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PROGRAM GUIDE
This information is intended to prepare teachers and students for a Young Audiences performance.
OREGON SHADOW THEATRE
Doc Chapeau Meets the Gill Man
Oregon Shadow Theatre employs colorful shadow puppets with live music and voices to create an exciting
adventure involving science and the ocean. This program tells the story of marine scientist Doctor Jack
Chapeau as he uses submarines, diving suits, robotics and sonar to make his most amazing discovery: a
fantastical creature he calls the Gill Man! Counting, collecting and cataloguing are the normal work for Doc
Chapeau and his graduate assistant Sylvia. A parade of delightful undersea creatures fills the shadow screen.
Predator and prey behaviors, scientific methods, and a great deal of technology are on display. When the old
fisherman Salty sights a strange new species, a different sort of adventure begins!
Shadow puppeteer Deb Chase demonstrates techniques and special effects used in shadow puppetry.
Musician Mick Doherty demonstrates his array of musical and sound effect instruments, as well as electronic
devices used in performing music for the program.
MAIN CHARACTERS
“Doc” Chapeau: A marine biologist (see vocabulary). His name is an homage to the undersea explorer,
inventor, filmmaker and scientist Jacques Cousteau.
 http://blog.education.nationalgeographic.com/2012/03/15/what_lies_beneath/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/100611-jacques-cousteau-100th-anniversarybirthday-legacy-google/
Sylvia: Doc’s assistant is a graduate student who helps him with his research. She is a trained scientist and is
also knowledgeable about the technology needed for their projects. Her character is named in honor of the
real life marine biologist and undersea explorer Sylvia A. Earle
 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/sylvia-earle/
Salty: A fisherman of Scottish heritage
Gill Man: This fantasy or “sci-fi” creature is half man and half fish enabling him to breathe through gills.
Only 5% of the ocean has been explored – who knows what remains to be discovered?
 http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/exploration.html
©2015-2016
Young Audiences 1220 SW Morrison, Suite 1000 Portland, OR 97205-2228
Phone (503) 225-5900 FAX (503) 225-0953 [email protected]
ABOUT THE COMPANY/ARTIST
Formed in 1983, Oregon Shadow Theatre performs throughout the United States in theaters, performing art
centers, schools, and libraries. Deb Chase, nationally recognized for her innovative shadow puppetry, designs
and constructs the shadow puppets and, during a performance, manipulates them while providing voices.
Mick Doherty performs live music and sound effects, and acts as storyteller and voice actor. Mick specializes
in traditional music, and performs with various ensembles including the Oregon Trail Trio, Folk City and
The Trail Band. OST has twice received the UNIMA Citation for Excellence in the Art of Puppetry, the
award created by the late Jim Henson. OST has performed at the Smithsonian Institution, the Detroit
Institute of Art, and at theatres and festivals coast to coast.
ABOUT THE ART FORM
Puppetry is a performing art. The puppeteer is the artist and the puppet is the instrument through which living
theater is created. A puppet is an inanimate figure that is made to move by human effort before an audience.
Shadow puppetry dates back thousands of years and continues today as a living folk art in China, India and
Indonesia. Shadow puppetry has also been used in traditional religious and secular drama in Egypt, Turkey,
Greece, and Southeast Asia. In Europe, shadow puppetry enjoyed popularity during the 1800s when the art of
cutting silhouettes was fashionable. In 1926, shadow puppeteer Lotte Reiniger made the first full-length
animated film; The Adventures of Prince Achmet using hand cut beautiful opaque silhouette figures that
were moved on an animation table.
Traditional shadow puppets are flat, cutout shapes, usually made of leather, and are controlled by long rods
and moved behind a white translucent screen made of paper or cloth. A lamp on the puppeteer's side of the
stage provides the light; the audience on the other side sees the shadows. Cutout areas allow light to shine
through and define features of the figure. Puppets are made from separate pieces and joined together with
wire or string so that rods can move the arms and other parts of the puppets. Today, shadow puppets may be
made from a variety of materials, including paper, wire, colored cellophane, plastic and "found objects" such
as dried plants, glass costume jewels and feathers.
VOCABULARY
ADS - (atmospheric diving suit) is a self-contained hard diving suit. Constructed to function ‘like a
submarine you can wear,’ it allows the diver to work at normal atmospheric pressure even at depths of over
1,000 feet.
adapt - to change in order to increase the chances of surviving in a specific environment.
adaptive behavior - a range of actions by a human or organism which contributes to an individual’s
survival.
Many species have the ability to adapt through learning. This learning process allows organisms to modify
their behavior to survive in unpredictable environments.
camouflage - colors or patterns on an animal’s body that help it blend in with its surroundings.
coral reef – a ridge or mound of living coral, coral skeletons, and calcium deposits from other organisms.
Coral polyps are tiny marine animals which secrete limestone to create protective skeletons. In time, their
structures can create large reefs. Coral reefs in much of the world are in decline.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/coral/
©2015-2016
Young Audiences 1220 SW Morrison, Suite 1000 Portland, OR 97205-2228
Phone (503) 225-5900 FAX (503) 225-0953 [email protected]
current - a distinct stream of water that flows within an ocean.
bioluminescence - light chemically produced by a living creature.
midnight zone - the layer of the ocean from 3,300 feet down to the bottom of the ocean where no sunlight
can penetrate the depths.
environment - the conditions that surround someone or something: the conditions and influences that affect
the growth, health progress, etc., of someone or something.
gills – an organ (as of a fish) for obtaining oxygen from the water.
habitat – the place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows.Doc Chapeau Meets the
Gill Man, Study Guide Page 4
laboratory - a room or building fit with special equipment for doing scientific experiments and tests.
mammals - warm-blooded animals that breathe air, usually give birth to live young, have fur or hair, and
nurse their young.
marine - of or relating to the ocean.
marine biology - the scientific study of organisms that live in salt water. A marine biologist is a person that
performs this work.
http://marinelife.about.com/od/marinecareers/g/Marine-Biologist.htm
monitor - to observe and check the progress or quality of something over a period of time; to “keep an eye”
on something.
oral hygiene - practice of keeping the mouth clean and healthy to prevent tooth decay.
polyp - a coral or sea anemone that has a mouth surrounded by tentacles.
predator - an animal that hunts or kills another animal for food.
prey – an animal that is hunted or killed by another animal for food.
research - a careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something.
ROV (remotely operated vehicle) - an unmanned underwater vehicle for ocean exploration that humans
operate by remote control. A scientist on a ship uses remote controls to steer robots to areas that are too
dangerous for humans.
SCUBA diving – a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a Self Contained Underwater Breathing
Apparatus to breathe (and survive!) underwater.
sonar (from “Sound Navigation and Ranging”) –Sonar uses sound waves to ‘see in the ocean’.
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sonar.html
species - a group of animals or plants that share specific attributes.
©2015-2016
Young Audiences 1220 SW Morrison, Suite 1000 Portland, OR 97205-2228
Phone (503) 225-5900 FAX (503) 225-0953 [email protected]
specimen – something (such as an animal or plant) collected for study. Collecting plant and animal
specimens is essential for scientific studies and conservation.
submarine- a ship that can operate underwater.
submersible- a manned or un-manned underwater vehicle used for ocean exploration that may built to travel
to great depths.
sunlight zone - the layer of the ocean from the surface to 328 feet, where there is abundant sunlight.
symbiosis - interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the
advantage of both.
tentacle - a long, flexible extension, usually on the head or mouth of an animal, used by the animal to touch
or grab.
trawl - a large net that a boat pulls along the bottom of the ocean to catch fish.
twilight zone - the layer of the ocean from 328 feet to 3,300 feet deep, where there is little sunlight.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Dive -- My adventures in the Deep Frontier” by Sylvia A. Earle
“Prowling the Seas: Exploring the Hidden World of Ocean Predators” by Pamela Turner
“Shimmer and Splash: The Sparkling world of Sea Life” by Jim Arnosky
“100 Things You Should Know About Deep Ocean” by Camilla de La Bedoyere
“Oceans” by Johnna Rizzo
“Weird Sea Creatures” by Erich Hoyt
QUESTIONS/ACTIVITIES
Before the play:
1. Questions for students:
 What is your favorite undersea animal? What do you know about this creature? What does it
eat?
 What is an Ocean?
 What is shadow puppetry? Have you ever seen a shadow play?
2. Review the Vocabulary list.
After the Play
1. Questions for students:
 Was your favorite sea animal in the play? If so, did you learn anything new about this creature?
 What was your favorite part of the play? Why was it your favorite?
 Name the creatures that you remember from the play. Did you learn anything new about these
creatures?
 If you were a marine biologist for a day what would you like to do? Would you study a certain
kind of sea life? Would you dive with scuba gear or a submarine?
 What did you find most surprising in the demonstration after the play?
 What did you learn from the assembly program?
 Is the Gill Man a real creature? (No!)
 Can a sawfish really saw through steel bars? (No!)
©2015-2016
Young Audiences 1220 SW Morrison, Suite 1000 Portland, OR 97205-2228
Phone (503) 225-5900 FAX (503) 225-0953 [email protected]
 Will a hermit crab really inhabit a Lego shell? (Yes!)
2. Hermit Crabs need to find new shells. People at an aquarium in England made a shell out of Legos
for their hermit crab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V47wx8qMSxA
3. Draw a hermit crab in a shell of your own design.
4. Name the musical instruments in the play. How were they used in the play?
5. Draw your favorite scene!
6. Make your own shadow play! (See attached instructions; check for puppet making books in your
library.)
MAKING SHADOW PUPPETS IN THE CLASSROOM
THE UNDERSEA PARADE
The ocean comes to life with colorful sea creatures! Simple colorful puppets with 1 vertical rod control.
Materials:
 Heavy Black Construction Paper - 9” x 12”
 Art tissue paper - assorted bright colors
 Chalk
 Oblong shapes made of poster board - approx. 4” x 7”
 Transparent tape
 Masking tape 1”
 Plastic non-flex straws - 73/4”
 Hole punch - regular size and optional small punch (available in stationary stores)
 Scissors - any scissors will work but Fiskars with points are the best
 Music- tape or CD player with parade music and/or Octopus’ Garden or Yellow Submarine by the
Beatles
 Blue theatrical filter/gel - a heat resistant plastic bought from theater supply stores (optional)
 Shadow Screen and Light
Prepare a shadow screen with undersea scenery. Leave plenty of room for the action of the puppets. Scenery
can be made of black construction paper and colored tissue paper (starfish, treasure chest, sea anemone,
ocean waves etc.)
Puppet Construction
 Have students decide which sea creature each will make, then place the oblong in the center of the
black construction paper and trace with chalk. This becomes the body of the sea creature or head of
an octopus or jellyfish. The shapes help the students make a large puppet with room for design.
 Have Students draw body parts for their creatures: e.g. fins for a fish, pinchers and legs for a crab.
(Students that want to make creatures like sea snakes, mermaids, sea horses, etc. will need to draw
their own body shapes. Encourage students to fill the page with their drawing)
©2015-2016
Young Audiences 1220 SW Morrison, Suite 1000 Portland, OR 97205-2228
Phone (503) 225-5900 FAX (503) 225-0953 [email protected]
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Use scissors to cut their figure out, and then use the hole punch for the eyes and also for detail and
designs inside their figure. (Note: Hole punches of different sizes are great for adding interest to the
puppet. Colored tissue paper can be taped over the larger holes.)
Cut the mouth out. Teeth can be made with hole punch punching half-holes along edge of mouth.
Draw simple designs in the interior of the creature with chalk.
Cut out interior designs (If the hole punch will reach the
shape a hole can be punched first to make it easier to cut out
interior designs with scissors).
Add color to the puppet. Tape colored tissue paper over the
cut out shapes with transparent tape. Long strips of tissue
paper taped off the edges of the creature’s fins provide
incidental movement when manipulated behind the screen.
Long strips of tissue paper can be tentacles for a jellyfish or
octopus. Pieces of a paper lace doily make beautiful fins when taped off the edge.
Straw Rod construction
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Have students put two or three straws together to make a long rod by crimping the end of one straw
(along length) and inserting it approximately one inch into the end of another straw. (Add a third
straw if more length is needed.) A small piece of magic tape wrapped around joints will keep the
straws from coming apart.
Place the rod vertically on the puppet, attaching with masking tape above the middle for balance,
trying to avoid taping over a cut out area. (Always use masking tape when attaching rods). When the
lights are out these puppets look good facing either direction -- it doesn’t matter which side of the
puppet the tape is on (this point may be necessary to demonstrate to the students).
Manipulation and Performance
 Puppets are held at the end of the straws so that hands don’t cast shadows!
 Students line up at the edge of the screen and press their sea creature against the screen and “swim”
across to music. If the puppeteer rocks their wrist back and forth the “fish” can flip its tail fin in a
lifelike manner. If the students are performing on a
tabletop screen they will need to kneel to prevent casting a
shadow.
 Plays can be created. Experiment by giving creatures
names and having them introduce themselves to each
other.
 Have students move their puppet up and down to show
that they are talking. - A big fish can magically eat a small
fish by placing the small fish behind the big one as it “eats
it”. If the center of the big fish is cut out you can see the little fish inside the belly.
©2015-2016
Young Audiences 1220 SW Morrison, Suite 1000 Portland, OR 97205-2228
Phone (503) 225-5900 FAX (503) 225-0953 [email protected]