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Teacher’s Guide 2013–2014
Aladdin and Other Enchanting Tales – Enchantment Theatre Company
Where the Tales Come From
Aladdin and Other Enchanting Tales is
just one version of many from the original
stories known as Arabian Nights and The
Thousand and One Nights. The story can
be traced back as early as the 10th century
Persian edition called Hazar Afsana or One
Thousand and One Nights. If you travel to
Paris, you can see one version that is dated
sometime between the 14th and 16th century;
It’s a Syrian edition that is on view at the
Biblioteque Nationale in Paris.
Many more versions in numerous translations and additions all the way up through
the 20th century can be found throughout
the world. While some versions differ from
others, the heart of every edition includes
the story of Scheherazade and the Sultan
Shahriar. These stories proceed from this
original tale; some are framed within other
tales, while others begin and end of their
own accord. Some editions contain only a
few hundred nights, while others include
1,001 or more.
Over the centuries, due to interpretations and creative license from different
authors and translators, these stories have
changed over the years. All incorporate the
tale Scheherazade and the Sultan Shahriar.
Their relationship is an integral part of
the story, which has been translated into
numerous languages.
Some of the stories, particularly
Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp, Ali Baba,
and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the
Sailor, were not part of The Nights in
Arabic versions, but were added into the
collection by Antoine Galland and other
European translators. The rich poetry,
chants, songs, praising, pleading, riddles,
and annotations provided by Scheherazade
or her story characters are unique to the
Arabic version of the book. Some are as
short as one line, while others go for a
handful of pages of lines.
In this version from Enchantment Theatre
Company, the core of the story is between
Sheherazade and the Sultan. The Company
decided that the stories of Sinbad, Aladdin,
Ali Baba, and The Kalandar Prince were
accessible to children, and must be included
in their performance.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Activity Two: Stories without Words
In Aladdin and Other Enchanting Tales, the
actors were able to communicate ideas and
feelings without using words. Discuss with
the students how the actors let the audience
know what was happening, even when they
weren’t using their voices.
Have Your Students:
1. Carefully paint a door. After finishing,
open the door and step through it
without getting any paint on your
clothes. This is called mime.
2. Build a snowman.
3. Eat an ice cream cone. At some point,
the ice cream should fall on the floor.
How do you react to this?
4. Rake leaves into a large pile. Admire
the size of the pile, make sure no one is
looking, and then jump into it.
More Resources
Books for Students and Teachers
Before You See Aladdin and
Other Enchanting Tales
Here are some additional materials you can
use with your students:
1.Read The Arabian Nights illustrated
Junior Library edition, published by
Grosset & Dunlap Inc.
2. Discuss reactions to the story and
characters.
Ask Your Students:
1. Who is the main character of this story?
Who are the key characters?
Activity Two: Prepare for the Play
Enchantment Theatre Company’s
production of Aladdin and Other
Enchanting Tales is an adaptation. That
means that Enchantment Theatre Company
read different versions of the stories of
Scheherazade, Sinbad, Aladdin, Ali Baba,
and The Kalandar Prince and then had to
come up with ways to make the story come
to life on stage.
1. Find a classic fairytale with which most
of the class is familiar, and discuss all the
different adaptations of that story.
2. Why does Scheherazade tell the Sultan
stories?
2. Ask your students if they have seen a
movie, play, ballet, or cartoon version of
this story, and then ask them to compare
the similarities and differences.
3. Who does Sinbad meet during his
adventures? Which characters delay him
from returning home? Which characters
help him?
After Seeing Aladdin and
Other Enchanting Tales
4. What does Aladdin wish for when the
Genie appears?
5. If the story kept on going, what do you
think would happen?
Review the performance and ask your
students to describe with as much detail as
possible what they remember. What types of
costumes did they see? Who were the main
characters? How did the actors transform
themselves to play different characters?
What kind of music was used?
The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand
and One Nights (Modern Library Classics,
2004), translated by Richard Burton.
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
with Bill Moyers (Crown Publishing Group,
1988).
Marionettes Masks and Shadows by
Louise M. Dunn and Winifred H. Mills
(Doubleday, 1932).
Maskmaking by Carole Sivin (Davis, 1986).
Music
Scheherazade by Rimsky Korsakov
A shortened version: http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=2mV3VWW3THc
Scheherazade by Rimsky Korsakov from the
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
The entire version: http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=SQNymNaTr-Y
Websites
Arabian Nights Study Guide, Diane
Thompson of Northern Virginia
Community College, http://novaonline.nvcc.
edu/eli/eng251/arabstudy.htm
History of the Arabian Nights: Manuscripts
and Print Editions of Shahrazad 1001 Tales,
http://Suite101.com/article/history-of-thearabian-nights-a170249, November 16,
2009.