Download avenue q - Citadel Theatre

ENRICHMENT GUIDE
DIRECTED BY DAYNA TEKATCH
FEATURING
ANDREW MACDONALD-SMITH, RACHEL BOWRON, RYAN KELLY, JUSTIN BOTT,
ELIZABETH STEPKOWSKI-TARHAN, KIMMY CHOI, SACCHA DENNIS
Play Guides sponsored by
AVENUE Q
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
3
CAST & ARTISTIC TEAM
4
SYNOPSIS
5-6
MUSICAL NUMBERS
7
ABOUT THE PLAY
8-9
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT(S)
10-12
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
13
CHARACTERS
14
PUPPETS
15
THEMES (More Puppets!)
16-25
PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
26
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
27
FURTHER READING/REFERENCES
28
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
29-30
2
AVENUE Q
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
Going to the theatre is an engaging and interactive experience. We want you to be an active participant when you
see our shows; laugh when it’s funny, cry when it’s sad, gasp when it’s shocking, and enjoy the experience as much
as possible. But we want you to do this in the most respectful way possible, for both the performers and your fellow audience members.
To ensure the most positive experience, please review the following information prior to arriving at the theatre.
The following items are not allowed in the theatre:
•Food and drink (except that sold during intermission and/or permitted by the Citadel Theatre, such as bottled water and ice cream)
•Cameras and other recording devices (please note that taking photographs or other recordings in the theatre is
strictly prohibited by law)
Basic courtesy:
•Turn OFF and put away all electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, video game systems, etc. prior to entering the theatre
•Do not place your feet on the seat in front of you.
•The actors onstage can see and hear the audience during the performance – it is important that audience members
not talk, move around, or fidget during the performance, as this can be distracting for the actors, as well as fellow
audience members.
•There is no dress code at the Citadel Theatre, but we respectfully request that patrons refrain from wearing hats
in the theatre.
•For the safety of those with allergies, please refrain from using perfumes or scented products before coming to
the theatre.
•For the safety of your fellow patrons, please do not clutter the floor of the rows with large backpacks or bags.
Inappropriate behavior:
Citadel Theatre representatives watch carefully during performances for inappropriate behavior, especially behavior that could endanger an actor or audience member. Inappropriate behavior includes, but is not limited to:
•Talking in the audience
•The use of laser pointers or other light or sound-emitting devices
•Interfering with an actor or the performance (tripping, throwing items on or near the stage, etc.)
Audience members identified as engaging in this type of behavior will be removed from the theatre during the performance or at intermission.
3
AVENUE Q
CAST, ARTISTIC TEAM AND CHARACTERS
CAST
ANDREW MacDONALD-SMITH
Princeton/Rod
RACHEL BOWRON
Kate/Lucy
RYAN KELLY
Trekkie/Nicky/ Bad Idea Bear
JUSTIN BOTT
Brian
ELIZABETH STEPKOWSKI-TARHAN
Mrs. Thistletwat/Bad Idea Bear
KIMMY CHOI
Christmas Eve
SACCHA DENNIS
Gary Coleman
CREATIVE TEAM
DAYNA TEKATCH
Director
DON HORSBURGH
Music Director
ROBIN FISHER
Set and Costume Designer
KEVIN HUMPREYS
Lighting Designer
MICHAEL LAIRD
Sound designer
JAMIE NESBITT
Video designer
ANDREW MacDONALD-SMITH
Puppet Consultant
MICHELLE CHAN
Stage Manager
SANG-SANG LEE
Assistant Stage Manager
AL GADOWSKY
Apprentice Stage Manager
Season Sponsor:
Presentation Sponsor:
Media Sponsors:
Production Sponsor:
4
AVENUE Q
SYNOPSIS
A fictional street in an "outer-outer borough" of New York City.
ACT ONE
Princeton, a recent college graduate, is anxious to discover his purpose in life; but first, he must find an
apartment and a job, with no work experience and an English degree. ("What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?")
Beginning his search on Avenue A, he finally finds an affordable apartment on Avenue Q. His new neighbors are
Kate Monster, a kindergarten teaching assistant; Rod, an anal-retentive Republican banker, and Nicky, his
slacker roommate; Brian, an aspiring comedian recently laid off from his day job; Christmas Eve, Brian's
Japanese fiancée and a therapist with no clients; Trekkie Monster, a surly recluse who surfs the Internet all day
in search of porn; and Gary Coleman, the building superintendent. Arguments ensue over whose life sucks the
most. ("It Sucks to Be Me")
Nicky, who is straight, suspects that Rod is gay, and assures Rod it is okay with him if he is; but Rod insists he is
not. ("If You Were Gay") Princeton finds a lucky penny and longs to discover his purpose in life. ("Purpose") Kate
dreams of starting a "Monstersori" school for young "people of fur". Princeton innocently asks Kate if she and
Trekkie are related, since they are both monsters, but Kate angrily pronounces his assumption racist. Princeton,
taken aback, counters that Kate's Monstersori School would discriminate against non-monsters. They and the
neighbors agree that racism is an adult reality. (“Everyone's a Little Bit Racist”)
Princeton receives money from his parents, and the Bad Idea Bears, two charming troublemakers, convince him
to spend it on beer. Kate's boss Mrs. Thistletwat assigns Kate to teach the next morning's kindergarten class, her
first solo teaching opportunity. She decides her lesson will be the internet, and all its educational attributes, but
Trekkie Monster explains another reality of adulthood: lots of adults—even "normal people"—use it to find
pornography. ("The Internet is for Porn")
Princeton gives Kate a mixtape. His song selections are puzzling, making her wonder what message he is trying
to send, but eventually she decides that he must like her. ("Mixtape") Sure enough, he invites her on a date to
the Around the Clock Café. Brian, the café's MC, does his raunchy standup act. ("I'm Not Wearing Underwear
Today") He then introduces Lucy the Slut, a skanky chanteuse who wows the guys, especially Princeton, with a
seductive cabaret number. ("Special") The Bad Idea Bears suggest that Kate and Princeton order some "harmless"
Long Island Iced Teas, and once Kate is totally inebriated, that Princeton take
her home to bed.
Kate and Princeton have enthusiastic, high-decibel sex. Gary fields angry calls
from other tenants but refuses to intercede. ("You Can Be as Loud as the Hell
You Want When You're Makin' Love") Meanwhile, Rod hears Nicky say, "I love
you, Rod," in his sleep, and is jubilant—but eventually realizes it was he who
was dreaming. Kate and Princeton profess their mutual love, and Princeton
gives Kate his lucky penny. ("Fantasies Come True")
The next morning, a hung-over Kate misses her teaching assignment. Mrs.
Thistletwat berates her, and Kate angrily quits her job before she can be fired.
Christmas Eve decides unilaterally that it is time she and Brian were married.
At the wedding Nicky blurts out his suspicion that Rod is gay. Rod, furious,
5
AVENUE Q
SYNOPSIS cont.
Insists he has a girlfriend named Alberta in Vancouver ("My
Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada") and tells Nicky he is no longer
welcome in their apartment.
When Kate catches Christmas Eve's wedding bouquet, Princeton
panics, confesses a fear of commitment, and asks Kate if they
can just be friends. Kate retorts that she has plenty of friends,
and breaks off their relationship. ("There's a Fine, Fine Line")
ACT TWO
A despondent Princeton has been holed up in his apartment
after breaking up with Kate, but is coaxed out by the neighbors.
("There is Life Outside Your Apartment") Lucy is looking for a
place to crash and seduces the rebounding Princeton. Kate is
angry, but Christmas Eve explains that she would not be angry if
she were not in love with him. ("The More You Ruv Someone") Kate writes a note to Princeton suggesting that
they rendezvous at the Empire State Building and leaves it with Lucy, who promptly destroys it. A homeless
Nicky laments his fate to Gary, who confesses that he is deriving pleasure from Nicky's misfortune.
("Schadenfreude")
On the Empire State Building's viewing platform, Kate, thinking that Princeton has stood her up, throws his lucky
penny away. A hundred stories below, Lucy, walking by on Fifth Avenue, is knocked unconscious by the penny.
Kate and Princeton unsuccessfully attempt to work out their problems over Lucy's comatose body. Rod is too
proud to accept Nicky's repeated apologies, despite clearly missing him, and tearfully consults Christmas Eve.
Princeton, Kate, and Nicky dream of returning to happier times. ("I Wish I Could Go Back to College")
Princeton gives a still-homeless, panhandling Nicky a quarter, and marvels at how fantastic he feels. Since
thinking only about himself has gotten him nowhere, he decides to raise money to build Kate's Monstersori
School. He solicits everyone, even breaking the fourth wall to shake down the audience, ("The Money Song") with
disappointing results; but Trekkie Monster, recalling his own traumatic school experience, donates ten million
dollars—explaining to the astonished cast, "In volatile market, only stable investment is porn!" ("School for
Monsters/The Money Song (Reprise)")
Kate joyfully opens her new school. Brian lands a consulting job and Christmas Eve finally has a paying client
(Rod), so the newlyweds move to a better neighborhood: Flushing, Queens. Rod finally comes out, to no one's
particular surprise, and takes Nicky back in. Nicky finds Rod a boyfriend—Ricky, a muscle-bound hunk who
otherwise looks and sounds exactly like Nicky. The Bad Idea Bears discover Scientology. Lucy, recovered from
her head injury, becomes a born-again Christian and takes a vow of chastity. Kate and Princeton agree to give
their relationship another go. ("There's a Fine, Fine Line (Reprise)")
A new college graduate inquires about the vacancy in the building, ("What Do You Do with a BA in English
(Reprise)") and Princeton has an epiphany: Maybe his purpose is to pass on everything he has learned about real
life in a Broadway musical! Everybody, especially the new guy, immediately ridicules him. The cast reminds
Princeton that in the real world many people never find their purpose; but life goes on, and everything—both
good and bad—is "only for now." ("For Now")
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AVENUE Q
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Act I
"The Avenue Q Theme" – Company
"What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?" – Princeton
"It Sucks to Be Me" – Brian, Kate Monster, Rod, Nicky, Christmas Eve, Gary Coleman, and Princeton
"If You Were Gay" – Nicky with Rod
"Purpose" – Princeton and Company (via "singing boxes")
"Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" – Princeton, Kate, Gary, Brian,
and Christmas Eve
"The Internet Is for Porn" – Kate, Trekkie Monster, Brian, Gary
Coleman, Rod, and Princeton
"Mix Tape" – Kate and Princeton
"I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" – Brian
"Special" – Lucy
"You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin'
Love)" – Gary, The Bad Idea Bears, Princeton, Kate, and
Company
"Fantasies Come True" – Rod, Kate, Nicky and Princeton
"My Girlfriend, Who Lives in Canada" – Rod
"There's a Fine, Fine Line" – Kate
Act II
"It Sucks to Be Me" (Reprise) ‡ – Princeton
"There Is Life Outside Your Apartment" – Brian, Princeton, Christmas Eve, Gary, Nicky, Trekkie Monster,
Lucy, and Company
"The More You Ruv Someone" – Christmas Eve and Kate
"Schadenfreude" – Gary and Nicky
"I Wish I Could Go Back to College" – Kate, Nicky and Princeton
"The Money Song" – Nicky, Princeton, Gary, Brian and Christmas Eve
"School for Monsters" – Trekkie Monster and Company
"The Money Song" (Reprise) – Nicky, Princeton, Gary, Brian and Christmas Eve
"There's a Fine, Fine Line" (Reprise) – Princeton and Kate
"What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?" (Reprise) – Newcomer
"For Now" – Company
‡ = "It Sucks to Be Me (Reprise)" was not part of the original show or original cast recording. It was added
to the Las Vegas production, and subsequently became part of the current off-Broadway show.
7
AVENUE Q
ABOUT THE PLAY
Avenue Q is an American musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music
and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore. Avenue Q is an
"autobiographical and biographical" coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties
associated with entering adulthood. Its characters lament that as children, they were assured by their parents,
and by children's television programs such as PBS's Sesame Street, that they were "special" and "could do
anything"; but as adults, they have discovered to their surprise and dismay that in the real world their options
are limited, and they are no more "special" than anyone else. The musical is notable for the use of puppets,
animated by unconcealed puppeteers, alongside human actors.
Originally conceived as a television series, the show was developed as a stage production at the 2002 National
Music Theatre Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. It opened OffBroadway in March 2003, co-produced by The New Group and the Vineyard Theatre, and transferred to
Broadway in July 2003 where it won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and spawned Las Vegas and West
End productions, two national tours, and a variety of international productions.
With 2,534 performances, Avenue Q ranks 23rd on the list of longest running shows in Broadway history. The
show ended its Broadway run on September 13, 2009, and then reopened Off-Broadway at New World Stages in
October 2009.
Background:
Avenue Q's unique presentation requires substantially more suspension of disbelief
by audience members than normal. The cast consists of three human characters
and eleven puppet characters who interact as if human, Sesame Street-style. The
puppets are animated and voiced by actor/puppeteers who are present,
unconcealed, onstage, but remain "invisible" relative to the storyline. That is, the
puppets and human characters completely ignore the puppeteers, and the audience
is expected to do so as well. This can be a challenge, as puppeteering mechanics
are at times complex: The same puppet may be operated by different puppeteers
in different scenes, and the actor voicing the puppet may not be the one animating
it. (To assist in the illusion the puppeteers wear plain gray clothing, in contrast to
the human characters' colorful costumes.) One puppeteer sometimes voices two or
more puppets simultaneously. Conversely, the so-called "live-hands" puppets (see
Puppets) require two puppeteers — again, in full view of the audience.
The show draws considerable inspiration from Sesame Street and substantially
imitates its format. Marx interned at the program early in his career, and all four
of the original cast's principal puppeteers—John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Jennifer Barnhart and Rick
Lyon—were Sesame Street performers. (D'Abruzzo returned to Sesame Street after leaving Avenue Q). Three of
the puppet characters are direct, recognizable parodies of classic Sesame Street puppets: Roommates Rod and
Nicky are a riff on Bert and Ernie, while Trekkie Monster bears the distinctive voice and disposition of Cookie
Monster, though not his obsession with baked goods. (The production officially disclaims any connection with
either Sesame Workshop or The Jim Henson Company.)
8
AVENUE Q
THE PLAY Cont.
All of the characters, puppet and human, represent "amalgamations of things and feelings [Marx and Lopez had
been] going through personally." The characters are young adults, searching for their "purpose" in life, and
facing real-world adult problems with uncertain outcomes, as opposed to the simplistic problems and
invariably happy resolutions faced by characters on children's television programming. Much of the show's
ironic humor arises from its contrasts with Sesame Street, a metaphor of the contrasts between childhood and
adulthood, and between the children's TV world and the real world. The story line presupposes the existence
of "monsters" and talking animals; and human actors sing, dance, and interact with puppets, both human and
non-human, as if they were sentient beings, in a light-hearted, quasi-fantasy environment. (No attempt is
made to explain why seven of the human characters are played by puppets, while the other three are played
by actual humans.) However, the characters face real-world problems; they use abundant profanity in dialogue
and musical lyrics; there are episodes of "full puppet nudity" (and puppet sex); and many songs and sub-plots
address decidedly adult themes, such as racism, pornography, homosexuality, and schadenfreude.
The show also employs a highly unusual plot device: a real-life celebrity
inserted as a fictional character within the story. Gary Coleman, the
juvenile actor who played Arnold Jackson in the 1980s American sitcom
Diff'rent Strokes, and later famously sued his parents and business
advisers over misappropriation of his assets, is portrayed (by a woman in
most productions) as an adult, forced to accept a job as a building
superintendent in the run-down Avenue Q neighborhood due to his dire
financial situation. The show's creators have explained this trope as an
illustration of "one of the most important themes in Avenue Q...that life
isn't as easy as we've been led to believe...and who better to symbolize
the oh-so-special-as-a-kid/but-not-so-special-as-an-adult thing we all
faced than Gary Coleman? He's practically the poster child."
Marx and Lopez have also said that they originally intended to offer the
Gary Coleman role to Coleman himself, and he expressed interest in
accepting it; but he never showed up for a meeting scheduled to discuss
it. Coleman later threatened repeatedly to sue Avenue Q producers for
their depiction of him, but ultimately did not.
When Coleman died on May 28, 2010, casts of both the Off-Broadway production in New York City and the
second national tour in Dallas dedicated that evening's performances to his memory. The Coleman character
remains in the show with modified dialogue.
9
AVENUE Q
THE PLAYWRIGHT
Robert Lopez—Music and Lyrics (born February 23, 1975) is an American-Filipino songwriter of musicals best known for
co-creating The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q, and for penning the songs featured in the Disney animated feature film,
Frozen. He is the youngest of only twelve people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award, and the
only person to win all four within a decade.
Robert Lopez was born in Manhattan to Frank and Katherine Lopez. Lopez spent much of his childhood in Greenwich Village,
except for one year in Massachusetts while his father was working for Clark University. Upon their return to New York City
when he was six years old, "it was a fluke" that he started piano lessons at Greenwich House Music School. The apartment they
were subletting at the time happened to have a piano; his mother asked if he was interested in taking lessons, and he said yes.
At age seven, his parents bought a piano for him, he saw his first Broadway show, and he wrote his first song. At age 11, he
wrote his first opening number. At around age 12, he briefly drifted away from the piano and tried playing the saxophone, as
well as taking courses in musical composition at other music schools.
Lopez went on to Hunter College High School and then to Yale University, where he graduated in 1997 with a B.A. in English
(the type of academic degree expressly discussed in the second song of Avenue Q). While at Yale, he wrote three plays (two
were musicals), was a member of an a cappella group, and was influenced by professors such as Vincent Scully, John
Hollander, and Harold Bloom. During his time at Yale, he vaguely hoped to make a living writing musicals and "had no [other]
career options"; towards that end, he avoided courses that would prepare him for a career in something useful, like law or
medicine.
Upon graduating from Yale, Lopez moved back in with his parents and brother in Greenwich Village, where he lived for four
years until he was able to earn enough money writing songs for Theatreworks USA to rent an apartment of his own. In 1998,
while participating in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, he met another aspiring songwriter, Jeff Marx. Their
first project together, Kermit, Prince of Denmark, a Muppet parody of Hamlet, won the Kleban Award for lyrics, though The
Jim Henson Company rejected the script, saying it did not have enough "kid appeal." In 1999, Lopez and Marx, who
collaborated on both music and lyrics, began work on Avenue Q, a stage musical which, using puppet characters, similar to
those on Sesame Street, dealt with adult themes and ideas. The show, for which Lopez also provided the animated segments,
was his first professional experience. After playing Off-Broadway, the show transferred in July 2003 to Broadway's John Golden
Theatre, where it proved both a critical and popular success, winning the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical, and earning Lopez
and Marx the Tony Award for Best Original Score. The Original Cast Recording was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004.
In 2005, Lopez began working on a new musical project with Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park, a series
which, in 2003, Lopez had mentioned as a partial inspiration for Avenue Q. The Book of Mormon premiered on Broadway at the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre on March 24, 2011, following previews from February 24. The show received numerous theater
accolades, including the 2011 Tony for Best Musical, as well as two more Tony Awards for Lopez: Best Original Score and Best
Book of a Musical. The production's original cast recording also earned Lopez the
Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
In 2013, Lopez and his wife Kristen wrote songs for Disney Animation's feature film
Frozen. The song "Let It Go" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, making
Lopez the 12th person to win all four major annual American entertainment awards (the
Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). On February 8, 2015, they won another Grammy for
their work on Frozen: a Best Song Written for Visual Media Grammy for "Let It Go".
Lopez and his wife are currently creating a new musical titled Up Here. Lopez describes
Up Here as "It's kind of like Annie Hall meets Cirque du Soleil. It's a romantic comedy
with a huge theatrical twist."
Lopez and his wife also wrote the musical number Moving Pictures for the 87th Academy
Awards.
10
AVENUE Q
THE PLAYWRIGHT cont...
Jeff Marx—Music and Lyrics (born September 10, 1970) is a composer and
lyricist of musicals. He is best known for creating the Broadway musical
Avenue Q with collaborator Robert Lopez.
Marx grew up in Hollywood, Florida. He attended Pine Crest School in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida. Following graduation, he attended the University of
Michigan, where he was a member of the Men's Glee Club. He also holds a
juris doctor degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and is a
member of the New York State Bar Association, but he does not practice law
or represent himself.
After passing the New York State Bar examination Marx enrolled at the BMI
Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop in order to meet potential clients in
the entertainment industry. Here he met Robert Lopez who was also in the
course. Their first major project together, a spec Muppet movie, Kermit,
Prince of Denmark, which was very loosely based on Hamlet, won them (as
part of a tie) part of the $150,000 Kleban Award.
Together, they created the original concept for Avenue Q and wrote all the
show's 21 songs. Avenue Q is currently running Off Broadway, and continues
to have various international productions. (It is now the 21st longest running
musical in Broadway history.)
Jeff Marx (left) and Robert Lopez (right) receiving
their Tony Award
Avenue Q won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical. Lopez/Marx's musical
score earned them a 2004 Tony Award, and another 2004 Tony Award was awarded to Avenue Q book-writer Jeff Whitty. The
musical's Original Cast Album, on the RCA/Victor label, was nominated for a Grammy Award. To date, it has sold over 150,000
copies.
Marx (and his parents) can be seen in the documentary film ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway, which followed the
trajectories of four Tony-nominated musicals from 2004, Avenue Q, Wicked, Taboo, and Caroline, or Change. Marx, along with
filmmaker Dori Berinstein and actor Alan Cumming, provided the audio commentary for the documentary's DVD.
Lopez and Marx wrote (with Debra Fordham) four songs for a musical episode of the NBC sitcom Scrubs which aired on January
18, 2007. Their song "Everything Comes Down to Poo" was nominated for an Emmy Award. Marx appeared in the episode as a
pharmacist, dancing in the background during the song "We're Gonna Miss You Carla".
Marx co-wrote the theme song for the Logo Network's animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World
and contributed additional songs for the show.
Lopez and Marx have written songs for the Disney Channel TV series Bear in the Big Blue House and The Book of Pooh, as well
as touring stage musicals for the children's theater company Theaterworks/USA.
11
AVENUE Q
THE PLAYWRIGHT cont...
Jeff Whitty (Book) is an American playwright. For the stage musical Avenue Q, he won the Tony Award for Best Book of a
Musical.
Whitty was born September 30, 1971, was raised in Coos Bay, Oregon, and now lives in New York City. He graduated from the
University of Oregon in 1993, and received a Master's degree from New York University's Graduate Acting Program in 1997.
He won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Book of a musical for Avenue Q, written with composers Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx,
which opened on Broadway in 2003, and continued to a West End run and two national tours as well as dozens of international
productions. After six years on Broadway the show moved Off-Broadway, where its run continues. His plays include The Further
Adventures of Hedda Gabler which was commissioned by and received its world premiere at South Coast Repertory in January,
2006; The Plank Project (a parody of documentary theater pieces like The Laramie Project); the multi-play cycle Balls; The
Hiding Place, a romantic Manhattan comedy which received its New York debut at the Atlantic Theater Company; and the dark
comedy Suicide Weather.
Whitty is an occasional actor, having appeared in New York productions of plays by Amy Freed, including The Beard of Avon
and Freedomland, as well as small roles in the films Garmento, Lisa Picard is Famous, and a cameo in Shortbus. Among his
theatrical credits include stints at the Goodman Theater in Chicago, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Playwrights Horizons
and New York Theatre Workshop in New York City. In 2012 for a 25-performance run he played the title role in his own The
Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler in a production by New York company Exit, Pursued by a Bear, with Billy Porter playing
the co-leading role of Mammy. Both roles had been created for and played by women until this production.
Whitty wrote the libretto to the musical version of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, with music by Jake Shears and John
Garden of the musical group Scissor Sisters. The musical was workshopped at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's 2009 National
Music Theater Conference. It opened in a limited run at American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco on May 18, 2011 and
after extending twice closed on July 10. Whitty won the 2011 Bay Area Critics Circle award for his work.
Whitty wrote the libretto for Bring It On: The Musical, a
"free adaptation" of the popular film series with an
original story by Whitty, with music by Tom Kitt and LinManuel Miranda and lyrics by Amanda Green and Miranda.
The musical premiered at the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta,
Georgia on January 16, 2011. The musical subsequently
went on a multi-city national tour beginning at the
Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles on October 30, 2011. A
revised version opened for a limited run at Broadway's St.
James Theatre on August 1, 2012 and was nominated for
the 2013 Tony Award for Best Musical.
12
AVENUE Q
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Dayna Tekatch, Director
Dayna is thrilled to be back at the Citadel
having choreographed The Drowsy
Chaperone and The Penelopiad here in past
seasons. Director credits include: The 39
Steps (Neptune, Stage West, 1000 Islands);
Oliver! (NAC); Same Time Next Year,
Midlife: The Crisis Musical (Orillia Opera
House); Driving Miss Daisy, Tuesdays with
Morrie (Starbright Festival). Selected
Choreographic credits include: Alice
Through the Looking Glass (Stratford/NAC);
Midsummer Night's Dream, Palmer Park
(Stratford); Wizard of Oz (Globe); Sound of
Music, nativity, Creation, Romeo & Juliet
(NAC); The Drowsy Chaperone (Vancouver
Playhouse/NAC).
Dayna spent 9 seasons at the Stratford
Festival as an actor and choreographer and was on the faculty of the Banff/Citadel Professional Training
Program for 3 years. Dayna lives in Toronto with her inspiration, son Liam and husband Sean C.
Robertson.
The Drowsy Chaperone—2009-10 Season
13
AVENUE Q
SCRIPT
CHARACTERS:
Kate Monster—a kindergarten
teaching assistant.
Trekkie Monster—a surly recluse who surfs
the Internet all day in search of porn.
Princeton—a recent college graduate,
anxious to discover his purpose in life;
but first, he must find an apartment
and a job, with no work experience
and an English degree.
Nicky—Rod’s slacker roommate.
Rod—an anal-retentive
closeted Republican banker.
Mrs. Thistletwat—Kate Monster’s boss.
Lucy the Slut—a skanky
chanteuse who wows the guys.
Brian—an aspiring comedian recently laid off from his day job.
Christmas Eve—Brian's Japanese fiancée and a therapist with no clients.
Gary Coleman—former child star and the building superintendent.
The Bad Idea Bears—two charming trouble-makers.
14
AVENUE Q
PUPPETS
The Avenue Q puppets, which cost up to $10,000 each, and require up to 120 hours of hand fabrication per
character, were designed and built by original cast member Rick Lyon. Lyon's company, Lyon Puppets, continues to
build and maintain the puppets used in all North American productions, and several of the international
productions, including those from the UK, Australia, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, while supervising the
construction of those from the Finnish and Swedish productions. Their unusually sturdy construction, with doublestitching, reinforced seams, steel boning, and
custom fake fur and feathers, is necessitated
by the rigors of an eight-shows-per-week
performance schedule.
Two distinct types of puppets are used in the
show:
Rod puppets
Single Rod: Princeton, Kate Monster, Newcomer
Double Rod: Rod, Lucy, The Bad Idea Bears
Rod puppets consist of a head and a torso with
two arms, at least one of which is movable for
gestures. The puppeteer controls the puppet's
head and mouth with his or her dominant hand,
and holds one or two rods in the other hand,
each of which is connected to one of the
puppet's moveable arms. The rod puppets come
in two variations: the "single rod" puppets, which have one moveable arm, with the other "posed" in a permanent
gesture or attached to the puppet's torso; and the "double rod" puppets, for which both arms are moveable, each
arm controlled by a single rod.
Live-hands puppets
Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Mrs. Thistletwat, Ricky
Live-hands puppets require two puppeteers, each of whom contributes
one hand and arm dressed with a long sleeve and glove matching the
puppet's costume, which become the arms and hands of the puppet.
The speaking puppeteer controls the puppet's left hand, head, and
mouth, while the second, silent operator controls the right hand. (Sides
are sometimes reversed if the speaking puppeteer is left-handed.)
During the show, one puppeteer will sometimes leave to take over
another puppet, leaving the live-hands puppet with a single operator
and only one functioning hand. In a variation, one or both of the
puppet's hands can be attached to its torso to permit operation by a
single puppeteer.
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Puppetry in Theatre:
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to
have originated 3000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing
objects. Puppetry is used in almost all human societies both as entertainment – in performance – and ceremonially in rituals
and celebrations such as carnivals.
Most puppetry involves storytelling.
History
Puppetry is a very ancient art form, thought to have originated about 3000 years ago. Puppets have been used since the earliest
times to animate and communicate the ideas and needs of human societies. Some historians claim that they pre-date actors in
theatre. There is evidence that they were used in Egypt as early as 2000 BC when string-operated figures of wood were
manipulated to perform the action of kneading bread. Wire controlled, articulated puppets made of clay and ivory have also
been found in Egyptian tombs. Hieroglyphs also describe "walking statues" being used in Ancient Egyptian religious dramas.
Puppetry was practiced in Ancient Greece and the oldest written records of puppetry can be found in the works of Herodotus
and Xenophon, dating from the 5th century BC.
Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa may have inherited some of the puppet traditions of Ancient Egypt. Certainly, secret societies in many
African ethnic groups still use puppets (and masks) in ritual dramas as well as in their healing and hunting ceremonies.[citation
needed] Today, puppetry continues as a popular form, often within a ceremonial context, and as part of a wide range of folk
forms including dance, storytelling, and masked performance.
Asia
There is slight evidence for puppetry in the Indus Valley Civilization. Archaeologists have unearthed one terracotta doll with a
detachable head capable of manipulation by a string dating to 2500 BC. Another figure is a terracotta monkey which could be
manipulated up and down a stick, achieving minimum animation in both cases. The epic Mahabharata, Tamil literature from the
Sangam Era, and various literary works dating from the late centuries BC to the early centuries AD, including Ashokan edicts,
describe puppets. Works like the Natya Shastra and the Kamasutra elaborate on puppetry in some detail. The Javanese Wayang
theater was influenced by Indian traditions. Some scholars trace the origin of puppets to India
4000 years ago, where the main character in Sanskrit plays was known as "Sutradhara", "the
holder of strings". China has a history of puppetry dating back 2000 years, originally in "pi-ying
xi", the "theatre of the lantern shadows", or, as it is more commonly known today, Chinese
shadow theatre. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), puppets played to all social classes
including the courts, yet puppeteers, as in Europe, were considered to be from a lower social
stratum. In Taiwan, budaixi puppet shows, somewhat similar to the Japanese Bunraku, occur
with puppeteers working in the background or underground. Some very experienced
puppeteers can manipulate their puppets to perform various stunts, for example, somersaults
in the air.
Sanbaso Bunraku Puppet,
Tonda Puppet Troupe, Japan
Japan has many forms of puppetry, including the bunraku. Bunraku developed out of Shinto
temple rites and gradually became a highly sophisticated form of puppetry. Chikamatsu
Monzaemon, considered by many to be Japan's greatest playwright, gave up writing Kabuki
plays and focused exclusively on the puppet-only Bunraku plays. Initially consisting of one
puppeteer, by 1730 three puppeteers were used to operate each puppet in full view of the
audience. The puppeteers, who dressed all in black, would become invisible when standing
against a black background, while the torches illuminated only the carved, painted and
costumed wooden puppets.
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In Korea, the tradition of puppetry is thought to have come from China. The oldest historical evidence of puppetry in China
comes from a letter written in 982 A.D. from Choe Seung-roe to the King. In Korean, the word for puppet is "ggogdu gagsi".
"Gagsi" means a "bride" or a "young woman", which was the most common form the dolls took. A ggogdu gagsi puppet play has
eight scenes.
Thailand has Hun Krabok, a rod puppet theatre which is the most popular form of puppetry.
Vietnam developed the art form of water puppetry, that is unique to that country. The puppets are built out of wood and the
shows are performed in a waist high pool. A large rod under the water is used by the puppeteers to support and control the
puppets. The appearance is created of the puppets moving over water. The origin of this form of puppetry dates back seven
hundred years when the rice fields would flood and the villagers would entertain each other, eventually resulting in puppet
show competitions between villages. This led to puppet societies becoming secretive and exclusive.
India has a long tradition of puppetry. In the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata there are references to puppets. The Rajasthani
Puppet from India is notable and there are many Indian ventriloquists and puppeteers. The first Indian ventriloquist, Professor
Y.K. Padhye, introduced this form of puppetry to India in the 1920s and his son, Ramdas Padhye, subsequently popularised
ventriloquism and puppetry.
Tholpavakoothu (or Tolpava Koothu) is a tradition of shadow puppetry that is unique to Kerala,
India. Tholpavakoothu puppet plays are based on selected verses from the Tamil epic Kamba
Ramayana. As a ritualistic art form, Tholpavakoothu is performed at more than 100 temples in
the Palakkad, Trichur and Mallapuram districts of Kerala from January through May on specially
constructed stages called koothumadams. Depending on the temple tradition, the performance
may last 7, 14, 21, 41 or 71 days. Tholpavakoothu shadow puppets are typically made out of
animal skin, and are held by a thin stick in one hand while the limbs are manipulated by a
thinner stick held in the puppeteer's other hand. About 160 puppets are used for the complete
version of the Kamba Ramayana, representing 71 characters in four main categories (sitting,
standing, walking, fighting), as well as puppets to depict nature, battle scenes and ceremonial
parades. The shadow puppets are manipulated by eight or more artists behind a long cotton
screen. The shadow puppets are lit from behind by 21 oil lamps made of coconut halves, placed
equidistantly on a wooden beam behind the screen, causing the puppets' shadows to fall on the
screen. The language used in Tholpavakoothu performances is a dialect of Tamil along with
Sanskrit and Malayalam words. Performances are traditionally accompanied by musical
instruments from Kerala such as the chenda, madhalam or ezhupara (a cylindrical drum made
Puppeteer from Rajasthan
out of jackfruit wood and covered with calf-skin on both ends), ilathalam (cymbals), shankha
(India)
(conch), chengila (gong), kurumkuzhal (a double reed wind instrument) and cherukuzhal.
Performances start at about 10 p.m. and continue till daybreak. They are enjoyed by the general public as a popular
entertainment while they are received as a religious offering by devotees. Indonesia has a strong tradition of puppetry. In Java,
wayang kulit, an elaborate form of shadow puppetry is very popular. Javanese rod puppets have a long history and are used to
tell fables from Javanese history.
Europe
Ancient Greece and Rome
Although there are few remaining examples of puppets from ancient Greece, historical literature and archaeological findings
shows the existence of puppetry. The Greek word translated as "puppet" is "νευρόσπαστος" (nevrospastos), which literally
means "drawn by strings, string-pulling", from "νεῦρον" (nevron), meaning either "sinew, tendon, muscle, string", or "wire", and
"σπάω" (spaō), meaning "draw, pull". Aristotle referred to pulling strings to control heads, hands and eyes, shoulders and legs.
Plato's work also contains references to puppetry. The Iliad and the Odyssey were presented using puppetry. The roots of
European puppetry probably extend back to the Greek plays with puppets played to the "common people" in the 5th century
BC. By the 3rd century BC these plays would appear in the Theatre of Dionysus at the Acropolis.
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Puppetry in Italy - Middle Ages and Renaissance
Italy is considered by many to be the early home of the marionette due to the influence of Roman puppetry. Xenophon and
Plutarch refer to them. The Christian church used marionettes to perform morality plays. It is believed that the word
marionette originates from the little figures of the Virgin Mary, hence the word "marionette" or "Mary doll. Comedy was
introduced to the plays as time went by, and ultimately led to a church edict banning puppetry. Puppeteers responded by
setting up stages outside cathedrals and became even more ribald and slapstick. Out of this grew the Italian comedy called
Commedia dell'arte. Puppets were used at times in this form of theatre and sometimes Shakespeare's plays were performed
using marionettes instead of actors.
In Sicily, the sides of donkey carts are decorated with intricate, painted scenes from the Frankish romantic poems, such as The
Song of Roland. These same tales are enacted in traditional puppet theatres featuring hand-made marionettes of wood. In
Sicilian this is called "Opera dei pupi", or "Opera of the puppets". The "Opera dei pupi" and the Sicilian tradition of cantastorie,
the word for storyteller, are rooted in the Provençal troubadour tradition, in Sicily during the reign of Frederick II, Holy Roman
Emperor, in the first half of the 13th century.
Italy - 18th and 19th centuries
The 18th century was a vital period in the development of all Italian theatre, including the marionette theatre. The rod puppet
was mainly of lower-class origin, but the marionette theatre was popular in aristocratic circles, as a celebration of the Age of
Enlightenment. The effects, and the artful and complex construction of the puppets, the puppet theatres, and the puppet
narratives, were all popular, particularly in Venice.
In the 19th century, the marionettes of Pietro Radillo became more complex and instead of just the rod and two strings,
Radillo's marionettes were controlled by as many as eight strings, which increased control over the individual body parts of the
marionettes.
France
Guignol is the main character in the French puppet show which has come to bear his name. Although often thought of as
children's entertainment, Guignol's sharp wit and linguistic verve have always been appreciated by adults as well, as shown by
the motto of a prominent Lyon troupe: "Guignol amuses children… and witty adults". Guignol's creator, fell on hard times during
the French Revolution, and in 1797 started to practice dentistry,
which in those days was simply the pulling of teeth. To attract
patients, he started setting up a puppet show in front of his
dentist's chair.
His first shows featured Polichinelle, a character borrowed from the
Italian commedia dell'arte. By 1804 the success was such that he
gave up dentistry altogether and became a professional puppeteer,
creating his own scenarios drawing on the concerns of his workingclass audience and improvising references to the news of the day.
He developed characters closer to the daily lives of his Lyon
audience, first Gnafron, a wine-loving cobbler, and in 1808 Guignol.
Other characters, including Guignol's wife Madelon and the
gendarme Flagéolet soon followed, but these are never much more
than foils for the two heroes. Guignol's inevitable victory is always
the triumph of good over evil.
Guignol de Lyon
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Great Britain
The traditional British Punch and Judy puppetry traces its roots to the 16th century to the Italian commedia dell'arte.[30] The
character of "Punch" derives from the character Pulcinella, which was Anglicized to Punchinello. He is a manifestation of the
Lord of Misrule and Trickster, figures of deep-rooted mythologies. Punch's wife was originally "Joan", but later became "Judy".
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the familiar Punch and Judy puppet show which existed in Britain was performed in
an easily transportable booth. The British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild in the early 20th century instigated a resurgence of
puppetry. Two of the Guild's founders, H. W. Whanslaw and Waldo Lanchester, both worked to promote and develop puppetry
with publications of books and literature, mainly focusing on the art of the marionette. Lanchester had a touring theatre and a
permanent venue in Malvern, Worcestershire, regularly taking part in the Malvern Festival and attracting the attention of
George Bernard Shaw. One of Shaw's last plays, Shakes versus Shav, was written for and first performed in 1949 by the
company.[citation needed]
From 1957-1969, Gerry Anderson produced many television series starring marionettes, starting with Roberta Leigh's The
Adventures of Twizzle and ending with The Secret
Service. Many of these series (the most famous of
which was Thunderbirds) employed a technique called
Supermarionation, which automatically synchronized
the pre-recorded character dialogue to the puppets'
mouth movements. Anderson returned to puppetry in
1983 with Terrahawks and the unaired pilot Space
Police in 1987.
Current British puppetry theatres include the Little
Angel Theatre in Islington, London, Puppet Theatre
Barge in London, Norwich Puppet Theatre, the
Harlequin Puppet Theatre, Rhos-on-Sea, Wales, and
the Biggar Puppet Theatre, Biggar, Lanarkshire,
Scotland. British puppetry now covers a wide range of
styles and approaches. Don Austen, a British
puppeteer, worked with Jim Henson's Creature Shop,
and also worked on a number of feature films. There
are also a number of British theatre companies,
including Horse and Bamboo Theatre, and Green
Ginger, which integrate puppetry into highly visual
productions. From 1984 to 1996, puppetry was used as
a vehicle for political satire in the British television
series Spitting Image. Puppetry has also been
influencing mainstream theatre, and several recent
productions combine puppetry with live action,
including Warhorse, at the Royal National Theatre and
Madam Butterfly at the English National Opera
British Puppet theatre (Punch and Judy style), c. 1770
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THEMES Cont.
Contemporary Puppetry in Theatre
The Old Trout Puppet Workshop
The Old Trout Puppet Workshop is a puppet theatre company, founded on a ranch in southern Alberta in 1999. The company's first year of
operation was an experience of intense collaborative isolation – the Trouts lived together, cooked together, and worked together. They
collected eggs, fed the pigs, and premiered their first show to a bunkhouse full of cowboys and Hutterites. A year later, they moved to
Calgary, having exhausted the joys of living in a coal-heated shack. The Trouts now travel the world, performing at festivals that celebrate the
art of the extraordinary.
The Old Trout Puppet Workshop is dedicated to making professional puppet theatre, for both children and adults, which blurs that distinction.
The Trouts explore the outer edges of the puppet medium, and create original, unique, and exuberant art. An Old Trout show strives for
delightful allegory, joyful tragedy, and purity of spirit.
The company has written, designed, built and performed the following plays: Ignorance, Famous Puppet Death Scenes, The Unlikely Birth of
Istvan, Beowulf, The Tooth Fairy, The Last Supper of Antonin Careme, Pinocchio and The Ice King.
Filmography includes Comedia Moderna, for Canada's cinematic underground, funded in part by the Bravo television network.
The Feist video Honey, Honey features the work of the Old Trouts.
Founding members are Judd Palmer, Peter Balkwill and Steve
Kenderes.
Ignorance
The Unlikely Birth of Istvan
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AVENUE Q
THEMES Cont.
Contemporary Puppetry in Theatre
Ronnie Burkett and the Theatre of Marionettes
Ronnie Burkett has been captivated by puppetry since the age of seven, when he opened the World Book Encyclopedia to “Puppets”. He
began touring his puppet shows around Alberta at the age of fourteen and has been on the road ever since.
Recognized as one of Canada’s foremost theatre artists, Ronnie Burkett has been credited with creating some of the world’s most elaborate
and provocative puppetry. Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes was formed in 1986 and has stimulated an unprecedented adult audience
for puppet theatre, continuously playing to great critical and public acclaim on Canada’s major stages and as a guest company on numerous
international tours abroad.
Ronnie has received numerous awards in the Canadian theatre as a playwright, actor and designer for his work with Theatre of Marionettes,
including the 2009 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, The Herbert Whittaker Drama Bench Award for Outstanding Contribution to Canadian
Theatre, and international recognition including a Village Voice OBIE Award in New York for Off-Broadway Theatre, and four Citations of
Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette.
Penny Plain was the twelfth production from Theatre of Marionettes and it premiered at the Citadel in 2011 on the Maclab Stage, following
the international successes Billy Twinkle, 10 Days on Earth, Provenance and the “Memory Dress Trilogy” of Tinka’s New Dress, Street of Blood
and Happy.
The 2011/12 season marked the 25th anniversary of Ronnie Burkett Theatre of
Marionettes.
In the 2013/14 and 2014/15 Citadel Seasons, Ronnie Burkett brought The Daisy
Theatre to The Club.
Flirty Sanchez
The Daisy Theatre
Myers Lemon and his Dummy Little Woody Linden
The Daisy Theatre
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AVENUE Q
THEMES Cont.
Muppets and Sesame Street
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque
and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. Having been created in 1955
by Jim Henson, they are the namesake for the Disney media franchise that
encompasses films, television series, music recordings, print publications, and
other media associated with The Muppet Show characters.
Henson once stated that the term
"Muppet" had been created as a
blend of the words "marionette"
and "puppet", but also claimed that
it was actually a word he had
coined. The Muppets debuted on
the television program Sam and
Friends, which aired locally on
WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. from
1955 to 1961. After appearing on
skits in several late night talk
shows and advertising commercials
during the 1960s, Henson's Muppets began appearing on Sesame Street when that
show debuted in 1969. The Muppets then became the stars of multiple television
series and films, including; The Muppet Show (1976–1981), The Muppet Movie
(1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984),
and The Jim Henson Hour (1989). After Henson's death in 1990, The Muppets
continued their presence in
television and cinema with
Muppets Tonight (1996–98),
a series continuation of The Muppet Show, and three films, The Muppet
Christmas Carol (1992), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Muppets from
Space (1999); the former two were co-produced with Disney, who sought
to acquire the characters since the late 1980s. In 2004, The Walt Disney
Company purchased the rights to The Muppets (except for the Sesame
Street characters, which were sold separately to Sesame Workshop, as
well as Fraggle Rock and other characters retained by The Jim Henson
Company), and later formed The Muppets Studio; a division created
specifically for managing The Muppets franchise.
Disney re-branded the franchise beginning in 2008, in anticipation of the
seventh film, The Muppets. The film, written by Jason Segel and Nicholas
Stoller and directed by James Bobin, was released by Walt Disney Pictures on November 23, 2011, and met with critical acclaim
and commercial success. An eighth film, Muppets Most Wanted, was released on March 21, 2014.
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AVENUE Q
THEMES Cont.
Warhorse—Handspring Productions—2007
Directors: Marianne Elliot and Tom Morris
Producer: The National Theatre, presented in association with Handspring Puppet Company
Set in Devon at the outbreak of World War I, Joey, young Albert Narracott’s beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to
France. He embarks on an epic odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in a no man’s land. But Albert
cannot forget Joey, and, still not old enough to enlist in the army, he embarks on a dangerous mission to find and bring him
back to Devon. War Horse is a powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music, lighting and magnificent
artistry. The Puppetry brings galloping, full-scale horses to life on stage — their flanks, hides and sinews built of steel, leather
and aircraft cables.
Q. and A. With the Puppeteers of ‘War Horse’
By Melissa Hoppert, New York Times
June 12, 2011 5:04 pm
Q. The horses in the show are so lifelike. How did you prepare?
A. AK: I did a lot of study of live horses and videos (including a historical film of horse racing in England), but horse skeletons,
too. Bones tell a lot about potential movement. Also, I have studied the way puppeteers of the past have interpreted horses. It
is always useful to see where other practitioners have placed a joint. I have a collection of “ancient” British, American,
German and Japanese handbooks that I always refer to when embarking on a new design challenge.
Topthorn in our play is a thoroughbred, but he is built much bigger than a real thoroughbred would be because has to be the
big handsome horse in the play — we call him the Cary Grant as opposed to the Harrison Ford, Joey. He had to be taller, and
Joey had to also be a bit smaller than him but still contain puppeteers. So Topthorn had to be quite a bit bigger than a real
thoroughbred would be, but we tried to keep the lines of a thoroughbred, make him a bit more slender and more athletic than
the Irish draft thoroughbred that Joey is.
BJ: Part of what we needed to learn for the play was we needed to know about horses on farms and horses in the war, so we
went to farms both in South Africa and England. Then for the war, we watched a lot of war footage. There’s quite a surprising
amount still around, mainly kept in the Imperial War Museum in London.
Q. What were some of the challenges that doing a show like War Horse presented?
A. AK: The fact that the horse had to carry a human rider was the biggest. Allowing space for two people to move and
manipulate inside the horse and still have the resulting construction look like a horse. The ear movement was also a eureka
moment for me. For about 20 years, I had tried to get 180 degrees of remote movement from 30 degrees of finger control
movement. I finally found a way here. The tail movement
has also taken a lot of development. Both of these are vital
emotional indicators for a horse and useful in the range of
horse movement that the puppeteers must master.
Q. Did you design all of the puppets in the play?
A. AK: I designed all nine horses, the soldier puppets, the
crows, swallows and a goose. Thys Stander (Handspring’s
chief puppet maker), who has been with me on War Horse
from the prototype stage, has designed the cane
construction system that has made the horses so durable.
He also has perfected the sculpting of the cane heads. They
look more and more beautiful. The work is very heavy on
the hands as there is a lot of twisting and binding. So Thys
has developed a way of teaching all the above to new
people.
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THEMES Cont.
The Lion King
The Lion King Broadway show blends live actors, puppetry and masks.
In director Julie Taymor's book "The Lion King: Pride Rock on
Broadway," Taymor proposed combining Japanese-style puppetry and
African shamanistic dance. In those traditions the human behind the
puppet or mask is visible. In Taymor's book, Allers describes finding
this concept “alluring" and Schumacher recalls Taymor's explanation
that puppeteers should be visible because this is a very human story.
Having visible human faces would enable audiences to identify with
the characters.
Cable Suspension and Animatronics—Many creatures tower above the
audience. This is achieved in part through puppeteers' use of stilts and
in part by suspension. Lion masks suspended above the actors' heads
are lowered when the lions become aggressive, obscuring their human faces. Suspension and electronics combat the
operational problems of large, heavy puppets -- Scar's head is linked to battery packs on the actor's legs and operated using a
switch in his palm.
Japanese Banraku Puppetry—Several pupeteers operate each larger
animal. Taymor previously worked in Japanese theater where
Banraku puppets are operated by up to three actors. In Banraku, a
master puppeteer, operating head, face and right arm is visible
throughout. Supporting puppeteers clothed in black operate the
limbs using rods. In Taymor's adaptation, Timon the meerkat is
operated by a bushlike puppeteer dressed in green. A cheetah
operator wears the cheetah's rear legs while manipulating the
animal's front portion using rods.
Rod Puppets—Zazu the hornbill is a rod puppet seated on the actor's
head or in his arms. The actor's make-up mimics the puppet's
features. According to animator Goesta Struve-Dencher, this creates
a “double event”: the puppeteer visibly manipulates the puppet while being imaginatively identified with it. Disney's Broadway
website explains that puppet strings are visible because Taymor wanted the audience to experience both the show and its
workings.
Indonesian Shadow Puppetry—Wayan Kulit—Shadow puppetry uses one-dimensional silhouettes mounted on rods. Bright
lighting projects their shadows onto a screen. In her youth Taymor studied Indonesian shadow puppetry and worked in
Indonesian theater. In "The Lion King," Taymor returns to these roots, using shadow puppets to represent fish, leopards and the
young Simba.
Corporate Puppetry—Taymor's book describes a concept she terms “corporate puppetry” developed for the gazelle herd and
bird flocks. Leaping gazelle dancers each carry several gazelle puppets. A dancer becomes a flock of birds by carrying a “totem
pole” of puppet birds. In this way one actor represents many creatures.
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_8516272_type-used-lion-king-broadway.html
"The Lion King: Pride Rock on Broadway"; Julie Taymor; 1998
Disney Theatrical Publications: "The Lion King" Study Guide
Theatre is in My Skin: Tracing Julie Taymor's Creative Ethos; Goesta Struve-Dencher
Disney Broadway Official Website: "The Lion King" - Behind the Scenes
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AVENUE Q
A BROADWAY AVENUE Q CONNECTION
Andrew MacDonald-Smith Returns to Avenue Q
It's not Andrew MacDonald-Smith's first trip to Avenue Q. The talented performer has
actually appeared in Avenue Q in Calgary and Vancouver before, but even before that
MacDonald-Smith and his puppet Maurice Tipo - a blue puppet with button eyes and a
green clown nose - lived the dream of puppets everywhere by making his Broadway debut
in the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q at the John Golden Theatre. In late 2005,
MacDonald-Smith and hundreds of other puppeteers entered the contest "One Night
Stand" which invited participants to enter a puppet they thought would best fit into the
Avenue Q community for one night only. Hundreds of entries were received, and the field
was eventually narrowed to 3 top winners. From those 3, MacDonald-Smith and Maurice
Tipo were selected to join the Broadway cast of Avenue Q for one night.
Here’s the article from Broadway World. Com from March 11, 2006
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Coverage-Andrew-MacDonald-Smith-andPuppet-Make-Broadway-Debuts-in-Avenue-Q-20060311#
Photo Coverage: Andrew MacDonald Smith and Puppet Make Broadway
Debuts in Avenue Q
Maurice Tipo -- a blue puppet with button eyes and a green clown nose -- lived the dream of
puppets everywhere on March 10th by making his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q at the John Golden
Theatre (252 West 45th Street).
Maurice Tipo, and his creator Andrew MacDonald Smith, 22 years old of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, were chosen as the top vote-getters
in Avenue Q's nationwide puppet contest, "One Night Stand," which gave one worthy puppet the chance to make his or her Broadway
debut in Avenue Q. "One Night Stand" began in November, 2005; the contest invited participants to enter a puppet they thought would
best fit into the Avenue Q community for one night only. Hundreds of entries were received, and the field was eventually narrowed to 3
top winners.
to
The public voted online for their favorite of the
top three winners: Messrs. Tipo and Macdonald
Smith, Theresa Cullen and her puppet Kitty from
Glendale, California, and Joe Kovacs and his
puppet Miss Greta Green from New York City. The
results of the public vote determined which of the
three would make their Broadway debut. The top
three winners each received a free trip to New
York (airfare, hotel, dinner), including the chance
see Avenue Q on Broadway and meet the cast
back stage after the show, which they did as a
group on March 9, 2006.
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AVENUE Q
PRODUCTION ELEMENTS Cont.
PROSCENIUM STAGE
A proscenium theatre is a specific style of theatre. Several features define a proscenium theatre, and this particular
theatre layout is extremely common; if you have ever been to see a live performance, especially in a high school auditorium, chances are high that you have seen a proscenium theatre. In addition to proscenium style theatres, it is also possible to find black box theatres, theatres with thrust stages, theatres in the round, and numerous other configurations
of stage and audience.
The classically defining feature of a proscenium theatre is the proscenium arch which frames the stage for the audience. In addition, the audience faces the stage directly, with no audience on the sides of the stage, and the stage in a
proscenium theatre is typically raised, allowing the audience to see more clearly. Modern proscenium theatres sometimes lack the proscenium arch, but they are still called “proscenium theatres” because they retain the other characteristics of this style of theatre.
Proscenium theatres originated in the 1600s, and became immensely popular by the 1700s. There are certain advantages
of a proscenium theatre, such as the fact that the stage doesn't have to be as open, allowing people to conceal props,
sets, and orchestras in the wings or near the stage without having these things visible to the audience. A proscenium
theatre also creates a sense of staged grandeur, with the proscenium arch acting almost like a picture frame, giving the
audience the sense that they are looking into a scene.
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AVENUE Q
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
Pre and post show questions for discussion:

What others shows have you seen that use puppetry in them. Why do you think that
puppets are chosen to be used in theatrical settings?

How are puppets able to communicate things differently than human actors? Are there
things that a puppets can do that would be inappropriate for a human actor? What
elements of Avenue Q are easier for audiences to handle because they are performed by
puppets?

Although not endorsed by Sesame Street, the story of Avenue Q parallels many tropes of
that TV show. Why do you think it was a good model for this ‘growing into adulthood’
story? What parallels exist between Avenue Q and Sesame Street? Structures? Characters?
Songs?

Have you ever used puppets? What kinds have you used? Why did you make the choice to
incorporate puppets into your work?

What challenges do you think adding puppets to a performance will add? What kinds of
special training/rehearsal do you think would need to be done to help deal with those
challenges?

There are many different kinds of puppets (and several of them are used in this show),
what ones are you familiar with?

One of the themes of Avenue Q is the challenge of growing up and feeling unprepared for
the world. However humorously displayed, do you think the portrayal is realistic?

What does this play tell us about preparing for the grown-up world?

In a humorous way, Avenue Q explores a variety of topics, one of which is racism. How do
you feel about the song “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”? Do you think this is true? Are
there any prejudices that you have heard people express that you think they would say are
not racist, but might actually be, ‘a little bit’?

The Bad Idea Bears often lead Princeton to do things he shouldn’t. How can we avoid
listening to those naughty voices when we have tough choices? Is it sometimes okay to
listen to them? What can you do to prevent yourself from making bad choices when those
naughty voices speak up?
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AVENUE Q
REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
http://www.avenueq.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_Q
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lopez
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Marx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Whitty
http://muppets.disney.com/
http://www.sesamestreet.org/
http://lyonpuppets.com/
http://theoldtrouts.org/
http://www.johnlambert.ca/english/ronnie/ronnie_productions.htm
http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/q-and-a-with-the-puppeteers-of-war-horse/?_r=0
"Smithsonian" Magazine; 35 Who Made a Difference: Julie Taymor; Edward Rothstein; November 2005
Julie Taymor as Puppet Artist; James Brandon; 1995
"Puppetry: A World History"; Eileen Blumenthal; 2005
"Julie Taymor: Playing with Fire"; Eileen Blumenthal; 2007
Standard-Examiner; “Lion King” Puppets Take it to a New Level; Dan Reed; September 2010
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_8516272_type-used-lion-king-broadway.html
"The Lion King: Pride Rock on Broadway"; Julie Taymor; 1998
Disney Theatrical Publications: "The Lion King" Study Guide
Theatre is in My Skin: Tracing Julie Taymor's Creative Ethos; Goesta Struve-Dencher
Disney Broadway Official Website: "The Lion King" - Behind the Scenes
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AVENUE Q
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
Curriculum Connections:
Participation as an audience member at the Citadel Theatre aligns with the Alberta Education Curriculum. We’ve outline
below some (but not limited to) objectives which are developed through the viewing of live theatre:
Drama (Elementary)
Third Goal
To foster an appreciation for drama as an art form
Objectives
The child should:
1. Develop an awareness of an respect for potential excellence in self and others
2. Develop a capacity to analyze, evaluate and synthesize ideas and experiences
3. Develop an awareness and appreciation of the variety of dramatic forms of expression.
Specific Learner Expectations:
Intellectual—develop and exercise imagination; develop concentration
Emotional—explore emotion; control emotion; express emotion
Social—understand others; discipline self; develop appreciation of the work of self and others; cope with emotional responses
Integrative—learn to respond to stimuli; e.g., music, pictures, objects, literature; test and reflect on the consequences of
dramatic decisions
Drama (Junior High)
GOAL I
To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.
Objectives
The student will:
• strengthen powers of concentration
• extend the ability to think imaginatively and creatively
• extend the ability to explore, control and express emotions
• extend the ability to explore meaning through abstract concepts

develop the ability to offer and accept constructive criticism
GOAL III
To develop an appreciation for drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Objectives
The student will:

develop awareness of various conventions of theatre

develop awareness of drama and theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible

develop the ability to analyze and assess the process and the art

develop recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre
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AVENUE Q
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
Drama 10-20-30
GOAL I
To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.
Objectives
The Student will:

extend the ability to concentrate

extend understanding of, acceptance of and empathy for others

demonstrate respect for others — their rights, ideas, abilities and differences (S)

demonstrate the ability to offer, accept, and reflect upon, constructive criticism.
GOAL II
To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration of various dramatic disciplines.
Objectives
The Student will:

demonstrate understanding of integration of disciplines to enrich a theatrical presentation.
GOAL III
To develop an appreciation of drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Objectives
The student will:
• explore various conventions and traditions of theatre
• broaden knowledge of theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible (
• demonstrate the ability to assess critically the process and the art
• demonstrate recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre
• develop an awareness of aesthetics in visual and performing arts.
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