Shipwrecked! - Actors Theatre of Louisville

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Do You Have What it Takes... to Survive a Shipwreck? So you’re about to venture out into the world! Take this quiz to find out if you will live to tell the tale of your very own shipwreck! Louis' Travels 1) 1852: Louis is born in Paris, France 2) 1869: Louis sets sail for the Great Barrier reef from London, England 3) 1871: After being shipwrecked alone on an island for two years, Louis meets Aborigines 4) 1898: Louis arrives in Australia after being shipwrecked for over 29 years 5) 1898: Louis is back in London telling his adventure When you embark on your adventure... Where are you going? a) The Great Barrier Reef b) Antarctica c) Ohio River What are you looking for? a) Pearls b) Uncharted land c) Pirates In what will you travel? a) The Wonder World ship b) Sailboat c) Kayak If you answered… Mostly a Are you Louis de Rougemont?? Like Louis, you seem to have an excellent sense of curiosity and adventure that will surely take you far. But will he survive the shipwreck? You’ll have to find out! What are you packing? a) The Plays of William Shakespeare b) Maps c) iPod Who are you bringing? a) Your dog b) Your science teacher c) Your BFF How long have you ever gone without food or water? a) 10 hours b) 10 days c) What time is lunch? Mostly b Wow, your skills have no match! You certainly have what it takes to survive a shipwreck. Your clever thinking and intuition are just what a person needs when marooned. Congratulations! You’re an expert in… a) Sea turtles b) Making fire c) Yoga Mostly c Hmm…you may not have exactly what it takes, but you sure will have a good time! 8
Bridgework Building Connections Between Stage and Classroom The following exercises combine creative drama, theatre concepts, and core content to connect the theatre experience with drama activities in your classroom. By exploring drama as a mode of learning, students strengthen skills for creative problem solving, imagination, and critical thinking. Core Content Connection – The activities are designed using the Elements of Drama: Literary, Technical, and Performance (Core Content 4.1). At Your Desk Wide World Article The Wide World magazine was published from the late 1800s until the 1960s in Britain, and told stories of travel, adventure and intrigue. Louis’ tale of shipwreck was one of many that made the magazine famous. Cover titles for the magazine included “How I was Buried Alive” and “Aquanauts of Inner Space.” Write a one-page article for The Wide World magazine that involves adventure and excitement. The magazine’s motto is “Truth is Stranger than Fiction,” but like Louis, your “true” story may be more interesting if some fiction is mixed in. Illustrate your article and “publish” it by distributing the story or compilation of class stories to other classes/teachers. Direct Shipwrecked! As the director, you can set the play in any time, any place. In what era other than the late 1800s would you like to set the play Shipwrecked!? Assume the role of director and use the elements of technical theatre (lights, sound, set, props, costumes and makeup) to enhance your new setting. How would each of your ideas in these elements support your choice of new time period? Think about how the story might change—slightly or drastically— based on your new setting. How are the important themes of the play conveyed through the new setting? Write a director’s note to your audience explaining why you made each choice in the areas of technical theatre, and how they relate to the new setting. Teachers may choose to have students focus in on one technical element. Be a Playwright Donald Margulies wrote every scene in Shipwrecked! from the prospective of Louis de Rougemont, the main character, so we only learn Louis’ thoughts and descriptions of the world of the play. Assume the role of playwright and rewrite one scene from the play from another character’s point of view. How would an English reporter narrate a scene about Louis’ return home? What about Yamba’s point of view when she first meets Louis and cannot speak his language? How does Bruno the dog experience the shipwreck? Think about the history and personality of these characters as you tell the story through their eyes. Include at least ten lines of dialogue in your scene. Shipwreck Yourself Louis did not have the power to control the circumstances of his shipwreck. For example, he did not get to choose when or where he would be cast away for 30 years. Pretend that you are going to be shipwrecked, and make a list of what you think are the most important conditions. To get started: What year would you be shipwrecked—and how would that affect your experience? Where in the world (or out of this world) would you be shipwrecked? What three items would you bring? Who would you want with you? What other circumstances would you choose to control? On Your Feet Be a Foley Artist What does a shipwreck sound like? Pick a scene from the play (or write your own scene with dialogue) and create noises and sound effects that will make up your “soundtrack.” Make the noises using your body (snap, clap, etc.) and items found only in your classroom. As a Foley artist, you decide how to best re-create a sound (like a windstorm and crashing boat) using your imagination and your found materials, just like the designers of Shipwrecked! d o . Rehearse your scene and then perform for your class while they close their eyes and imagine they are listening to the radio. Shadow Play Much of the story of Shipwrecked! is told with shadows. Images such as a giant octopus or Louis’ sinking ship are created onstage by light and shadow— making those images very simple, yet very imaginative. Try making different shadow puppets or images on the wall by putting your hands or body in front of a light source. Can you make different animals? What about other objects and figures? Create a story using these shadows and rehearse a scene by yourself or with a partner. Think about the many variations: shadows of body parts only or classroom objects only, a silent play, a play with only sound effects, etc. Once you are ready, turn all the other lights out and share your shadow play with the class! “Yes, and…” Adventure Story With your class or a group of students, sit in a circle so that everyone can see each other. You will tell a group story of adventure, where each person in the circle only tells one line at a time. The first person in the circle begings with the line “Once upon a time…” and starts the story. For example, “Once upon a time there was a orange dragon.” After the first line, the person next to them continues the story starting with the sentence “Yes, and…” For example, “Yes, and that dragon loved ice cream cones.” The story continues around the circle once (or twice if there is a small group) and everyone starts their sentence of the story with “Yes, and…” You must always build upon the sentence of the story that came before yours so the story makes sense. Challenge yourself and your classmates to be adventurous and work together to tell the greatest story ever told! Tableaux Show In groups of 4-8, recreate the story of Shipwrecked! (or create your own if you haven’t seen the play yet) through tableaux (still images). Brainstorm the five most important scenes of the play or story, and create a tableau with your body to depict each one. There should be no sound except the voice of the narrator, who describes the tableaux as they are frozen. Rehearse moving from one tableau to the next in order, always working together, using your bodies to create a freeze frame of each scene. When your group is ready, present to the class your performance of Shipwrecked! through these frozen pictures. 9
Page 1 and 2: Play GUIDE! FEBRUARY 3 - 28
Page 3 and 4: Synopsis/Character List An old man
Page 5 and 6: Call of the Sea The mysteries of th
Page 7: Theatre in Louis' Day At the turn o
Page 11 and 12: Other Reading/Glossary Terms and Vo
Page 13 and 14: Writing for Portfolio Personal Writ
Page 15 and 16: Upcoming Events Two hundred years a

Shipwrecked! - Actors Theatre of Louisville

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