Animal Farm - State Theatre

Animal Farm
The Puppet Musical
Welcome to Keynotes, a performance guide created by the Education Department of
the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. These Keynotes are designed to be used
before and after attending the performance of Animal Farm.
Here’s what you’ll find inside these Keynotes:
About the Performance 2
The Story 3
The Story Behind the Story 4
Who’s Really Who 5
“Puppet Farm” 6
Music in the Show 7
Who Is George Orwell 8
Politics and Power 9
Extension Activities 10
Audience/Resources 11

About the Performance 2
The show you will see, Animal Farm is a puppet
musical produced by Synapse Productions in New
York. Based on the novel by George Orwell, the show
was originally adapted for
ADAPTED - changed
the stage by Sir Peter Hall
so that it will work in
for England’s Royal National
a different medium
Theatre. In his adaptation,
(for example, turning
Sir Peter kept the story and
a novel into a movie
much of the dialogue from
or a painting into a
the book. In some places,
ballet)
however, he cut text, added
to it, or turned it into a song. He kept most (but not
all) of the characters from the book and added a new
one: a rat who serves as narrator. The music is by
Richard Peaslee; lyrics are by Adrian Mitchell.
In this production of Animal Farm, parts of the story are
narrated by a rat, represented by a puppet on wheels.
About the Novel
George Orwell’s Animal Farm tells the story of Farmer Jones’
animals, who rise up in rebellion and take over the farm. Tired of being
exploited for human gain, the animals— who have human
characteristics such as the power of speech—vow to create a new and
more just society.
Orwell subtitled the novel a “fairy story,” but it is also a satire on
world politics: in particular, the former Soviet
SATIRE - the use of
Union. Through the story’s animal characters,
ironic humor and
Orwell exposes what he disliked about the
sarcasm to expose
Soviet system of government. Scholars have
and criticize
drawn parallels between the Animal Farm
corruption, greed,
characters and real-life figures from the
foolishness, etc.
Russian Revolution—for example, linking the
power struggle between Napoleon and Snowball to the historical
feuding between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trostky for control of the
Soviet Union.
After Animal Farm was published in 1945, Orwell discovered that
booksellers were placing his novel in the children’s section. According
to his housekeeper, he began traveling from bookstore to bookstore
requesting that the book be shelved with adult works. This dual
identity—as children’s story and adult satire—has stayed with Animal
Farm for more than fifty years. The novel tells a story that people of all
ages can understand and enjoy, but the political satire beneath the
story offers older readers many opportunities for in-depth analysis and
discussion.
“In times like these it is
difficult not to write
satire”
—Juvenal
In some ways, little has changed since
the first century A.D., when the Roman
poet Juvenal wrote the words above. He
could just as easily have been talking
about our world today. Satire is
everywhere in our culture: in books,
magazines, music, movies, tv shows, and
websites, among other places.
/ Why do you think people enjoy
satire
/ Can you think of satires you have
read, heard, or seen What do you
think was the message behind the
humor
/ Do you believe that satire is an
effective form of social criticism
Why Can you find examples where
a piece of satire has helped bring
about change

The Story 3
“All Animals are equal. But some are more equal than others.”
1 Old Major, an old pig who
lives on Manor Farm, tells the
2 After being neglected for two
days by the drunken Farmer
other animals of his vision
of a farm where all animals
work together as equals
and there are no humans
who work them mercilessly
and then slaughter them.
Jones, the animals revolt. They
chase Jones off the farm and
rename their home “Animal
Farm.” They agree on seven
basic commandments that they
will live by.
3 The animals manage the farm
successfully and gather
4 A group of men attack the
animals, only to be defeated by
regularly to vote on how the place
should be run. Although all are
considered equal, the animals
depend on Napoleon and
Snowball, the two leading pigs, to
make the decisions.
Snowball’s bravery and clever
strategy. He is awarded a medal for
valor. Napoleon is envious of
Snowball’s success. Mollie, a horse,
misses being pampered by humans
and runs away from Animal Farm.
THE SEVEN
COMMANDMENTS
OF ANIMAL FARM
1. Two-legged animals are enemies.
2. Four-legged animals are friends.
3. Animals shall never wear
clothes.
4. Animals shall never sleep in
beds.
5. Animals shall never drink
alcohol.
6. Animals shall never kill other
animals.
7. All animals are equals.
5 Snowball comes up with a
plan to build a windmill to
provide electricity to help run the
farm. Napoleon uses a pack of
vicious dogs to drive Snowball
away. He then steals the idea for
the windmill, saying it was his plan
all along.
6 The animals work hard on the
windmill. Napoleon announces
7 The pigs move into Farmer
Jones’ house and sleep on
a plan to sell their crops to raise
money to buy the materials they
need to finish the windmill. This
leaves the animals without enough
to eat.
beds, even though this violates
one of their commandments. They
invent an excuse to explain their
behavior to the other animals, who
cannot read.
8 When the food supplies run
out, the pigs invent stories
placing all the blame on Snowball.
Napoleon has his dogs kill any
animal who does not support him
unquestioningly. He declares
himself president of the Republic
of Animal Farm.
9 When the
windmill is
finally finished,
the pigs celebrate
by getting drunk.
10 A group of humans sneaks
into Animal Farm and destroys
the new windmill. Napoleon
reports that
Snowball has
been killed and
orders a
celebration.
11 The old horse Boxer
collapses. The pigs promise to
12 As the years pass, the pigs
continue to trade with other
take him to the veterinarian, but
when the van arrives, it reads
“Horse Slaughterer.” Later, the pig
Squealer assures the animals that
Boxer died whispering the words
“Napoleon is always right.”
farms. They learn to walk on two
legs and replace the seven
commandments of Animal Farm
with a single rule: “All Animals are
Equal. But some are more equal
than others.”
13 The pigs
entertain a
party of men in
the old farmhouse. They drink,
toast each other’s success, and
form an alliance. As the animals
look in from the windows, they
can’t tell the pigs from the men.

The Story Behind the Story 4
In Animal Farm, George Orwell uses the animal characters and their story
to comment on real people and events—in this case, the Russian Revolution
and its aftermath. This type of literary device is called an allegorical fable.
To understand and appreciate the allegorical aspects of Animal Farm, it helps
to know something about the causes and events of the Russian Revolution, one
of the most important events in modern history.
In the early 1900s, Russia’s lower classes were fed up with Czar Nicholas
II. Under his rule, peasants and industrial workers
CZAR (or TSAR) - the
struggled for survival under conditions of widespread
title used by the
poverty, famine, and a lack of modern infrastructure.
male emperors of
Centuries of oppression of the lower classes by the
Russia before the
1917 revolution upper classes also fueled the people’s anger. They had
no representation in government, and the Czar
BOLSHEVIKS - the
remained out of touch with their problems.
Russian Social
In 1917, two major events took place: the
Democratic Workers’
overthrow of the the czarist regime and the takeover
Party, a radical leftwing
group
of the government by the Bolsheviks, led by
Vladimir Lenin. The revolution led to the creation of
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), also known as the Soviet
Union. When Lenin died in 1924, there was a struggle for power between
Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin. Stalin won the battle, and he sent Trotsky into
permanent exile.
Once in power, Stalin began to move the Soviet Union into the modern
industrial age. He created Five-Year Plans for managing the economy and
instituted a system of collective farms—privately-held lands that were seized
by the government and turned over to the people of Russia. Through these
policies, Stalin transformed the Soviet Union from a largely peasant society to
a major world industrial power by the end of the 1930s.
Under Stalin’s rule, however, the Soviet people lived under a network of
terror in which an estimated 20 million citizens were put to death or sent to
labor camps. To consolidate his power, Stalin eliminated anyone and anything
he thought might threaten his authority. His government tightly controlled the
flow and content of information; anyone who spoke out against him and his
policies risked torture, imprisonment, or execution. Under Stalin, religion was
outlawed and artists were given strict rules about what they could write, paint,
sculpt, design, and compose. In attempt to erase a sense of cultural identity,
over 1.5 million people from non-Russian ethnic groups were
deported to Siberia and Central Asia. The authorities
even tried to rewrite history; texts and
photographs about notable people who had been
executed by the government were removed from
Soviet textbooks and other materials to make it
appear as if these people never existed.
“None of the animals ever
mentioned Mollie again.”
—Narrator, Animal Farm
You Say You
Want a
Revolution
/ Why do you think
revolutions occur What
circumstances would lead
people to overthrow the
daily political and
economical structure of
their lives
Leon Trotsky
Joseph Stalin

Who’s Really Who 5
In Animal Farm, the animals can be understood to represent key players, institutions, and events from the Russian
Revolution. Below is an description of some of the characters in Animal Farm, as well as their historical counterparts.
/ Try making your own Animal Farm character chart, replacing the Russian Revolution with an event or situation from
our own time that seems to fit the story. Who would be the real-life counterparts of Mr. Jones, Napoleon, etc.
ANIMAL FARM
MR. JONES (FARMER)
• Neglects his animals and causes them to revolt.
• Could be both cruel and kind to his animals.
OLD MAJOR (PIG)
• Preaches the ideal of “Animalism”: animals keep the profits of
their own labor and overthrow their human masters.
• Dies before the revolution.
SNOWBALL (PIG)
• A charismatic, well-spoken leader of the animals’ revolution.
• Is idealistic; really wants to make life better for all.
• Is chased away into exile by Napoleon’s dogs.
NAPOLEON (PIG)
• Is not a good speaker, nor as clever as Snowball.
• Pretends to follow principles of “Animalism,” but really doesn’t.
• Kills his opponents to realize his ambition for power.
• Uses dogs and Squealer to terrorize the animals and distort the
truth.
SQUEALER (PIG)
• Serves as Napoleon’s mouthpiece with the other animals.
• Ignores the truth; will say anything to justify Napoleon’s actions.
• Keeps changing the seven commandments to support whatever
Napoleon does.
THE DOGS
• Napoleon’s private force that uses terror to keep animals in line.
• Kill or chase away anyone who opposes Napoleon.
• Are completely loyal to Napoleon.
BOXER (HORSE)
• Strong, hard worker who believes in the principles of
“Animalism.”
• Remains loyal to Napoleon, who betrays him.
BENJAMIN (DONKEY)
• Old, wise character who is skeptical of the animals’ revolution.
• Believes that nothing ever really changes, and is proven to be
right.
MOLLIE (HORSE)
• Vain and selfish; thinks of herself and not the other animals.
• Will go along with anyone who gives her the material things she
wants.
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
CZAR NICHOLAS II
• Neglected his people and caused them to revolt.
• Could be both brutal and generous with his people.
KARL MARX
• Invented the concept of Communism: workers keep the profits of
their own labor and overthrow the people in power.
• Died before the Russian Revolution.
LEON TROTSKY
• A charismatic, well-spoken leader of the “October Revolution.”
• Truly believed in Marx’s Communist ideas as a way to improve
life for all in Russia.
• Was chased into exile by Stalin’s secret police.
JOSEPH STALIN
• Was not a good speaker, nor as educated as Trotsky.
• Pretended to be a Marxist, but really wasn’t.
• Killed his opponents to realize his ambition for power.
• Used secret police and propaganda to terrorize the people and
distort the truth.
PROPAGANDA AGENCIES
• Promoted Stalin’s image as a great leader.
• Used any lie to justify Stalin’s actions.
• Controlled information (including what was taught in the schools)
to support Stalin’s regime.
KGB (SOVIET SECRET POLICE )
• Stalin’s private force that used terror to keep the people in line.
• Killed or brutalized anyone who opposed Stalin.
• Were completely loyal to Stalin.
PROLETARIAT (UNSKILLED LABOR) CLASS
• Believed in Stalin as someone who would make the ideals of
Communism come true.
• Remained loyal to Stalin, who ignored, abused, and killed them.
OLDER GENERATION
• Skeptics who didn’t believe the revolution would really change
anything.
• Realized that Stalin was not a true Communist, but a powerhungry
dictator.
MIDDLE CLASS
• Did not want to sacrifice themselves for the good of others.
• Moved to other countries where they could pursue personal
wealth and comfort.

“Puppet Farm” 6
One of the unusual things about this production of Animal
Farm is that it is a “puppet musical.” The show uses many
different types of puppets, including:
• shadow puppets - flat puppets on rods or sticks that
cast a shadow when the puppeteer manipulates them
behind a screen. A shadow puppeteer moves the puppet
in and out of the light so its shadow grows and shrinks
and goes in and out of focus.
• rod puppets - puppets that have sticks or wire rods
attached to the neck and hands. The rods are usually held
from below.
• string puppets (also known as marionettes) - puppets
that hang on strings and are manipulated from above.
• bunraku puppets - a style from Japan in which the puppets are
controlled by puppeteers dressed all in black but still visible
to the audience.
Most of the puppets used for the major characters are full-body
puppets, meaning that the actor wears the puppet on his or her
body and manipulates portions of the puppet, such as the head. This
design allows the actor to become the animal, singing, dancing and
moving the puppet with ease. It brings the animal to life for the
audience without completely hiding the personality of the actor.
Some characters, such as the pigs (seen on the left in the photo
above), are portrayed by actors who wear pieces that represent the pigs’
ears and snout. During the performance, notice how the “pig” actors hold
their hands to look like hooves.
/ Why do you think the director decided to use puppets to tell this story
“Puppets transcend the
earthbound world and remind
us of the value of simplicity.
Puppets aren’t cynical, and they
aren’t selfish. Irony is not a
word in their vocabulary. Above
all, they are honest, earnest,
hard-working storytellers.”
—David Travis, Synapse Productions
The illustrations below show the development of the puppet design for “Boxer,” from pen-and-ink drawing to
detailed sketch, to the nearly-completed puppet.

Music in the show 7
This production of Animal Farm is a musical. In a musical, the songs give added insight into the characters and also
help move the plot forward. The words for some of the songs you will hear—such as the animals’ anthem, “Beasts of
England”—come directly from Orwell’s novel, while others were written for the show.
/ Take a look at the lyrics below. What do these songs say about the characters who sing them How do they relate
to the plot of Animal Farm
Man’s Hymn to Man
Who made the cows and sheep so meek
Who feeds the cats and dogs their meat
Who’s the loving father of fur and feather
Man, Bounteous man! Bounteous man!
Who guards his servants with a gun,
And when their time to leave has come,
Who leads pigs and horses to slaughterhouses
Man, Bounteous man! Bounteous man!
/ Compare “Man’s Hymn to Man” to “Beasts of England.” Who
do you imagine sings each song What do the two songs
seem to say about how humans treat animals
PILKINGTON:
I see the future shine on me,
And pictures of the times to be.
Where chickens hatch ten
thousand eggs
and never need to stretch their
legs
NAPOLEON:
Where sheep in crates may
spend their days
And grow us wool but never
graze.
SQUEALER:
I see the future shine on me,
And pictures of the times to be.
The silky mink, the fiery fox
I See the Future
Shall grow us fur inside a box.
2ND FARMER:
And calves be born, grow up,
give birth and die,
But never walk on earth.
ALL:
I see the future shine on me,
And pictures of the times to be.
Where day and night and heat
and cold,
and birth and death are all
controlled.
And profit rules and all is calm
on England’s Grey and Modern
Farm.
/ What kind of picture of the future do the farmers and the pigs
imagine Is this similar to or different from Farmer Jones’
ideas How does this song reflect the way animals are
sometimes treated today
Beasts of England
Beasts of England! Beasts of Ireland!
Beasts of land and sea and skies!
Hear the hoofbeats of tomorrow!
See the golden future rise!
How does the life of an animal pass
In endless drudgery.
What the first lesson an animal learns
To endure its slavery.
How does the life of an animal end
In cruel butchery.
He’s the lord of all the animals
Yet he can’t lay eggs of pull a plough.
He’s the greatest of all criminals,
Stealing wool from the sheep
and milk from the cow.
He’s the lord of all the animals
And the only one who is no use.
For he consumes, consumes, consumes,
But he cannot produce.
Beasts of England! Beasts of Ireland!
Beasts of land and sea and skies!
Hear the hoofbeats of tomorrow!
See the golden future rise!
Now the day of beasts is coming,
Tyrant man shall lose his throne.
And the shining fields of England,
Shall be trod by beasts alone.
Pull the rings out from your noses
Tear the saddle from your back!
Bit and spur shall rust forever,
Cruel whips no more shall crack.
Beasts of England, seize the prizes,
Wheat and barley, oats and hay,
Clover beans and Mangel-Wurzels,
Shall be ours upon that day!
a root
vegetable
fed to cattle

Who Is George Orwell 8
English author George Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair in 1903 in
Motihari, India, during a time when India was part of the British Empire. Both
his father and grandfather were officials in the British forces occupying India.
When he was one year old, he went with his mother to England, where he
completed much of his schooling. He eventually returned to India to serve as
an officer with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma.
BURMA - a country in
Seeing the way the British authorities treated the
Southeast Asia that
was once part of the Burmese people opened his eyes to the abuses of
British Empire power and led him to despise imperialism. Resigning
from the police force, he moved to London to pursue
IMPERIALISM - the
his childhood ambition of becoming a writer.
policy of expanding a
nation’s power by Over the next five years, Orwell lived on the edge
conquering countries of poverty. He recorded his experiences during this
or territories outside period in his first full-length published work, Down
its own borders and Out in Paris and London (1933). Unsure of how
FASCISM - a system people would react to the book, he decided to publish
of government in it under a pen-name: George Orwell.
which one person In 1936, Orwell moved to England’s industrial
holds all the power north to investigate the conditions of working-class
and opposing ideas
life and the effects of unemployment. His research
are not allowed; a
resulted in a novel, The Road to Wigan Pier, and
type of
totalitarianism converted Orwell to socialism. In December, Orwell
enlisted in the Spanish Civil War, fighting on the side
opposed to the fascists. During the war, he was shot through the neck and
was lucky to survive.
Back in Britain, he wrote Homage to Catalonia (1938), a factual account of
his adventures in Spain, and Coming up for Air (1939), about the financial and
social struggles of the middle class. The start of the Second World War found
him working as a journalist In 1945, he published his anti-Stalinist allegorical
novel, Animal Farm, which met with great critical and popular success. The
royalties from this book provided Orwell with a steady income for the first
time in his adult life.
Politics played a major part in Orwell’s actions and writing throughout his
life. “Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been
written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic
Socialism, as I understand it,” he wrote. After the death of his wife Eileen,
Orwell moved to the island of Jura off the Scottish coast, where he wrote his
best-known work, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), a prophetic vision of the
results of totalitarianism. Always a sickly man, Orwell developed serious
tuberculosis in 1947. He died in 1950, having seen the favorable response to
both of his novels, but well before the impact of his writing would be fully
evident. He was 47 years old.
“I do not think one can
assess a writer’s motives
without knowing something
of his early development.
Before he ever begins to
write he will have acquired
an emotional attitude from
which he will never
completely escape.”
—George Orwell, “Why I Write”
Thinking About
Orwell
/ How might Orwell’s experiences
as a young man have made him
sensitive to the plight of the
downtrodden
/ What do you think Orwell meant
by “democratic socialism” How
is it different from communism
/ If Orwell were alive today, what
do you think his views would be
concerning our major political
issues

Politics AND POWER 9
Words to Know...
COMMUNISM - In theory, a system
of government in which property is
owned equally among the citizens and
everyone works for the common
advantage of the community. In
communism, a single party (the state)
usually holds power and controls prices,
production, and the distribution of goods.
From each according
to his abilities, to each
according to his needs.
—Karl Marx
CAPITALISM - An economic system in which resources and means of
production are owned by private individuals and corporations. Prices,
production, and the distribution of goods are determined mainly by
competition in a free market rather than by the government.
SOCIALISM - A social system in which the means of producing and
distributing goods is shared collectively or controlled by a centralized
government. The goal is to create a “level” society in which everyone is
equally well off. Socialism falls somewhere between the ideas of
capitalism and communism.
TOTALITARIANISM - A form of government in which the central authority
has absolute control over all aspects of life. This type of government does
not recognize individual rights, and does not allow its citizens to express
opposing ideas and opinions.
Who’s in Charge
You probably know who the President of
the United States is, but do you know
the names of your senators and
congressional representatives Do you
know who makes the decisions for your
city or town If you don’t know, then
find out, using newspapers, the
Internet, or other sources.
/ What areas of your life do
politicians’ decisions influence,
and what choices have they
recently made on your behalf
Why is it important to know these
things If you are happy or
unhappy with the choices that
your political representatives have
made, what are some things that
you can do to show your support
or voice your displeasure How
does this connect to the events of
Animal Farm
Changing the Lead
As a class, make up your own list of
commandments. These will be the rules
that govern your classroom. Topics you may
want to focus on can include
classroom behavior, homework
assignments, recess/lunch, etc. Take
turns beings in charge of the class.
Whenever a new leader comes into
“power,” he or she is allowed to
change the commandments.
/ Did people make a lot of
changes How did the
commandments change
depending on who was in
charge How did everyone react to
the changes
Exploring Models of
Government
The animals of Animal Farm try to
create a perfect society where
everyone is equal. Throughout history,
many societies have attempted to do
the same, with differing results. In
small groups, research the structure of
government in different societies:
ancient Greece, ancient Rome, post-
Revolution and Napoleonic France, the
Soviet Union, and others.
/ What led to the decline/downfall
of these societies Are there any
parallels with America today
What about parallels with other
countries around the world

Extension Activities 10
Design Your
Own Show
Live theater uses sound, music,
lights, costumes, and scenery to
help tell the story. If you were telling the story of Animal Farm
to a theater audience, how would you do it How would you make
an actor look like a horse or a cow or a pig
Working In a small group with your classmates, assign people to
be in charge of costumes, sound effects, lights, and scenery.
Costume designers: Choose at least five characters and describe
or draw their costumes. If they had to wear clothes (hats, gloves,
shoes, shirts, jackets, pants), what would they look like
Sound designers: Choose five important moments in the story
that require sound effects and describe them in detail. Try to use
a variety of sounds. How would you make these sound effects
Lighting designers: Choose five important scenes from the story
and describe what the lighting would look like (color, intensity,
position, duration). What kind of effects can be achieved using
lighting
Scenic designers: Decide what the backdrop would look like, and
how to establish different parts of the farm: the windmill, the barn,
the farmhouse, etc. What materials and colors will you use
Once you’ve made your decisions, have each member of your
design team give a presentation to the rest of the class. You’ll be
amazed by how different the designs will be!
Pick a character from
Animal Farm and write
your own song lyrics
from that
character’s point of
view. Share your song
with a classmate. What
ideas went into your song
Plot points Feelings
Tell Me a
Fable
Choose an issue
about which you have
a particularly
strong opinion. Write an allegorical fable that
conveys your opinions on that issue. Make sure
that you choose your animals carefully. Take
some time to research the animal either at the
library or on the internet. Find out if there are
any characteristics that are associated with
that animal and focus on them when creating
your animal characters. Think about how they
walk and what types of sounds they make and
incorporate that into your story. Read your fable
aloud to the class and see if they can guess
what issue your fable represents.
/ Were they able to guess what your fable
was about How did your choice and use
of animals strengthen or weaken your
stand on the topic
As an extension to this activity, ask some
classmates to take on the various roles in your
fable and act them out.
/ What kinds of choices do the actors need
to make to bring the animals to life Did
having the story acted out rather than
read change anything about it

Audience/Resources 11
Do You Know Your Part
As a member of the audience, you are a crucial part of the
performance. Before you arrive at the theater, make sure you
know your role!
• When you enter the theater, follow an usher to your seat.
• Once the house lights (the lights in the part of the theater
where the audience is sitting) go down, focus all your
attention on the stage.
• Attending a live theater performance is not the same as
watching television at home. At the theater, talking, eating,
or moving around disturbs the performers and other
members of the audience. So watch and listen carefully to
the performance. And please no food or beverages!
• Don’t bring cameras, camcorders, tape recorders, or any
other recording equipment to the performance. You will
not be allowed to use them.
• If something in the play is funny, go ahead and laugh. And
of course, please applaud at the end of the performance if
you liked what you saw!
• After the performer finishes taking his bows, stay in your
seat until your group gets the signal to leave the theater.
Resources
BOOKS:
Concise History of the Russian Revolution, by
Richard Pipes. Vintage, 1996
The Play of “Animal Farm,” adapted by Peter
Hall. Heinemann Educational Books, 1993
Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet
History, by John Bell. Detroit Institute of Arts,
2000
FILMS:
Animal Farm (1999), directed by John
Stephenson
Animal Farm (1954), an animated version
directed by Joy Batchelor and John Halas
WEBSITES:
Keynotes are produced by the Education Department of the State Theatre,
New Brunswick, NJ.
Wesley Brustad, President
Lian Farrer, Vice President for Education
Keynotes written and designed by Lisa Beth Vettoso
Edited by Lian Farrer
© 2006 State Theatre
Portions of this guide were taken from the Synapse Productions’ Study Guide
& Educator Materials for Animal Farm.
Production Photos © 2006 Kimberlee Hewitt/Synapse Productions
The State Theatre’s education program is funded in part by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Brother International
Corporation, James and Diane Burke, the E & G Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, the J. Seward Johnson
Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Karma Foundation, the John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the McCrane Foundation, the National
Starch and Chemical Foundation, the PNC Foundation, and the Wachovia Foundation. Their support is
gratefully acknowledged.
Funding has been made possible in
part by the New Jersey State Council on
the Arts/ Department of State, a
partner agency of the National
Endowment for the Arts.
Continental Airlines is the official
airline of the State Theatre.
Educator’s Guide based on the 1999 TNT movie
version of Animal Farm
www.turnerlearning.com/tntlearning/
animalfarm
SparkNotes Animal Farm guide, with detailed
analysis, questions and activities, quiz, and more
www.sparknotes.com/lit/animalfarm
Additional Animal Farm activities
www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/
animalf/guide.cfm
The Puppetry Home Page
www.sagecraft.com/puppetry
The State Theatre
www.StateTheatreNJ.org
Synapse Productions - includes an Animal Farm
slide show
www.synapseproductions.org