Download Study Guide - Players Guild Theatre

Study Guide
For teachers’ classroom use
1001 Market Ave. N. Canton, OH 44702 330.453.7619
Professional Staff
Producing Artistic Director
Joshua Erichson
Dear Educator,
Thank you for your student matinee ticket order to The Players Guild Theatre’s
production of A Christmas Carol. This is The Players Guild Theatre’s 33rd pro-
Director of Development/Finance
Beth Knox
Technical Director
Darryl Parson
Director of Education & Events
Becky DeHart
Guest Services Manager
Courtney Vignos
duction of A Christmas Carol and our 83rd year in operation.
In our production, Dickens’ ghostly story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the emotional journey towards his redemption is told through soul-stirring melodies and a
soaring score. Elaborate sets and lavish costumes will transport you and your
students back to Victorian London as Dickens’ tale fills you with the Christmas
spirit.
The Players Guild Theatre is proud to provide you with the finest in local thea-
Resident Costume Designer
George McCarty II
tre. We are excited that you will be coming to see us and we welcome your
input on how best to support your classroom preparation for our work.
Thank you for sharing in this wonderful Canton tradition and for supporting the
arts in our community.
Regards,
Becky DeHart
Director of Education & Events
[email protected]
Theatre Etiquette
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Arrive to the theatre on time.
Visit the restroom before the performance begins.
Turn off your cell phone.
Pay attention to the announcements that are made prior to the show about the rules of the theatre and the location of fire exits.
Don’t speak during the performance.
Remember that the overture (introductory music) in musical theatre is part of the performance, so
be quiet when it begins.
Do not take pictures during the performance. It can be very distracting to the actors on stage and
potentially cause a mishap.
Remain in your seat for the entire performance. If you must leave, in an emergency, wait for an
appropriate break in the show. It is rude to get up in the middle of a quiet moment; rude to the
actors and to your fellow audience members. You will only be allowed to re-enter the theatre during applause or at the end of the act.
Do not eat or drink in the theatre.
Do not put your feet up on the seats and do not kick the seat in front of you.
Don’t put or throw anything on the stage.
DO laugh if you find the performance to be funny.
DO applaud when it is appropriate during the performance.
DO applaud when the performance is over - this tells the cast & crew that you appreciate their
work.
DO stand and applaud if you thought the show was really great. This is called a standing ovation.
Theatre Terms
Actor - person who performs the play on stage
Apron - the portion of the stage that is outside the proscenium arch (also called the thrust)
Director - person charged with the overall interpretation of a dramatic work, who conducts rehearsals,
blocks the action (tells actors where & when to move), and assists the actors in developing their characters
Front of House - the part of the theatre where the audience is seated
House - used to describe the audience or as a short way of saying “front of house”
House Manager - person who ensures that the audience members are seated in their appropriate places
by the time the play is to start; ensures that the play starts on time by communicating with the stage
manager
Pit - an area at the front of the house, usually sunken, where the musicians and conductor work during a
show
Properties (Props) - all the items used in a play or musical to help tell the story, not including scenery or
costumes
Proscenium Arch - the frame of the entire stage
Scenery - everything on stage (except props) used to represent the place at which action is occurring
Stage Manager - person who manages the stage & backstage during rehearsals and performances; responsible for running the entire show from opening curtain to final curtain call (ensures actors are in their
places, props & scenery are properly placed, and light & sound are coming in at the right time)
Mini Plot
Ebenezer Scrooge is a penny-pinching miser in the first degree. He cares nothing for the people around
him and believes that mankind exists only for the money that can be made through exploitation and intimidation. He particularly detests Christmas, which he views as ‘a time for finding yourself a year older and
not an hour richer’. Scrooge is visited, on Christmas Eve, by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley,
who died seven Christmas Eves ago.
Marley, a miser from the same mold as Scrooge, is suffering the consequences of his miserly ways in the
afterlife and hopes to help Scrooge avoid his fate. He tells Scrooge that he will be haunted by three spirits.
These three spirits, the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, succeed in showing Scrooge the error of his ways. His glorious reformation complete, Christmas morning finds Scrooge sending a Christmas
turkey to his long-suffering clerk, Bob Cratchit, and spending Christmas day in the company of his nephew,
Fred, whom he earlier scorned.
Scrooge’s newfound benevolence continues as he raises Bob Cratchit’s salary and vows to assist his family,
which includes Bob’s crippled son, Tiny Tim. In the end, Dickens reveals that Scrooge became ‘as good a
friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city knew’.
The Death of Tiny Tim
Of all the affecting scenes from A Christmas Carol, none touches the heart more than the death of the crippled Tiny Tim, foreshadowed to Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. This especially touched
Victorian readers. Large families and child mortality were common in the 19th century and many readers
may have suffered the loss of a child firsthand.
Michael Patrick Hearn, in his book The Annotated Christmas Carol, reports that one observer of a public
reading by Dickens of A Christmas Carol in Boston in 1867 noted that the passage of Tiny Tim’s death
“brought out so many pocket handkerchiefs that it looked as if a snow storm had somehow gotten into the
hall without tickets”.
Pre-Show Discussion
Charles Dickens
Born 1812 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England - died 1870 near Chatham, Kent, Dickens is generally considered the greatest English novelist of the Victorian era. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity than had
any previous author during his lifetime. Much in his work could appeal to simple and sophisticated, to
the poor and to the queen. The range, compassion, and intelligence of his apprehension of his society
and its shortcomings enriched his novels and made him both one of the great forces in 19th century literature and an influential spokesman of the conscience of his age.
His origins were middle class; one grandfather had been a domestic servant, and the other an embezzler.
His father, a clerk in the navy pay office, was well paid, but his extravagance and ineptitude often brought
the family to financial embarrassment or disaster. Charles’ schooling, interrupted and unimpressive, ended at 15. He became a clerk in a solicitor’s office, then a shorthand reporter in the law courts, and finally,
like other members of his family, a parliamentary and newspaper reporter.
Much drawn to the theatre, Dickens nearly became a professional actor in 1832. In 1833 he began contributing stories and descriptive essays to magazines and newspapers; these attracted attention and were
reprinted as Sketches by “Boz” (February 1836). The same month, he was invited to provide a comic serial narrative to accompany engravings by a well-known artist; seven weeks later the first installment of
Pickwick Papers appeared. Within a few months Pickwick was the rage and Dickens the most popular author of the day.
Dickens began work on A Christmas Carol in October of 1843 and was published during the holiday season of that year. It was the most successful book of the 1843 holiday season, and by Christmas it had
sold six thousand copies. Eight stage adaptions were in production within two months of the book’s publication.
A Christmas Carol is as popular today as it was over 150 years ago. Charles Dickens, through the voice of
Scrooge, continues to urge us to honor Christmas in our hearts and try to keep it throughout the year.
Themes of A Christmas Carol
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The Christmas Spirit - Above all, A Christmas Carol is a celebration of Christmas and the good it inspires. At Christmas time, people forget their petty disputes, selfish tendencies, and workaholic schedules in favor of friendship, charity and celebration. Several representatives of these virtues stand out
in Dickens’ cast. Fred is a model of good cheer, while Fezziwig adds to this the dimensions of being a
tremendous friend and generous employer. Tiny Tim’s courage and selflessness, in the face of his ill
health, are also noteworthy, as is the loving nature of the entire Cratchit family. Scrooge learns the
lessons of the Christmas spirit through his visions of Christmas past, present and future; in each he
sees either the ill effects his miserly nature has wrought or the good tidings that others bring about
through their love and kindness.
Pre-Show Discussion
(Themes of A Christmas Carol continued)
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Redemption and Free Will - The greatest pleasure in A Christmas Carol is watching Scrooge’s transformation from money-pinching grouch to generous gentleman. His redemption, a major motif in Christian art, is made possible through free will. While Scrooge is shown visions of the future, he states that
they are only visions of things that “may” be, not what “will” be. He has the power to change the future with his present actions, and Dickens tries to impart this sense of free will to the reader; if
Scrooge can change, then so can anyone.
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Critique of Victorian Society - Dickens blames the huge class stratification of Victorian England on the
selfishness of the rich and, implicitly, on the Poor Laws that keep down the underclass. Scrooge is the
obvious symbol of the greedy Victorian rich, while the Cratchits represent the working poor. But Dickens goes beyond sentimental portraits and reveals the underbelly of the city. Even in the scene of the
thieving workers divvying up the dead Scrooge’s possessions, the accountability for their actions is put
on Scrooge; had he not been such a miser, they would not have resorted to stealing from him. When
the children of Ignorance and Want crawl out from under the robes of the Ghost of Christmas Present,
the ghost sends a message to Scrooge, and the same is given to the Victorian reader: to help out those
in Want, and beware of Ignorance in oneself and others.
Vocabulary
Apparition - an unusual or unexpected sight, a ghostly figure
Benevolence - disposition to do good; an act of kindness; a generous gift
Carol - a song associated with Christmas; from the medieval (14th century) French work ‘carole’ which originally meant a circle dance; the word could have also been derived from the Latin ‘choraula’ (choral song)
Crown - British coin equal to five shillings (no longer in use)
Ha’ penny - British unit of money equal to half a penny
Humbug - nonsense; especially something designed to be deceptive or misleading
Mistletoe - a type of plant with green leaves and white berries; according to Christmas tradition, if you
meet someone under the mistletoe, you are obligated to kiss them
Shilling - British unit of money circa 1840-1912; British pennies or “pence”
Transformation - a complete or major change in someone’s or something’s appearance, form, etc.
Workhouse - a place where poor people or those guilty of minor crimes (usually owing money) were sent
and forced to work as their punishment
Notable Characters
Ebenezer Scrooge - Scrooge is a cold, miserly creditor whose redemption to kindness and selflessness forms
the arc of A Christmas Carol. Scrooge neglects the poor and thinks only of his own well-being.
Bob Cratchit - Scrooge’s overworked employee, a timid man afraid to stand up to his boss’ demanding ways.
He is the father of a family who is poor in wealth but rich in love.
Mrs. Cratchit - Bob’s loving wife and mother of his five children, who feels very certain Bob is being mistreated and underpaid by Mr. Scrooge.
Tiny Tim - Bob Cratchit’s crippled son, Tiny Tim represents goodness and love.
Jacob Marley - Scrooge’s old business partner, Marley appears to Scrooge as a ghost to warn him about the
dangers of his obsession with money.
Ghost of Christmas Past - The first Christmas ghost to visit Scrooge, this ghost takes Scrooge back to impacting moments of his past that may help him be redeemed.
Ghost of Christmas Present - A larger than life ghost that represents the present, who has 1800 brothers and
a life span of one day. He represents celebration and charity.
Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come - This solemn, silent spirit represents death, but also the possibility that future is not determined, but open to the free will of humans.
Fan - Scrooge’s older sister who dies giving birth to her only son, Fred. Scrooge loved his sister very much
and her death impacted his life very negatively.
Fred - Scrooge’s nephew who refuses to let Scrooge’s ‘Bah Humbug’ attitude bring down his spirit. Fred
would love to have his uncle to dinner for the holidays, in spite of his uncle’s attitude, and is overjoyed when
his uncle attends his party in the conclusion of the musical.
Elizabeth - Fred’s lovely wife who does not like Scrooge’s disposition or the way he treats Fred.
Mr. Fezziwig - A robust older gentleman who was Scrooge’s boss.
Mrs. Fezziwig - The loving and jolly wife of Mr. Fezziwig.
Dick Wilkins - Scrooge’s best friend and fellow apprentice. He later marries Belle after Scrooge surrenders to
his obsession with money and success, causing a lack of attention and love to both Dick and Belle.
Belle - The love of Scrooge’s life who breaks up with him because of his greed and love of money. She believes Scrooge has found another love, an idol - money. Belle feels money and power have replaced the love
they once had.
Mrs. Dibler - Scrooge’s underpaid and underappreciated house keeper.
During the Musical
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Listen for vocabulary words
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Notice how the actors create their characters. How do they walk? Do they speak with a proper English
accent or are they using Cockney slang? What is the difference?
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Identify how the costumes inform you about a character. Are they rich or poor? How can you tell?
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Look for props as you are watching the play. Notice how they support the actors in their characters and
the plot. Identify a few props that are personal props (those props used only by one character) and
those that are used to support the plot or story of the musical.
Post-Show Discussion
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Discuss the theatrical elements of the performance.
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How did the costumes, set design, music, and other elements enhance the story?
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How did the costumes help to make the actors look like different characters?
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What did the actors do to aid in their character development (change their voices, accents, movements)?
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When did the character of Scrooge first appear? What did you think of him? What elements of his
characterization led you to this conclusion?
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Did your opinion of Scrooge change at any point throughout the musical? If so, when? Why?
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Is it ever too late for someone to change their ways? Has anything ever happened to make you change
your views?
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What did the characters in A Christmas Carol do to celebrate the holidays?
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Why are the Cratchits so content with so little?
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Why is Scrooge so miserable despite his wealth?
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What reminded Scrooge of the importance of family?
Activities
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Have students write their own ending to A Christmas Carol, starting from the point at which Scrooge
meets the first ghost. Read essays aloud or split up into groups and act them out. Compare each students’ or groups’ ending.
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Have students write a version of A Christmas Carol set in modern times.
Quiz
Which of the spirits does not speak to Scrooge?
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The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
The Ghost of Christmas Past
The Ghost of Christmas Present
All of the spirits speak to Scrooge
What is Jacob Marley forced to drag about as a result of his sinful life?
 A huge safe full of lead
 An ox cart piled with gold
 Heavy chains forged from ledgers and lockboxes
 A cross made of gold
Why does Scrooge like darkness?
 It helps him sleep
 It helps him to forget his past
 It hides the ghosts from his eyes
 It is cheap
Who is in the grave shown to Scrooge by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?
 Ebenezer Scrooge
 Jacob Marley
 Bob Cratchit
 Tiny Tim
In what year was A Christmas Carol written?
 1830
 1837
 1843
 1846
Why does Belle end her engagement to Scrooge?
 Because she falls in love with Fred
 Because Scrooge is too poor for her
 Because Scrooge is consumed by greed
To whom does Scrooge send the Christmas turkey?
 Fred
 Belle
 The Cratchits
 Jacob Marley
Which character utters the famous words, “God bless us, everyone”?
 Tiny Tim
 Bob Cratchit
 Scrooge
 The Ghost of Christmas Present
About The Players Guild Theatre
The Players Guild Theatre was founded in 1932 by Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Truxton, who were committed to
fostering a lifelong appreciation of the arts among citizens in our community. The Players Guild Theatre is
recognized as one of the oldest continually operating volunteer-based theatres in the nation.
After the first three seasons, The Players Guilds productions had drawn enough community interest to
warrant a change in facility. The Players Guild arranged to rent facilities at Lincoln High School. However,
by 1940, The Players Guilds members became anxious to give the organization a home of its own. Coincidentally, at that time, The Case Mansion was purchased by Frederick Preyer who deeded it to the Canton Art Institute with the provision that the mansion’s Coach House be rented to The Players Guild at a
dollar a year. On February 4, 1942, the new Players Guild home was dedicated with the performance of
Village Green.
Despite capital improvements made to the Coach House by the Guild, the audiences outgrew the space
by the Guild’s third decade. On December 13, 1970, The Players Guild reached another milestone with
the dedication of the Cultural Center for the Arts and the establishment of a new theatre. Complete with
offices and shop facilities, the Guild opened the new facility with a production of Mame on January 5,
1971.
Throughout its history, the Players Guild has produced over 600 productions for more than 2,000,000 audience members spanning several generations. Today the theatre is operated by a professional staff and a
Board of Directors and presents world-class productions and outreach opportunities for our community.
“Charles Dickens”. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/
topic/162141/Charles-Dickens>.
“Top Theater Etiquette Guide for Kids of All Ages”. Musical Theatre Kids Online. Copyright 2007-2013. <http://www.musical-theatre-kids.com/theater-etiquette.html>.
“A Christmas Carol Themes”. GradeSaver. 2013. <http://www.gradesaver.com/a-christmas-carol/study-guide/major-themes/>.
“SparkNotes: A Christmas Carol: Quiz”. SparkNotes. Web. 2013. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/christmascarol/quiz.html>.