Ugly Duckling Keynotes:Layout 1.qxd - State Theatre

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Welcome!2Welcome to the State Theatre’s performance of The UglyDuckling & The Tortoise and the Hare by Corbian and Light WireTheater. The production features high-tech special effects and anevocative musical score to bring to life two popular children’sstories.These Keynotes provide information and activities to prepareyour students for the performance and then help you lead them toreflect afterward on what they saw and heard in the show.See you at the State Theatre!ContentsWelcome!................................................................................................................2About the Show....................................................................................................3The Ugly Duckling ..............................................................................................4Hans Christian Andersen ..................................................................................5The Tortoise and the Hare................................................................................6Aesop........................................................................................................................7What’s the Difference? ......................................................................................8How Does It Work? ............................................................................................9What’s My Job at the Show? ........................................................................10Keynotes are produced by the Education Department of the StateTheatre, New Brunswick, NJ.Mark W. Jones, President & CEOLian Farrer, Vice President for EducationOnline at www.StateTheatreNJ.org/KeynotesKeynotes for The Ugly Duckling & The Tortoise and the Harecreated by Lian Farrer and Jennifer Cunha.© 2013 State TheatreFind us at www.StateTheatreNJ.orgContact: education@StateTheatreNJ.orgState Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing artsand entertainment.The State Theatre’s education program is funded in part by Colgate-Palmolive, Cream-O-Land Dairy, E & G Foundation, Great-West Life &Annuity Insurance Company, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey,Ingredion, Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, J. Seward Johnson, Sr.1963 Charitable Trust, Karma Foundation, The Blanche and Irving LaurieFoundation, McCrane Foundation, MetLife Foundation, New Jersey StateCouncil on the Arts, The Provident Bank Foundation, PSE&G, and RobertWood Johnson Foundation. Their support is gratefully acknowledgedFunding has been madepossible in part by the NewJersey State Council on theArts/Department of State, apartner agency of the NationalEndowment for the Arts.The Heldrich is theofficial hotel of theState Theatre.
About the ShowIn this production, you’ll see two favorite children’s stories—”The Ugly Duckling” and “The Tortoise and the Hare”—toldthrough dazzling black-light puppetry using EL (electroluminescent)wire. The EL wire is sculpted into the shapes of the characters andthen worn as costumes by performers dressed all in black,performing against a black background. When the stage lights areturned off and the EL wire is turned on, the audience sees only thecharacters shaped by the EL wires. As the performers move, run,dance, and interact, the glowing characters appear to come to life.In addition to the EL puppetry, the production uses musicthroughout to underscore the action. The music helps tell thestory and sets the mood for each scene. There is no dialogue orspoken narration; the entire story plays out through the visualelements and the music.3About the CompanyPreparing Students Not to be AfraidChildren who are afraid of the dark may feelanxious during the show. Some may also becomefrightened by a scene where one of the ducklingsis stolen away by a cat; the Ugly Duckling battlesthe cat to save his nest-mate. The music is verysuspenseful and adds to the tension of themoment. But the scene is played out in slowmotion, and staged in such a way that children aremore likely to laugh than cry.You may wish to prepare students by lettingthem know that the duckling will be okay in theend. You can also ask them to pay attention duringthe show to the way the puppeteers move andlisten to how music and rhythm add to thedramatic effect. Encourage them to look at thetheatrical elements as being magical rather thanscary!This production is the collaboration between two companies—Corbian Visual Arts and Dance and Lightwire Theatre. The show’screators, Ian Carney and Corbin Popp, became friends when bothwere performing in the Broadway show Movin’ Out. They shared aninterest in art, theater, and technology, and when Corbin showedIan something called, electroluminescent wire, it lit a creative sparkthat kindled a successful partnership.Carney and Popp built simple versions of what would becomethe two main characters in their first show, Darwin the Dinosaur.With help from their wives, Eleanor Carney and Whitney Popp (alsodancers), they worked on buildingthe rest of the characters for their “You’re everythingshow and creating the story. that makesThey spent years working onAmerica greatthe show. Their efforts earned.I applaud yourthem a grant from the prestigiousJim Henson Foundation. They originality and Iperformed excerpts from Darwin thank you forthe Dinosaur on the 2012 edition lifting everyone’sof America’s Got Talent, making itspiritto the finals of the nationallytelecastcompetition.. ”—Howard Stern,America’s Got TalentOut of this initial project, Ianand Eleanor Carney then founded Lightwire Theater. In 2011, incollaboration with Corbian Visual Arts and Dance, they developedtheir first project, The Ugly Duckling & The Tortoise and the Hare.Company website: lightwiretheater.com
Page 4 and 5: The Ugly Duckling4The StoryMother D
Page 6 and 7: TheTortoiseand theHare“The Tortoi
Page 8 and 9: What`s the Difference?8For each que
Page 10: What`s My Job at the Show?10Going t

Ugly Duckling Keynotes:Layout 1.qxd - State Theatre

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