Arts in Education Touring Production
2015-2016
STUDY GUIDE
2015-2016 Arts-in-Education Tour Sponsored by
Table of Contents
About the Playwright
page 3
Summary of A ndrocles and the Lion
page 4
Character Descriptions
page 5
Androcles and the Lion Glossary
page 6
Aesops Fable, Androcles
page 7
Aesops Fable, The Lion and the Mouse
page 8
The Intern Acting Company
page 9
The Artistic Company
page 10
Audience Etiquette
page 11
Theatre Glossary
page 12
Costume Design
page 13-14
Stage Design
page 15
Word Search
page 16
Crossword Puzzle
page 17
Crossword Puzzle Answers
page 18
Dramatizing Stories
page 19
Adapting Your Own Story
page 20
Teacher Evaluation Form
page 21
Student Evaluation Form
page 22
About the Playwright
What’s an adaptation? An adaptation is exactly what Androcles and The Lion is! It is a new
story that is written in a new way, with the characters, plot and over-all theme of a story already written by someone else. Kathryn Walat, author of Androcles and the Lion, wrote this
adaptation off of two stories told by the famous Greek philosopher, Aesop.
Kathryn Walat is a contemporary playwright who has written numerous plays, children’s
shows, operas and is a regular columnist for three different magazines. She is a professor at the
Savannah College of Art and Design located in Savannah, GA.
Aesop was a Greek philosopher, story teller, and at one point in his life, a slave. It is believed
that Aesop was born a slave around the year 620 B.C. He was the property of two separate
masters, Xanthus and Jadmon. As a reward for his learning and wit, Jadmon gave him freedom
from servitude. As a free man in ancient Greece, Aesop took an active interest in public affairs.
He worked his way through the political ranks, reaching a high level position. Aesop had a
strong desire to teach and be taught, so he travelled to many countries, one of them being
Sardis. Sardis was the capital of the famous king of Lydia, who at this time was the great
patron of learning and of learned men.
While traveling, Aesop spoke with other philosophers and royal masters. They were so impressed with his knowledge that they offered him a position in Sardis as a monarch for various
difficult and delicate affairs of State. When stubborn disputes and arguments were brought to
Aesop’s attention, he began telling the citizens fables. Fables are short stories that convey a
moral lesson, typically animals are the characters. On one of his ambassador missions, Aesop
was sent to Delphi with a large sum of gold to distribute among the citizens. Upon arrival he
was so disgusted at their greed that he refused to divide the money. The Delphians were furious
and, in spite of his ambassador title, executed him as a public criminal. The city was hit with
numerous tragedies soon after Aesop’s execution. It is believed these tragedies occurred to
avenge the wrongful death of Aesop. “The blood of Aesop" became a well- known proverb. It
carried a heavy truth that “deeds of wrong would not pass unpunished”.
Aesop
Kathryn Walat
Summary of Androcles and the Lion
A singing mouse, an escaped slave, and a hungry lion become an unexpected trio of friends whose bond is ultimately tested by the evil Emperor
in this magnificent and heartwarming play. While singing and dancing her
way through the jungle, Mouse mistakenly awakens the Lion, who, despite his hungry appetite, lets the tiny Mouse go instead of eating her. Androcles, the escaped slave from the city, travels deep into the jungle
where he finds the Lion with a nasty thorn in his paw. Risking being captured, Androcles decides to help the Lion and the two instantly became
friends. But when the evil and very lonely Emperor imprisons the two
friends and forces them to face off in the arena, it's up to the tiny Mouse
who reminds them of the true meaning of friendship.
Character Descriptions
Lion: He rules the forest and the jungle and all the animals and plants in between.
He is the King of the Jungle, but he has a kind heart. When Androcles takes the
thorn from his paw, the Lion becomes his loyal friend and bosom buddy. Not a
fan of thorns.
Mouse: She’s small, even for a mouse. She always goes where she’s not supposed
to go. When the Lion shows her kindness by lettering her go, she promises to do
something huge for him in return. Not a fan of cats.
Androcles: He is a slave. But he hates, hates, hates being a slave. He runs away
to the forest, where he meets and helps the Lion. Because of this he and the Lion
become friends. Not a fan of windows.
Moms: They think they know everything. And they do. Not fans of disobedience.
Narrator: Also thinks she knows everything. Tends to stray from the main story.
Has a secret desire to be a genie. Not a fan of the Emperor.
Emperor: Ruler of everything. Has no friends because he spent all his time
locked in a tower. Tries to get the Lion to eat Androcles in the arena. Not a fan of
math.
Androcles and the Lion Glossary
Arena: a place or scene of activity, debate, or conflict.
Captured: taken into one's possession or contr ol by for ce.
Delicacy: a choice or expensive food.
Dungeon: a str ong under gr ound pr ison cell, especially in a castle.
Emperor: a sover eign r uler of gr eat power and r ank, especially one r uling an empir e. Similar to a king.
Fitness: the condition of being physically fit and healthy.
Fungi: any one of a gr oup of r elated plants (such as molds, mushr ooms, or yeasts) that have no flower s
and that live on dead or decaying things.
Kindness: the quality of being fr iendly, gener ous, and consider ate.
Multiplication table: A table that shows you the r esults of multiplying two number s. One number is
along a row, the other down a column, and the results are shown where a row and column meet.
Narrator: a per son who gives an account or tells the stor y of events, exper iences, etc.
Prisoner: a per son captur ed and kept confined by an enemy, opponent, or cr iminal.
Routine: a sequence of actions r egular ly followed; a fixed pr ogr am.
Underdog: a competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or contest.
Aesop’s Fables
Androcles
A slave named Androcles once escaped from his master and fled to the
forest. As he was wandering about he came upon a Lion lying down
moaning and groaning. At first he turned to flee, but finding that the Lion
did not pursue him, he turned back and went up to him. As he came near,
the Lion put out his paw, which was all swollen and bleeding, and Androcles found that a huge thorn had got into it, and was causing all the pain.
He pulled out the thorn and bound up the paw of the Lion, who was soon
able to rise and lick the hand of Androcles like a dog. Then the Lion took
Androcles to his cave, and every day used to bring him meat from which
to live. But shortly afterwards both Androcles and the Lion were captured, and the slave was sentenced to be thrown to the Lion, after the latter had been kept without food for several days. The Emperor and all his
Court came to see the spectacle, and Androcles was led out into the middle of the arena. Soon the Lion was let loose from his den, and rushed
bounding and roaring towards his victim. But as soon as he came near to
Androcles he recognized his friend, and fawned upon him, and licked his
hands like a friendly dog. The Emperor, surprised at this, summoned Androcles to him, who told him the whole story. Whereupon the slave was
pardoned and freed, and the Lion let loose to his native forest.
Aesop’s Fables
The Lion and the Mouse
Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up and down
upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon
him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him. "Pardon, O King," cried
the little Mouse: "forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who knows
but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?" The Lion
was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he
lifted up his paw and let him go. Some time after the Lion was caught in
a trap, and the hunters who desired to carry him alive to the King, tied
him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on. Just
then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in
which the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that
bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse.
NEW STAGE THEATRE INTERN COMPANY
Chris Ambrose: (Acting Inter n) is a r ecent gr aduate of the Mississippi University for Women (and smart
men), holding a B.A. in theatre. Before arriving at New Stage, he performed as Muga in the outdoor drama
Tecumseh! Other acting credits include Shadows of Destiny, The Cat in the Hat, and The Good Doctor. A native of Durant, Ambrose is honored to be working in his home state!
Matthew Denton: (Acting Inter n) is thankful to be wor king with and lear ning fr om such a wonder ful
cast! He was last seen on stage as Barnette in the New Stage production of Crimes of the Heart. Other local
credits include Beethoven in Dog Sees God (Unframed at New Stage), Luke in Next Fall (Unframed at New
Stage), and Bob Cratchit in Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge (Unframed at New Stage), as well as
Charles in See Jane Quit (Fondren Theatre Workshop).
Allison Heinz: (Directing/Acting Intern) is thrilled to be joining New Stage Theatre for their 50th season! She
is a graduate of the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!), where she studied musical theatre and communication
studies. Heinz has directed several productions including Y ou’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Dog Sees
God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead. Some of her favorite acting credits include Gruesome Playground
Injuries (Kayleen), Treasure Island (Capt. Smollet), and Shrek the Musical (Mama Ogre)
Bri Thomas: (Acting Inter n) is thrilled and thankful to God, for the opportunity to learn and grow here at
New Stage Theatre, as an acting intern for the upcoming year. She just graduated from Indiana University of
Pennsylvania as a musical theatre major, where she’s been blessed to play the roles of Cinderella in Into the
Woods, Babe Williams in The Pajama Game, and Mrs. Mueller in Doubt: A Parable. Past roles include Babette in Beauty and the Beast, Katisha in The Mikado, and Arachne in Circus Olympus. Thomas hopes to
further improve her skills as a performer and can’t wait to see where this year takes her!
NEW STAGE THEATRE ARTISTIC COMPANY
Artistic Director Francine Thomas Reynolds
Reynolds has worked as a professional actress and director for more than 25 years. She has been the artistic director at New Stage Theatre since 2006 and most recently directed Telling: Central Mississippi. Last season she
directed One Man, Two Guvnors and All the Way. She appeared in New Stage productions as Dr. Katherine
Brandt in last season’s 33 Variations, Polly in Other Desert Cities, Lucille in Dividing the Estate, and as Edna
Earle in Eudora Welty’s The Ponder Heart. She has directed a variety of shows including The Whipping
Man, The Grapes of Wrath, Hairspray, Mahalia: A Gospel Musical, The Great Gatsby, Lombardi, Boeing, Boeing,Breaking Up is Hard to Do, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, A Christmas Carol, Gee’s Bend, A Raisin in the Sun, Annie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Soldier’s Play, and I Love You,
You’re Perfect, Now Change. Some of her other favorite acting roles include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Chris in Rumors, and Belinda in Noises Off. Reynolds is on the Board of Directors for the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre and on the Board of Directors for
Mississippi Theatre Association. She was a member of the Leadership Mississippi Class of 2014. Panels and
other associations include the National Endowment for the Arts grants panel, Poetry Outloud, Southeastern Theatre Conference adjudicator, Mississippi Arts Commission grants panel, and the Mississippi Alliance for Arts
Education Board of Directors. Reynolds has enjoyed adjudicating and serving as a commentator for the Mississippi High School Drama Southeastern Theatre Conference and Mississippi’s English Speaking Union Shakespeare Competition. Reynolds worked as a locations casting director for several years. The last feature film she
cast,Ballast, won top awards at the Sundance Film Festival. Originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,
Reynolds enjoys living in Jackson with her husband, Chuck.
Education Director Chris Roebuck
Roebuck, graduated from Mississippi College with a B.A. in history. Roebuck was an acting intern at New
Stage Theatre, working with four other interns to take three touring shows across the state. He also worked for
the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, serving as performance coordinator/co -director of the extremely popular and successful R.A.T. (Reject All Tobacco) Pack performances for eight years. Among his numerous professional acting credits, Roebuck has appeared in A Y ear with Frog and Toad, The Ponder Heart, A Christmas
Carol, Idols of the King, Forever Plaid, The Wind in the Willows, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Fantasticks. In
addition to the education touring shows, his directing credits include Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, A Christmas
Carol, and Dead Man’s Cell Phone at New Stage and American Buffalo and Dinner with Friends with Fondren
Theatre Workshop.
Technical Director/Props Master Richard Lawrence
Lawrence serves as the vice president of Fondren Theatre Workshop and most recently appeared in A Christmas Memory
at New Stage, FTW’s The Rocky Horror Show, Buck Nekkid for Jesus, and directed FTW’s Christmas show, Every
Christmas Story Ever Told. He also was the director of the widely successful productions of Cabaret and Company,
which were a joint production of FTW, Actor’s Playhouse of Pearl, with support from New Stage. Lawrence, has been
seen in New Stage productions of The Trip to Bountiful and UnFramed’s The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, How I
Learned to Drive, The Weir, Circle Mirror Transformation, and Dublin Carol. Lawrence has won two Best Set awards
at Mississippi Theater Association conferences.
Set Designer/Production Assistant Clara Seitz
Seitz is a graduate of Mississippi University for Women (and smart men too), where she earned a B.A. in theatre. She is
very excited to be at New Stage for her fifth season. Her previous credits include lighting design for Legally Blonde, Jr.,
scenic design for Stop Kiss, props design for All the Way, costume design for Dog See God, and sound design for Mrs.
Mannerly.
Costume Designer Lesley Raybon
Raybon joined New Stage in 2004 as an acting intern and since then has worked both onstage and off. She has found her
place as the resident costume designer and she has enjoyed designing shows and working with guest designers and costume shop assistants. Some of her favorite shows include: The Grapes of W rath, Goodnight Moon, The Great Gatsby,
and Cat in the Hat. When not at New Stage, she is a bariata at Starbucks, a puppeteer with Puppet Arts Theatre, wife to
her wonderful husband Lawrence, and mother to baby Evelyn.
NEW STAGE THEATRE AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE
Teachers, many of you might find A ndrocles and the Lion is their first experience with live theatre. It
might be beneficial to discuss with your students the behavior that is expected of them as audience
members. New Stage Theatre kindly asks that you discuss with your class the following audience etiquette points prior to the performance. Thank you!
Stay with your group at all times.
Pay attention to what the teacher and chaperones are asking of you.
Be sure to go to the bathroom before the performance.
Make yourself comfortable from the start, to keep movement to a minimum.
Do not stand up, walk around or put your feet on the seat in front of you prior to or during the performance.
Absolutely no food, drink or gum during the performance.
Noise
Live theatre means live actors who can hear you just as easily as you can hear them. While laughter
and applause are encouraged at appropriate times, talking during the performance is not.
Even whispers can be heard from the stage. Please do not disrupt the show for the audience members
around you or the actors by talking during the performance.
Cell phones are prohibited in the theatre. If you must bring one with you into the space, please silence
it completely.
Applause
Applause is used to acknowledge the performers and to voice appreciation or approval. Traditionally,
applause comes before intermission and at the performance’s conclusion. Dimming the lights on the
stage and bringing up the house lights usually signals these intervals. Typically, the cast will return to
the stage for a curtain call after the performance has ended.
Theatre Glossary
Act – The scenes of a play, which can be made up of one or more given scenes.
Audition - A trial performance given by an actor applying for a part in a play.
Auditorium – Space where the audience sits to watch a performance. Also known as "the house"
Blocking – A director’s specific instructions, to the actor, on where to move about the stage and when.
Choreographer – An individual who creates a series of steps or sequences of movement in dance.
Comedy - Usually contrasted with tragedy and often provides a light and humorous touch to serious moments
in a scene. Comedy is either physical, seen in actions and facial expressions, or verbal, heard in the spoken
lines of the actors.
Cue - Words or actions to which an actor answers; the term is also used to mean the moment for a change or
effect in a scene or lighting.
Director - The person who rehearses the actors in their roles, as well as deciding and coordinating the artistic
aspects of a production.
Drama - The form of literature which, like all literature, creates a representation of some aspect in life in order
to entertain, educate, or in some way affect the thoughts of the audience or reader. drama is unique from other
literature in that it is written to be performed live in front of an audience. The word "drama" comes from the
Greek and means "to do." We do gain much by reading and studying plays, but it is important to remember
that a playwright's intentions for his or her work are only fully realized in a live performance.
Dress Rehearsal - A final rehearsal, with full scenery, costumes, and effects.
Effects - Any sounds, special lighting devices, etc., which are required by the play.
Farce - A form of comedy based on laughter at the ridiculous. Improbable events, fast paced action, deceptions, and misunderstandings are typical elements of farce.
Flat - A scenic unit consisting of a wooden frame. it may have an opening in it to take a door, window, or fireplace.
Improvise - To depart from a script, or work without one, with the actors inventing their own lines.
Melodrama - A comedy/ drama noted for its action and excitement, frequently featuring graphic on-stage
fights and spectacular special effects.
Prompt Book - Copy of the script in which positions and moves of scenery, furniture, and actors and all cues
for change and effects are recorded.
COSTUME DESIGN
The costumes for Androcles and the Lion were based on clothing from the Roman Empire. Since the show is set during that time period, with the Emperor and
lions and slaves fighting, WE wanted the costumes to reflect that. The animal
costumes are based on human clothes but have a color scheme based on the animal. The lion's costume is based on a Roman gladiator since he is destined to
fight in the arena. The mouse is based on a serving girl but her sparkly shoes
show her fun personality! Even though they are dressed like humans, they still
have the ears and tails of their animal to show that they are animals.
COSTUME DESIGN
The human characters' costumes are based on what different types of Roman citizens would
wear, from Emperor to slave. The narrator has to pretend to be many different people (and animals) so she wears many hats throughout the show to represent the different characters.
STAGE DESIGN
Androcles and the Lion Word Search
AESOP
MOUSE
ANDROCLES
CITIZENS
MULTIPLICATION NACHOS
EMPEROR
PIZZA
FRIENDS
ROCKSTAR
HUNGRY
SLAVE
LION
THORN
Androcles and the Lion Crossword Puzzle
Theatre Crossword Puzzle - Answers
DRAMATIZING STORIES
The play Androcles and the Lion is a dramatization of several of Aesop’s Fables.
You can use fables, fairy tales or myths and legends to teach your students about
storytelling and dramatization.
Read aloud to the class a fable, fairy tale, myth or legend of your choosing (or let
the class help choose). Then assign one student to be the narrator, and other students to pantomime the different characters in the story. Once they have performed the story, have them do it again, this time having the students who are portraying the characters say lines of dialogue. The narrator would still be telling the
parts of the story which are not dialogue. Finally, have the students perform one
last time, this time only using the lines of dialogue to tell the story.
This fun activity is not only an effective way to introduce drama into the classroom, but can also help with reading comprehension and confidence building. And
because there are so many different stories to tell, this activity can always be fresh
and exciting!
Adapting your own story
Kathryn Walat had a great idea in adapting two of Aesop’s most famous fables to create, A ndrocles and the Lion. Maybe you can write your own adaptation of one of your favorite stories
too! Below you will find some tips to help you get started
1. Read and discuss the original story.
What did you like about it? What do you want to keep? What is the overall theme of the story?
2. How can you make this your own?
Work together to create a new world for the story. Establish a setting.
3. Write your adaptation.
Combine the original story with the new story you have created.
4. Perform it!
Cast and rehearse your adaptation, then performance for an audience.
Teacher Evaluation Form - Androcles and the Lion
Name:
School:
What is your overall reaction to the production?
How do you feel about the production value of the performance? (costumes, set, performers, etc)
How did your students react to the production? We appreciate written student responses!
Please comment on the educational value of the program.
What is your overall reaction to the Question and Answer talk back session following the performance?
How did you hear about the New Stage Theatre production of A ndrocles and the Lion?
What other plays would you like for your students to see?
Please list other comments and observations.
Please help New Stage Theatre to continue bettering our education department by sharing your
thoughts with us. Please return this form to Education Director, Chris Roebuck.
New Stage Theatre, 1100 Carlisle St., Jackson, MS 39202 or fax: 601.948.3538
Student Evaluation Form - Androcles and the Lion
Name:
School:
What is your overall reaction to the play?
What was your reaction to the production value of the performance? (costumes, set, actors, etc)
What was your favorite part of the production?
Did you learn anything from this production? If so, what?
What other plays would you like to see?
Please list other comments and observations.
Please help New Stage Theatre to continue bettering our education department by sharing your
thoughts with us. Please return this form to Education Director, Chris Roebuck.
New Stage Theatre, 1100 Carlisle St., Jackson, MS 39202 or fax: 601.948.3538