Olympia Junior Programs presents

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

By TheatreWorksUSA New York, NY


May 12-15 & 19-20, 2009

The Washington Center for the Performing Arts


A Study Guide for Teachers of Grades 4-6

To Prepare Students for a Positive Theater Experience

(EALR references included)


INTRODUCTION

C.S. Lewis was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He spent his early childhood in an atmosphere of learning and imagination. When his brother was sent away to school, Lewis began spending more and more time reading. He found that he especially enjoyed stories about how magical things happened to ordinary children. When he was 18, he began writing stories. Although he had no children of his own, Lewis never forgot what it was like to be a child. In 1939, with Britain at war and bombs being dropped on London, as many children as possible were sent to live in the country for safety. During this period, the first of several groups of children came to live in his Oxford home. As he got to know them, he was saddened to learn how little they read and how few imaginative stories they seemed to know. Lewis recognized a need to kindle young people's imaginations with the types of magical stories he treasured as a child. It was nine years later, in 1948, when he started writing The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.


STORY SYNOPSIS

This enchanting musical is based on C.S. Lewis' adventure story about four children in London, England in 1941, during a time of war and firebombing. They accidentally enter the land of Narnia by climbing through a magic wardrobe. This strange and wondrous place is ruled by the cold-hearted White Witch, who makes the winter last year round. Although they seem unlikely saviors, the children fulfill an ancient prophecy by defeating the witch, thus restoring sunshine and peace to the spell-bound Narnia and returning the great Lion King Aslan to his throne.


PRODUCTION INFORMATION


BEFORE SEEING THE PLAY: (Geography 1.2, 3.3; Health 3.4; History 1, 2.2,3; Reading 2.1)

  1. Discuss the vocabulary words and their definitions. (Reading 1.2; Communication 2.4)

  2. Review the OJP Theater Etiquette Guide regarding student behavior. (Civics 2.2, 4.1)

  3. The play is set during World War II. What countries fought in the war?

  4. The four children are sent away from their London home; they are to stay with their Uncle Digory in the country to be safe from the bombing of London. How would you feel if you were sent away from your parents?

  5. Can you locate London on the map? What do you know about that city?

  6. What is a wardrobe? Do you have one in your home?

  7. The four children enter the fairy land of Narnia where all manner of strange creatures live. What is a fairy tale?

  8. How does it differ from another kind of story? A television story?

  9. Tumnus the Faun is a mythical animal. What is a myth? Why do people make them up?

  10. The Beavers that the children meet up with are cockneys. What kind of people are cockneys?

  11. What is a witch? Can you name other fairy tales that have witches as characters?

  12. The story of the play centers around a prophecy that involves the four children. What is a prophecy? Can anyone make one? Why are they important?

  13. What is Turkish Delight? Is it something you've ever tasted? (It is similar to Liberty Orchard’s Aplets and Cotlets; recipe available on last page of this study guide.)


THE PERFORMANCE ITSELF (Arts 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 3.2; Communications 1.1, 1.2)


AFTER SEEING THE PLAY: (Arts 1.5, 2.3, 3.2, 4.4; Reading 3.3; Writing 2.2)

  1. How is seeing a live play different from watching a movie?

  2. When one actor plays different characters, besides costumes what changes help make the character unique?

  3. Have you read the book? If so, what differences did you notice between the book and the play? If not, does seeing the play make you interested in reading the book?

  4. Were you able to understand the beavers? Can you imitate the way they talked?

  5. There were witch, dwarf and faun characters in the play. Also mention was made of Centaurs, Nyads, Dryads, giants, unicorns, ghouls, vampires, demons, banshees, sprites, gorgons and a Bull with the head of a man. Make four lists with the following headings: mythological, fairytale, folklore and supernatural, then write the name of each type of creature under the appropriate category.

  6. The TheatreWorksUSA study guide has many thoughtful discussion questions based on the story and can be found at: http://www.theatreworksusa.org/uploads/studyguide/studyguide_588.pdf

  7. Tell what you did or didn’t like about the play, the characters, costumes, or set. Send letters or pictures to Olympia Junior Programs, P.O. Box 1371 Olympia, WA 98507-1371 (Writing 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 3.2; Communications 1.3; Arts 1.5, 2.3)


VOCABULARY

Nazis fascist German National Socialist Party that came to power under Adolf Hitler in 1933, racist

firebombing a bomb designed to start a fire

bittersweet smelling or tasting both bitter and sweet at the same time; feeling happy and sad at the same time

sly cleverly skillful and cunning, lacking honesty or straightforwardness

double dealing deliberately deceitful especially when involving the betrayal of a partner or associate.

aimless without purpose

Lad a boy or young man

air raids an attack by aircraft on something on the ground, especially a nonmilitary target

wardrobe a large closet or freestanding cupboard with rail or shelves for clothes and shoes

icebox refrigerator, an insulated container filed with ice and use to keep food cool

quarreling argument between people, an angry dispute, find fault, disagree, complain

logical clear rational thought, sensible reasoning based on facts, to think rationally

unusual remarkable, out of the ordinary, not common or familiar

“pipe down” stop talking, or become quieter, less noisy

“fancy that” expressing surprise

Faun a rural god in Roman mythology, often depicted as a creature with body of a man and the legs and horns of a goat

tantalizing enticing, inviting causing feelings of pleasure or anticipation, tempting

confection a sweet food of combined ingredients such as fruits nuts and sugar

genuflection to kneel with the right knee to the floor and rise again, show excessive respect

Turkish Delight a soft jelly candy made with flavored gelatin, cut into cubes and dusted with powdered sugar

mortals relating to human beings, certain to die eventually

morsels a small piece of something, especially of food, something particularly appealing

temperament a persons nature, character or personality, quality of mind, excessive moodiness

innocent not guilty of a crime, within the law, harmless in intention, uncorrupted, naive

“I’ll thrash you” to beat a person or animal violently, to defeat a person or team

bickering argue in a bad-tempered way, internal strife, backbiting, power struggle

lass a girl or young woman, a girl friend or sweetheart

bloke same as “man”

dire very bad, severe, serious or desperate circumstances

jawing to talk in a boring or abusive way, to scold or reprove repeatedly

clutches hold something tightly, to grab hold of something, a tight grip on something

blundered carelessly make a serious or embarrassing mistake, move or act clumsily

run aground run up on ground, such a ship accidentally getting beached or stuck on rocks

Hag a witch, especially on elderly one, a term to insult a woman’s appearance

frizzling forming into small tight curls

anew again, once more, in a new way or form

bash celebration or party

ancient Prophecy very old , of or from the distant past divine prediction of a future occurrence

foretold predicted what was to happen

unnerved lose of nerve, courage resolve or self-confidence, feel nervous

nectar plant liquid, pulpy juice, drink of gods in Greek and Roman mythology

restore give something back, to return to pervious condition, energize somebody

wormwood a plant the yields a bitter extract, something that causes bitter feelings

gall audacity, impudent boldness, a feeling of bitterness or resentment, anger

hellions a troublesome or rowdy person, especially a child

fetches apparition of living person, ghost

frights somebody or something that looks grotesque, ludicrous, extremely unattractive

traitor betrayer, someone who is disloyal or treacherous, conspirator

delve dig for information, investigate or research thoroughly

flag of truce a white flag flown to indicate surrender or a request of conference

legitimate legal, well founded, conforming to acknowledged standards and rules

precaution an action taken to protect from or prevent possible harm, danger or trouble

destination predetermined end of trip, a particular place arrived at purposely

supreme above all others, greater than any other, highest in degree, ultimate

unyielding stubborn, not giving in to persuasion, pressure or force, inflexible, firm

vengeance punishment inflicted in return for a wrong, revenge

triumph success, winning, being victorious, a great achievement

sacrifice giving up something of value or importance for something greater, an offering

charity impartial love of other people, tolerant attitude, help given for people in need

eternally God, existing through all time, unchanged by time, seeming to go on forever

grieved to feel great sadness, sorrow

ferocious very fierce or savage, extreme, very intense

“chin up” term to cheer someone, take courage, be brave

rejoice to feel or show great happiness about something, celebrate

trance a dazed, stunned, hypnotic or rapturous state and unaware of environment

mortally wounded fatally injured, so badly that death follows


RECIPE From “A Family Guide to the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by Christin Ditchfield; Crossway books, 7/2005


Edmund’s Turkish Delight


Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar

1¼ cups water

1 lemon peel (cut into strips: the juice squeezed and strained)

1 orange peel (cut into strips; the juice squeezed and strained)

4 tbsp unflavored powdered gelatin

2 tbsp powdered sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch


Directions:

  1. Dissolve the sugar in the water in a saucepan on medium heat.

  2. Add the strips of lemon and orange peel and the juices. Bring to a boil and simmer for fifteen minutes

  3. Soak the gelatin in the mixture for 5-10 minutes; strain into a shallow pan or platter. Let it set for 24 hours.

  4. Cut the candy into one-inch squares

  5. Sift the cornstarch and powdered sugar together in a shallow dish; roll the pieces of candy into the mixture and serve. (if you want to save some for later, store the leftover pieces in layers separated by wax paper, covered with an extra sprinkling of the cornstarch and powdered sugar mixture.)


This OJP study guide contains portions of TheatreWorksUSA’s 3 page “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” study guide found at: http://www.theatreworksusa.org/uploads/studyguide/studyguide_588.pdf


The OJP Theater Etiquette Guide is available on this web-site.