Download Study Guide for Educators

PRESENTS
Study Guide for Educators
Sponsors:
The Melsheimer Families
Brad & Jacquie Hinds
Music by ARTHUR SULLIVAN
Libretto by W.S. GILBERT
Study Guide Complied by DANIEL DENNERT
PCPA – Pacific Conservatory Theatre
Table of Contents
Welcome to PCPA/Theater Etiquette……………………………………..
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How to Use This Guide…………………………………………………....
4
Production Team and Cast………………………………………………...
5
Elements of the Story
Plot Synopsis………………………………………………………
6
Types of Opera……………………………………………………
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Comedy and Opera Terminology………………………………….
7
Themes and Key Words…………………………………………...
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Elements of the Production
About the Authors………………………………………………....
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D’Oyly Carte Opera Compnay……………………………………...
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Design Concept……...……………………………………………...
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Activities
Discussion Questions……………………………………………...
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Preshow: Words Walk the Plank…………………………………....
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“Do it again! But FASTER!”………………………………………... 12
The Modern Day Match…………………………………………….
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Land Ho! PCPA on the Horizon!
A NOTE TO THE TEACHER
Thank you for bringing your students to PCPA at Allan Hancock
College. Our top priority is to provide an enjoyable day of live
theater for the audience. We offer you this study guide as a tool to
prepare students prior to the performance, to prompt discussion,
critical thought, and creativity before and after the performance.
THE PIRATE CODE
Notable behavior is a vital part of theater for youth. Going to the
theater is not a casual event. It is a special occasion. If students are
prepared properly, it will be a memorable, educational experience
they will remember for years.
1. A fully-fledged pirate should always be with the students! Ushers are available to help with seating.
We suggest that teachers sit in between students to help maintain order on the deck.
2. Please remind our young apprentices that we do not permit the following onboard ship:
food, gum, drinks, smoking, hats, backpacks, or large purses
disruptive talking
disorderly and inappropriate behavior (stepping on/over seats, throwing objects, etc.)
cell phones or any other recording devices
light up or noise making objects (including shoes)
patrons should put cell phones on silent or vibrate
3. Before attending the show, teachers should take time to remind students of the following about a live
performance:
Sometimes we forget when we come into a theater that we are one of the most important
parts of the production. Without an audience there would be no performance. Your
contribution of laughter, quiet attention, and applause is part of the play. When we watch
movies or television we are watching images on a screen, and what we say or do cannot
affect them. In the theater the actors are real people who are present and creating an
experience with us at that very moment. They see and hear us and are sensitive to our
response. They know how we feel about the play by how we watch and listen. An invisible
bond is formed between actors and a good audience, and it enables the actors to do their
best for you. A good audience helps make a good performance.
PCPA welcomes you as a partner in the live theater experience from the moment you take your seats.
We hope that your visit will be a highlight of your school year!
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HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
This study guide is a companion piece designed to explore many ideas depicted in the stage production of The
Pirates of Penzance to enhance the theatrical experience. The Pirates of Penzance is present in a lot of pop-culture,
although students aren’t always aware that TV shows or musical parodies are referencing Pirates. The show
informs audience members of late 19th Century culture and also asks questions about duty, allegiance, love,
and honesty. Be prepared to be transported back in time and then wonder if things really change.
The guide has been organized into three major sections:
Elements of the Story
Elements of the Production
Activities
Teachers and group leaders will want to select portions of the guide for their specific usage. The discussion
questions provided are meant to provoke a line of thought about a particular topic. Frequently, the answers to
the questions will initiate a process of exploration and discovery of varied interpretations sometimes deviating
from original ideas. It is recommended that these thoughts be encouraged and discussed. This can be as
insightful and rewarding as the adventurous experience that The Pirates of Penzance creates onstage.
There are lots of references to Pirates in popular culture, especially
television! Here are a couple of examples:
Star Trek: Next Generation
Fun Fact: although Gilbert and Sullivan,
the writers of Pirates of Penzance were from
the United Kingdom, some of their work
has become synonymous with American
patriotism. With Cat-Like Tread is from Act
II of Pirates. New lyrics were written to the
melody and it became known as Hail, Hail,
the Gang’s All Here, a march frequently
played during the 4th of July and other
patriotic holidays. Look it up!
The Muppets
These TV shows will sometimes use music directly from The Pirates
of Penzance. Other times the writers change the lyrics but imitate and
exaggerate the style. This is called a parody. Most of the time
parodies are comedic. Gilbert and Sullivan themselves were known
for making parodies (so these references are like parodies of a
parody). One of the most famous parodies was done by a man
named Tom Lehrer who set all the elements of the periodic table to
the tune of I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.
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Music by ARTHUR SULLIVAN
Libretto by W.S. GILBERT
CREATIVE TEAM
Director/ Choreographer Brad Carroll
Music Director Callum Morris
Voice & Text Director Matt Koenig
Scenic Design Jason Bolen
Costume Design Eddy Barrows
Lighting Design Jennifer ‘Z’ Zornow
Sound Design Elisabeth Weidner
Assistant Director Nicholas Kowerko
Production Stage Manager Jahana Azodi*
CAST OF CHARACTERS
The Pirate King
Samuel
Frederic
Major-General Stanley
Sergeant of Police
Mabel
Kate
Edith
Isabel
Ruth
George Walker
Will Hoshida
Alex Stewart
Andrew Philpot*
Michael Jenkinson*
Natalie Graham
Molly Wetzel
Brittany Law
Courtney Reece
Jacqueline Hildebrand
PIRATES AND POLICE
Blake Brundy, Tyler Matthew Campbell, Devin Cunningham, Cameron Eastland, Garrett Gibbs
Spencer Hamilton, Zachary Hasbany, Mitchell Lam Hau, Garret Lawrence, Zach Johnson, Adam Mantell
Antwon Mason, David Miller
DAUGHTERS
Quinn Farley, Annali Fuchs, Madisen Hayes, Irene Platt, Caroline Whelehan
* Member, Actors’ Equity Association
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The Run Down:
a Pirates synopsis
The Pirates of Penzance is the story of Frederic who, as a young lad,
was mistakenly apprenticed to a band of pirates. On this, his
21st birthday, with his apprenticeship complete, he is compelled
by a “sense of duty” to forsake the piratical life and, with his
nanny, Ruth, ventures out into the world. He soon encounters a
bevy of beautiful maidens, all of them daughters of Major-General
Stanley, and is instantly smitten with one in particular, Mabel. The pirates arrive, seize the girls and threaten
them with immediate marriage. But the Major-General begs for their release, claiming that he is an orphan
and that, without them, he would be left all alone. The pirates, orphans themselves, are sympathetic to his
plea and relent. The Major-General, deeply troubled by this ruse (he is not an orphan) fears the consequences.
Frederic arranges for a police force to defend the Major-General against the avenging pirates. Unfortunately
Frederic soon learns that, being born on February 29 in a leap year, he has really only had five birthdays and
is now bound to fulfill his apprenticeship for another 63 years. Against Mabel’s ardent pleas, “sense of duty”
compels him to rejoin the pirates. A battle ensues. The pirates appear victorious until they are charged to yield
“in Queen Victoria’s name.” Love of queen trumps piratical prowess and soon all are set on the path to
happy ever after.
A Night at the Opera
Types of Opera
Opera comes in many forms. There are grand operas,
operas written in German, Italian, French, and
Russian, operettas, pop operas, and what have become
known as Savoy operas. Savoy operas, named for the
D’Oyly Carte Opera Company’s Savoy Theatre where
many were first performed, are comedic and a highly
stylized form of Opera written during the Victorian
period. Gilbert and Sullivan pioneered this new genre.
Time has not been kind to Savoy operas and Gilbert
and Sullivan’s work is all that is left of an art from that
has all but faded from memory. Savoy operas now
tend to be lumped together with operettas—operas
with dialogue scenes in addition to the complicated
musical numbers. These dialogue sequences began getting longer and longer over time. Operettas became the
predecessor to the modern American musical: a play with both dialogue (or “book scenes”) as well as sung
music that helps to tell the story. Musicals continue to thrive today as one of the most popular forms of art
and entertainment.
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Comedy: Parody, Farce, or Satire? That is the Question.
Gilbert and Sullivan shows are considered to be masterworks of comedy.
Comedy can be broken down into a few sub-categories: parody, farce, and
satire; all of these are simply types of comedy. Parody imitates and/or mocks
a specific person or thing in an exaggerated manner to make things funny.
Farce uses unlikely and exuberant situations with buffoonish characters to
create ludicrous and silly jokes. Satire exaggerates ideas or people to ridicule
and demonstrate their absurdity and provide social commentary. Typically,
satire makes fun of government and attempts to initiate change.
So what type of comedy is The Pirates of Penzance? There are satirical elements in
Pirates – however, this humor is not meant to be harmful or provide social
commentary. Gilbert and Sullivan rely on mock-heroes and wordplay for their
comedy. They use well known icons of their time such as the Bobby (a British policeman), Pirates, and
Generals and make them anything but what the audience expects. The strong and terrible pirates are wimpy,
the courageous and stubborn Bobbies are cowards, and the strategic and witty general is babbling and
uncomposed. This mockery does not suggests that all pirates are wimpy—just this particular group—and is
therefore more characteristic of parody than satire. And the story is not so improbable to infer it is a farce.
Wordplay is the other element that Pirates of Penzance relies on for comedy. There is an entire scene on the
similarities between the sound of “orphan” and “often.” Or the premise of the show is due to the mishearing
of the word “pilot” and “pirate.” The famous song of the Major-General is humorous because of the
increasing rapidity and patter quality of the lyrics, forcing the character to stop for air. The listener needs to
keep a sharp ear out to catch some of the jokes which are hidden within speeches and songs.
Opera Terminology
Having knowledge of a few key opera terms will help the audience make sense of and be able to follow along
with the storytelling in Pirates of Penzance.
Aria – a solo piece written for a main character,
Soprano – the highest voice for a female.
which focuses on the character's emotion.
Typically young ingénues like Mabel are sopranos.
Recitative – words sung in a conversational style,
Mezzo-Soprano – the middle voice for a woman.
usually to advance the plot.
Alto – the lower voice for a woman.
Patter song – A song in which the character sings
Tenor – a high male voice. Young male leads like
as many words as possible in a short amount of
time.
Cadenza – a passage of singing, often at the end
of an aria, which shows off the singer's vocal
ability.
Aside – a comment from an actor directly to the
audience that the other characters cannot hear.
Leitmotif – A short, recurring musical phrase
associated with a particular character or event.
Frederic are frequently tenors.
Baritone – the middle voice for a man.
Bass – the lowest voice for a man.
Falsetto – A method of singing above the natural
range of the male voice. Often used in opera for
comic effects such as a man imitating a woman.
Vibrato – A natural wavering of frequency (pitch)
while singing a note. It is usually inadvertent.
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Messages from the Pirate Bottle
Themes in The Pirates of Penzance
– DUTY –
A promise is a promise. But what happens when you discover that keeping that promise means you are going
to hurt someone else, or do something illegal? These are some of the questions Frederic and other characters
have to struggle with. Pirates is subtitled The Slave of Duty. Duty is a bond or an obligation. Frequently our
desires and what we have to do are not the same (think of simple things like taking out the trash). We use the
word duty to describe an obligation to a greater community or cause. Frederic thinks he frees himself from
one responsibility, the Pirates, only to find that he is not so free after all. He then has to make a choice about
whether or not he will honor his duties.
– DECEPTION –
Hiding the truth is one tactic humans use to get things. Ruth deceives
Frederic to try and get him to marry her. Frederic helps the Major-General
make the pirates believe he is an orphan so that the daughters are set free.
However, each time the truth comes back to haunt the deceiver and becomes
their downfall. Frederic runs away from Ruth when he realizes that she lied
to him and the Major-General spends all night in prayer for forgiveness. Less
literally, the pirates put on a façade, or deceive people into believing that they
are scary and mean when they really are sentimental. Honesty follows
deception in every situation. A complex web of lies becomes as instable and
sinkable as a 2-dimensional theatre with a pirate ship as soon as one bit of truth comes to light.
Arrrg! A Pirates Vocabulary
ANCESTORS: people who
proceed others in a family line.
Great-great grandparents.
FUGUE: a musical piece that
has staggered entrances of the
same melody.
CRANK: an abrupt and
unexpected turn of speech.
GLASS: a barometer. A glass
object used to predict weather.
DIMITY: a see-through,
cotton fabric with a variety of
thread patterns, typically used
for dresses.
INDENTURES: a legal
agreement binding a servant to
a master.
EMUETE: a French word
meaning brawl or riot.
FOEMAN: an enemy or
“foe” during wartime.
LEAP YEAR: most every 4th
year (including 2016!), adding
an extra day, February 29.
LIFE PRESERVER: not a
floating ring of foam, but a
club with a metal end.
MAJOR-GENERAL: a high
ranking military official.
PARADOX: a situation that
seems self-contradictory and
illogical, but is true.
SAT A GEE: having rode a
horse. “Geewas” was a
common 19th century term for
a horse which originated from
commands to start and turn.
SCUTTLE: To sink a ship by
opening holes in the hull
under the waterline.
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Victorian Era until Now… They Live on as
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
W.S. Gilbert (1836-1911) was born as the son of a navel surgeon and
storyteller. He followed his father’s footsteps and began writing stories and
poems early in his life. At first, writing was a way for Gilbert to make a little
money on the side. Gilbert became known for his unique “topsy-turvy” style
of writing. He would imagine absurd circumstances and then work out the
logical consequences. His work lent itself to comedy. He began working with
composers to write “entertainments,” or family-friendly comedic operas. This
initial exposure to working with music led to him meeting Arthur Sullivan, a
composer who would change his career forever.
Arthur Sullivan (1840-1900) was a child musical prodigy. By the age of 8 he
could play every instrument in the school band. He won the Mendelssohn
Scholarship and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. He continued his
training in Leipzig. His music became instantly popular when it was
performed at the Crystal Palace in 1862. He continued to compose for
Shakespeare plays, symphonies, ballets, operas, and ballads. He also served as
a church organist to provide income while he was busy composing.
Gilbert and Sullivan were commissioned as partners to write a couple
“entertainments” and short operas. The public loved their comedy and work, causing producers to extend
runs of their shows. Richard D’Oyly Carte, a theatre manager, kept commissioning the team to work together
due to the financial gain he received from Gilbert and Sullivan’s shows. The team that began with short
operas such as Trial by Jury which led to a full-length The Sorcerer developed a new opera entitled H.M.S.
Pinafore. The operetta became the craze and talk of the Western world. One newspaper described the
sensation as “Pinafore Mania.” The show became the second longest running show in musical theatre history
at that point in time. Many unauthorized or pirated versions of the show started popping up—especially in
the United States. Gilbert and Sullivan headed to the U.S. to stage an official version of the show, but also
write a new show, The Pirates of Penzance. Once in New York the pair found a surprise. No longer were they
W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, but the forever conjugated Gilbert and Sullivan. The team wrote, staged,
and premiered The Pirates of Penzance in both the U.S. and England in order to secure copyright so illegal
productions like they experienced with Pinafore could not happen. Pirates was a bigger success than even
Pinafore, although Gilbert and Sullivan were unsuccessful with the copyright issues and had lots of imitation
productions of their work. Over the course of their partnership, the duo wrote a total of 14 comic operas.
Many were successful, although some were flops. Both men continued to write their own individual pieces,
and eventually, conflict between them and their artistic styles led to an end of collaboration. Each produced
some work following their separation, but nothing that was of substantial success. When Sullivan died in
1900, Gilbert said the two had “completely bridged over” their conflict. Gilbert died in 1911 without any
further artistic success.
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D’Oyly Carte Opera Company–Keeping G&S Alive
For over 130 years the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in England has continued to
perform and celebrate the canon of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works. The company was
passed down through the D’Oyly Carte family, who produced international tours and
frequent productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s work. Shows like The Pirates of Penzance and
HMS Penafore became the main staple of the company. D’Oyly Carte is what kept the
work of Gilbert and Sullivan as well as Savoy operas alive. The company no longer
produces year round tours and performances, but instead occasionally collaborates with
other theatres. However, the legacy they have left is very evident in more recent
productions. In 1981 The Pirates of Penzance, retooled for the Broadway stage and featuring
Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt and Angela Lansbury, won the Tony Award for Best
Musical Revival. In 1983, the Broadway production was further remodeled, filmed and
released as a major motion picture.
Alex Stewart as
Frederic &
Natalie
Graham as
Mabel
DESIGN CONCEPT
Weather it is the pirates, the Victorianera culture of Britain, or the MajorGeneral and his daughters, the entire
world in The Pirates of Penzance is a
complete façade. It is phony and fake.
Jason Bolen, set designer for our
production capitalized on these themes
and incorporated it into his design of
the set. Each element of the production
ensures that the audience is aware of its
artificial nature. For instance, there is a
lot of 2 dimensional set pieces such as
the cannons. The designer contributes
to the comedic elements of the show by
giving performers clearly fake objects
that they then treat as real. It is humorous that the characters become frightened by things that aren’t
frightening at all.
The design also incorporates the appearance traditional theatre curtains. The façade and external element of
the production is evident. Clearly this is not really a pirate ship, a chapel, or a rocky shore. The viewer is
always reminded that they are watching a play and that this story is make-believe. In terms of the matching
key points in story, the designer has to make sure that things are not quite as they seem.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Gilbert and Sullivan are considered to be among the best of comedic geniuses. What makes
comedy? How can you compare The Pirates of Penzance to popular TV sitcoms, improv shows, and
sketch comedies? Does the definition of “funny” change from one generation to the next?
2. What is a musical theatre? Can you think of the evolution of musical theatre? Discuss music hall
reviews, operettas, American musical theatre, rock operas, hip-hop musicals.
3. Do you think there are differences between the way you experience The Pirates of Penznace and the way
an audience in Victorian-era Britain experienced the show? If so, what would cause these differences?
Is it important to understand cultural references from a time period you don’t live in?
4. In this show, duty and responsibly are the characteristics of an honorable person. Name some
contemporary world leaders or political figures who honor their duties and responsibilities. For
example, compare Frederic’s choices to leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama,
George W. Bush, Margaret Thatcher, and Desmond Tutu. How has each figure carried out their
sense of duty?
5. How does poetry connect to song lyrics and musical storytelling? Can any poem become a song? Do
lyrics always have to rhyme to get the point across? Does all musical poetry require a melody?
PRESHOW ACTIVITY:
WORDS WALK THE PLANK
Below are sets of 4 words. Identify which word doesn’t belong in the group. Why? Make it walk the plank!
Alto
Tenor
Aria
Soprano
Paradox
Artificial
Façade
Make-believe
Recitative
Aria
Falsetto
Patter song
Satire
Fugue
Farce
Parody
Major General
Bobbies
Hero
Foeman
“Entertainments”
Operettas
Musical Theatre
Emuete
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“Do it again! But FASTER!!”
Rap music is a close relative of the patter song Gilbert and Sullivan readily employed for comedic purposes.
As an activity, create a contemporary patter song using the mediums of rap or spoken word. We encourage
you to make these light in subject and humorous. Identify what elements of the piece is comedic and why.
Share these among the class or privately with another student.
THE MODERN DAY MATCH
Many young people see Gilbert and Sullivan as being irrelevant and outdated. Using the list below, identify
and write down contemporary examples that parallel the roles in The Pirates of Penzance.
The Pirates of Penzance

Ruth, as Frederic’s caretaker

Pirates, as wanted men

Orphans

Large Families

Frederic, as an apprentice

Frederic, as a hero

Major General, as a military figure

Police or Law Enforcement

Any others you can think of!
Present Day

Ex: Nannies, Babysitters, Foster Parent
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Thank you!
We hope you enjoyed your adventure aboard the
pirate ship PCPA! Come sail with us again soon.
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