is a series of stories and tales in English for Primary Schools and has been created according to a format which provides the teacher with all the tools required to stage a musical. The teacher is offered a valuable method to organise the various activities required in preparing a musical, optimising all involved. The stories are inspired by the most famous classics, but are completely rewritten on a lighter note, updated and fun, ready to be put on stage:
The story musical is a product
designed and created by Double Arch published by ELI Literary texts by: Riccardo Poto and Francesca Mazzi Songs (texts and music) by: Riccardo Poto and Francesca Mazzi Vocalist: Alessandra Brown and Chiara Del Vecchio Arrangement and guitar: Riccardo Poto Graphic design and layout: Sonia Poto Illustrations: Sonia Poto Costumes and props: Luana Colocci – Ittico Artlab Choreography: Laura Mungherli – Center Stage Theatre Company: “L’Aquilone” Shooting and video editing: Double Arch Audio recordings: Double Arch Directed by: Riccardo Poto Coordination and organisation: Giorgio Levroni Editorial coordination and supervision: Lisa Suett and Letizia Pigini Linguistic consultant: Ashley Louise Brown and Emily Burfoot Printed by: Tecnostampa – Pigini Group Printing Division – Loreto – Trevi, Italia 19.83.561.0
All rights reserved © 2020 ELI
The total or partial reproduction of this publication, as well as its transmission, is strictly forbidden in any form and by any means, without the authorisation of the ELI publishing house.
Remember: On the DVD you can find the script of each fairy tale in pdf format (complete with useful indications for the staging of the musical) to be printed! The text you find on the DVD has been formatted to allow for minimal waste of toner.
DVD contents
page 4
Guide
page 7
Hansel and Gretel Cut and colour
page 20 page 40
The Ugly Duckling Cut and colour
page 42 page 66
The Jungle Book Cut and colour
page 68 page 90
Peter Pan Cut and colour
page 92 page 118
King Arthur Cut and colour
page 120 page 142
.......................................................................... DVD contents
page 144
The Canterbury Tales page 148 Cut and colour page 174 Romeo and Juliet Cut and colour
page 176 page 204
DVD CONTENTS SCRIPT AND SCREENPLAY
SONGS AND MUSIC
The fairy tales and stories are composed of eight frames; the script with the parts to be recited, also provides indications on how to make costumes and small props for the characters, the settings and the actions contained in the scenes. The duration of each performance varies from 30 to 45 minutes.
Each fairy tale or story contains five original songs, available in versions: vocal and instrumental base without vocals.
King Arthur SCRIPT AND SCREENPLAY
Literary texts by: Riccardo Poto and Francesca Mazzi Songs (texts and music) by: Riccardo Poto and Francesca Mazzi
Musical based freely on British legends
AUDIO TUTORIAL OF THE RECITAL
SCENERY
The audio guide of the recital, helps with the understanding of theatrical timing, intonation and characterisation of the voices of all the characters.
There are five scenery backdrops for each musical with original, high-resolution digitised illustrations. They can be projected onto any surface to provide the correct theatrical setting. As well as the scenery, there are drawings of the main characters.
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DANCE VIDEO TUTORIAL
PROPS AND COSTUME VIDEO TUTORIAL
One song has been selected for the main dance. The choreographer gradually explains all the steps, dividing the dance into short sections that can be selected directly from the chapters of the video, thus greatly facilitating the pupils when they study and learn the steps.
The costumes and props are made with recycled materials, cheap and easy to find. A workshopguide stimulates the children’s imagination and creativity.
THEATRE VIDEO TUTORIAL
TEACHER’S GUIDE
The video contains the complete staging of the musical. It provides instructions for the pupils on how to recite by demonstrating the movements and gestures of the characters and illustrates the organisation of the space on stage, which could be a classroom, a gym, a garden or a courtyard.
This consists of a text that provides the teacher with a set method to create the musical and describes all of the different phases, from casting to general rehearsal as well as acting and works as a support for the teacher providing practical and experienced advice.
King Arthur TEACHER’S GUIDE
Literary texts by: Riccardo Poto and Francesca Mazzi
© SIAE registered
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Remember:
The DVD contains a pdf that you can print! Layout of the texts on the DVD have been specially formatted to allow for minimal waste of toner.
SIAE registered
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INTRODUCTION Double Arch has devised a format which guides the teacher from start to finish in the creation of a musical. Step by step the story unfolds following a set of rules that ensure correct timing and rhythm. The idea is to provide original and creative ways to express all of the skills involved in the making of a musical, guaranteeing maximum success on stage. The format considers every aspect involved in the production of a musical and has been written and developed according to a specific method and timing in the place chosen to stage the musical. The following are included:
• the full theatrical script to be staged; • description of each character; • the on-stage movements and actions of the characters; • a recording of the script recited by actors as work in progress to be consulted and studied; • the original songs recorded in the following versions: a · base with lead vocals and choirs b · instrumental base only
• song lyrics; • illustrations depicting the backdrops to be projected as virtual scenery; • original choreography; • video tutorial including tools for making the props; • video tutorial for the creation of the costumes; • video tutorial for teaching the choreography of the musical dances; • video tutorial of the musical;
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• detailed description of the musical preparation process which includes: a · casting b · length of rehearsal c · rehearsal timetable d · staging according to the number of actors and available space and on-stage sound, lighting and video technical requirements
• online help for technical, artistic and administrative advice; • multimedia support available in different formats.
Mission
To promote autonomy in educational didactic environments (public and private schools, associations, religious, or social groups, sports associations) in setting up a musical without the need of additional help or specific artistic skills and particularly in the presence of a limited budget.
Method
Provision of all creative material, from the conception of the play, in which each part is analysed and developed right up to the technical realisation by means of multi-medial support.
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MUSIC Begin by selecting the pupils according to their aptitude and assign the various roles present in the play and its staging. As the children are in no way under any type of judgment, there is no rejection or selection, the important thing is to give the children an equal amount of participation. The aim is to involve all the children who wish to participate in the musical, regardless of their number. The format structure can be adjusted in this sense, as it provides for a variable number of participating children. If you have a single class only involved in the production of the musical (15/25 children), each character will be played by a single pupil (one actor for each character) and the remaining children will play the roles of the chorus, the acting voices, the corps de ballet, the set designers and prop makers. Vice versa, if numerous classes are involved (25/150 children), each character can be interpreted by different pupils making the necessary changes in each frame, thus increasing the participation so as to ensure a greater number of interacting children.
Casting
First choose the children who want to sing and give them a simple and catchy song. The auditions can be supervised by someone competent and set up in the following way: the children form a circle and are asked to beat their hands in time to the chosen song and take turns singing a verse in solo. Such an informal and playful setting will help each child to express him/herself without the fear of being judged. Look for spontaneity, enthusiasm, vitality and presence when deciding on their placement as well as the tone of voice which could potentially match the character in question. Once the roles of the solo singers have been assigned, those remaining will be part of the choir. Ideally, the solo singers should also have an aptitude for acting although this is not necessarily so important as the acting and singing parts of the same character can be performed by two different children.
Voice testing
Once the soloists and the choir have been chosen, listen to the songs that make up the soundtrack of the musical, using a small amplifier. Then give out the lyrics to be sung to each child. First, they can listen to the songs which will be sung by the voice coach a sufficient number of times for them to learn the lyrics. After this they will sing the same songs to the music on their own. You can also use the musical base backed up by a recorded choir and add the children’s chorus for a better sound impact.
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Onstage arrangement
The children will be seated in a semicircle facing the public thus creating a natural space for the musical to take place. In the event that the main characters are able to perform both the recited and the singing parts, they will be already on stage when it’s time for the song written in the script. On the other hand, if the role of the main characters is assigned to two different children, both will be present on stage and the child who is to act only, will mime the lyrics whilst the singer will remain in the semicircle but stand up and sing. It is important for the choir singers to stay close to each other and stand near the centre of the semicircle so that they sing in tune (see attached “Layout plan of pupils� on page 19). This drama method allows for the children to be constantly present on stage knowing that the presence of each and every child is of equal importance, thus avoiding moments of distraction or tension, as they are all equally part of the show.
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THEATRE The selection of pupils and their involvement in the show follow the same teaching principles expressed in the chapter “Music” .
Casting
Choose the children who want to participate and ask them to come forward, one couple at a time, and propose different ways of interpreting, either reading or preferably, both of them will quickly memorise about two sentences as part of a short dialogue. First the children form a circle and then they will be asked to come forward in turn by the casting director in order to evaluate their capacity. The dialogues are based on: • an emotion / state of mind (pain, cheerfulness, amazement, indifference); • a rhythm (fast, slow, frenetic); • a vocal timbre (grave, acute, falsetto); • a faulty pronunciation (a hissing “s”, a rolling “r”, a French “r” or a lisp; • an imitation of animal verses (mighty elephant voice, tiny ant, snake hissing, cat meowing, etc.); • changing vowels (interpret the parts using only the vowel A / E / I ... in all the words); • a use of guttural sounds instead of words; • gesticulations which represent what we want to express without speaking (miming).
All of these elements have a strong playful component, which involve the protagonists and those who are listening. In order to assign the parts of the protagonists, consider the ability to enter into the part of the character, clear speaking, on-stage presence, how they move in the given space, their spontaneous and empathic abilities. Once the main characters have been selected, the others will all be part of the choral voices. It is of course preferable that the main actors can also sing, although it isn’t of such importance as two children can cover a single character with one singing and the other reciting.
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Recital
Once the actors and the choral voices have been selected, the children listen to the fairy tale recited by professional actors using a small amplifier. A copy of the musical script should be handed to each child. This recording can be used as a reference during their study of the story together with the help of the musical director. The script is divided in parts or frames to be recited and rehearsed over and again. Each part will be in coordination with the actor’s movements and gestures which are written in the script as well as their entrances and exits. Every rehearsal consists in reciting a frame from beginning to end, repeating it several times and focusing on it more and more each time. It is advisable that each rehearsal focuses on a single frame.
On stage arrangement
The children will be seated in a semicircle facing the public, thus creating a natural space on stage for the musical to take place. Following the script, the actors in each scene get up, go to the centre of the circle and perform their part, then return to sit in their place. The children who remain seated in the semicircle can participate in the scenes acting as voices in a crowd (e.g. disapproving cries, shouts of hurray, being noisy etc.). The children who act as the voices are divided into two groups and placed on each side of the choir. This will give the correct space to create the atmosphere desired to make the most realistic and articulated musical (see attachment “Layout for students”). This method of dramatisation allows the children to be constantly present on stage without creating unnecessary tension as they are all equally part of the show. It is recommended that everyone be given the audio and video material to study at home in order to make the musical a success and to save time so that rehearsals run smoother. The parents can also be involved with the children’s study of the scripts and soundtracks at home and in this way they will better understand the structure of the musical and have the chance to be aware of the effort their child is putting into the preparation.
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DANCE The same teaching principles as per the chapter “Music� can be followed when choosing the children who are to be part of the dance corps.
Casting
First, choose the children who wish to take part in the choreography and ask them to dance in any way they like so that you can see how they express themselves while dancing. All of the musical compositions have been created especially for children to help them express their creativity. Secondly, beat your hands to a rhythm, such as a military march (a one two / one two / step) and arrange the pupils in randomised rows. The children then march on the spot following the rhythm, raising their knees in time and coordinating other parts of the body (arms, hands, head, hips.) First they use the right side of the body and then the left. The choreographer can either call out to give them orders on the steps to follow or stand in front of them and lead them by doing the movements him/herself demonstrating exactly what they are to do. The movements (for example, raising an arm, waving with one hand, moving the hips, turning the head ...) will all be according to the rhythm of the step (e.g. one two / one two / raise an arm ...). The movements will be alternated, using the right side then the left, all with the guidance of the choreographer. The steps can then be repeated without the help of the choreographer to see how the children memorise the steps and movements by doing them both with the right side and with the left side of the body. The instructions of each movement can be given vocally or better still, by following the movements and steps of the choreographer who stands in front of the students. All this has a strong playful component that involves every child. A good means of measuring the children’s capacity for the major dance roles is to look for a sense of rhythm, natural coordination, spontaneous and empathic ability, capacity to memorise movements and the commitment demonstrated by the children. All the others will form the overall group choreographic movements (for example, they can play the part of trees with the branches swaying in the wind with the children raising their arms up high and swaying back and forth). The choreographic movements are the background to the scene, so these children will be placed behind the main performers.
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Choreography rehearsals
Student layout on stage
As part of the material provided by “The story musical� a video tutorial is included, led by a professional choreographer, where the song is choreographed and performed by children. By following the instructions, the children can learn each step of the choreography and finally perform the complete dance. To make it easier to learn the dance steps, the song in the video tutorial has been divided into different sections (eg introduction / first verse / second verse / chorus ...); each section must be studied individually and then put together to be performed in the final dance production. To facilitate learning of the steps, each section of the song is written at the top of the video to facilitate learning. The children should watch the video over and again until they have memorised and carried out all the steps correctly. The children will be arranged in a semicircle facing the public, thus creating a natural space on stage for the performance. The leading dancers get up and move inside the semicircle and perform according to the script, while the children who perform the choreographic movements stay behind the main dancers and are part of the background. Once the music and the choreographic parts are finished, the children return to sit in their place. The students who interpret the choreographic movements stay inside the semicircle that marks the scenic space and the children reciting the voices will be at each side of the stage leaving sufficient space and providing greater depth for the choreography.
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COSTUMES AND PROPS Children are selected for their creative and practical skills when assigning the various tasks which are required for the creation of the costumes and the objects used for the scenes. There won’t be any need for casting as the video tutorial guides them through the creation of each object and costume. A good idea is to assign some of the children to costume making (the witch, the woodcutter etc.) and others to the creation of the objects or props (the wooden logs, the fire, the treasure etc.) This will save time whilst making sure all the children are occupied doing something at the same time. For those who wish to be part of the team as costume designers or creators of props and costume making, their own personal skills in design, drawing and handcraft are to be taken into account when assigning the various tasks. Teachers should make everyone understand that this part of the preparation for the musical is just as important as acting, dancing or singing and in fact, vital in ensuring the success desired by all.
Costumes and props
The first step is to gather the materials required to make the costumes and objects for each story. All of the materials are easy to find, economical and of everyday use, some are recycled objects or fabric etc. The school can provide the materials but it is always good policy to ask the children to bring whatever they can from home, thus stimulating their sense of participation. The video tutorials explain in detail how to create each costume and object in a simple and comprehensible way and the children can add their own personal touch to further improve the end product.
On stage arrangement
The children involved in making costumes and props will all be seated in the semicircle on stage with the others. The props will be put on stage and positioned by the children themselves and all scenery changes where props have to be moved off and new ones set in place will be carried out by the same children in front of the audience each time. In this way, the objects created by the children will all have a role in the recital and be an important part of the scene. The coordinator will make sure that the entries and exits of children involved in changing the props is well timed and in line with the projected background image of the scene. The costume designers will also be responsible for dressing the actors in each scene although there will not be any change of costume during any of the recitals.
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SCENERY “The story musical” includes original high-resolution illustrations to be used as virtual digital background scenery which is video projected onto a wall or surface. The dimensions of the image can be varied by changing the distance of the video projector from the surface on which it is projected. Therefore it can be positioned to suit whatever stage space is available. The purpose of this choice of video projection is to:
• relieve the organisers of a very demanding task; • avoid the relatively high costs involved in creating scenery (eg. glue, fabric, colours, wood, panels, etc.); • avoid having to find a suitable space to create and store the various scenery constructions; • have scenery projection which can be made adaptable to any stage setting or location. All drawings have been hand drawn by a professional illustrator and then digitised to obtain each video projection.
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TECHNICAL SUPPORT “The story musical” requires only a small amount of technical equipment, all of which is easy to find and economic and includes the following:
• a video projector with a minimum of 1200 ansi-lumens; • a computer (PC or Mac) with image viewing software; • a CD player (CD player); • two amplifiers (two active speakers) 150+ watts each; • an audio-visual technician.
Whenever possible, increased power in the technical equipment can be as follows: • a video projector 1500+ ansi-lumens; • a computer (PC or Mac) with image viewing software; • a video projection screen; • a CD player; • two amplifiers (two active speakers) 300+ watts each; • two monitors for the stage; • a number of radio microphones for main actors and solo singers; • a mixer with an adequate number of channels; • 2-4 spotlights to mark out and illuminate the scenic space (the lights can be led or incandescent-average power of 500/1000 watts each); • two raised spotlights; • cabling of adequate lengths; • a sound technician; • a lighting technician; • a video technician.
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The technical requirements for an optimal production of the musical vary depending on the location chosen for the show. It is virtually impossible to predict all the variables at the design stage, however should any problem arise, “The story musical” provides “online help”, where professional technicians evaluate and recommend solutions to problems. For a successful musical the tasks and the technical timing must be well coordinated, they should be tested and rehearsed until they are totally reliable and fully in line with all other artistic aspects. For example, the instrumental base starts at exactly the same moment as the song in the script, whilst the projected scenery is the one in the script and the actor’s microphone is opened a few seconds before the music or song starts. Technical tasks should however be carried out by adults in charge, either a teacher or even a parent who has some technical know-how.
LAYOUT FOR STUDENTS
divided in roles / technical equipment
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