Download The 39 Steps - Western Canada Theatre

 Thank you for participating in Western Canada Theatre’s matinee programming! We would like you and your students to get the most out of your experience with us. Included in this package is some inside information exclusive to teachers and students, discussion questions, classroom activities, and online resources. We hope you find them useful before and after seeing the show. Please take a few minutes to review appropriate theatre etiquette with your students. While clapping and laughing are most appropriate for the theatre, whispering, talking, and excessive movement during the show is distracting to others in the audience and our actors on stage. Audience members are encouraged to get comfortable, remove coats, use the washroom and turn all electronic devices OFF before a show begins. Please remind your students that texting is not allowed during the show. Remembering theatre etiquette makes the show more enjoyable for everyone! The 39 Steps
A Study Guide
Production Personnel ............................................................................................................. 1 Cast .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Creative Team .................................................................................................................................. 1 Western Canada Theatre Staff ................................................................................................ 2 Behind the Scenes .................................................................................................................. 3 The Creators ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Play Synopsis .................................................................................................................................... 6 Characters ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Glossary of Terms ............................................................................................................................. 8 An Interview with Kirk Smith .......................................................................................................... 10 Activities in the Classroom .................................................................................................... 12 Activity #1 – A Preshow Activity: London in the 1930’s ................................................................... 12 Activity #2 – A Preshow Activity: Reading Up on Crime Fiction ....................................................... 13 Activity #3 – Exploring Comedy ...................................................................................................... 15 Activity #4 – Creating a Pastiche ..................................................................................................... 21 Activity #5 – Creating Characters .................................................................................................... 24 Activity #6 – Post-­‐Show Discussion ................................................................................................. 25 Resources Used .................................................................................................................... 26 Production Personnel
Cast
Jay Hindle Tess Degenstein Andy Curtis Kirk Smith Richard Hanney Annabella Schmidt/Pamela/Margaret Clown Clown Director Set Designer Costume Designer Sound Designer Lighting Designer Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Apprentice Stage Manager Creative Team
Glynis Leyshon Ross Nichol Marian Truscott Paul Tedeschini Gerald King Sarah Wallin Skylar Nakazawa Christine Leroux 1 Western Canada Theatre Staff
Daryl Cloran Lori Marchand Administration
Ron Thompson Marilyn Zuke Catrina Crowe Coby Fulton Bryce Herman Alexis Tuytten Terri Runnalls Sylvia Gropp Production
Ross Nichol Heather Cant Gal Minnes Brian St-­‐Amand Cindy Wiebe Andrew Wallace Jungyeon Ji Darren John Roya Mole Joel Eccleston Facilities
Heather Regan Jean Choi Allison Clow Phyllis Mader Carling Ryan Melissa Thomas Kamloops Live Box
Office
Janet Riggs Judy Day Geraldine Penny 2 Artistic Director General Manager Financial Manager Associate Financial Manager Marketing & Communications Director Director of Development Fundraiser and Marketing Consultant Special Events & Fund Development Coordinator Education Coordinator Special Events and Administration Assistant Production Manager Associate Artistic Director Production Technical Director Sagebrush Technical Director Head of Wardrobe Head of Carpentry Head of Properties Technician Technician Technician Facilities Manager Volunteer Coordinator Guest Services Guest Services Guest Services Guest Services Box Office Manager Box Office Staff Box Office Staff Behind the Scenes
The Creators
John Buchan
Before it was a play, The 39 Steps was a film by Alfred Hitchcock based on the novel written in 1915 by Scottish author John Buchan. Buchan was an avid reader and writer from a young age and began publishing poetry and historical pieces to pay his way through school. By the end of his distinguished career he had published over 100 works, but The Thirty-­‐Nine Steps has remained his most well-­‐known and appreciated book. In 1914 war had broken out in England, but Buchan, who fell ill and was bed-­‐ridden for several months, was unable to join the army. He instead used the time of quiet solitude to write The Thirty-­‐Nine Steps, which was published the following year, became an instant success, and has never since been out of print. In addition to his successful career as an author, Buchan was a prominent Scottish historian and an esteemed politician, earning himself the title of Lord Tweedsmuir, Governor-­‐General of Canada. He passed away in 1940 after seeing his most well-­‐known story made into the popular Hitchcock film in 1935. A John Buchan Centre and The John Buchan Society now exist to honour his lifetime of achievements. 3 Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock was born August 13, 1899, in London, the son of a London poultry dealer. In 1920 he began to work in the motion-­‐picture industry, designing silent movie title cards for the Famous Players-­‐Lasky Company. Within a few years he had become a scenario writer and an assistant director, and he directed his first film in 1925. In 1926 he directed The Lodger, a silent film about a family who mistakenly suspect their roomer to be Jack the Ripper. This film began Hitchcock's iconic thriller career. During the 1930s he directed classic suspense films like The Man Who Knew Too Much and The 39 Steps. In 1939 Hitchcock left England for Hollywood, where his film, Rebecca, won an Academy Award for Best Picture. During the next thirty years, Hitchcock would go on to produce and direct some of the most popular films of all time, including Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, and Vertigo. The 1960s saw the release of some of Hitchcock's most famous films, including Psycho and The Birds. Hitchcock produced two popular American television series in the 1950s and '60s, which he introduced and sometimes directed. His name also appeared on a series of mystery-­‐story anthologies. He received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award in 1979 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1980. Alfred Hitchcock died April 29, 1980 in his Bel Air, California home. He was 80 years old. I am to provide the public with beneficial shocks. -­‐Alfred Hitchcock, on his mission in life 4 Patrick Barlow
Patrick Barlow was born on March 18, 1947. He is an English actor, comedian and playwright. Patrick Barlow is probably best known in the UK for his hilarious two-­‐man National Theatre of Brent, which has become a legend in British theatre, television and radio. Their comedy epics include Zulu, The Charles and Diana Story and Messiah. They have won two Sony Gold Awards, a Premier Ondas Award for Best European Comedy and the New York Festival Gold Award for Best Comedy. Screen and theatre acting credits include: Wind in the Willows, Absolutely Fabulous, Clatterford, Shakespeare in Love, Notting Hill, The Diary of Bridget Jones, and Nanny McPhee. Patrick Barlow wrote a stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, which premiered in June 2005 at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. After revision, the play opened in London in 2006. The play has also been performed on Broadway since early 2008, in Australia in April 2008 and in Wellington, New Zealand in July 2009 and in Bancroft, Ontario by Blackfly Theatre in July 2011. The 39 Steps won Mr. Barlow a London Olivier Award and Whatsonstage Award for Best New Comedy in the UK. His Broadway adaptation received 6 Tony Award nominations, winning 2 for Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design. The play also won the Drama Desk Award, Unique Theatrical Experience. In his foreword to the script, adaptor Patrick Barlow says: “One of the thrilling things about writing this was the challenge of putting an entire movie on stage, complete with film noir murders, shootings, train chases, plane crashes, heavies in fast cars, villains with little fingers missing, not to mention some of the most classic moments in the history of cinema. There is much opportunity for comedy and satire here. But it is also a love story. A man and a woman who have never loved anyone, yet miraculously – through all the adventure and hanging from bridges and clinging to trains and escaping from villains – discover the beating of their own true hearts. 5 Play Synopsis
Richard Hannay is at a London theatre, attending a demonstration of the remarkable powers of "Mr. Memory", a man with a photographic memory, when a fight breaks out and shots are fired. In the ensuing panic, he finds himself holding a frightened Annabella Schmidt, who talks him into taking her back to his flat. There, she tells him that she is a spy, being chased by assassins out to kill her. She claims to have uncovered a plot to steal vital British military secrets, implemented by a man with the top joint missing from one of his fingers, head of an espionage organisation called the "39 Steps". The next day, Hannay wakes up to find her dead, stabbed with his bread knife. He sneaks out of the flat disguised as a milkman and takes a train to Scotland, where she had told him she was going to find the man. On the train, he sees the police on his trail. In desperation, he enters a compartment and kisses the sole occupant, the attractive Pamela, in an attempt to escape detection. She, however, manages to free herself from his unwanted embrace and betrays him to the law. He jumps from the train onto the Forth Rail Bridge and escapes. He stays the night with a poor older farmer and his young wife who flirts with Hannay. The next morning, he leaves in the farmer's Sunday coat and calls at the house the woman had told him of. There he finds the man with the missing finger-­‐joint, the seemingly respectable Professor Jordan, who shoots him after a brief conversation and leaves him for dead. Luckily, the bullet fails to penetrate the farmer's prayer-­‐book, left in a coat pocket, and Hannay flees once more. He goes to the police, but they refuse to accept his story, since they know Jordan well. Hannay jumps through a window and escapes into the crowd. He tries to hide himself in a political meeting, but is mistaken for the keynote speaker; he gives a rousing impromptu speech (without knowing a thing about the candidate he is introducing), but is recognised by Pamela, who gives him up once more. They are handcuffed together and taken away by "policemen". Hannay eventually realizes they are agents of the conspiracy when they bypass the nearest police station. When the car is forced to stop, he escapes, dragging an unwilling Pamela along. They travel cross country, and stay the night at an inn, Pamela still not believing Hannay's story. While he sleeps, she slips out of the handcuffs, but then eavesdrops on one of the fake policemen on the telephone downstairs; the conversation confirms Hannay's assertions. She returns to the room and sleeps on a sofa. Next morning, she tells him what she heard and is sent to London to pass it on to the police. No secrets have been reported missing however, so they do nothing to help. Instead, they follow her to get to Hannay. 6 Pamela leads them to Mr. Memory's show at the London Palladium, where the police close in on the fugitive. When the performer is introduced, Hannay recognizes his theme music -­‐ it's the annoyingly catchy tune he hasn't been able to forget for days. Hannay puts two and two together and realises that Mr. Memory is how the spies are smuggling the secrets out: he has them memorized. As the police take him into custody, he shouts out a question about the 39 Steps. When Mr. Memory compulsively begins to answer, Jordan shoots him and tries to flee, but is apprehended. The dying Mr. Memory recites the information stored in his brain, a design for silent aircraft, and Hannay and Pamela stroll off, hand in hand. Characters
In Patrick Barlow’s play adaptation, 4 actors – 3 men and 1 woman – play all the roles. The hero, Richard Hannay, is played by one man throughout. The roles of Annabella, Pamela and Margaret are played by the woman in the cast. All the other characters, approximately 100, are played by the two other men in the cast. Below are brief descriptions of the main characters in THE 39 STEPS. Richard Hannay is the hapless hero of the play. An ordinary man who has led a pretty hum-­‐
drum existence, finds himself fleeing from the wrongful accusation of murder through a series of improbable adventures as he is pursued by the authorities. Anabella Schmitt is the beautiful, mysterious woman Richard Hannay meets at a London theatre. Pamela is the attractive woman Hannay meets on the train to Scotland as he runs from the police who are hot on his trail. Margaret is the wife of the farmer who invites Hannay to stay the night at their cottage. She flirts with her houseguest, enraging her husband, and helps our hero to get away when the police are at the door. Compere is the Master of Ceremonies at the London theatre show Hannay attends. Mr. Memory is the star of the London show – a gifted man who Compere describes: “Every day Mr. Memory commits to memory fifty new facts and remembers every one of them.” His performance demonstrates his amazing skill, a photographic memory. 7 Professor Jordan is described by Annabella Schmitt as an Englishman living in a grand house at Alt-­‐na-­‐shellach in Scotland. She believes that he holds the secret of The 39 Steps containing top secret and highly confidential information crucial to the safety of the country. Glossary of Terms
Liverish: unhappy Tanganyika: an East African territory made up of Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania until the 1960s Bulawayo: a city of Zimbabwe in Africa WC1: a postcode district in central London Buffers: British slang for foolish, incompetent people The West End: an area of central London containing many major tourist attractions and businesses Wunderbar: German for wonderful Blimey: British slang used to express one‘s excitement or alarm Forth bridge: a suspension bridge in east central Scotland Bunk: British slang, to absent oneself from; i.e: I can‘t stand math class. I think I‘ll bunk it today! Lavatory: British word for bathroom BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation; the largest broadcasting network in the world Constable: a person holding a particular office, most often in law enforcement Corker: a remarkable or outstanding person or thing Itinerant: a person who travels from place to place with no fixed home Loch: “lake” in Scotland Pusillanimous: showing a lack of courage or determination; timid Box bed: a box spring for a mattress 8 Harris Tweed: a loosely woven tweed used for clothing made in the Outer Hebrides Mein Liebling: German for my dear Scotland Yard: the detective department of the metropolitan police force of London Rob Roy McAlistair: a famous Scottish folk hero and outlaw of the early 18th century, who is also known as the Scottish Robin Hood Vertigo: a type of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary Manacles: a device for confining the hands; similar to handcuffs Madame Tussauds: a wax museum in London, with branches in other popular cities Piccadilly Circus: a famous road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 9 An Interview with Kirk Smith
Kirk will be playing one of the Clowns in Western Canada Theatre’s The 39 Steps. How long have you been a professional actor? I've been a professional for about eight years, but there were are lot of years working up to that. How many WCT productions have you been a part of? This will be my 10th Mainstage show. I grew up in Kamloops, so I feel pretty fortunate to get to come back and work in my home town so often. How do you prepare to play over 30 characters? The same way I would prepare for one character, 30 times. One thing is that there are a lot of Scottish people in this play, so I will be listening to a lot of clips of people with Scottish accents. Basically, I'm making a list of all of the characters and writing little descriptions of each one, both from the outside and their own point of view. How do you plan on distinguishing each character apart from the other? There are so many ways that people are different, including the way they talk, the way they move, whether they make eye contact or not. Most of all, all of the characters are written with different wants and needs, and they go about achieving them in different ways. If you figure out what those are from the writing and try to portray them honestly, then it will come across to the audience. How is your approach to playing several characters, differ from researching a solo character performance? I basically think of it as doing a bunch of short plays. You just have to remember what order they happen in. However, you always have to think of how your character serves the story, and make sure that everyone seems like they're in the same play. That also falls on the director's shoulders because they get to watch it from the outside. You have been in WCT’s following comedies: Noises Off, The Importance of Being Earnest and Boeing, Boeing, to name a few. What do you enjoy about performing in a comedy? How does it differ from a more serious role? Are your preparations different? 10 I love that you get the instant feedback of laughter while you're doing a comedy. Sometimes, when you're doing a drama, people are paying just as much attention and enjoying it as much, but they aren't vocal about it. It's also nice to know that you've had a chance to make a bunch of people laugh, because sometimes we don't laugh enough in our day-­‐to-­‐day lives. Preparing for a comedy isn't necessarily that much different from preparing for a drama. Things like timing are very important in both. One of the best things I've heard about good farce and comedy is that the characters don't know that they're in a comedy. You have to fully believe in what you're doing and that your life depends on it. If you're laughing at yourself or thinking that the situation is funny, then it won't be funny for the audience. You can't be thinking "Look at me, I'm falling down the stairs." You should be thinking "Holy crap, where did those stairs come from. I need to get up and save the day." Also, some cardio workouts don't hurt because comedy can be quite an athletic feat. Do you have a favourite pastiche? Do you have a pastiche (or a character within a pastiche) that you look to when performing comedic characters? And if so, why does it (or they) resonate with you? (see Activity 4 for more details on Pastiche). A great example of pastiche, and my favourite pastiche makers, are the comedy troupe Monty Python, particularly their movie Monty Python's Search For The Holy Grail. The movie is a great sendup of historical dramas, quest stories and the movie business. All of their work is so full of amazing characters and has a great balance of slapstick comedy and extremely intelligent writing. That movie, and their sketch comedy show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, were the first things that got me excited about comedy, and I loved listening to all of the unique accents and character work. It's amazing how affectionately they were able to create these characters that were just exaggerations of people you would see in everyday life. They were also an example how you can be totally silly while being completely serious. I often think of their work when embarking on my own. 11 Activities in the Classroom
Activity #1 – A Preshow Activity: London in the 1930’s
Curriculum Connections
Social Studies Drama Arts Education Language Arts Identity, Society and Culture, Application of Social Studies Historical and Aesthetic Context Social and Cultural Context Oral Language, Reading and Viewing, Speaking and Listening As the play opens we meet our hero, Richard Hannay. He says: “London. 1935. August. I’d been back three months in the old country and frankly wondering why. The weather made me liverish, no exercise to speak of and the talk of the ordinary Englishman made me sick. I’d had enough of restaurants and parties and race meetings… “ The 39 Steps is set in England in 1935. The Great Depression had hit areas hard, and life was very different than we know it today. Prior to seeing the play, have your class research what life was like in London in the 1930’s. Students can research this on their own and submit a paragraph or more, or for a more interesting and creative option, have them tackle one or more of the topics below in small groups. Groups can then choose to present their information in a creative manner. Topics below could be shown to the class as a drawing, sculpture, diorama, short skit or creative presentation that could include photos, artifacts and the like. Determine how large you wish to make this activity and how much time you have to work on it. This will help determine how intricate your presentations can become. Topics of Interest Employment and Unemployment Industrial Towns and Country Incomes Pound Causes of Poverty Social Class Health Radio Sports and Hobbies Religion 12 Business and Industry Communities Expenditures and the Value of the British The Effects of the Great Depression Housing Clothing and Fashion Cars and Transportation Education Newsreels and Movies Activity #2 – A Preshow Activity: Reading Up on Crime Fiction
Curriculum Connections
Language Arts Arts Education Reading and Viewing Context The 39 Steps, the play, was adapted from an Alfred Hitchcock feature film. This film was an adaption of a book written by John Buchan in 1915. The book was not humorous in nature and is considered to be a type of crime fiction. Crime fiction has been around for many decades, but has only been considered a serious genre since the early 1900s. Edgar Allan Poe is considered the catalyst for real crime fiction with his work The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Demand for crime fiction was not as high as hoped until Sir Arthur Conan Doyle began producing works featuring Sherlock Holmes. It is believed that these mysteries spiked the interest in crime fiction and ever since has become a major literary genre. There are several subcategories of crime fiction with each subcategory having slightly different themes. Some of these subcategories are: The Whodunit: This is usually a complex, plot driven form of crime fiction. Clues are provided along the way in order for the main character, and the reader, to solve a mystery. Police Procedurals: This subcategory follows the police force as they investigate and solve crimes. While most crime fictions follow one crime, many police procedurals follow multiple crimes. Spy Thriller: These stories incorporate espionage and secret agents. Criminal Novels: These stories are told from the point of view of the criminals, providing a completely different experience for the reader. The 39 Steps, the book, is a prime example of a spy thriller. The rise of this type of crime novel arose from the establishment of government intelligence agencies such as the CIA and became especially popular during World War I. John Buchan indeed set a standard for the spy novel, because he moved away from mere adventure and created characters that were believable and shared common moral attitudes with readers. Spy novels usually have similar themes and characteristics, including the following: Disguise: Heroes and villains commonly camouflage their identity for various reasons, including gaining information about a crime or mystery 13 Hero on the Run: The hero runs away from the danger while still trying to save the girl/country/etc. Big Job: The hero must undertake a daunting task, even if they are not always qualified for it. Providence: The hero being in the right place at the right time in order to gain more information or to save the girl/ country/etc. Narrow Escapes: The hero finds himself or herself in a tight situation but is able to escape through trickery, physical strength or luck. The Chase: A fast paced chase which usually puts the hero in danger. Also known as the close call. Research other crime fiction subcategories and their characteristics. What else do you find? Where do we see crime fiction in our culture today? What films and television shows are crime fiction? What subcategory would they fit into? Why do you think the crime fiction genre is still so popular today? Discuss your answers with your classmates. 14 Activity #3 – Exploring Comedy
Curriculum Connections
Language Arts Arts Education Oral Language, Speaking and Listening Exploring and Creating, Drama Forms, Strategies and Skills A Brief History of Comedy on Stage The 39 Steps is filled with comedic conventions! For this and the following activity we will go over a brief history of some of the types of comedy that Barlow uses in his stage adaptation. These activities encourage your students to see comedy in some of its most classic forms. Commedia Dell’Arte and Lazzi The physical comedy in The 39 Steps traces its roots back hundreds of years to Italy in the 1500s and commedia dell’arte. Troupes of traveling performers would typically move about the Italian country side, putting on impromptu shows in each town they went to. These performances employed stock characters and mask work to tell stories. Throughout these stories, performers would insert a lazzi (pronounced “lat-­‐si”). According to scholar Luigi Riccoboni, lazzi are “the actions of Arlecchino or other masked characters when they interrupt a scene by their expressions of terror or by their fooleries” (Histoire Du Theatre Italien). In other words, lazzi are short comedic scenes that often had no correlation to the original story. For example, a lazzi might be one of the characters pretending to be a statue, only moving when the other performers on stage have their backs turned. These short scenes were often performed without words, the actors using broad, over exaggerated physicality to convey the story. This same kind of comedy can be seen in The 39 Steps. The two Clowns, who play 40 roles each throughout the show (often more than one character at a time) use specific, exaggerated physicality to become each character. The characters they create then interact with each other (and the other 2 performers) in short scenes. For example, the clowns play Mr. and Mrs. McGarrigle, as well as Heavy 1 and Heavy 2 simultaneously. These four characters have a scene together, meaning the actors must switch between accents, costumes, ages and even genders between lines. By making these characters larger than life these switches are manageable and believable for the audience and add to the stylized nature of the show. 15 Vaudeville At the turn of the century in America, a popular form of entertainment was vaudeville, made up of comedians, singers, plate spinners, ventriloquists, dancers, musicians, acrobats, animal trainers, and anyone who could keep an audience’s interest for more than three minutes. This kind of entertainment was also beloved in Britain, where it was often known as music hall. In America, such performers as Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Will Rogers, Bob Hope and Fanny Brice began as vaudeville performers. Even today, TV shows such as Late Night with David Letterman and Saturday Night Live continue the traditions of popular variety entertainment. Among the best-­‐known and loved American vaudeville performers are William (Bud) Abbott and Lou Costello. This comedy duo worked in radio, film and television. Their iconic and influential patter routine “Who’s on First?”, with its rapid-­‐fire word play and comprehension confusion, set the framework for many of their best known comedy bits. To get a sense of the style, divide students into pairs and have them work the following routine made famous by Abbott and Costello. Encourage them to move the scene quickly and pick up cues, while still speaking clearly in order to be understood. 16 This excerpt of Who’s On First? begins with Abbott telling Costello who will be playing the bases during a baseball game. The premise is that baseball players these days have very funny names, such a Who and What. Abbott: Well, let's see, we have on the bags, Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third...
Costello: That's what I want to find out.
Abbott: I say Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third.
Costello: Are you the manager?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: You gonna be the coach too?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: And you don't know the fellows' names?
Abbott: Well I should.
Costello: Well then who's on first?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: I mean the fellow's name.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The guy on first.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The first baseman.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The guy playing...
Abbott: Who is on first!
Costello: I'm asking YOU who's on first.
Abbott: That's the man's name.
Costello: That's who's name?
Abbott: Yes.
17 Costello: Well go ahead and tell me.
Abbott: That's it.
Costello: That's who?
Abbott: Yes.
PAUSE
Costello: Look, you gotta first baseman?
Abbott: Certainly.
Costello: Who's playing first?
Abbott: That's right.
Costello: When you pay off the first baseman every month, who gets the money?
Abbott: Every dollar of it.
Costello: All I'm trying to find out is the fellow's name on first base.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The guy that gets...
Abbott: That's it.
Costello: Who gets the money...
Abbott: He does, every dollar. Sometimes his wife comes down and collects it.
Costello: Who's wife?
Abbott: Yes.
PAUSE
Abbott: What's wrong with that?
Costello: Look, all I wanna know is when you sign up the first baseman, how does he sign his name?
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The guy.
Abbott: Who.
18 Costello: How does he sign...
Abbott: That's how he signs it.
Costello: Who?
Abbott: Yes.
PAUSE
Costello: All I'm trying to find out is what's the guy's name on first base.
Abbott: No. What is on second base.
Costello: I'm not asking you who's on second.
Abbott: Who's on first.
Costello: One base at a time!
Abbott: Well, don't change the players around.
Costello: I'm not changing nobody!
Abbott: Take it easy, buddy.
Costello: I'm only asking you, who's the guy on first base?
Abbott: That's right.
Costello: Ok.
Abbott: All right.
19 Much of the play, The 39 Steps, moves at the same breakneck speed. Examine the following script excerpt, in which two ‘heavies’ discover their prisoners, Hannay and Pamela, are missing. Have students play with it with the same attack and pace as the Abbott and Costello vaudeville routine. Heavy 2: They got away! Heavy 1: Where’d they go!? Heavy 2: How do I know!? If we don’t find them – Heavy 1: Yes? Heavy 2: -­‐ our lives won’t be worth living! Heavy 1: Oh my God! Heavy 2: Wait wait! Heavy 1: What what? Heavy 2: The car the car! Heavy 1: Where? Where? Heavy 2: There! There! Take it take it!! Heavy 1: I’m taking it I’m taking it! Heavy 2: Gotta find’em! Gotta find’em! Heavy 1: Gotta find’em! Gotta find’em! Heavy 2: I just said that! Heavy 1: I know you just said that! Heavy 2: Well don’t say it again! Heavy 1: Alright! Alright! Heavy 2: Now come on come on! Heavy 1: Come on come on! 20 Activity #4 – Creating a Pastiche
Drama Arts Education Language Arts Exploration and Imagination, Drama Skills Presenting and Performing Writing and Representing The 39 Steps is a play based on a film by Alfred Hitchcock that was adapted from a book by John Buchan. Works of art like this, which are imitations of a previously existing story, are called pastiches. According to Merriam Webster's dictionary, a pastiche is a "literary, artistic, musical, or architectural work that imitates the style of previous work." This imitation is often done satirically, a send up of the original work. The 39 Steps was not originally intended to be comedic—the original book and film are both serious thrillers. However, Patrick Barlow, who adapted the story for the stage, took the story and, by exaggerating the drama of the original script (as well as casting just 4 actors to play over 100 roles), made it comedic. "I love a very challenging concept," Barlow says. "I really liked the idea of having just four actors and a bare minimum of props. If I had had a cast of 20 and full sets, it would have been less interesting for me." Pastiche is an example of a theatrical convention. Theatrical conventions are techniques used by the actor, director, or playwright that convey the style of the piece and act as the "rules" for the production. Throughout The 39 Steps, the play, the script makes references to and jokes based on many of Hitchcock’s films, like Psycho and North by Northwest. While many books, television shows and movies pay homage to other works and artists with references and parodies, there are entire works that are composed of just that. This kind of work—one that imitates other works and/or is composed of a medley of pieces taken from various sources is a pastiche. A pastiche isn’t simply limited to referencing scenes or lines from other works, however, as it can also reference time periods, historic figures, places, styles and just about anything else you can think of. The key to a pastiche is that it’s referential, typically in a tongue-­‐in-­‐cheek (ironic or funny) kind of way. Sometimes the referencing isn’t obvious, as the pastiche may utilize the thing it references for its own style and tone. Further, a pastiche can be used to refer to anything from a book to a movie to music and more, as just about any art form lends itself to being referential in one way or another. And of course, one form can reference another, like a movie referencing music, for example. While there are many artists and works that comprise the pastiche movement, here are a few of the more popular, recent pieces and artists that you might recognize. Can you think of any more? 21 Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen: This song is pastiche as it references various musical styles all in one song, including opera, a cappella and heavy rock. Weird Al Yankovic: Weird Al’s work as a whole is pastiche, as he doesn’t actually write his own songs so much as he re-­‐writes the songs of others. Quentin Tarantino’s work is pastiche in that it often pays tribute to pulp novels, blaxploitation and kung fu films. Popular animated shows such as The Simpsons and The Family Guy are also good examples of modern day pastiches. Creating a Pastiche
To create a pastiche you must change one of the rules of the story. Here are some examples: Plot: Take any story and outline its plot. Change the plot outline from a tragedy to a comedy or vice-­‐versa. Molière did that with his own plays: typically a character comes on stage in the final scene and bails everyone out of trouble. The action is comic but the plot is tragic up to the last, implausible scene. And that, Molière seems to imply, is the point. Setting: Change the setting of a story. If the action takes place in a big city, change it to a small town or jungle or vice-­‐versa. Likewise, if the action takes place in the present, change it to the past or future. If the story seems to have no particular setting of note, give it one in a way that is more than decoration. Character: Transform a character from male to female or vice-­‐versa. How will that affect dialogue and action? Or turn a villain into a hero by making the fewest changes possible. Can your character be a villain or hero by actions alone, without talking or looking like one? What's the least you can do to avoid inconsistency? And, of course, how do these changes affect the meaning of the story? Point of view: Rewrite a scene in a story from the point of view of another character. Or change a scene by adding senses other than sight and hearing. Dialogue: Take a scene in a novel or play and change the level or mode of language: How would the characters speak if they were from another region or social class? 22 Create Your Own Pastiche!
This exercise can be done as individuals or small groups of 2 or 3. Choose a well-­‐known fairy tale. Some ideas are below. Hansel and Gretel Cinderella Little Red Riding Hood Goldilocks and the Three Bears Jack and the Beanstalk Research your fairy tale and choose the version of the story you plan to use. Once you've chosen the fairy tale, write a synopsis of the story below. ______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________ With your group, write your pastiche out. Read it aloud to another group or the class. If time permits, groups can recreate their pastiche in a storytelling manner. Be sure to discuss all stories told. What are some other ways we could tell these classic tales to create wonderful and funny pastiches? 23 Activity #5 – Creating Characters
Drama Arts Education Language Arts Exploration and Imagination, Drama Skills Exploring and Creating, Presenting and Performing Oral Language, Speaking and Listening In The 39 Steps, four actors depict well over 100 roles, with Clown 1 and Clown 2 playing most of them. What an astounding challenge for those two actors! How can they possibly pull off this feat? By using all the skills in their actor toolboxes, such as vocal variety, dialects, movement skills, creative physicality and clever text interpretation. And, of course, their work is enhanced by the use of different costume pieces and props. To assist students to appreciate and get into this “acting zone”, try the following activity. Have on hand a varied collection of simple hand props and costume pieces, such as hats, coats, shawls, scarves, vests, ties, handbags, shopping bags, walking sticks, eyeglasses, etc. Brainstorm to come up with a list of locations where you would find someone dealing with a client and/or a service being provided to a member of the public. Some examples: a department store, a grocery store, airport check-­‐in or security, a restaurant, a bank, a post office, a hair-­‐dressing salon or barber shop, etc. In pairs, students decide in which location to set their scene and who will be Person #1 and Person #2. In the first version of the improvised scene, Person #1 will play one character – the one providing the service – while Person #2 plays two different clients. For example, if the setting of a restaurant is chosen, Person #1 will play the server while Person #2 plays two different customers. Encourage students to make use of all the skills in their actor toolboxes, as well as one or two simple costume/prop changes. Students should be encouraged to play with their physical demeanor (how they walk, sit and rest, as well as their facial features) as well as their vocal demeanor (their speed of speech, their intonation, octave, use of pausing, accent, volume, etc.). Students should also be able to explain why they chose these attributes for these characters. This is the beginning of character development. Now switch – Person #1 plays two different customers while Person #2 plays the server. Rehearse and present. 24 Activity #6 – Post-Show Discussion
Drama Communications Language Arts Defining, Recognizing and Analysing, Reflection, Discussion and Critical Analysis Comprehend and Respond, Engagement and Personal Response Writing and Representing, Oral Language, Speaking and Listening 1. Have your students review the play. This can be through a written paragraph or through a classroom discussion. What did you like and dislike about it? Be sure to speak to the plot, setting and characters of the story, as well as the theatrical elements, such as set, sound, acting, directing and script. 2. Why do you think the playwright chose to have the two clowns play all of the supporting characters? How does this choice add to the script and presentation of the play? 3. Now that you have seen the play, revisit Activity #3 and #4. Can you find specific examples in the play of the following types of comedy: commedia dell’arte, lazzi, vaudeville and pastiche? 4. Talk with your class about the origins of this story. This play was based on Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, which was based on the novel by John Buchan. The movie and the novel were not comedic in any way. Have a conversation about how this play would have seemed had it been done in its original spy thriller convention. Would you have liked it more or less? Why? 25 Resources Used
Barlow, Patrick. The 39 Steps, Samuel French Ltd, 2009. Buchan, John. The 39 Steps, Kessinger Publishing, 2004. Hitchcock, Alfred. “Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps”, 86 mins, Miracle Pictures, 2002. www.arizonatheatre.org/ate.../playguides www.bard.org/education/insights/39stepsinsights.pdf www.centrepoint.co.nz/study_guides www.love39steps.com www.milwaulkeerep.com/39steps www.nationaltheatreofbrent.com www.theatreworks.org/media/upload/misc/the-­‐39-­‐steps www.vertigotheatre.com www.wikipedia.org 26