On Stage! Aesop's FAbles - Merry-Go-Round Playhouse
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On tour
(formerly merry-go-round
youth theatre)
Aesop’s Fables: On Stage!
Adapted by Vivian & Larry Snipes
Originally produced by Lexington Children’s Theatre
Lexington, KY
TEACHER STUDY GUIDE - 2ND GRADE
Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre has rebranded to:
Over the past decade, our organization has seen significant programmatic
expansion in our education division, increased attendance in our
professional musical theatre division, sophistication of our products and
deliverables and bold implementation of new innovative engagement
and enrichment programs. Our steady growth has resulted in an
organizational transformation. As such, it became evident that our many
programs and outreach efforts were not being represented cohesively by
our existing brand. Our existing brand names (The Finger Lakes Musical
Theatre Festival and Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre) housed within the
parent company title, Merry Go Round Playhouse, Inc., were confusing,
fractured and creating great challenges to all facets of our identity. As
such, it was clear that a rebranding effort was critical.
Fall of 2019, after eighteen months of intense strategic planning, we
officially re-branded as The Rev Theatre Company. THE REV is short
for many words but for us, not one in particular. It is not a symbol or an
acronym. THE REV references our creation and infusion of energy into
Auburn and the Finger Lakes region; THE REV references the original
carousel that once revolved in our flagship venue, and THE REV stands
for our reverence for our 60-year legacy and our incredible community.
While we have changed our overall brand name, all of our programs have
remained the same. We still provide the same professional arts
education through the Sequential Dramatics Program to your school.
Thank you for being our partner in education.
Summary
Aesop’s famous fables come to life in this upbeat performance. Tidbits of Aesop’s life and
the traditions of Greek Theatre, as well as literary devices such as personification and
rhyme, are interwoven among such well known tales as The Milkmaid and Her Pail, The
Lion and the Mouse and, of course, The Tortoise and the Hare. Our actors use rap, rhyme,
and masks to give these famous fables a modern twist. Students will be entertained as
they learn the moral for each tale.
Pre-Performance Preparatory Workshop
To ensure the students will actively view the performance, they will participate in a
workshop with one of the actors prior to the show. With the goals of the New York State
Learning Standards in mind, the purpose of the preparatory workshop (“prep”) is to give
students the tools to “unpack,” or to dissect and think critically about, a text - the text
in this lesson being the performance of Aesop’s Fables On Stage. Rather than attempt to
outline the performance in its entirety, the intent of the prep is to introduce students to
the language, characters, settings, and the types of stories they will see. Based on that
knowledge, students will then be able to make their own predictions about the show,
allowing for critical thinking to continue throughout the performance.
• The Woodcutter and His Axe • The Fox and the Crow
“Honesty is the best policy.” “When strangers seem to be too
kind, be careful what they have in mind.”
• The Goose and the Golden Eggs
“Never kill the goose that lays the • The Ant and the Grasshopper
golden eggs.” “Don’t put off to tomorrow what
you should do today.”
• The Fox and the Grapes
“It is easy to despise what you
cannot get.”
• The Dog and the Bone
“It is foolish to be greedy.”
• The Tortoise and the Hare
“Slow and steady wins the race.”
• The Milkmaid and Her Pail
“Don’t count your chickens before
they hatch.”
• The Lion and the Mouse
“Kindness is never wasted.”
About Aesop
Aesop was an Ancient Greek story teller known for
authoring a number of fables now collectively called
“Aesop’s Fables.” There is very little information about
his life as some speculate if he even existed. Several
ancient sources such as Aristotle, Herodotus, and
Plutarch mention details of Aesop’s life in their writings,
estimating he was born around 620 BC. It is said that
he was a slave who was eventually set free by his third
owner because of his wit and wisdom.
The fables credited to Aesop were told and passed
down by word of mouth through the oral tradition. It
was not until about 200 years after Aesop’s presumed
death that any of his fables were published. The stories
have remained very popular throughout the centuries
as clever teaching tools. Aesop’s Fables mostly center
around animal characters and highlight both positive
and negative human behaviors through the animals. Aesop pictured in a 1640 painting by
Spanish court painter, Deigo Velazquez
Elements of Greek theatre
in our production
Several elements of our production of Aesop’s Fables On Stage are taken directly from
Ancient Greek theatre. First, some sections of dialogue are written in rhyming verse,
which is how many Greek plays were written. Our production also borrows the Greek
convention of using masks to indicate character. While we will only use masks in one
scene, the use of costumes is also derived from the Greeks. Our play also briefly uses
a chorus, which, in the Greek theatre, was a group of performers who collectively
commented on the action of the play.
Finally, the Greek theatre
used a building called a skene,
where the performers would
change costumes out of sight
of the audience. It was also
used as scenery. The backdrop
used in our performance will
serve as our skene as it helps
create setting and hides our
actors as they execute their
many costume changes.
Glossary
Moral: a lesson learned from a story
or experience.
“Aesop told both fables and
parables. Both are stories that
teach a lesson or moral.”
Errant: behaving wrongfully, moving
about without purpose.
“He heard the tale of the
errant ax that went splash.”
Quiver: to move with a slight shaking
motion.
“How my poor heart does
quiver.”
Weary: worn out, no energy.
“Weary from the day, the lion
fell asleep.”
Convey: to communicate.
“A simple thought I’d like
to convey…”
Lunacy: extremely foolish.
“To race with me is lunacy!”
FABLE FACTS
•Fables are stories that include a moral.
•A person who writes fables is called a “fabulist.”
•Fables often have animals as their central characters,
although some give personalities to the wind, sun,
trees, or other inanimate objects.
•The word “fabulous” literally means “pertaining to fables”
but its meaning has been changed over the years to mean
“incredible,” “beyond belief,” or “marvelous.”
Student Learning Objectives - Aesop’s Fables On Stage
30-minute preparatory session, 45-minute performance
Students:
•Identify different fables and deduce their morals.
•Differentiate between fables and parables.
•Relate examples of positive moral behavior.
•Recognize the use of rhyme in story telling.
•Dramatize a popular fable.
•Identify and recall details of Aesop’s life and elements of Greek Theatre.
NYS Learning Standards included with Aesop’s Fables On Stage
NYS Learning Standards for the Arts:
• TH:Cr1.1.2, TH:Cr3.1.2, TH:Pr4.1.2, TH:Pr5.1.2, TH:Pr6.1.2, TH:Re7.1.2, TH:Re8.1.2,
TH:Re9.1.2, TH:Cn10.1.2, TH:Cn11.1.2
NYS Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards:
• 2SL1, 2SL2, 2SL3
For more information on specific grade level standards, please visit our website at
www.TheRevTheatre.com.
Additional Resources
Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/schoolradio/subjects/english/ aesops_fables —
Audio recordings of 40 different Aesop’s Fables.
www.aesopsfables.com — Hundreds of Aesop’s Fables in one place.
Books
Aesop. Aesop: Five Centuries of Illustrated Fables selected by John H. McKendry. New
York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1964.
Aesop. Belling the Cat and Other Aesop’s Fables Retold in Verse. New York: Morrow
Junior Books, 1990.
Kheridan, David. Feathers and Tails: Animal Fables from around the world retold by
David Kheridan. New York: Philomel Books, 1992.
Video/DVD:
The Golden Age of Cartoons: Aesop’s Fables. Van Beuren Studios, 2006.
Activities Pre-performance 1. Working in groups of 3 or 4, try coming up with an original fable. First, discuss what the moral will be. Then, decide what kind of person needs to learn that moral. If that person was an animal, what kind of animal would it be? Who is the main character? Who will the main character come in contact with? How will the story be resolved/ how will your animal learn its lesson? Share your story with the class. 2. One of Aseop’s most popular fables is The Tortoise and the Hare. The moral of the story is, of course, “Slow and steady wins the race,” but what if the moral was, “Winning isn’t everything?” In what ways would the characters and plot of the story need to change? Would they even have to change? As a class, re-write the story of The Tortoise and the Hare to illustrate this new moral. 3. Thousands of years ago when Aesop was believed to have lived, talking face-to-face was the most common way to communicate. How do we communicate today? Make a list on the board of all the different ways to communicate. Which way do you use the most? Why? With all these ways to communicate, do you think face-to-face communication is still important? Why? Have a discussion with your class. Post-performance 1. In the performance, you saw many different fables. Which was your favorite? Why? Write a letter to one of the characters describing why their story is your favorite. Include a picture. 2. In the beginning of the performance, the actors used a rap to introduce Aesop. In groups of 4, make up a rap about something you have learned recently in class. This could be from Math, English, Social Studies, Art, Physical Education, etc. Once you have made up your “teaching” rap, use objects found around the room to create a beat. Be creative! Share what you have done with the class. 3. In our performance, the actors talked about their favorite animals. Which of these animals do you like best: Lion, Fox, Mouse, Crow, Wolf, or Dog? Research Aesop’s Fables written about the animal you picked and make a list of all of the lessons the animal learned or helped to teach. Then, create a collage of the lessons your animal learns or teaches and the other characters your animal meets.
For more information on this production, including specific grade level
standards and a downloadable Activity Page, please visit our website:
www.TheRevTheatre.com
Accessing Digital
Programming
For the 2020-2021 school year, you will access our programming through
HOW TO LOG IN:
Visit Livestream.BroadwayOnDemand.com/Rev-Education/ and click “Log in.”
Your school’s unique username and password will be shared directly with The
Rev’s contact person at your school. Every teacher in your district will use the
same username and password. Once you’ve logged in, you will be able to click on
and view the programming content you are looking for.
STUDENTS NEED TO ACCESS CONTENT FROM HOME?
Feel free to share the username and passwords with your students
if individual streaming from home is necessary.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Erin Katzker, Educational Theatre Manager, at
revtour@therevtheatre.com or 315-255-1305.
The Rev On Tour
Lisa Chase, Director of Education
Erin Katzker, Educational Theatre Manager
17 William St. • 2nd Floor • Auburn, New York 13021
Phone: (315) 255-1305 • Fax: (315) 252-3815
Email: revtour@therevtheatre.com
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