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introduction
The Theatre Institute at Sage is under the umbrella of the Department of Arts and Letters
at Russell Sage College and is dedicated to providing quality live theatre and arts-ineducation programming to Capital Region youth, teachers and residents and enhancing the
educations of Sage students by providing performance, technical and teaching
opportunities. Programs include educational support services for Theatre Institute at Sage
productions (such as in-class preparations, teacher in-services, residencies and study
guides), K-12 extracurricular programs on weekends, school vacation breaks and during
the summer.
Live theatre is an active experience
As members of the audience, you play an important part in the success of a theatrical
performance. Please review the following theatre rules with your students prior to your
visit. Food, drinks, candy and gum are not permitted in the theatre. The Theatre at Sage is
a nut-free zone. Many children have severe life threatening allergies; NO PEANUTS or NUT
products may be brought to our theatre. No electronic devices are permitted in the theatre
because they affect our sound system. Photography, audio and video recording during a
performance is prohibited. Students are not permitted to leave the theatre
unless they are accompanied by an adult.
Theatre is a two-way exchange, and YOU are our partners!
Actors are thrilled when the audience is engaged and responsive. We want you to laugh,
cheer, clap and really enjoy your time at the theatre. However, please be considerate
audience members. Talking, whispering and excessive movement during a live
performance is distracting for the actors, and disruptive for other audience members.
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This Study Guide
This is a study guide for the musical Les Misérables written by Michel Boublil, ClaudeMichel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer. It is based on the 1862 French novel by author
Victor-Marie Hugo. Les Misérables (literally "The Miserable Ones"; usually French
pronunciation:, translated variously from the French as The Miserable , The Wretched,
The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is widely considered one of the
greatest novels of the nineteenth century.
This study guide has been prepared by the staff of the Theatre Institute at Sage to help
you prepare your students to see the play and to work the performance into your
curriculum. In addition to the general areas listed below we have identified curriculum
connections that relate directly to Les Miserables-The Musical -some of which are grade
specific. Often activities will meet or exceed the NYS Learning Standards. For example, a
drama activity can be used to explore human behavior and a visual art activity can be
used to identify community members, while reading and writing prompts encourage
literacy.
It is our objective to suggest ideas for the creative, intellectual, social, physical and
emotional development of your students.
We believe that drama, music and dance activities
are vital to a child’s development!
Enhance your visit by encouraging your students to look at different aspects of the
production. Before the show, identify tasks for your class. Have one group of students
looking at the set, another listening for the music and sound effects, a third watching
the lighting and a fourth, the costumes. Compare notes after the show about what they
observed. Your students will be more informed and they’ll be surprised by how much
they noticed.
"Les Miserables has become an unmistakable part of our theatregoing consciousness"
-Talkin' Broadway
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Background, History, and the People
Behind Les Miserables
On October 8, 1985 Les Misérables opened at the Barbican Theatre, London and
musical theatre history was made. It then moved to the Palace Theatre in New York on
December 4, 1985. On March 12, 1987, the American version opened at the Broadway
Theatre.
Since then, Les Misérables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by
Herbert Kretzmer has travelled the globe and won numerous major awards throughout the
world, including eight Tony awards, including Best Musical. Les Misérables has touched the
heart of its international audience as few shows in history have ever done.
This power derives both from the enormous strength of the theatrical adaptation and from
the timeless reality of the titanic novel upon which the show is based, Victor Hugo’s classic,
Les Misérables. More than 130 years later, “huge sores” still litter the world, and Hugo’s
words still describe the undying message of his novel.
Les Misérables reminds us that we are each part of the same human family, and that
whatever our outward differences may be, our longings for individual liberty and peace are
the same.
Around the world, performers and audience members alike have been deeply moved
by their exposure to Les Misérables. With each new cast and each new audience, the power
and the magic of the show continues to grow.
Since its premiere in the 1980s, LES MISERABLES has also received several significant concert
performances, international mountings, and national U.S. tours. The original North American
tour ran for seventeen years and over 7,000 performances. As of 2012, four different U.S.
national tours have been produced.
Les Misérables is now the world’s longest-running musical, seen by over 65 million people in 42 countries. The
excitement continues to build… this year marked the 25th anniversary of Les Miserables National
tour produced by -with a fresh approach, but retaining the passionate depth and resounding
themes of the original work. “Cameron Mackintosh’s legendary production of Boublil and Schönberg’s classic
sweeps its audience through an epic tale of passion and destruction in 19th century France.” (Les Mis. com)
Most recently, for the first time in spring of 2013 the opportunity became available for
professional and regional theatres to produce the full version of Les Miserables, bringing this
powerful story to millions more. We at TIS are pleased to present Les Miserables to you.
Cultural Influence
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The musical has had more concurrent productions (fifteen at one time) than any other musical in history, as confirmed by the
Guinness Book of Records.
Britain's Got Talent winner and pop culture sensation, Susan Boyle, performed Fantine's anthem, "I Dreamed A Dream," to
worldwide acclaim in 2009. Almost overnight, the taping of her performance became one of the most popular videos on
YouTube and has amassed over 200 million views since.
The musical has won over 70 major theatre awards including an Olivier, Tony, and Grammy.
LES MISERABLES has been translated into 21 different languages including Flemish, Estonian, and Castilian.
A film adaptation of the stage musical, featuring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, was released on Christmas of 2012.
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Victor Hugo
(original novelist) was born on February 26, 1802. His father, General
Joseph Leopold Hugo, was the son of a carpenter who rose through the ranks of Napoleon’s
citizen army. However, Victor’s mother decided not to subject her three sons to the
difficulties of army life, and settled in Paris to raise them. Madame Hugo became the
mistress of her husband’s commanding officer, General Lahorie, who was a father figure to
Hugo and his brothers until the General’s execution in 1812.
Victor was an excellent student who excelled in mathematics, physics, philosophy, French
literature, Latin, and Greek. He won first place in a national poetry contest when he was 17.
He won a pension of 1,000 francs a year from Louis XVIII for his first volume of verse.
Barely out of his teens, Hugo became a hero to the common people as well as a favorite of
heads of state. Throughout his lifetime, he played a major role in France’s political evolution
from dictatorship to democracy. In 1822, he married Adele Foucher, who became the
mother of his children, Leopold-Victor, Charles-Victor, Francois-Victor, Adele, and
Leopoldine.
In 1830, Victor became one of the leaders of a group of Romantic rebels who were trying to
loosen the hold of classical literature in France. His play Hernani, whose premiere was
interrupted by fist-fights between Hugo’s admirers and detractors, took a large step towards
a more realistic theatre and made him a rich man.
During the next 15 years he produced six plays, four volumes of verse, and the romantic
historical novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, establishing his reputation as the greatest
writer in France.
In 1831, Adele Hugo became romantically involved with a well-known critic and good
friend of Victor’s named Sainte-Beuve. Victor became involved with the actress Juliette
Drouet, who became his mistress in 1833. Supported by a small pension from Hugo, Drouet
became his unpaid secretary and traveling companion for the next fifty years. He lived in
Brussels for a time after having disagreements with the French government.
When Les Misérables was published in 1862, it was an immediate popular success in
spite of negative reaction by critics, who considered it overly sentimental, and the
government, who banned it. After the Franco-Prussian War and the fall of the Empire in
1870, Hugo made a triumphant return to Paris. He remained there through the siege of the
city and contributed portions of his royalties to purchase weapons. He lost two sons, one in
1871 and one in 1873. Although he was elected to the Senate in 1876, poor health caused
him to return to Guernsey. Madame Hugo died in 1868 and Madame Drouet in 1882.
Hugo died in 1885 at the age of eighty-three. Although he left instructions that his
funeral be simple, over three million spectators followed his cortege to the Pantheon, where
he was buried amid France’s Greatest Heroes.
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Synopsis
PROLOGUE: 1815, DIGNE
Jean Valjean, released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang, finds that the ticket-ofleave he must, by law, display condemns him to be an outcast. Only the saintly Bishop of
Digne treats him kindly and Valjean, embittered by years of hardship, repays him by
stealing some silver. Valjean is caught and brought back by police, and is astonished when
the Bishop lies to the police to save him, also giving him two precious candlesticks. Valjean
starts his life anew.
1823, MONTREUIL-SUR-MER
Eight years have passed and Valjean, having broken his parole and changed his name
to Monsieur Madeleine, has risen to become both a factory owner and Mayor. One of his
workers, Fantine, has a secret illegitimate child. When the other women discover this, they
demand her dismissal. The foreman, whose advances she has rejected, throws her out.
Desperate for money to pay for medicines for her daughter, Fantine sells her locket,
her hair, and then joins the whores in selling herself. Utterly degraded by her new trade, she
gets into a fight with a prospective customer and is about to be taken to prison by Javert
when “The Mayor” arrives and demands she be taken to a hospital instead.
The Mayor then rescues a man pinned down by a runaway cart. Javert is reminded of the
abnormal strength of convict 24601 Jean Valjean, a parole-breaker whom he has been
tracking for years, but who, he says, has just been recaptured. Valjean, unable to see an
innocent man go to prison in his place, confesses to the court that he is prisoner 24601. At
the hospital, Valjean promises the dying Fantine to find and look after her daughter Cosette.
Javert arrives to arrest him, but Valjean escapes.
1823, MONTFERMEIL
Young Cosette has been lodged for five years with the Thenardiers who run an inn,
horribly abusing the little girl whom they use as a skivvy while indulging their own daughter,
Eponine. Valjean finds Cosette fetching water in the dark. He pays the Thernardiers to let
him take Cosette away and takes her to Paris. But Javert is still on his tail...
PARIS, 1832
Nine years later, there is a great unrest in the city because of the likely demise of the
popular leader General Lamarque, the only man left in the Government who shows any
feeling for the poor. The urchin Gavroche is in his element mixing with the whores and
beggars of the capital. Among the street gangs is one led by Thernardier and his wife, which
sets upon Jean Valjean and Cosette. They are rescued by Javert, who does not recognize
Valjean until after he has made good his escape. The Thernardiers’ daughter Eponine, who is
secretly in love with the student Marius, reluctantly agrees to help him find Cosette, with
whom he has fallen in love.
At a political meeting in a small cafe, a group of idealistic students prepare for the
revolution they are sure will erupt on the death of General Lamarque. When Gavroche brings
the news of the General’s death, the students, led by Enjolras, stream out into the streets to
whip up popular support. Only Marius is distracted by thoughts of the mysterious Cosette.
Cosette is consumed by thoughts of Marius, with whom she has fallen in love. In spite
of her own feelings for Marius, Eponine sadly brings him to Cosette and then prevents an
attempt by her father’s gang to rob Valjean’s house. Valjean, convinced it was Javert who
was lurking outside his house, tells Cosette they must prepare to flee the country. On the
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eve of the revolution the students and Javert see the situation from their different
viewpoints; Cosette and Marius part in despair of ever meeting again; Eponine mourns the
loss of Marius; and Valjean looks forward to the security of exile. The Thernardiers,
meanwhile, dream of rich pickings underground from the chaos to come.
The students prepare to build the barricade. Marius, noticing that Eponine has joined
the insurrection, sends her with a letter to Cosette, which is intercepted at the Rue Plumet
by Valjean. Eponine decides, despite what he has said to her, to rejoin Marius at the
barricade.
The barricade is built and the revolutionaries defy an army warning that they must
give up or die. Gavroche exposes Javert as a police spy. In trying to return to the barricade,
Eponine is shot and killed. Valjean arrives at the barricades in search of Marius. He is given
the chance to kill Javert, but instead lets him go. The students settle down for a night on the
barricade and, in the quiet of the night, Valjean prays to God to save Marius from the
onslaught which is to come. The next day, with ammunition running low, Gavroche runs out
to collect more and is shot. The rebels are all killed, including their leader, Enjolras.
Valjean escapes into the sewers with the unconscious Marius. After meeting
Thernardier, who is robbing the corpses of the rebels, he emerges into the light only to meet
Javert once more. He pleads for time to deliver the young man to a hospital. Javert decides
to let him go and, his unbending principles of justice having been shattered by Valjean’s
own mercy, he kills himself by throwing himself into the swollen River Seine. A number of
Parisian women come to terms with the failed insurrection and its victims. Unaware of the
identity of his rescuer, Marius recovers in Cosette’s care.
Valjean confessed the truth of his past to Marius and insists that after the young
couple are married, he must go away rather than taint the sanctity and safety of their union.
At Marius’ and Cosette’s wedding the Thernardiers try to blackmail Marius. Thernardier says
Cosette’s “father” is a murderer and, as proof, produces a ring which he stole from the
corpse in the sewers the night the barricades fell. It is Marius’ own ring, and he realizes it
was Valjean who rescued him that night. He and Cosette go to Valjean, where Cosette
learns for the first time of her own history before the old man dies, joining the spirits of
Fantine, Eponine and all those who died on the barricade.
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Javert
Respecting the law above all else, Javert relentlessly
pursues Valjean, hoping to bring justice to the escaped
convict
Jean Valjean Released from jail after spending nineteen years there for
stealing a loaf of bread and multiple escape attempts. He
breaks his parole and changes his identity, becoming mayor
of a small town. He later adopts Cosette, the daughter of
Fantine.
The Bishop
of Digne
the bishop who houses Valjean after his release from jail
and gives him the gifts of silver and absolution
Fantine
a worker who loses her job and becomes a prostitute in
order to pay the Thénardiers for the welfare of her daughter
Cosette
The daughter of Fantine who was raised by Jean Valjean.
She returns Marius’ love
Madame
Thénardier
the unscrupulous wife of Monsieur Thénardier who forces
Cosette to work for their inn as a young child
Monsieur
Thénardier
Marius
Pontmercy
Éponine
Thénardier
a second-rate thief, Monsieur Thénardier runs a small inn
Enjolras
leads Marius and the rest of the student revolutionaries
Gavroche
a street-wise urchin who helps the university students at the
barricade
a student revolutionary who is close to Éponine, but in love
with Cosette
Daughter to the Thénardiers, Éponine grew up with Cosette
and is in love with the same man. She has a good heart,
however, whereas her parents do not.
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Directors Note:
To see another person is to see the face of God – Jean Valjean
Les Miserables, the musical is, without doubt, the most beloved creation of
the musical stage ever known. Perhaps the most obvious reason for its
success is the richness of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s
multi-layered musical score and its uncanny ability to capture both the
complexity and simplicity of Victor Hugo’s sprawling portrait of France at a
tumultuous turning point in its history. Les Miserables is a story of a society
desperate for renewal and change, but it is also a story of human beings
looking for love, struggling for acceptance, coping with longing and loss,
and making the choices that define them as individuals.
Let’s think beyond that for a moment - let it sink in as your mind drifts back
through the decades and brilliant musical luminaries float into view:
Showboat, Oklahoma, Kiss Me, Kate, My Fair Lady, The King and I, West
Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Sweeney Todd, Ragtime are all brilliant,
precedent-setting feasts for the eye and ear and…heart. Les Miserables
goes beyond that into the depths of our souls and stirs our innermost and
tightly-held emotions in a way that is at that same time, both unsettling
and reassuring. There is, of course, that golden thread of grace that is spun
by the Bishop of Digne that works it’s redemption in Valjean and eventually
weaves itself into the lives of everyone else. We are then left, after all the
tragic and unsettling misery with an unmistakable glow of hope, which
reassures our sensibilities for the future. The values that are part and parcel
of Les Miserables are the reason why it speaks to so many - the world over.
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The costumes for “Les Miserables”
present certain challenges that have
to be considered when coming up with
a design. It is a very large show that
requires several looks for each actor
when there may not be a lot of time or
space to change into a new look. So I
am trying to build on a basic look as
much as possible to allow adding or
subtracting of pieces as each
character demands. As always there
are the constraints of time, budget,
and backstage space so creating
characters with pieces is the best way
to handle these challenges. It is not
possible for us to build or rent the
whole show so as much as possible, I
have pulled from stock and adapted
items that we already have. We will
also be renting a few costumes like
uniforms. There are other costumes
that are specific enough that they will
have to be built, but when I can, I
have found a base like a black dress
for a nun and have built only a head
dress to create the character. In a
show where the music and characters
are so powerful, I feel the best way to
help illustrate the characters is in a
simple way that is not distracting.
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Les Miserables is an
epic story, and as an
epic, it follows Jean
Valjean’s journey over
many years and many
miles. The scenery for
this show must
facilitate the action of
the musical through
over a dozen locales
and create an atmosphere that assists the authors’ and director’s vision. To
this end, we have created a unit set that, though basically just one setting, is
meant to be a background that can suggest various locations and give a
somewhat dark and somber feel to reflect Valjean’s struggles. There is a rolling
stair unit that moves about the stage to give the illusion of different locations.
The visual scale and dark
grey colors of the finished structures is meant to give a slightly overbearing
feel, and the omnipresent steel bars, that surround the action, serve as a
continual reminder of one man’s efforts to escape his tortured past.
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Like the director of a play, the role of the fight choreographer is that of
storyteller. At the heart of any dramatic story is the conflict. The central
conflict is the energy that drives a dramatic story forward. Each act of physical
conflict, from a simple push to a lengthy battle, is a continuation of the conflict
found in the dialogue. When the characters can no longer contain the energy of
the conflict in words, they express the tension through physical confrontation.
My first task as fight choreographer is to clarify for myself the story of the
fight. Why is this fight in the story? Why does it come at this point in the play?
Is this a conflict to establish the skills or weaknesses of a particular character?
Is this a fight early in the narrative that establishes the life and death stakes of
the story? Is this the climatic fight in which the hero finds his/ her inner
courage? Is this a comic fight or serious?
Once I understand the story and purpose of the fight, there are many other
things to consider. What are the skill levels of the opponents? If there are two
of them, are they equally matched? Is one opponent stronger or more skilled
than the other? Next, what is the time period of the fight? Are weapons
involved?
The characters in Les Miserables use clubs, knives, muskets and objects like
stools to fight each other. Some of the participants should appear quite skilled,
while others have little or no experience with fighting.
My task is to create physical conflicts that extend the dialogue of the scripted
scenes and clearly help propel the story forward.
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Victor Hugo and the World Around Him
[Hugo’s] career reflects France’s desperate search for political equilibrium. Throughout the nineteenth
century… the government cycled twice from a divine-right monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, to a republic,
and then to a despotic empire. -Lawrence M. Porter, Victor Hugo
re-established the constitutional charter. Yet,
French Revolution 1789
government was still dominated by the special
Born in 1802, Hugo grew up in a France attempting to
interests of the wealthy elite. The king’s call to the
re-define itself. The French Revolution of 1789 had
bourgeoisie to “enrichisez-vous” (get rich) did little to
toppled centuries of royal rule and created France’s
raise the hopes of the poorer classes.
First Republic, with hopes of increased freedoms and
social advances for the poor. But years of chaos
followed (including the “Reign of Terror” when close to
40,000 people were beheaded) as moderate and
radical activists battled each other for power.
Hugo enjoyed a prolific period during this time,
publishing three more compilations of poems,
numerous plays (one of which was banned for
disrespect to the monarchy) and one of his most
famous works, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
While Hugo continued to criticize the government,
he became an increasingly public figure. In 1841, he
was elected to the Académie Française, cementing his
reputation as a leader within the Romantic movement.
In 1845, he became a peer (equivalent to a member of
the British House of Lords).
Napoleon (1799–1815)
Following a decade of shaky attempts at building a
French republic, in 1799 the government was
overthrown by General Napoleon Bonaparte. By 1805,
Napoleon had declared himself Emperor of France, and
would spend the next decade seeking to build an
empire, waging numerous wars outside the country’s
borders. Young Hugo’s parents reflected the political
divisions of France at the time: his mother, a Catholic
royalist; his father, a high-ranking officer in the
Napoleonic army, whose military exploits took the
Hugo family to Italy and Spain. Napoleon’s downfall
came in 1815, after a last grasp at power (returning
from exile for a “hundred-day” rule of the country) and
a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
Revolution of 1848
By the late 1840s, the situation in France was
economically and politically desperate, with a lack of
social legislation causing increased poverty and
unemployment in the cities. A popular revolt in 1848
overthrew the king and established France’s Second
Republic. While certain rights were decreed —
universal suffrage, the freeing of all slaves in the French
colonies, abolition of the death penalty, a ten-hour
workday for Paris — political divisions between the
moderate Republicans and radical Parisian working
classes caused great unrest. That June, a class war led
to the failure of the coalition, and the more moderate
Republicans prevailed. In place of a democratic
republic, a Constituent Assembly created a constitution
with a strong executive. Hugo took on a political role
as an elected member of the Assembly.
Louis XVIII (1815–1824)
Aristocratic forces within France and Europe restored
the country to the rule of a king, Louis XVIII, who ruled
with a constitutional charter that checked his power.
Hugo at the time was emerging as a young writer of
great promise, and published lyrical poetry that
conveyed nationalist zeal and admiration for the king.
Along with many others, Hugo hoped that the restored
monarchy would help France recover from the chaos of
the revolution and return the country to its previous
standing as a great European power.
Napoleon III (1848 – 1871)
Louis Napoleon, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, won
a landslide victory in the Assembly in December, 1848.
With the hope of a free France again dashed, Hugo’s
republican fervor increased. When Napoleon was
elected emperor in 1851, making him Emperor
Napoleon III and further extending his powers, Hugo’s
discontent reached a breaking point. He fled into
voluntary exile, where he would remain for 19 years.
Within two days of his arrival on the Channel Island of
Jersey, Hugo had already written a satirist tract against
Napoleon III, and would later write an entire collection
of poems (“Les Chatiments”) against the emperor. It
was also during this prolific time that he wrote his
masterpiece, Les Misérables.
Charles X (1824–1830)
During the very conservative rule of the monarch
Charles X, Hugo began to question whether royalist
rule was best for the country. A younger brother of
Louis XVIII, Charles was a reactionary who wanted to
return the country to a divine-right monarchy. He
decreased voting rights, restricted freedom of speech,
and censored the press. Hugo’s allegiance to the
monarchy shifted as he saw the government tighten its
hold on the people. Among Hugo’s poems and highly
successful plays were works that criticized the
monarchy, and some of his writings were censored by
the government.
Louis-Philippe (1830–1848)
The Third Republic
The middle classes were increasingly unhappy with
Charles X’s reactionary rule, and in 1830 a three-day
insurrection in Paris drove the king out of the country.
His cousin Louis-Philippe was placed on the throne.
More moderate than his predecessor, Louis-Philippe
Though Napoleon III led successful advances in France
— including extensive railroad construction, the
rebuilding of Paris and universal male suffrage — he
faced harsh criticism from middle-class liberals who
saw his rule as a denial of the country’s republican
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tradition. In the late 1860s, Napoleon III sought to
appease the opposition by giving the Assembly greater
powers and giving opposition candidates greater
freedom. In 1871, a humiliating defeat and Napoleon’s
capture in the Franco-Prussian War brought an end to
the empire. The day after France’s Third Republic was
proclaimed, Hugo returned to his beloved country. He
was welcomed back as a national hero, and was elected
to the National Assembly and the Senate.
Upon Hugo’s death in 1885, the city of Paris hosted an
epic display of mourning, with over two million people
(more than the city’s population) joining the funeral
procession from the Arc de Triomphe to the Panthéon.
France is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and that also
comprises various overseas islands and territories located in other continents. Metropolitan
France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea and
from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. French people often refer to Metropolitan France as
L’Hexagone (“The Hexagon”) because of the geometric shape of its territory. France is a
unitary semi-presidential republic. Its main ideals are expressed in the Declaration of the
Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
France is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra,
and Spain. Due to its overseas departments, France also shares land borders with Brazil and
Suriname (bordering French Guiana), and the Netherlands Antilles (bordering Saint-Martin).
France is also linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which passes
underneath the English Channel.
France has been one of the world’s foremost powers since the latter half of the 17th century.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, France built one of the largest colonial empires of the time,
stretching across West Africa and Southeast Asia, prominently influencing the cultures and
politics of the regions.
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Meets Or Exceeds:
Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and
Literacy, Music and Arts
Reading Standards for Literature 6-12;
Writing Standards 6–12;
Language Standards 6–12; Range of Text Types for 6–12
Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6–12
Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6–12
NYS standards for Social Studies: Standards 2, 3 & 4 World
History, Geography, Economics
NYS standards for English Language Arts 1-4
NYS standards for Art and Music: Standards 1-4
CONTENTS:
Investigating Thematic Elements
Universal Themes
Social Justice
Crime and Punishment
compassion & redemption
Musical activities
general ideas for the classroom
general music
chorus/band/ orchestra
careers in music/theatre/art
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“You are right sir, when you say that Les Miserables was written for a
universal audience. I don’t know if it will be read by everyone, but it is meant
for everyone.”- Victor Hugo
In literature, a theme is a broad idea in a story, or a message or lesson conveyed by a
work. This message is usually about life, society or human nature. Themes explore timeless
and universal ideas. Most themes are implied rather than explicitly stated.
All stories inherently project some kind of outlook on life that can be taken as a
theme, regardless of whether or not this is the intent of the author. Themes arise from the
interplay of plot, setting, character, conflict, and tone. It is possible for more than one
theme to be present in one book or play. Universal Themes are those that are common to
every culture.
Questions/ Discussion ideas/Essay
1. List themes and ideas in Les Misérables:
2. Which universal themes do you recognize from Les Miserables?
3. Name some universal themes in one of the following works (or pick one more
familiar to you): Hamlet, The Red Badge of Courage, Great Expectations, Julius
Caesar, The Scarlet Letter, Of Mice and Men, Macbeth, A Tale of Two Cities
4. Why have these works stood the test of time, while other works have been
forgotten?
5. What themes do they share with Les Misérables?
6. Relate the themes of Les Misérables to events occurring in your community,
America, or the world today.
a. What does it mean to be poor?
b. What does it mean to be miserable?
c. What does it mean to be homeless?
7. Do you know anyone who is poor? homeless?
8. After reading or seeing Les Misérables, describe how it has changed the way you
think about these events.
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Look down, look down, and see the beggars at your feet
Look down and show some mercy if you can
Look down and see
The sweepings of the streets
Look down, look down,
Upon your fellow man!
Questions/ Discussion ideas
1. In the Story of Les Miserables, What reforms does Victor Hugo indirectly or directly
advocate to fight For social justice?
2. How do Hugo and the creators of the musical illustrate what social action is needed to
correct these evils?
3. How do you think poor people feel about the way they are treated?
4. In Les Miserables the beggars also sing, “When’s it gonna end, when we gonna live?
something’s gotta happen now or somethings gonna give” -What do they mean by this?
5. Each of the characters in the story deal with the social problems of Les Miserables in a
different way. Describe how each of these characters see and interact with the poor.
Which do you agree with most?
a. Jean Valjean-
b. The Bishop of Digne-
c. Javert-
d. Enjolras-
e. Thénardier-
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Now every door is closed to me
Another jail Another key, another chain
For when I come to any town the check my papers and they find the mark of Cain
Both Jean Valjean and Thénardier commit crimes in Les Misérables: Valjean first
steals food to feed his family, then breaks parole when he is treated like an outcast
by society, while Thénardier commits fraud and robbery for his own ends. Remember
the blindfolded figure of Justice: should Valjean and Thénardier be treated differently
by the Justice system? Is there a place for mercy in the Law? How so?
1. How can we ensure that the punishment fits the crime?
2. How do you/we decide what is fair and equitable?
3. How do we decide what is just in our world?
a.
b.
c.
d.
in school
at home
in our city
in our country
4. What role do rules play in our choices? Do you feel the need to follow them,
rebel against them, or to look at the unique aspects of each situation before
making a decision based on them?
5. Would you be able to forgive someone of a petty crime? A serious crime?
6. Would you expect to be forgiven for stealing something? Why or why not?
7. Do you know of a situation where a crime was committed, but the punishment did
not fit the crime?
Essay: The Statue of Justice is blindfolded. Why is this? Write an essay about your
thoughts on “blind justice” Is justice ever completely blind?
Is it ever completely blind in Les Misérables? Which Character do you identify with
and why?
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“To love another person is to see the face of God.”
—Valjean, Les Misérables
“Why did I allow this man to touch my soul and teach me love?”
—Valjean, Les Misérables
Near the beginning of Les Misérables, the main character, Jean Valjean, is released from
prison and offered temporary shelter by the Bishop of Digne. However, Valjean’s
desperate situation, one that includes lack of food and resources, motivates him to steal
silver from the Bishop’s home. When the local authorities catch Valjean, something
unexpected happens. The Bishop
goes above and beyond what most human beings would do. He covers for Valjean and
does not allow him to be taken to jail.
Valjean is deeply moved by the Bishop’s action on his behalf. He does not take this
moment for granted and “pays it forward” throughout his life, aligning his own choices
with what was modeled for him in that fortunate moment.
Yet, Javert has a completely different reaction to compassion gentleness and forgiveness
which leads to his destruction.
1. Has anyone ever shown you unexpected kindness?
a. If so, describe what happened.
2. Have you ever performed a selfless act like the one experienced by Valjean?
3. Is committing an act of compassion easy or difficult? Why?
4. Why might we resist being affected deeply by acts of compassion?
5. Why are humans so hesitant to treat each other in this loving way on a regular basis?
Or, does it happen often and is just not given proper attention?
6.
In the case of Javert, why did Valjean’s mercy finally unravel him?
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GENERAL IDEAS:
General Classroom: Play the soundtrack as students are working….utilize multilayered
approach-create projects using Gardner’s Multiple intelligences theory to reach not only
musical, but kinesthetic, auditory, spacial learners as well.
General Music:
Explore the Les Miserables composers’ lives and history; analyze story of musical and
history of performances for French, English, American audiences. Discuss roles and
musical theatre genre in general.
Explore differences in genre of musical theatre and opera
Les Miserables is a “sung through” musical: what does this mean?
Theme & Variations: Each character has a central theme that recurs throughout piece.
Tonality and key changes create musical and dramatic tension as well resolution.
Discuss how this was used effectively within the piece. Discuss other Musical works,
movies, etc. that also utilize these image systems.
Lesson plan Ideas: Music score analysis/theme & variations (standards1a, 2a,
3b) Band, Chorus, Orchestra, General Music
Prior experience: Students will have listened to and discussed theme
and variation and use of it as dramatic enhancement to Les Miserables
• Teachers lead brainstorming session in which class lists
familiar sections of music, identifying themes for each character in Les Miserables
• Class members select character to be the basis
for a new theme and variation composition.
Something their character could have said or done.
• Teacher selects a scale to be used to create a theme that
accompanies the natural rhythm of the story/musical.
• Students explore melodic possibilities of each phrase in sequence.
Under the direction of the teacher, students:
– Create a melodic theme to go
– Explore ways to vary the theme,
with the natural rhythm of the text.
focusing on the chosen element.
– Create accompanying patterns.
– Share ideas and together create
– Perform and notate composed
variation. Combine two or more
theme and accompanying
characters in a group
patterns.
– Repeat process for variations two
– Brainstorm concept of variation
and three.– Rehearse and perform entire
elements to vary (meter, tonality,
composition.
instruments, style).
– Choose which element is to be
used for variation.
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Professionals in Field: STANDARD 2 Performance Indicator 2b, 2d
Identify a community-based musical interest or role and explain the skills, knowledge,
and resources necessary to pursue the interest or adopt the role.
Students prepare questions to ask a guest in the music/Theatre/Art field in
order to explore music/ Theatre/ Art as a career, business, and/or social
outlet.
(Band, Chorus, Orchestra, General Music)
• Prior to the session, teacher helps students prepare a list of
questions for the guest.
Teacher contacts a guest or guests who have music-related careers *(see TIS pre
show in class preparation-post show programs- residency) Artist- in- Residence,
Music director, Actor, Performer, stage manager, etc.
• Teacher and guest agree on day and time of discussion session;
Teacher informs guest of the age of the students and the types of
questions they may ask.
• During the session students ask the prepared questions and take
notes on the guest’s answers.
• Following the visit, students share their observations with the class
and review the corresponding career in discussion
∙Create a list of performing venues (e.g., coffeehouses, senior citizen centers,
movie theatres, veterans groups’ centers, etc.).
∙Create a list of community musical/theatrical opportunities
Suggested Assessment:
∙Students hand in the recorded answers from the guest.
∙Teacher has a checklist including the following questions:
– Did the student hand in answers?
– Did the student’s answer reflect what the guest /program leader said?
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Analyze Score from Les Miserables - learn to follow score
Lesson plan suggestion Musical Score analysis
Performance/Participation -Standards 1c 1d, 2c
(Band, Chorus, Orchestra, General Music)
Students follow a score and identify locations where
interruptions/pauses occur.
• Teacher plays score on keyboard or plays a recording, inserting
interruptions/pauses several times.
• Students follow score while listening (teacher provides appropriate
visual or aural modifications for students with disabilities).
• Students indicate verbally or in writing where the playing is
interrupted (measure number, score, and/or system).
• Teacher invites student to play band/orchestra piece with
interruptions/pauses for others to identify.
Suggested Assessment:
Students correctly identify score locations where playing is interrupted.
Identify basic elements needed to begin the process of learning a piece of music (time
signature,
key signature, repeats, entrances, and releases).
Students Sight-read a moderately easy piece of music from beginning to end.
Students perform a piece, responding to expressive gestures, including dynamics,
articulation, and style
Explore at least one song or medley from Les Miserables with
chorus/ensemble…include chordal and dynamic analysis, changes in mood and
specific song forms (ABA, etc.)
Explore the concept of great choruses to include Ensembles from epic musicals including
Les Miserables.
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About the Show: General Information. Retrieved September 8, 2013
from The Official Les MisérablesWebsite: www.lesmis.com.
Center Theater Company. Center Theatre Group’s Student Discovery Guide and
Educator Resources.
http://www.centertheatregroup.org/uploadedfiles/plays_and_tickets/productions/2
011/les_miserables/files/lesmis_edres.pdf. Center Theatre Group.org, 2011. Web.
10 Sept. 2013.
Dewynters, . N.p.. Web. 28 Aug 2013. <http://www.lesmis.com
Hugo, Victor. Les Misérables. New York: Random House, 2008
Les Miserables/ Study Guide." Tuts.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
<ww.tuts.com/ImagesSeasonShowDocs/LesMiserables_StudyGuide.pdf>.
McKay, John P. Hill, Bennett D. Buckler, John.
A History of World Societies, Volume C: from theFrench Revolution to the Present.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992.
Porter, Lawrence M. Victor Hugo. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1999.
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