Teacher
Resource Guide
2009-2010
The World Premiere Sequel to Holes
April 23-May 14, 2010
Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway
Inside this guide
ABOUT: The Show, The Author & Playwright
Oregon Educational Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Big Ideas, Discussion and Writing Prompts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Activities
1. My Own Small Steps — Students will discuss taking their own
small steps and creating healthy and attainable goals, and then
create a list with an accompanying visual art project. . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Character Building Blocks — Use the large cast in Small Steps
to examine all of the details and techniques involved in the
construction of a rich and meaningful literary or theatrical
character, and then have students create their own. . . . . . . . . . . 5
3. Songs on Stage — Connect the music of Kaira DeLeon and its
role in Small Steps to students’ favorite music and its impact on
their lives, and create storyboards to connect song lyrics, visual
images, and imagery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Teacher Info & Important Dates
4. Science Spotlight — Students discuss the purpose of light
design in the performing arts and then conduct a hands-on
investigation of the effects of different colored lights on
different kinds of fabric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
January 29, 2010: 50% Deposit due
March 12, 2010: Final Payment Due,
Last day to reduce seats
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
April 22, 2010: Free Teacher Preview
Length: 75 minutes
Reading List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Location: Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway
Policies and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Based on the book by Louis Sachar. Adapted for the
stage by Louis Sachar. Directed by Stan Foote.
Theater Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1
ABOUT
Oregon Educational Standards
Activities in this guide meet the following Oregon Educational Standards:
The Show
• Arts: Create, Present, Perform: Express Ideas, Moods and Feelings
T
wo years after being released from Camp Green Lake Juvenile
Correctional Facility, Armpit is back in Austin, Texas, working at a
landscaping company and trying to change his life, taking small steps.
He sets five goals for himself, determined to keep moving forward:
1. Graduate from high school; 2. Get a job; 3. Save some money;
4. Avoid situations that might get violent; 5. Lose his nickname, Armpit.
• English: Literature: Literary Text: Develop an Interpretation
His new life is going as planned until X-Ray, a friend from Camp Green
Lake, turns up unexpectedly with a get-rich-quick scheme. The plan sounds
simple: Kaira DeLeon, the famous teen pop star, is playing a concert in
Austin. All X-Ray and Armpit have to do is buy tickets when they go on
sale, mark up the price, and sell them to concertgoers. Reluctantly, Armpit
agrees to the scheme, but things don’t go nearly as smoothly as X-Ray
promises they will. Armpit ends up taking Ginny, his ten-year old neighbor,
to the concert, and a series of unexpected events leads to Armpit nearly
getting arrested, and a chance encounter with Kaira herself!
• English: Writing: Writing Modes: Fictional Narrative
• English: Literature: Literary Text: Examine Content and Structure
• English: Speaking and Listening: Speaking
• English: Writing: Planning, Evaluation, and Revision
• English: Writing: Writing Modes: Personal Narrative
• Health: Health Skills: Use a Goal Setting Model
• Science: Engineering Design: Describe Examples of Inventions
Science: Scientific Inquiry: Conduct an investigation
• Science: Scientific Inquiry: Organize and Display Data
Suddenly, Armpit’s life is spinning out of control and he finds himself
trying to keep himself and X-Ray out of jail, avoid angry ticket scalpers,
and navigate suddenly confusing friendships. Louis Sachar’s sequel to
Holes follows Armpit as he maneuvers through the unexpected, the
dangerous, and even the romantic—all the while trying to keep his goals
in sight, take small steps, and keep moving forward.
The Author & Playwright, Louis Sachar
Louis Sachar was born in East Meadow, New York, and grew up in
California. He majored in economics at the University of California at
Berkeley, and attended law school at Hastings College of the Law in San
Francisco. During his first week of law school, Sideways Stories from
Wayside School, his first book, was accepted by a publisher. After
graduating, Sachar continued to do part-time legal work while writing
children’s books. In 1989, he was able to stop practicing law and start
writing full-time. Sachar’s other books include Someday Angeline, Dogs
Don’t Tell Jokes, There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom, Holes, the Marvin
Redpost series, and the Wayside School series. He lives with his wife
Carla and daughter Sherre in Austin, Texas.
About his writing, Sachar says: “I write every morning, usually for no more
than two hours a day. I never talk about a book until it is finished. I
spent two years on my latest novel [Small Steps], and nobody, not even
Carla or Sherre, knew anything about it until it was finished. Then they
were the first to read it.”
2
Th e Big Id e as
Discussion
a n d W r iti n g P r om pts
• No matter where you come from or what you’ve been through,
you can make changes in your life by taking small steps and
concentrating on concrete goals. Keeping situations simple and
telling the truth can help make this easier.
1. Describe Armpit’s small steps. Why does he choose these particular
goals? Why is he determined to make small changes, rather than
jumping ahead to big changes?
• Even people who are very different from each other can become
good friends. Armpit and Ginny are different ages and races,
and Ginny is living with a disability, but they develop a close
friendship and help each other.
2. Define the word ‘stereotype.’ Can you find an example of stereotyping
in the play?
3. Why do you think Armpit decided to sell tickets with X-Ray, even
though he knew it was a bad idea?
• Wealth and fame do not guarantee happiness.
4. Pick two characters in the play that interact together (Kaira and El
Genius, Armpit and Ginny, the mayor and Armpit, etc). Describe their
interaction. Is it positive or negative? What does it say about the
characters’ relationships with each other?
• People often don’t match society’s assumptions and stereotypes
based on race, gender, appearance, or ability.
• Relationships with people can be very complicated and
ambiguous. Power and money can strongly influence a
relationship between two people (Armpit and Kaira, Kaira and her
stepfather, for example).
5. Why do you think Ginny and Armpit are such good friends, even though
they are so different?
6. How do the police treat Armpit at the concert? Why do they respond
to him in this way?
7. Does Kaira seem happy with her life? Why/why not?
That’s what you think?
8. Does music play an important role in your life? If so, talk about the
music you like to listen to and how it makes you feel, or describe
particular singers or bands you admire.
That I came here
to screw things up?
9. Why do you think Kaira throws her iced coffee in Armpit’s face?
Describe the situation, her reaction, and possible reasons.
Dawg, I’m offering
you an opportunity.
10. Why does Armpit lie to the detective? Do you think he made the
right choice?
An opportunity! I just
11. How does Kaira feel about Fred, her bodyguard? Why do you think
that she treats him the way that she does?
don’t get it. I don’t
get it. I offer my best
12. Which characters do you feel sympathy towards? Which characters do
you feel unsympathetic towards? Are there characters who you have
mixed feelings about?
friend an opportunity
to double his money,
13. Are there characters that change over the course of the play? Do any
characters stay the same? Explain.
and he won’t even
listen to my idea.”
3
My Ow n S mall Ste p s
Activity Instructions
Target Grade Level
1. As a class, ask your students to recall Armpit’s list of small steps. List
them on the board or on chart paper.
5-8
2. Ask students what they think about these goals. Do they seem easy or
difficult? Realistic or unrealistic?
Standards
3. As part of the discussion, ask students if they can think of ways to
divide Armpit’s small steps into categories (school, work, self-image,
ethics, safety, for example). As a class, create a list of ‘goal
categories’—encourage students to add new categories that might fall
outside of Armpit’s list (family, community, etc). Make copies of this
list for students, or have students list them in their notebooks.
Arts: Create, Present, Perform: Express Ideas,
Moods and Feelings
English: Writing: Writing Modes: Personal Narrative
Health: Health Skills: Use a Goal Setting Model
Lesson Overview
Students will discuss their observations about
Armpit’s goal-setting process in order to prepare
themselves for repeating this process. Students will
use a group discussion, in-class silent reflection/brainstorming time,
and time at home to draft a list of their own small steps. To polish and
present this list, students will create a final art project highlighting their
planned goals.
4. Tell students that using the list of possible categories as a guide, they
will create their own small steps. Share the following guidelines:
a.The steps must be specific and concrete. For example, “I want to
get a B or higher in math this semester,” rather than “I want to
get better at math.”
b.The steps must be realistic and attainable (this does not equate
to easy or unchallenging).
Length of Lesson
c.Students should list no more than five steps in their final list.
50 minutes in two sessions (15 minute discussion and reflection,
35 minutes for collage creation)
5. After explaining the assignment to students, allow time for some quiet
reflection and brainstorming. Tell students to take their journals home
and return with a polished list of small steps (no fewer than three and
no more than five), and a personal narrative describing their choices
and how they could begin working on these goals.
Learning Objectives
• Students will apply a model from a literary text to their own lives.
• Students will brainstorm goal categories in order to help promote
a holistic view of their lives and choices.
6. In the next classroom session, have students create a visual collage
or presentation of their small steps. Explain that their written list
should be somehow incorporated into their project.
• Students will use a goal-setting model to establish attainable
goals for their futures.
Materials
Journals/notebooks
Poster board or large pieces of
construction paper
Old magazines and
newspapers
Glue sticks
a.For collage-making, either have a supply of old magazines/
newspapers on hand, or ask each student to bring in several
from home for all to share. Also encourage students to bring
images or small objects that they might want to incorporate
into their project.
You can take big
steps, ‘cause you
know where you’re
Extension
going. I still have
Near the end of the school year, ask students to return to their lists.
Have these goals changed? Have any been achieved yet? Would students
change their lists in any way, or add new goals?
to figure that out.”
Scissors
Pens/Pencils
4
Ch aracte r
Buildin g B l o c k s
Materials
Print these OCT worksheets included in this guide:
• Character Creation student page
Target Grade Level
Large pieces of chart paper (nine pages, one for each character
listed below)
5-8
Standards
Markers
English: Literature: Literary Text:
Develop an Interpretation
English: Writing: Planning, Evaluation, and Revision
English: Writing: Writing Modes: Fictional Narrative
Pens/Pencils
Activity Instructions
1. Prior to this activity, take several large pieces of chart paper and post
them around the classroom. Label each one with the name of one of
the following characters:
Lesson Overview
Small Steps highlights the complexity of characters’ choices, their
interactions and relationships with each other, and how difficult it can be
to do the right thing. In this exercise, students use a brainstorming
exercise to examine how meaningful characters are constructed, and use
these components as a jumping-off point to writing their own fiction.
a.Armpit
Note: This exercise can be done with students before seeing the play if
they are familiar with the novel, or after the play as a way to recall the
characters they have just seen.
b.Kaira
I used to be angry
c.Ginny
all the time. Ginny’s
d.X-Ray
changed me. She was
e.El Genius (Kaira’s
step-father)
Length of Lesson
60 minutes (plus additional writing time)
Learning Objectives
• Students will recall what they’ve learned about the characters in
Small Steps.
but she was maybe
g.Cherry Lane (the
mayor)
met in a long time
i. Debbie Newberg
(the police officer)
• Students will use these concepts to create their own character
and original piece of writing.
couldn’t even walk,
f. Aileen (Kaira’s
accountant/El
Genius’ mistress)
h.Kaira’s mother
• Students will work collaboratively to identify different techniques
used to develop a fictional character.
just this little girl who
the first person I’d
who wasn’t afraid
of me.”
2. Explain to students that there are a variety of major and minor
characters in the play. In order to reveal information about the
characters to the audience, playwrights must show everything on
stage, rather than simply describe a character or scene. Introduce the
acronym CROW to your students.
Key Vocabulary/Concerts
CROW (character, relationship, objective, where)
• This is an acronym used in theater to describe what an actor or
playwright needs to know in order to portray or create a character.
A meaningful character has relationships with other characters,
something that he or she wants, and a setting or context.
3. Have students cluster in groups of two and three in front of each
piece of paper. Provide markers for writing. Tell each student to write a
physical trait associated with the character in front of them. Students
should each write one trait, rather than designating a student in the
group as a recorder.
5
4. Instruct students to move clockwise to the next piece of paper.
Instruct them to write down a trait that is qualitative or intangible.
5. Have students move a second time, and tell them to write down a
relationship or connection that their character has to another
character in the play.
6. Have students move a third time, and instruct them to write down
this character’s motive or desire. What drives this character? What do
they want?
7. Have students move a fourth time, and instruct them to write a
conflict or challenge that this character faces in the play.
8. Have students move one more time, and have each of them write
down a single word that best describes that character.
9. While still standing in front of the different character lists, facilitate a
discussion with students about the characters in the play. Ask
students in front of each character whether they think that character
is a sympathetic character. Why/why not?
10. Ask each student about the words they used to describe the
characters. Are there instances in the play that led them to choose
those words? How did the play provide them with these different bits
of information about each of the characters?
11. Explain to students that we often, when seeing theater or reading a
book, learn about the characters through their actions and what other
characters say about them over the course of the plot, rather than
simply by the author telling us whether or not a character is good
or bad.
12. Guide students through their own character creation. Distribute the
character creation worksheet and give students time to complete it.
13. Have students write a short story about their main character.
Encourage them to think of creative ways that a character’s traits and
qualities can be revealed through the plot of the story. Have students
share their work with the class.
Extension
Place students in groups of three or four and have them draft a scene
that incorporates each of their characters interacting. Have them start by
identifying a potential conflict or problem that these characters might
have, and then creating a dialogue around that conflict. Have students
perform their scenes for their classmates.
6
Character Creation
List three physical traits:
List three personality traits:
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
A relationship that this character has with another person:
What does this character find difficult or challenging?
What is this character good at?
What does this character want more than anything else in the world?
List three words that describe this character:
1.
_____________________
2.
_____________________
3.
_____________________
What is this character’s name? ______________________
How old are they? _____________
Where does this character live? __________________
Character Building Blocks
7
So ngs on Stag e
Materials
Favorite song (student-selected), and lyrics
Target Grade Level
Paper
5-8
Pens/Pencils
Standards
Large sheets of paper for storyboards (optional)
Arts: Create, Present, Perform: Express Ideas,
Moods and Feelings
English: Literature: Literary Text: Examine
Content and Structure
English: Speaking and Listening: Speaking
Activity Instructions
1. Prior to the activity, instruct students to select a favorite song. Ask
them to bring their song’s title, singer(s), and lyrics to class.
Teacher Tip: if you like, bring your own song to share with students!
Lesson Overview
2. Gather students in a circle. Ask each student to share the title and
artist of their song, going around the circle.
Throughout Small Steps, the lyrics of Kaira’s music help set the mood
and tone of scenes and express deeper themes of the play. In this
activity, students bring in their own favorite song and analyze its lyrics
and content, and then create storyboards for music videos that help
communicate a song’s ideas and themes.
3. After everyone has shared, ask students to look at the lyrics of their
songs. Also, have them recall the tune (silently!). Ask students if, when
they listen to songs that they like, do they usually remember a song’s
melody or tune, or the lyrics? Why?
Length of Lesson
4.
50 minutes
Learning Objectives
• Students will increase familiarity with music vocabulary.
• Students will examine ways in which the music industry
influences their tastes in music.
• Students will create a music video storyboard, analyzing the
connection between music and lyrics and visual images.
Ask students what influences
them when they pick the
music they listen to. The
genre? The artist? The band/
instruments being used? The
lyrics or subject matter? The
music video? Create a list of
these criteria for students to see.
She s-sings like
I t-talk.”
5. Have students look at the lyrics they’ve brought to class. Give
students one minute to select a single word that describes their song,
what it is about, or emotions that it evokes.
• Students will “pitch” their video idea to the class and
demonstrate their understanding of these connections.
6. Going around the circle again, have each student share their word.
Explain that these words can be an example of a song’s theme, or
main idea. Are any of them the same or similar? How are they different?
Key Vocabulary/Concepts
Lyrics
Verse
Chorus
Genre
Tone/mood
Theme
7. Explain to students that they will be working independently to create
a storyboard for a music video of their favorite song. Students should
consider actors, setting, mood/tone, props, a plot or story, images or
symbols, etc., and should be prepared to explain their artistic choices
to the class. Explain that a storyboard contains a series of images or
scenes, and that students should plan on having about five distinct
scenes (on separate sheets of paper or in boxes on a large piece of
chart paper) in their storyboard.
8
Teacher Tip: if you are short on class time, arrange students into small
groups based on the genres of their songs, and have them brainstorm
common themes or elements that their videos would have in common.
Then, have each group select a song for storyboarding.
8. Have students present their storyboards to the class—as if they were
pitching an idea to a producer! Encourage them to explain the
connection between the song’s content and their aesthetic decisions.
Extension
Have students take their song a step further by researching the different
people involved in writing, recording, and publicizing their song. Have
them create a time line or road map of their song’s creation.
9
Colored pencils
Scie n ce S p o tlig h t
Science notebooks or loose leaf paper
Target Grade Level
Pens/pencils
5-7
Activity Instructions
Standards
1. In advance of this activity, prepare materials for students to work in
small groups. Cut plastic wrap into squares large enough to cover one
of the flashlights (two squares of each color per group. Each group
should have the following: a flashlight, 4 swatches of different fabric,
6 squares of plastic wrap, rubber bands, and colored pencils.
Science: Scientific Inquiry: Conduct an investigation
Science: Scientific Inquiry: Organize and Display Data
Science: Engineering Design: Describe Examples
of Inventions
Lesson Overview
Light is important— to Small Steps’ Kaira DeLeon and to performing
artists everywhere. Lighting choices play a large role in performances
ranging from theater to pop concerts. Discuss the importance and effect
of lighting with your students, drawing on their experiences at Small
Steps and concerts and other performances they might have attended,
and then lead your students in a scientific investigation about the effects
of color and light on different fabrics.
Teacher Tip: If you are having difficulty finding fabric, encourage
students to wear their favorite outfits to school on the day of this
activity, and have them test the different colors on each other.
2. Introduce the lesson to students by discussing the lighting effects and
design used in rock concerts (and in theater). If students have not
seen the play, ask them what they’ve noticed about the lighting at
concerts or other performances they’ve attended. If students have
seen the play, ask what they noticed about the lighting (especially
while Kaira is on stage). Brainstorm a list of different lighting effects
on the board.
Length of Lesson
75 minutes
3. Tell students that they will be investigating the effects of different
lighting choices on different kinds of fabric.
Learning Objectives
• Students will learn about and discuss the aesthetics of lighting
design in the performing arts.
4. Divide students into small groups and distribute their experiment
materials. Explain that they will test the effects of different colored
films on their different fabric swatches.
• Students will conduct a hands-on investigation about the effects
of different colored light on different types of fabric.
5. In their groups, have students formulate a hypothesis about this
experiment. What do they think will happen to each fabric under a
primary color? Under two different colored films?
• Students will work in small groups to record their observations
and analyze their data.
6. Guide students as they test each swatch with each primary colored
film, both with one layer of film and two layers (of the same color).
Have them record their observations in a chart. Encourage students to
use colored pencils to illustrate how the fabrics change. It may be
necessary to dim the lights in your classroom for the best effect.
Key Vocabulary/Concepts
Lighting Designer
Materials
Medium-sized or large flashlights
7. Instruct students to repeat the process and record their observations,
this time layering the film to create secondary colors (red/blue, blue/
yellow, red/yellow).
4 different fabrics (If possible, a variety of colors and textures—denim,
sequined or metallic, a colorful print, etc.)
Colored, translucent plastic wrap (cling wrap or clear gift wrap is ideal)
in blue, red, and yellow
Rubber Bands
10
8. After students have recorded their data, tell them to discuss the
results in their group. Did different colors affect the fabrics
differently? Were changes in color dramatic, or more subtle? Did the
fabric appear the same color as each colored filter, did it retain its
original color, or somewhere in between?
Extension
Have students (or students in small groups) select one of the following
research questions and have them present their findings to the class.
1. What do lighting designers do? What are some of the tools that they
use? What kinds of projects do they work on? How does someone
learn to become a lighting designer?
9. Still in their groups, have students create a lab report documenting
their objective or research question, materials, procedure used, data,
results, and conclusions.
2. How do our eyes differentiate colors? Can all animals do this—
why or why not?
10. As a class, discuss the results of the experiment. Did things go
as expected? Which lighting/fabric combination did they find
most aesthetically pleasing? Can they think of lighting techniques
other than color changes that could change the appearance of
things onstage?
11. Explain that all kinds of performances (including Small Steps!)
usually have a lighting designer, someone who designs the lighting
configuration to achieve certain visual effects. Ask students what
kinds of effects might be achieved through lighting (different moods, a
scene change, a special effect such as a storm, changing from an
upbeat song to a slow one, etc). Do students think that lighting
choices will be different for different kinds of performances? How so?
12. After allowing time for completion and any necessary revision, collect
group lab reports.
Re s o urc e s
www.louissachar.com
http://www.youtube.com/octportland
http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2010/02/
oregon_childrens_theatre_video.html
http://fertilegroundpdx.wordpress.com/category/small-steps
http://www.octc.org/forms/guides/holes_guide.pdf
11
Heat by Mike Lupica
Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after
being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches
doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.
Rea ding Li s t
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne,
Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal
when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a
badge of her faith--without losing her identity or sense of style.
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
In the days and weeks following the terrorist attacks on September 11,
2001, Samar, who is of Punjabi heritage but has been raised with no
knowledge of her past by her single mother, wants to learn about her
family’s history and to get in touch with the grandparents her mother shuns.
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane
Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the
only other Indian is the school mascot.
Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli
Fourteen-year-old Calogero Scalise and his Sicilian uncles and cousin
live in small-town Louisiana in 1898, when Jim Crow laws rule and
anti-immigration sentiment is strong. Despite his attempts to be polite
and to follow American customs, disaster dogs his family at every turn.
Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Jason, a twelve-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer,
relates what his life is like as he tries to make sense of his world.
The Boy from Seville by Dorit Orgad
At age eleven, Manuel has already fled with his family from Portugal to
Spain, because the seventeenth-century persecution of Jews is less
severe there, but passing as Christian becomes more and more difficult
as the Inquisition continues.
The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales
Sofia grows up in the close-knit community of the barrio in McAllen,
Texas, then finds that her experiences as a scholarship student at an
Episcopal boarding school in Austin only strengthen her ties to family
and her “comadres.”
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and
privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California,
where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm
workers on the eve of the Great Depression.
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935
when guards’ families were housed there, and has to contend with his
extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.
Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an
African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed
after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
Holes by Louis Sachar
As further evidence of his family’s bad fortune which they attribute to a
curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish
correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend,
a treasure, and a new sense of himself.
Bindi Babes by Narinder Dhami
Amber, Jazz, and Geena Dhillon are the Bindi Babes--three sisters with a
reputation for being the coolest, best-dressed girls at their school. The
sisters’ mom died a year ago, and they certainly don’t need an interfering
auntie from India inviting herself into their household to cramp their
style. Sequels: Bollywood Babes and Bhangra Babes.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
In this story about the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity,
and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes
Mica High School forever.
Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
Seventeen-year-old Troy, depressed, suicidal, and weighing nearly 300
pounds, gets a new perspective on life when a homeless teenager who is
a genius on guitar wants Troy to be the drummer in his rock band.
Provided by:
Accidents of Nature by Harriet McBryde Johnson
Having always prided herself on blending in with “normal” people despite
her cerebral palsy, seventeen-year-old Jean begins to question her role in
the world while attending a summer camp for children with disabilities.
12
P o li c ies & Proce dure s
Getting to the theater
•
Maps and directions to the theater will be available online at
www.octc.org/Transportation.
Additions
•
If you are lost or running late, call OCT at 503-228-9571.
•
Arriving at the theater
Adjusting your order
Seats can be added to your order at any time, subject to availability.
Cancellations
•
You must cancel any seats you will not use prior to your balance due
date. After this date, you are responsible for paying for all the seats on
your order.
•
OCT will never cancel seats off your order without your permission.
Nametags
•
Information for chaperones
Refunds
•
Refunds will be processed after the closing performance of the show
you are attending.
•
Refunds are not possible for absences or unused seats.
•
Refunds will not be issued for amounts less than $5.75.
Please make sure all members of your group have a nametag with
your school name on it. This will help us keep your group together.
•
Always accompany children to the restroom.
•
Keep students in a single file line.
•
Fill all seats in your row.
•
If you need to rearrange your seats, please do so after your entire
group has been seated.
Parking and unloading
Chaperones
•
Post school name and performance time in the window of your bus.
•
Traffic security will be on site to direct your bus to available parking.
Do not park or unload buses without supervision of traffic security.
•
Parking is provided for buses only. Private vehicles and vans must
park in lots or on the street.
•
Bus drivers must remain with their bus.
•
Small groups arriving in separate cars should allow adequate time to
park and meet at a designated location across the street from the
theater entrance.
Special seating needs
•
Groups will be seated once all members of the party have arrived.
•
•
Leave backpacks and oversized purses on the bus or at school.
•
OCT recommends one adult chaperone for every 10 students. Adult
ticket prices are the same as student ticket prices at our school
performances.
Pre-school children
•
Infants and children under the age of 4 are not allowed at school
performances. Please advise parent chaperones to make alternate
arrangements for their younger children.
Prior to your field trip
Last minute seating accommodations are not always possible. Please
notify OCT early to assure your needs are met.
Tickets and seat assignment
•
No paper tickets will be issued.
•
Groups will be seated within their purchased seating area based on
the order in which they arrive.
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Teacher Preview Night and Workshops
Entering the theater
•
All items are subject to visual inspection.
•
Doors open 30 minutes prior to performance time.
•
The teacher at the head of your group should check in with an OCT
representative prior to entering the theater.
•
Keep your group in a single file line.
•
All groups have reserved seating sections. Do not follow another group
into the theater.
Book your tickets, then mark your calendar to join us for the preview
night for Small Steps and observe OCT’s final dress rehearsal.
Professional development workshops are offered throughout the year.
RSVP by contacting teachers@octc.org.
Loud and Clear
Loud and Clear is a four week program designed to help students meet
standards in public speaking. An experienced OCT instructor leads
students through theater exercises which demonstrate proven techniques
of oral presentation. Students receive clear, constructive feedback in this
experiential and positive learning environment. For more information, log
on to www.octc.org/LoudandClear.
Late arrivals
•
Performances start on time. However, seats will be saved for you in
your purchased seating area.
Teacher Liaisons
Inside the theater
OCT invites teachers who have an interest in theater arts to join the OCT
Teacher Liaison Program. OCT seeks to develop relationships with
teachers who are willing to be an arts advocate at their school, provide
colleagues with information about OCT and offer input on OCT programs.
Liaisons are invited to special events throughout the year and receive
behind–the-scenes information. If you are interested in joining the OCT
Teacher Liaison network, please write kay@octc.org.
Etiquette
•
No food, drinks, or gum are allowed.
•
Turn off all cell phones and pagers.
•
No cameras or recording devices can be used.
•
Stay in your seat ready to watch and listen.
•
You are watching a live performance. The actors can hear you just like
you can hear them.
•
If something is funny, it is okay to laugh. If you like something,
applause is the best way to thank the performers.
The Educational Theatre Program is a collaboration between Oregon
Children’s Theatre and Kaiser Permanente, offering engaging theatrical
productions promoting healthy
life choices to schools and
communities for FREE.
Texting the Sun, designed for
middle school students, focuses on the positive and negative impacts
of the media on young people — how it affects decision-making, self
esteem, communication, relationships, and school cultures.
Tours January 11–June 4.
Leaving the theater
Departure
•
City permits only allow your bus to remain parked 15 minutes past the
end of your performance.
For more information, go to www.etpnorthwest.org.
Inclement weather
•
OCT will perform as scheduled provided that Portland Public Schools
are open. Visit www.octc.org/Policies for further details.
14
SW
Hatfield Hall
1111 SW Broadway
OCT’s Theater Home
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h
Hatfield Hall, 1111 SW Broadway
Mai
n
SW
All of our plays are now performed at Hatfield Hall, home of
the Newmark and Winningstad Theatres, at 1111 SW
Broadway, across the street from the Schnitzer Concert Hall.
Salm
SW
We take pride in providing the highest level of service and
are committed to making your field trip as effortless and
enriching as possible.
SW
Bro
adw
ay
15
on
Mill
Clay
Mar
ket
SW
5th
SW
SW
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ison
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Col
umb
ia
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From all of us at OCT, thank you for joining us this season.
We can’t wait to see you and the students in our new home.
Jef
SW
6th
SW
SW
Nin
Downtown Portland’s one way streets can be confusing
and frustrating to visiting drivers. If your group is arriving
by school bus, be sure to use the transportation information
on our website, as well as the map on this page, as you
approach the theater. This information will direct you to
our parking personnel, who love to help you park easily
and swiftly.
Par
k
th
SW
Mad
on