Study guide



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Cast of Characters

Oba……….

Male spirit of the sky, builder of land, sun; chief

Iya ………..

Female spirit of the water and moon; nourisher

Rooster……

First in the day, Yoruba

Chameleon..

Messenger of the spirits

Ananse…….

Spider, trickster, cunning and lazy;

Ashante folklore, Ghana



Ijapa……….

Turtle, trickster, cunning and lazy;

Yoruba folklore, Nigeria, Benin



Animals……

Snake, Elephant, Giraffe, Birds,

Leopard, Monkeys



Twins………

Considered exceptional in Yoruba culture

People……..

Adu, Moako, other villagers


Synopsis
As well it should, our story begins at the beginning…the beginning of time that is, the world is new and plants and animals must learn about one another and all that is around them. Ananse, the Spider, trickster extraordinare, is present to make wrinkles in an otherwise peaceful setting. He is endlessly preoccupied with outwitting all those around him including the spirit chief Oba. He encounters Ijapa the Turtle and farther along, People, as they appear on the scene and with them he instigates much mischief. Life is a somewhat perplexing adventure to all, so they constantly seek Oba’s advice to solve their problems. The demand is too much, solving everyone’s problems is too big a job, so Oba retreats to the sky with the help of Ananse. Slowly it becomes apparent that these adventures become the stories, which when recounted, will unfold the wisdom of the ages. Ananse, taking advantage of Oba’s absence, devises a way to use them for his own gain. Two young twins see through the trickery and prevent Ananse from taking all the stories for his own. Unwittingly it is Ananse himself who provides them with the solution. Their journey of heart and mind returns this means of understanding to all the creatures of the earth.

“And now we all own

Our stories all the way around

And all the stories go

Round and round and round.”….from Ananse!
BACKGROUND INFORMATION


Storytelling
In all of West Africa the art of storytelling is a prominent part of village life, this oral tradition is a source of understanding, a way of recording history, and an entertainment all in one. No art form is left unused to perform stories. Movement, music, mask, puppetry, costume, dramatic oral interpretation stories, all combine to produce spectacular effects functioning simultaneously as celebration, ritual, and education. In some cultures only certain families are storytellers and are trained throughout generations on the story content and technique of delivery. The performers are called Griots or Jali and they have been preserving their cultures lore for more than 800 years.
Music
Instruments played during performances are made from indigenous materials usually from plant and animal sources and produce tonal qualities and subtleties that defy the scales of European instruments. The music in Ananse!…early in the day was performed by Ekpe Abioto, on West African instruments similar to those pictured on various pages of this study guide.
Masquerades
Carved wooden masks of exceptional beauty, costumes covered with raffia, grass, leaves or cloth and the astounding athletic and rhythmical ability of the performers give masquerades a powerful place in African celebration. They are symbolic representations of man’s need for connection to nature, each other, and to life. Used significantly at times of harvest or rites of passage, the performance of a masquerade, transforms the masks we only view hanging on a wall into vibrant forces. Their almost abstract style excites the imaginations of all who see, producing the entire spectrum of emotions, joy, fear, laughter, and always a sense of awe.
Trickster in Folklore
Trickster characters occur in folk tales the world over. Many are animals, representing aspects of human character traits, others are people. Generally the trickster proves very entertaining because of his tendency to alter perceptions and act as an agent of disorder in a world trying to establish order, rules and patterns. West African cultures vary their tricksters, for some it is a spider, for others a tortoise and still others a hare (Br’er Rabbit in Uncle Remus stories is an American descendant of that African ancestor).

While the tellers of trickster tales admire these characters’ resourcefulness, and resilience, they heatedly disapprove of their unwillingness to share and their treachery. In most West African tales nothing in or of itself is purely good or bad, but it must be considered in the context in which it occurs. The animal creatures stand for humans, and as they live and experience varied circumstances, these cultures recognize the need to improvise tactics to cope with them. These stories celebrate inventiveness even though it may be contrary to social conventions. They also have a dual function, commentary can be made of antisocial behavior or negative behavior, but in contrast it helps to illustrate that the small or insignificant members of the society can be clever enough to be victorious over stronger ones. It highlights the notion that in resourcefulness there is power.

Many times the trickster is himself outwitted in the course of an adventure. When a trick recoils on its perpetrator he learns that the creatures he thought so dull are not as simple as he imagined. In these scenarios the lesson learned is that you have to be aware and ahead of the mischief makers.

TEACHING ACTIVITIES
Lesson#1 Research Techniques, Reading, Practical Living, Geography

Objectives:


  1. Search for and catalog books from public and school libraries in search of stories about tricksters.

  2. Examine and compare how the characters want to affect each other in different stories and who are the characters that benefit in the end.


Vocabulary

folklore

wits

shrewd

mischief

imagination

foolish

contrast

timing

symbolism

wisdom

comedy

moral

luck

journey

animals

lazy

tricky

greedy

tame

cunning

metaphor

ideal

wild

eccentric

Lesson#2 Creative Writing, Language Arts, Oral Communication



Objectives:

  1. Create, as a group, an original story following the general outline that forms most tales.

Exposition: Introducing who, what, where, and when.

Change and Climax: Incidents that alters the status quo building to a high point of tension.

Resolution: How the characters adjust to the change and its consequences.

  1. Identify the theme for the story: ideas come from special messages to be delivered in the form of a moral, unique characters, a special place, or unusual occurrence.

  2. Fill in the details of the story. If done orally in class, a couple of students could be appointed to write the ideas down.

  3. Decide the final medium for the story.

Handmade book: This can include “typesetting” on the computer, hand writing and illustrations by the students and bound by hand to be presented to the school library.

"Radio" plays: Stressing the practice of using emotional expression, record the voices of the students. Hearing the delivery of the lines played back during the recording sessions, students recognize how it should sound. Sound effects and music add to the effect. The finished program can be played over the PA system at the school.
Lesson #3 Creative Thinking, Problem Solving, Visual Arts, Movement

Objectives:

  1. Learn the varied processes of communicating a point of view using oral, visual, musical or physical modes of expression.

  2. Dramatize a story by acting out the action and turning narrative into dialogue.

  3. Follow the creative process in a group effort and create a puppet production in the classroom. A puppet is an object with moving parts used as a character to tell a story. (Puppets "disarm" any students who think they have stage fright and offer an externalization of emotions and focus).


Vocabulary

adaptation

writer

music

mask

producer

actors

scenery

director

visual arts

message

outcome

resolution

arts

scenes

rhythms

sequencing

narrative

poetry

script

dialogue

movement

introduction

climax

delivery

ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES
The following activities can be used to explore any of the lesson objectives suggested and can be made age appropriate by grade.

  1. Research: classroom sources, libraries, newspapers, television, Internet, interviews, historical and cultural societies, museums

  2. Oral Communication: discussion in classroom before and after performances, presentation of researched information or original creations

  3. Writing: opinions, reports, fan letters, reviews, fictional stories, scripts, skits, international and/or local email

  4. Visual Arts: drawing, coloring, modeling in paper mache or clay, sculpting, collage in paper or found objects, puppet or mask making from objects such as socks, plastic jugs, cardboard, foam rubber, and craft items.

  5. Physical Communication: movement, dance, mime, theatre, puppetry


Bibliography

Children’s Literature:

Anansi Goes fishing, retold by Eric A. Kimmel

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain, by Verna Aardema

The Honey Hunters, by Francesca Martin

Anansi Finds a Fool, by Verna Aardema

The Spider Weaver, by Margaret Musgrove

The Adventures of Spider, retold by Joyce Cooperhurst
Reference Literature:

In the Beginning, by Virginia Hamilton

A Treasury of African Folklore, by Harold Courlander

The African Saga, by Blaise Cendras

IYABO of Nigeria, by Rhoda Omosunlola Johnson

A Dictionary of African Mythology, by Herald Scheub

Nigeria Magazine, Festac edition

The Last of the NUBA, by Leni Riefenstahl

Yoruba Trickster Tales, by Oyekan Owomoyela

African Oral Literature, by Isidone Okpewho

Sculpture: Sculptures of Western State of Nigeria, by Ministry of Home Affairs and Information

Yoruba, Sculpture of West Africa, by William Fagg

African Masks, by Iris Hahuer-Herzog, Marin Kesckesi, and Laslo Vajda
Music: Jali Kunda, Griots of West Africa & Beyond, by Foday Musa Suso (book and soundtrack)

Art Ensemble of Soweto; 1991 Columbia Records

Lady Smith Black Mambazo; 1988 Warner Brothers

Ekpe, I am a Genius; Ekpe Abioto( self produced )1998

Ekpe, The Spirit of African Music; Ekpe Abioto

(self produced )1992



ZAP MAMA; 1993 Warner Brothers Records

Femi Kuti; 1995 Tabu Records

Chief Ebenezer Obey, Ju Ju Jubilation; 1998

Capitol Records



Africa, colors of the world; 1998 Allegro Corperation

Olatunji, Drums of Passion; Columbia Records

EVALUATION FORM

WOOD & STRINGS THEATRE has an ongoing mission to enhance the educational process with our productions and workshops. To do so, it is vital we hear from you, the teachers and administrators, get your opinions and suggestions, the better to serve this purpose. We would greatly appreciate your taking a moment to fill out this form and send it on to us. Thank you!

School/Group City/State

_________________________________________ _________________________



Name Grade Level

_________________________________________ _________________________



Number in group Date of performance

_________________________________________ _________________________


AUDIENCE

  1. Did this performance sustain your students’ interest?




YES




NO




  1. Was the material and length of the performance age appropriate?





YES






NO




  1. Did the performance capture your interest?




YES




NO




  1. Did the experience generate interest? Do the children want to learn more about this subject/art form?





YES





NO




  1. Did the performance improve the children’s knowledge and/or perception of the subject/art form?





YES





NO






















STUDY GUIDE
















  1. Study Guides were sent to the coordinators of the event to pass on to you. Did you find them applicable to your curriculum?





YES





NO




  1. Did you have any activities sparked by the event and/or the study guide?

  2. Was the length and coverage of the study guide adequate for use?





YES
YES





NO
NO




  1. Did the study guide heighten your awareness of the subject/art form?





YES





NO






















PERFORMANCE
















  1. What performance did you see?

Ananse!…

early in the day

Out of the Mist

a Dragon



An Ire-ish Tale

Backwoods Ramblin’


  1. Please grade this performance overall.

  2. Please grade the Informance that follows the performance.




  1. Was there a charge to the students?




  1. Was the charge appropriate for the program?

POOR
POOR

FAIR
FAIR

GOOD
GOOD
YES
YES

OUTSTANDING
OUTSTANDING
NO
NO




  1. Would you like to have this company perform with another production for your group in the near future?








YES


NO



COMMENTS:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________






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