A Teacher’s Education Packet for use in conjunction with
Rogue Artists Ensemble's performance of Wood Boy Dog Fish.
Did you know?
◆ Wood Boy Dog Fish is based on the original Pinocchio
story, The Adventures of Pinocchio, written by Carlo
Collodi in Florence, Italy between 1881 and 1882.
◆ The first half of the story originally appeard as a
serial for children with an unhappy ending: Pinocchio is
hanged from a tree in the Field of Miracles by Fox and
Cat disguised as assassins at the end of Chapter 15. It
was only after popular demand from readers and the
request of his editor that Collodi saved the puppet and
continued his adventures for another 21 chapters.
◆ The character of the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair
(or the Blue Fairy, as the Disney film called her) did not
appear in the story until the second half.
◆ The Adventures of Pinocchio is one of the most
translated and widely read books ever written. It has
been translated in over 240 languages.
Illustration of Pinocchio by Enrico Mazzanti,
an Italian artist who lived in Florence, Italy
from 1850-1910.
Background, Themes & Motifs
THEME: a dominant idea or subject in a work of literature, theater, film or other art
MOTIF: a domininant pattern or device used in a work of literature, theater, film or other art
Carlo Collodi & The
Adventures of Pinocchio
◆ Carlo Collodi is the pen-name of Carlo
Lorenzini (1826-90). Collodi is the name of
the little village in Tuscany where his mother
was born. He was born in Florence, the
son of a cook and a servant, and spent his
chilhood as much in the rough and tumble
of the streets of his native Florence as in the
classroom.
An illustration of a scene by Attilio Mussino from a 1911.
◆ Pinocchio's story is about his struggle to assert his individuality against the controlling
wishes of the outside world. This struggle was an allegory that represented the archetypal
Italian child in the unification of Italy as a nation only 20 years before the story's publication.
◆ The original story had many themes: tensions between peer pressure and elder advice;
growth through pain; hedonism vs. work ethic; second chances; unconditional love, and
maturity vs. childhood.
◆ The original story had many motifs: nose growth when lying; water; death and rebirth.
Rogue Artists Ensemble & Wood Boy Dog Fish
◆ Rogue Artists Ensemble is a collective of multi-disciplinary artists who create Hyper-theater,
an innovative hybrid of theater traditions, puppetry, mask work, dance, music, and modern
technology. It was founded in 2001 by a group of students at UC Irvine.
◆ Rogues placed their adaptation in a stylized modern-day failing theme park, and retold
the backstories of many of the famous characters to fit inside this world.
Questions for the Classroom:
◆ What themes from the original Pinocchio story did you see represented in the play?
Were there new themes represented that connect to our modern world?
◆ What motifs from the original Pinocchio story did you see represented in the play? Were
there new ones you noticed in the play?
Adaptation
◆ Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of
Pinocchio has been adapted into a multitude
of films, stage plays, television specials,
operas and animations.
◆ Many of us are most familiar with the
Disney animated feature film released in
1940. It follows Collodi's story, trimming the
story to the most essential elements.
Questions for the
Classroom
◆ What stories or ideas about Pinocchio did
you have growing up?
◆ What other adaptations have you seen of
the Pinocchio story?
◆ After seeing Wood Boy Dog Fish, what
parts of the play felt familiar to you? What
parts of the play felt new?
Exercise for the
Classroom
① Choose a fairy tale, a newspaper headline, or historical story to read.
② Break the story down into its essential elements: main characters, plot, and themes.
③ Adapt the source material into a story that is relevant to your community right now.
④ Read the stories out loud. What elements remained the same? What changed?
Elements of Stage Craft
Have students discuss the different elements of the play and how they
related to the new story being told and the original tale:
Playwriting/Dialogue
Acting
Puppetry
Dance
Music
Mask Design
Video Design
Scenic Design
Costume Design
Lighting Design
Sound Design
3D Effects
Sign Language
Movement
◆ What kinds of puppetry do your remember from the piece? How did they differ? How did you
feel when watching those puppets?
◆ When were masks used? How did this change your view of the characters?
◆ Describe the costumes for each character. How did their costumes show us who they were?
How did they hide who they were?
◆ What did the set look like? How was it used in the play? What did you know about the
location based on the set design?
◆ How was video used in the play? What did it add to the scene it was used in?
◆ When was music used? When did people sing? When was music used to underscore? Did the
music affect your mood?
◆ When was dance used? How did it affect the scene? What is the difference between dance and
specific movement actors were doing that was hightened or not completely natural?
◆ When were the 3D effects used in the piece? What was it like to experience that?
◆ Talk about specific sound and lighting moments that you remember. Why do you remember
them?
◆ Who used sign language in the piece? How did it inform his character?
◆ How did this play and its characters differ from other versions of Pinocchio? Did you relate to
the story and its themes? Why or why not? What parts of the story did you feel were specifically
for adults, and what parts felt more like the children's story? Was there a difference at all?
For more information about the production and company, visit RogueArtists.org
or contact Chelsea Sutton at csutton@rogueartists.org