Download Chariot of the Sun

ASSEMBLY COORDINATOR: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE/POST/ANNOUNCE!
Assembly date: _____________
Assembly time: _____________
For: _____________________________
SETH REIchGOTT
Presents
“Chariot of the Sun”
Seth Reichgott has performed “Chariot of the Sun” and “The Golden Lyre” since
2001 in front of thousands of delighted students and teachers. Based in Philadelphia, Seth is an actor, director, and writer with a wide variety of experience, including
clowning, Shakespeare, contemporary theatre, children’s literature, and social issues.
He has written and directed several touring educational shows about science, math,
and Appalachian folktales. Seth is a Helen Hayes award nominee and two-time Barrymore Award winner. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, and is an associate member of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.
- Prep Information For Assembly Coordinator -
seth reichgott
Presents
“Chariot of the Sun”
PLEASE PASS ALONG THE ATTACHED TEACHER PROGRAM GUIDE TO ALL
PARTICIPATING CLASSROOMS.
SET-UP REQUIREMENTS:
 Performance space must be clear (no students) at least 30 minutes prior to the performance (1 hour is preferred)
 Inform custodian that performer will need chairs for teachers and parents. Performer can
instruct custodian as to placement of the chairs upon arrival at the school.
 In elementary schools, shows are usually not performed on a stage, but on the same level
as the audience, with students seated on the floor in a semicircle, which is similar to a Greek
theater. This is the REQUIRED seating arrangement.
 Performer will meet students and seat them as they enter the space. Students should arrive
from youngest to oldest
 No microphone required. Performer brings his own sound system.
 School agrees not to schedule any other activity in performance space or an adjacent
space that may interfere with the performance
 “Chariot of the Sun” runs 50 minutes including Q & A. If time is a concern, Q & A can be
omitted, but length of actual performance cannot be altered.
 If performance is to be in an Auditorium—Please make sure someone who knows how to
work stage lights can come by to do so as performer is setting up, prior to the performance.
 The use of Video, Film, Digital, or Sound Recording equipment during performance is strictly
prohibited. Performer is available after performance for photos.

ARTIST ARRIVAL TIME: 60 minutes prior to performance
SUGGESTED INTRODUCTION:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Please join me in welcoming Seth Reichgott performing
Chariot of the Sun!”
YAMD CONTACT NUMBER: 410.837.7577
INCLEMENT WEATHER: DON’T WORRY! Artists will follow school closings/delays. They will work
with you to reschedule the performance if necessary.
AFTER HOURS/EMERGENCY NUMBER: Call 410.837.7577 and follow the prompts to be con-
nected with a staff member on call.
Teacher Program Guide
“Chariot of the Sun”
A r t i st : Set h R ei ch g ott
GRADE
LEVEL:
3-8
Artist Bio
Inside this guide:
Artist Bio
Performance
Description
SC Connectors
Vocabulary
List of Resources
Post-Performance
Activities
Contact Young
Audiences for more
information on this
and other programs.
410.837.7577
www.yamd.org
Seth Reichgott has performed “Chariot of the Sun” and “The Golden
Lyre” since 2001 in front of thousands of delighted students and teachers. Based in Philadelphia, Seth is an actor, director, and writer with a
wide variety of experience, including clowning, Shakespeare, contemporary theatre, children’s literature, and social issues. He has written
and directed several touring educational shows about science, math,
and Appalachian folktales. Seth is a Helen Hayes award nominee and
two-time Barrymore Award winner. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, and is
an associate member of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.
Performance Description
Students meet the heroes, gods, and monsters of Greek
mythology. Using a combination of poetry, masks, mime, and
audience participation, “Chariot of the Sun” brings these classic
tales to life. Included is the myth of Phaethon, which tells the
story of a young man's attempt to drive his father's sun chariot
across the sky. It's a dynamic presentation that offers an
accessible and fun introduction to the stories of ancient Greece.
50 Minutes
Performance Objectives
1. To provide a live, interactive theatrical performance for students
and teachers.
2. To introduce students to Greek mythology through theatre.
3. To create a forum where ideas concerning Greek mythology
may be shared.
4. To inspire students to learn more about Greek History.
Maryland State Curriculum Connectors
Fine Arts Content Standards in THEATRE
2.0 Historical, Cultural, and Social Context: Students will demonstrate an understanding
of the history, traditions, and conventions of theatre, dramatic texts, and other literature
of the theatre.
1. Express a broad range of human responses to a variety of stimuli
a. Identify ways in which theatre communicates feelings and ideas and reflects
human experience by comparing dramatic texts from a variety of cultures
b. Identify how oral storytelling traditions reflect the beliefs and values of a given
culture
Reading Standard 3.0: Comprehension of Literary Text
Students will read, comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate literary texts.
Vocabulary
Aphrodite: goddess of love and
beauty
Apollo: god of the sun, skilled
musician
Ares: god of war
Artemis: goddess of the moon
Athene: goddess of wisdom and
war
Demeter: goddess of earth and
harvest
Dionysus: god of wine and the
theater
Hades: god of the Underworld
Hera: wife of Zeus, queen of the
gods
Hermes: messenger god
Pandora: first woman, is given a
box by Zeus
Poseidon: god of the ocean
Zeus: king of the gods, ruler of
Olympus
Atlanta: a human heroine, killed
the Caldonian Boar
Centaur: a mythical creature;
half man, half horse
Chimera: a mythical creature
with the head of a lion,
middle of a goat, tail of a poisonous snake
Cyclops: one-eyed giant
Gorgon: a dragon-like creature
with wings who turned
people to stone
Griffin: a creature with the body
of a lion, and head and
wings of an eagle
Hydra: nine-headed monster
Minotaur: half bull, half human
Odysseus: fought in the Trojan
War, hero in The Odyssey
Perseus: cut off head of Medusa
Theseus: hero of Athens, killed
the Minotaur
Chariot: a two-wheeled, horsedrawn vehicle
Chiton: a garment worn by men
and women
Lyre: a stringed instrument, similar to a harp
River Styx: river of the unbreakable oath by which the
gods swear; the river of death
List of Resources

Favorite Greek Myths by
Mary Pope Osborne

Illustrated Guide to Greek
Myths Legends by Cheryl
Evens and Anne Millard

The Wanderings of Odysseus: the Story of The Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliff

The MacMillan Book of
Greek Gods and Heroes by
Alice Low
Post-Performance Activities
1. Use the Vocabulary Resource Sheet to define and discuss key
concepts from the program.
2. Use the Venn Diagram Handout: Ask students to compare and
contrast myths from Ancient Greece vs. Folktales from America.
3. Ideas/Questions for Discussion:
A. How are the stories from Ancient Greece similar to our
folktales?
B. How did Actor Seth Reichgott convey the monsters in the
myths? How did he portray the supernatural elements?
4. Ideas for Follow Up Activities
A. Have the students draw a picture (or create a diorama) depicting their favorite scene from a Greek myth. Then have
them present their work to the class explaining what made it
their favorite scene
B. Ask students to imagine and write about a personal encounter they could have had with an Ancient Greek God.
They could begin by describing something that really happened, or they could make up all aspects of the story. After
writing have them illustrate the tale.
Websites:
http://
www.greekmythology.com/
http://www.mythweb.com/
http://www.chariotusa.com/
Contact YAMD for more information about this and other programs · 410.837.7577 · www.yamd.org
Vocabulary Resource Sheet
Seth Reichgott
“Chariot of the Sun”
Aphrodite: ________________________________________________________
Apollo: ___________________________________________________________
Ares: _____________________________________________________________
Artemis:__________________________________________________________
Athene: __________________________________________________________
Demeter: ________________________________________________________
Dionysus: ________________________________________________________
Hades: ___________________________________________________________
Hera: ____________________________________________________________
Hermes: __________________________________________________________
Pandora: _________________________________________________________
Poseidon: ________________________________________________________
Zeus: ____________________________________________________________
Atlanta: __________________________________________________________
Centaur: _________________________________________________________
Chimera: ________________________________________________________
Cyclops: _________________________________________________________
Gorgon: ________________________________________________________
Griffin: ___________________________________________________________
Hydra: ___________________________________________________________
Minotaur: _________________________________________________________
Odysseus: ________________________________________________________
Perseus: ___________________________________________________________
Theseus: __________________________________________________________
Chariot: ___________________________________________________________
Chiton: ____________________________________________________________
Lyre: ______________________________________________________________
River Styx: ________________________________________________________
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________
Post-Performance Activity: Seth Reichgott — “Chariot of the Sun”
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________