ELEPHANT & PIGGIE’S
“WE ARE IN A PLAY”
BASED ON THE ELEPHANT & PIGGIE
BOOKS BY MO WILLEMS
McAninch Arts Center
SchoolStage Series
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SHOW
This is the a story about Friendship – “Bestus” a word Gerald and Piggie made up
that means: very best friends.
For Gerald and Piggie – friendship means
•
•
•
•
Taking Turns
Sharing
Being Compassionate
Telling the Truth
Gerald and Piggie share a day when anything is possible. They solve problems
together, sing and dance, make each other laugh, get mad and sad with each
other, and even do a little goofing around with you – the audience!
This play is adapted from six books: I’m Invited to a Party!, Listen to my Trumpet!,
I Am Going!, Should I Share My Ice Cream?, I Love My New Toy! and We Are in a
Book!
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
Who are you most like?
After the show, what other words can be used to
describe these characters?
Gerald: is a careful, somewhat formally attired Elephant – prone to
worry. His best friend is Piggie
Piggie: is a playful, inquisitive pink pig. Piggie is an optimist whose
best friend is Gerald.
The Squirelles: A trio of fun-loving squirrels.
Dog: A dutiful Delivery Dog
Penguin: A sarcastic ice-cream seller
ABOUT THE AUTHOR & COMPOSER
MO WILLEMS - Author
#1 New York Times Bestseller Mo Willems was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. While in high school, he created a
comic strip for a weekly newspaper and performed stand-up at a comedy club. After graduating college, Mo traveled
abroad and then began his career working many different jobs. He auditioned and was hired as a writer and animator for
Sesame Street from 1993-2002. Early influences on his work include Charles Schulz and Saul Steinberg. He has
received three Caldecott Honors for Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Knuffle Bunny and its sequel.
Mo wrote the script and lyrics for both play productions of Knuffle Bunny and Elephant and Piggie that were
commissioned by and debuted at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Mo says, “When I was a kid, I wanted to draw
and be funny.” Today, he lives in Massachusetts with his family, and they like to draw together every night at dinnertime.
DEBORAH WICKS LaPUMA - Composer
is a composer, music director, and orchestrator who grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Lisbon, Portugal. Her
prolific collaboration with Karen Zacarias includes Chasing George Washington: A White House Adventure (Kennedy
Center), Frida Libre (La Jolla Playhouse), Ferdinand the Bull (based on the book by Munro Leaf) Einstein Is a
Dummy (Alliance Theatre), and Looking for Roberto Clemente (Imagination Stage). Other premiere works for young
audiences include Elephant and Piggie's We are In a Play with author Mo Willems and Nobody's Perfect (based on
the book by Marlee Matlin) with Doug Cooney, a musical in English and American Sign Language, commissioned by
VSA and the Kennedy Center. A proud Mexican-American, she is also a member of the board of directors of TYA
USA/ASSITEJ International, ASCAP, and The Dramatist Guild.
BRINGING STORIES TO LIFE
WHO DOES IT TAKE?
Composer: who writes the music
Director: who guides the whole team
Choreographer: who plans all the dance movements
Music Director: who directs the musical part of the performance
Set Designer: who decides how the stage will look
Lighting Designer: who plans how to use lights to help tell the story
Costume Designer: who plans what the performers wear
PRE-SHOW VOCABULARY
Unintended Consequences: things that happen that surprise you.
Pachyderm: a thick-skinned animal like an elephant or hippopotamus.
Swine: a short-haired animal with a curly tail and hooves, like a pig.
Unpossible: a made-up word Gerald uses when he means not possible or impossible.
Contingency: something that might happen in the future but is not certain.
Sty: a fenced area, usually for pigs.
Manipulate: to change what people do or the
way something happens.
BIG FEELINGS
During the performance, Gerald and Piggie have
strong emotions or feelings
• Joy
• Anger
• Love
• Worry
• Fear
• Embarrassment (feeling uncomfortable
with something you have done)
Think about how these two good friends share such different
feelings. Discuss with your family/teachers/friends what you think
makes a good friend and why.
PRE & POST ACTIVITY: WHAT’S IN A SONG?
During the show, listen for how performers communicate when they
sing these songs. Listen for rhyming words like “Piggie” and “biggie”
or “fear and “dear”, or soft rhymes like “prince” and “audience”
•
•
•
•
•
Lucky to See You
Swimy! Fancy!
Don’t Go
Ice Cream Hero
Ode to Toy
•
•
•
•
•
Toy Breaker
Elephant in the Room
We’re in a Play
We’ll Be Friends
We’ve Been Lucky
After the show, discuss how each song made you feel and why?
Which song was your favorite?
PRE & POST ACTIVITY: KNOW THAT TUNE?
Listen carefully when Piggie sings about her new toy – does the
music seem familiar? It is from “Ode to Joy” a piece composed more
than 200 years ago by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is often used in
concerts, commercials, TV shows and movies. Listen to Ode to Joy.
POST SHOW - PLAYING DRESS UP
Actors pretend to be different characters.
To become their various animal characters
they have to change how they
• Talk
• Dance
• Sing
• Move
How can you transform to be an
elephant or pig?
If you were the show’s costume designer and had to use
ordinary clothes for Gerald & Piggie what would you choose?
Make a list – draw a picture. Use your imagination!
POST SHOW – ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
Gerald and Piggie love using their imaginations and realize they can
do anything together – play Ping-Pong, wear silly hats. What would
you and a friend/teacher/parent do with endless possibilities?
If my (friend/teacher/parent) and I could travel anywhere in the
world, we would go to: _____________________
If my (friend/teacher/parent) and I could meet anyone in the world,
we would meet: ___________________
If my (friend/teacher/parent) and I could build anything in the
world, we would build: ________________________
If my (friend/teacher/parent) and I could cook anything in the world,
we would create:____________________
DURING THE SHOW – CAN YOU FIND
A Swimming Pool
How the Squirrelles sometimes play other characters in the story –
name the other animals they play
Props (objects used on stage) like an ice cream cone and a toy
How the lights and music change to show slow or fast motion
Flippy Floppy Floory Dance
What does the trumpet sound like
Special magic word Gerald and Piggie use for “please”
POST SHOW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What are some examples of when Gerald and Piggie used their
imaginations during the play?
2. What makes a good friend? Do you think Gerald and Piggie are good at
helping each other? What is something you have done to help a friend?
3. What is something that you have taught a friend? What is something a
friend has taught you?
4. What is your favorite activity to do with friends? What makes it special?
5. What are examples of when Gerald and Piggie shows appreciation for
each other?
POST SHOW – REVIEW THE SHOW
A reviewer’s job is to see a play and write about what they liked and
what they didn’t like. It is your turn to write or draw a review and
share your ideas about your experience.
Write or Draw what was your
• Favorite part and why
• If you could change one thing to make the play better – what
would it be?
Sign your name and share with your teachers/friends/parents.
Feel free to share your reviews with us!
Mail or email: McAninch Arts Center, Attn: Janey Sarther, 425 Fawell
Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL or sarther@cod.edu
SPECIAL THANKS
SchoolStage Series is supported by a grant from the
Illinois Arts Council.
RESOURCES
Kennedy Center “Cuesheet Performance Guide”