arena.
•
Most of his plays are set in
Pittsburgh’s, Hill District.
•
Started his career as a poet and
then shifted to playwriting. His
plays include: Jitney, Ma Rainey’s
Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner’s
Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson,
Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars,
King Hedley II, Gem of the Ocean
and Radio Golf.
In the myth, the god Zeus gave her a sealed
jar, pithos. In some modern tellings, it is
falsely translated from the Latin word pyxis,
meaning box.
Pandora is told to never open the jar, but
curiosity finally gets the best of her.
Pandora opens the jar and releases all of
the “terrors” into the world. The myth
specifically names plagues and diseases
and “other pains.” When she realizes what
she has done, she closes the box, leaving
only hope trapped inside.
•
He won the Pulitzer Prize and
a Tony Award for Fences and
his second Pulitzer for The
Piano Lesson.
The genesis of UniSon—
At a 1995 writer’s conference, Steven
Sapp attended a symposium with key
speaker August Wilson. In lieu of a
speech, Wilson took several poems out
of his pocket and began to read them.
Sapp became intrigued with the poetry,
and later found an article citing Wilson
as saying he would place the poems in
a box.
Years later, UNIVERSES would be put in
contact with Wilson’s widow, Constanza
Romero who was in possession of the
box filled with poems. After reading
through hundreds of poems, two pieces
in particular became the spine on
which the show would be built:
Testimony of the witness and
Identification of the Seven Terrors.
Before seeing/reading the play
1. Who was August Wilson? What is his unique contribution to American theatre? These and other websites provide
information:
http://www.august-wilson-theatre.com/index.php
https://secureapps.libraries.psu.edu/PACFTB/bios/biography.cfm?
AuthorID=395
http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2942/Wilson-August.html
Lucky Number
The number 7 is deeply ingrained in humanity’s attempt
to understand and categorize our physical world, our
existence in it, as well as what happens after we cease to
exist. Sprinkled throughout the study guide are references
to the number and how they pertain to our world.
There are seven continents and seven seas and
seven wonders of the ancient world.
6. Research the literary devices metaphor and symbolism.
How are they used in poetry? How can they be used in
playwriting? These and other websites provide information.
https://literarydevices.net/metaphor/
https://writingfortheatre.wordpress.com/writing-for-theatre/
symbols-and-metaphor/
http://www.thedramateacher.com/dramatic-metaphor/
https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/symbolic-meaning
-mockingbirds-345c8cf0bfd655ee#
Hill District mural of August Wilson by Kyle Holbrook and Edward Rawson
2. Research the Hill District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
What were the characteristics of the neighborhood during
the 1940s and 1950s? How did the neighborhood shape
August Wilson’s writings? These and other websites provide
information:
https://sites.google.com/site/pittsburghmusichistory/
pittsburgh-music-story/jazz/hill-district
http://wqed.org/augustwilson/hill-district-map
3. UNIVERSES is a group of multi-disciplined writers and
performers. Research their history, philosophy and performance style. These and other websites provide information:
http://www.universesonstage.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universes_(poetic_theatre
_ensemble)
4. Research meaning of the number 7 and references to
the number in religion and world culture. This and other
websites provide information:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/469565/Themagnificient-7-The-meaning-and-history-behind-the-world-sfavourite-number
5. Research myth of Pandora’s Box. These and other
websites provide information:
http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/pandoras
-box-myth/
http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/textonly562pandoras-box.html
Costume renderings for the Poet and the Apprentice by Dede M. Ayite
7. Research the music styles of the blues and gospel music.
What are the origins of the blues and gospel music. What
are the characteristics of each style? These and other websites provide information:
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-brief-history-of-the-blues-by-edkopp.php
https://www.loc.gov/collections/songs-of-america/articles-andessays/musical-styles/ritual-and-worship/african-american-gospel
8. Research the 12 commonly found archetypes in literature. What are the characteristics of the 12 archetypes?
What are their positive and negative attributes? These
and other websites provide information:
http://literarydevices.net/archetype/
http://www.soulcraft.co/essays/the_12_common_archetypes.html
After seeing/reading the play
1. Refer to your research on UNIVERSES. One of the functions of storytelling is to present recurring universal issues
and at times, to resolve them. What universal themes does
UniSon explore? How are they dealt with? How does the
style of storytelling—the use of poetry, song and movement—help your understanding of the story?
2. Refer to your research on archetypes. Describe the
Apprentice at the play’s beginning. Why does the Poet bequeath everything to the Apprentice? What role does
the Apprentice play in helping the Poet get through the
journey? At what times are her actions passive? At what
times are her actions active? In what ways does the Poet’s
journey parallel the Apprentice’s journey?
According to Christianity, there are seven days in
creation. There are even Seven Deadly Sins: lust,
gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride.
There are also Seven Virtues: chastity, temperance, charity,
diligence, kindness, patience and humility.
3. What dualities are in the play? Compare and contrast
the various expressions of duality in the play. How does
having two lenses inform your understanding of the play?
4. Refer to your research on archetypes. Which archetypes
are present in the play? Which characters are a blend of
two or more archetypes? Which character has the strongest
voice throughout the play and why?
5. Which moments in the play feel based in reality? Which
moments feel stylized and fantastical? What is the effect of
including a supernatural element to the story?
6. Refer to your research on the blues, gospel and
UNIVERSES. What moods does the musical score establish?
How is the music in the show used to delineate the characters and their conflicts?
Costume renderings for the Boxer and the Soldier by Dede M. Ayite
7. Refer to your research on metaphor and symbolism.
What symbols are present in the play? What is the tone of
the poetry used in the play? How is the tone of the poetry
shifted to uniquely reflect each of the seven Terrors? What
metaphors appear in the play? How are the metaphors
expressed through the poetry? What is the metaphor expressed through the overall production?
8. What is the Poet’s relationship to the women in the
play? How does the Poet’s relationship with them influence
the Apprentice’s experience throughout the play? Why does
his history with the Hunter cause a strong emotional reaction with the Apprentice?
There are seven colors in the rainbow, seven
days in the week and seven letters in the Roman
numeral system.
9. Refer to your research on August Wilson’s life. Why was
the character of the Soldier given the description “unspeakable?” How does the Soldier relate to the Poet in the play?
How does the Soldier relate to Momma?
10. Refer to your research on Pandora’s Box. What process
does the Poet have to undergo to proceed to the afterlife?
What do the Terrors represent in the Poet’s life? In what
ways are the Terrors seeking resolution with the Poet?
11. What obstacle does the Boxer present to the Poet? What
obstacle does the Soldier? Momma? Hunter? Blacksmith?
Butcher? Seamstress? What does the Poet have to confront
in himself in order to overcome the obstacles?
Costume renderings for Momma and the Hunter by Dede M. Ayite
12. Refer to your research on August Wilson. Compare and
contrast the character of the Boxer with David Bedford,
August Wilson’s stepfather. What does the character of the
Boxer have in common with Bedford? What other influences
from Wilson’s life are folded into the characters in the play?
How do they enhance the story of the play?
After seeing/reading the play continued
16. If you are seeing The Odyssey, compare and contrast the
Poet’s journey to Odysseus’? What types of trials do they
have to endure to reach their destinations? What tactics
do the Poet and Odysseus use to overcome the obstacles in
their way?
According to Islam there are seven heavens,
seven earths and seven doorways to paradise.
Costume renderings for the Butcher and the Blacksmith by Dede M. Ayite
13. In what ways does the Apprentice’s view of the Poet
change as a result of the journey? In which ways is she enlightened? In which way is she disillusioned? How does the
Apprentice change throughout the journey of the play?
14. Refer to your research on August Wilson and the Hill District. In what way is Wilson’s environment present in his
works? What elements of his environment are present in
his poetry? In what way is the personal impact of August
Wilson’s environment a part of his legacy?
17. If you are seeing Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles and
Julius Caesar, compare and contrast what the Poet, Brutus
and Medea want to pass on to the next generation. In what
ways is violence a part of Brutus and Medea’s legacies? In
what ways is it a part of Jason and Caesar’s legacies? In
what way is violence a part of the Poet’s legacy? In what
ways does Brutus justify his actions? Medea, her action?
Jason, his actions? Poet, his actions? How do Jason and
Caesar contribute to their own downfalls? How do the Poet
and Medea contribute to their respective downfalls?
Compare and contrast the ways Acan, the Apprentice and
Octavius have to wrestle with the legacies that are being
passed onto them.
What themes are highlighted in UniSon? How
does the setting and style of the production
inform your understanding of the show?
15. What was the environment when you walked into the
theatre? How was the environment altered when the play
began? What elements contribute to creating the environment of the play? How do these elements shift to create
new environments in the play? In what ways do the environments inform the audience about the characters and the
archetypes they represent? How does the Apprentice react
to each environment she must inhabit on the journey?
In Judaism, there are seven days of mourning, as
in one ‘sits Shiva.’ There are also Seven Blessings
recited under the chuppah during a Jewish
wedding ceremony and the bride and broom are gifted
with seven days of festive meals.
2017 UniSon set model. Designed by Christopher Acebo
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