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The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES: Student Activity Guide

A Child’s Christmas in

Wales

by Dylan Thomas

Adapted for the stage by Jeremy Brooks and Adrian Mitchell

Student Activity Guideresearched and written by

the Education Department of The Shakespeare Theatre

of New Jersey

Artwork: Scott McKowen


This GuideIn– About This Guide ...................................................................................................................... 1

– About Dylan Thomas ................................................................................................................ 2

– Test Your Understanding ............................................................................................................ 3

– Who Said That? ......................................................................................................................... 5

– Additional Topics for Discussion ............................................................................................... 6

– About this Production ............................................................................................................... 6

– Follow-Up Activities ................................................................................................................. 7

– Meeting the Common Core Standards ....................................................................................... 8

– Sources and Further Reading .................................................................................................... 9

– About the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey ......................................................................... 10


One of the principal goals of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s education programs is to demystify the classics, take them “off the shelf,” and re-energize them for students and teachers alike. Toward these goals, this Classroom Activities Guide, used in conjuntion with our Audience Guide, provide educators with tools to both allay their own concerns and to expand the theatre-going experience for their students beyond the field trip to The Shakespeare Theatre.

The information included in this guide will help you expand your students’ understanding of classic literature in performance, as well as help you meet many of the New Jersey Common Core Standards. We encourage you to impart as much of the information included in the Classroom Activities Guide and the Audience Guide to your students as possible. The following are some suggestions from teachers on how you can best utilize elements of these guides given limited classroom time.

•JUST THE BASICS: Many teachers have found that distributing or reading the SynopSiS and Who‘S Who pages from the Audience Guide has greatly increased students’ understanding and enjoyment of the production. It provides the students with a general understanding of what they will be seeing and what they can expect. Some teachers simply take the last five minutes of a class period to do this with very positive results.

•MINI TEAM-RESEARCH PROJECTS: When more class time is available prior to your visit, we recommend incorporating the background information on the era in which the play is set as well the play itself. One teacher divided her class into groups and assigned each group research topics based on the divisions found in this guide as well as the Audience Guide. Using a copy of the corresponding Audience Guide page as a launch pad, the students had one week to research the topics. The students then presented their information to the class in three- to five-minute oral reports. Including the questions that evolved from the presentations, the entire project took only one class period.

•POST-SHOW DISCUSSION: Using the questions found in the “TopicS for DiScuSSion,” many teachers will opt to take a class period after their trip to The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey to discuss the play with their students. The questions help keep the comments focused on the production, while incorporating various thematic and social issues that are found in the play.

•GET ON YOUR FEET: One school spent two days working through performance-based activities (a few of which are suggested in the “folloW-up AcTiviTieS” section) with a particularly “difficult and rowdy” class. They were astounded with the results.

Again, we hope you will incorporate as many portions of this guide as you are able into your classroom experience. If you have any suggestions for activities or topics not already found in the Audience Guide, please contact our Education Department. We are always interested in hearing new ways to excite young people (and teachers) about Shakespeare and live theatre.

Happy Teaching,

Brian B. Crowe, Director of Education

This GuideAbout

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“What’s My Line?”Promoting Active Listening

Teacher-tested, student-approved! Try this exercise with your students:

Before attending the production, give each student one line from the play to listen for. Discuss the meaning of the line and encourage their input in deciphering what the intention of the line might be. How would the student perform the line? Why is the line important to the play? Does it advance the plot, or give the audience particular insight into a character or relationship?

Following the production, discuss the line again. Did the actor present the line in the way your student expected? If not, how was it different?


A Child’s Christmas in Wales

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About Dylan Thomas

Dylan Thomas reading for the BBC in the 1940’s

Dylan Marlais Thomas was born in Swansea, Glamorganshire (Wales) on October 27, 1914. He was educated at Swansea Grammar School and became well known for his obtuse poetry, amusing plays and prose. Before the publishing of his first book, Thomas worked as a reporter for The South West Daily Post in Swansea (1931-1932) and as a freelance writer in 1933.Thomas’ first book, 18 POEMS was published when he was just 19 years old. His poems had first appeared in the Sunday Referee in 1933 as part of a feature column called “The Poets’ Corner.” The Referees editor, Victor Neuburg, began to award prizes to the poets whose work was judged the finest over a six-month period. The winning poet’s work would then be published in book form. Thomas was the second poet to be awarded the prize, which he won for the second poem he published, “The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower.” The editors had considerable difficulty finding a publisher who would accept Thomas’ manuscript, however, until David Archer of the Parton Bookshop agreed to have the book printed. The work remained obscure and received little praise. Thomas followed 18 POEMS with 25 POEMS in 1936.

Thomas lived a life of poverty in England and in Wales. He married Caitlin Macnamara in 1937. The couple had two sons and a daughter. Thomas then began to concentrate on prose with such works as “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog,””Adventures in the Skin Trade,” and “Quite Early One Morning.” During this time, Thomas also worked as part of a documentary film unit during World War II. He published many short stories, wrote film scripts, broadcast stories, did a series of lecture tours in the U.S. and wrote UNDER MILKWOOD, a radio play for voices. In 1949, Thomas began more frequent visits to the United States, touring colleges to read his poetry. He was the recipient of the 1953 Foyle Prize.

In 1953, during his fourth lecture tour of the United States and after a long period of depression and drinking, he collapsed in his New York hotel room. He died on November 9th at St. Vincent’s Hospital at age 39, and it is believed that his death was caused by alcohol poisoning. Thomas is buried in Laughame, Wales, where his grave is marked by a simple wooden cross.


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1. This production of A Child’s Christmas in Wales is adapted from a short story/poem by what famous poet? a) Lewis Carroll b) William Shakespeare c) Dylan Thomas d) Walt Whitman

2. Which was NOT also written by the author of A Child’s Christmas in Wales? a) Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night b) Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog b) The Fall of the House of Usher d) Under Milkwood

3. Which of the following items does young Dylan include on his Christmas list? a) a B.S.A bicycle with a three-speed gear b) an iPod c) a rugby ball d) a toy crab

4. Dylan’s parents give him _____________ for Chirstmas. a) a B.S.A bicycle with a three-speed gear b) a Radio Flyer wagon c) a magician’s set d) a little machine gun

5. Aunt Eliere gives Dylan _____________ for Chirstmas. a) a B.S.A bicycle with a three-speed gear b) a Radio Flyer wagon c) a magician’s set d) a little machine gun 6. Dylan’s family lives ... a) in a suburb of London. b) on Cwmdonkin Street. c) in the hills of Ireland. d) on Elm Street.

7. What does the hotel chauffeur bring that “saves” Christmas? a) Dylan’s lost wooly, ginger dog b) Aunt Elieri c) a fully cooked turkey d) the stolen Christmas gifts

8. Why is Glenda exclaiming over Mr. Murgatroyd’s vehicle? a) It crashed into a tree. b) It is a Rolls Royce stretch limousine. c) It is the same bicycle that Dylan asked for. d) It is decorated with garland and ornaments for the holidays.

TeST your unDerSTAnDing - circle the letter that BEST answers the question.


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9. What charm does Dylan pull from his Christmas pudding? a) a thimble b) a donkey c) a button d) a baby

10. Glenda takes Brenda’s thimble charm because... a) Glenda has a thimble collection. b) she wants to trade it for the donkey. c) Brenda won’t stop crying. d) she says she wants to be an old maid.

11. Who comes and sings Christmas carols to the family after their dinner? a) the local choir b) the Town Hill boys c) Dylan’s friends from school d) the Fire Brigade

12. After hearing about Dylan’s new bike, the policeman says– a) he better not catch Dylan riding it without a license. b) that he received his first bike when he was about Dylan’s age. c) that he got his son one just like it. d) that he doesn’t believe that Dylan really got a bicycle for Christmas.

13. Dylan says that Aunt Elieri is sad so often because– a) she lost her husband in a violent sea storm several years ago. b) she had hopes of becoming a great dancer, but was unable to afford to move to Paris. c) two of her brothers died in the war. d) her little boy died in a boating accident several years ago.

14. Which of Dyan’s relatives insist they do not believe in ghosts? a) Aunt Elieri b) Glenda c) Mother d) Uncle Glyn

9. What charm does Dylan pull from his Christmas pudding? a) a thimble b) a donkey c) a button d) a baby

TeST your unDerSTAnDing - circle the letter that BEST answers the question.


Who SAiD ThAT? - Match the line on the left to the character who says it on the right. one character May speak More than one line.

A. “All the Christmases roll down the hill towards the two tongued sea...” SMOKY

B. “The trials and tribulations of a Postman’s life.” TOM

C. “Right! These are the tracks of no mere cat...” AUNT NELLIE

D. “And you know that climbing on the bandstand is not allowed.” FATHER

E. “It’s a wig...a pirate wig. I knitted it myself ” DYLAN

F. “Everyone loves Elieri” POSTMAN

G. “We could have a vegetarian Christmas.” AUNT ELIERI

H. “But I don’t want to be an Old Maid!” GLENDA

I. “There aren’t any hippos in Swansea.” BRENDA

J. “My name is Taliesin. My song is so perfect it will last till the world ends.” GLYN

K. “The living room – the singing room – was gradually turning into a sleeping room” UNCLE TUDYR

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ADDiTionAl TopicS for DiScuSSion1. This adaptation of A Child’s Christmas in Wales is a memory play. The nar rator, Dylan Thomas, speaks to the audience as an adult and then transforms into a boy as he remembers Christmas with his family and friends. How does this theatrical convention help the audience to follow the story? Be specific. What other plays, movies, or stories use this same or similar conventions?

2. Dylan states that his memories of Christmas have all merged into one, like a great snowball growing ever bigger as it rolls. What does he mean by this? Consider your memories of the holidays. Do you remember each celebration individually or rather do you have a large singular recollec tion of the holiday? Be specific.

3. Dylan’s family has a fairly specific series of traditions that they follow on Christmas Day. What traditions do you share with your family during the holiday season? Do they hold particular spiritual, religious, social, familial or cultural significance? Be specific.

4. Jeremy Brooks and Adrian Mitchell, when adapting Dylan Thomas’ story into a play, decided to incorporate traditional Christmas carols and Welsh folk songs–often changing the lyrics to fit the story. Why do you think they did not write new music for the piece? How integral is music to your memories of the holiday season? Be specific.

5. To create this story, Thomas has united memories from numerous Christmases spent as a boy in Wales. Not all the images he presents are necessarily joyous ones however. Describe these images. How do their inclusion help shape the story and set the tone of the piece? Do they make the piece more realistic? Support your argument.

AbouT ThiS proDucTion1. This play takes place in many locations in the small Welsh neighborhood surrounding Cwmdonkin Drive. How have the director, scenic designer and lighting designer depicted these various locations? How have they enabled the play to move smoothly from one scene to the next without stopping to create a new setting? Be specific. Why do you think the artistic team has made these choices? Support your opinion.

2. How would you describe the scenic design for this production? Is it realistic? Is it stylized? Support your arguments. What images, feelings or moods come to mind when viewing the set? Be specific.

Test Your Understanding - Answer Key

1) c 2) c 3) a 4) a 5) c6) b 7) c 8) a 9) b 10) d11) b 12) a 13)c 14) d

A. DYLAN E. AUNT NELLIE I. GLENDAB. POSTMAN F. FATHER J. AUNT ELIERIC. TOM G. GLYN K. DYLAND. SMOKY H. BRENDA Who Said That? - Answer Key


folloW-up AcTiviTieS

CRITIC’S CORNERWrite a review of this production of A Child’s Christmas in Wales. Be sure to include specific information and your own reactions to both

the acting and the design elements (set, costumes and sound). Explain what you liked about the production, and what you disliked, and support your opinions. Then submit your review to The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s Education Department, or see if it can be published in your school newspaper.

“Alert the media!” A Child’s Christmas in Wales takes place in a small town where the only regular source of news would be the local paper. Select a series of

events from the play, and “cover” them in the style of a newspaper. For example, create a news bulletin about the firemen arriving to the smoke filled house, a social column on the hosting family at the holidays, or interviews with Uncle Tudyr, Aunt Elieri, Brenda or Glenda about their favorite holiday memory or ghost story.

“I learn by this letter...” Write a letter from the point of view of one of the characters, discussing an event or situation in the play. For example, a letter from Dylan to

Father Christmas about his Christmas wish list, or a letter from Brenda to Glenda planning revenge on Jim.

CASTING CALLImagine that you are a movie director about to put together a new film version of A Child’s Christmas in Wales. Choose the eight main

characters (in your opinion) and list five words that describe each character. Using these descriptions decide what actor you would cast in each role. Defend your decision by explaining why that particular actor seems right for the character Dylan Thomas depicts.

GHOST STORYDivide into four groups, and have each group come up with a ghost story. Your task is to then

come up with a staged adaptation of your group’s Ghost Story and present them for the rest of the class.

A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES: A BIOGRAPHYDylan Thomas provides some information about the main characters in A Child’s Christmas in

Wales, but only small bits of background information about some of the other characters we meet during the show. Create a biography for one of the other people from Swansea using the information that Thomas provides as a jumping off point.

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CALLING ALL TEACHERS!

Do you have activities or exercises to suggest for this play? We are always

looking for new ideas to inspire students (and teachers). Send your suggestions to

[email protected] and we will share them with other teachers, and maybe

even include them in future study guides.


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LANGUAGE ARTS LITERACY STANDARDSAs a theatre dedicated to the classics, we are continually engaged in exploring some of the world’s greatest literature and the relationship between the written text and performance. Our philosophy and practice follow the underlying assumptions of the Language Arts Literacy CCSS: That “language is an active process for constructing meaning”; that “language develops in a social context”; that language ability increases as learners “engage in texts that are rich in ideas and increasingly complex in language”; that learners achieve mastery not by practicing isolated skills but by “using and exploring language in its many dimensions.”

In the practice of theatre, we merge all areas of the language arts, as the standards suggest “in an integrated act of rehearsal, reflection, and learning.” Below, you will find just a few of the possibilities for aligning your study of our productions to each of these standards.

NJSLSA.R1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences and relevant connections from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. Read a scene from the play as a class and use context clues to interpret new

words and expand vocabulary.NJSLSA.R9. Analyze and reflect on how two or more texts address similar themes or

topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. Compare this production to another Shakespeare play or to a piece you are

reading in class. NJSLSA.R10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts

independently and proficiently with scaffolding as needed. Analyze a portion of the text, isolate specific imagery, meanings, references,

and then compare those instances to other passages in the play.W.3.6. With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish

writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others. Compare and Contrast the printed text with the staged version viewed online. Maintain a journal or blog that classmates can comment on using specific

prompts about the play.SL.3.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,

and teacher led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. Participate in a post-show Discussion.

L.6.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Write a new ending for the play in modern prose.

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS STANDARDSBoth the CCSS and the Every Student Succeeds Act promote the inclusion of “programs and activities that use music and the arts as tools to support student success through the promotion of constructive student engagement, problem solving, and conflict resolution” (ESSA 2015). Performances, workshops, and study guide exercises developed by The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey strive to address the Visual and Performing Arts Standards.

Below, you will find a few possibilities for aligning your study of our production to each standard.

Standard 1.1 The Creative Process: All students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements and principles that govern the creation of works of art in dance, music, theatre, and visual art. Write a review of the production using domain-appropriate terminology; develop

a class rubric for effect theatrical presentations

Standard 1.2 History of the Arts and Culture: All students will understand the role, development, and influence of the arts throughout history and across cultures. Discuss the representation of social issues (class, politics, etc.) in the play;

research how the historical period affected the writer’s work; compare the play to work from other historical periods.

Standard 1.3 Performing: All students will synthesize skills, media, methods, and technologies that are appropriate to creating, performing, and/or presenting works of art in dance, music, theatre, and visual art. Perform a monologue or scene from the play; participate in a classroom

workshop that develops the physical and technical skills required to create and present theatre.

Standard 1.4 Aesthetic Responses & Critique Methodologies: All students will demonstrate and apply an understanding of arts philosophies, judgment, and analysis to works of art in dance, music, theatre, and visual art. Participate in a post-show discussion of elements such as physicality and creating

motivated action; discuss the relationship between play text and production design.

MeeTing The coMMon core STAnDArDSIn 1996, the New Jersey State Board of Education adopted the Core Curriculum Content Standards that set out to clearly define what every New Jersey student should know and be able to do at the end of their schooling. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is committed to supporting teachers by ensuring that our educational programs are relevant to the evolving standards of modern education.

Viewing a performance at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and participating in the post-performance discussion can serve as a powerful springboard for discussion, writing, and other outlets for higher-order thinking. On this page, you will find suggestions for ways to align your study of our production to each standard.


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PRINTED MATERIALS

DYLAN THOMAS: THE BIOGRAPHY by Paul Ferris, Counterpoint

Press, 2000.

DYLAN THOMAS’S WALES by Hilary Laurie, Weidenfeld &

Nicholson, 1999.

THE COLLECTED POEMS OF DYLAN THOMAS: THE ORIGINAL

EDITION by Dylan Thomas, New Directions Books, 2010.

A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES, by Dylan Thomas, illustrated

by Trina Shart Hyman, Holiday House, 1985.

1934 - 18 Poems 1936 - 25 Poems1939 - The Map of Love The World I Breathe 1940 - Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog 1943 - New Poems 1946 - Death and Entrances Selected Writings of Dylan Thomas1950 - Twenty-Six Poems 1952 - In Country Sleep, Collected Poems, 1934-1952 1953 - The Doctors and the Devils 1954 - Under Milkwood Quite Early One Morning 1955 - Adventures in the Skin Trade and Other Stories A Prospect of the Sea A Child’s Christmas in Wales1957 - Letters to Vernon Watkins1964 - The Beach of Falesá

&Sources Further Reading

A Brief Chronology

Thomas’ Workof


The acclaimed Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is one of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation. Serving approximately 100,000 adults and young people annually, it is New Jersey’s largest professional theatre company dedicated to Shakespeare’s canon and other classic masterworks. With its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences. The longest-running Shakespeare theatre on the East Coast and the seventh largest in the nation, The Shakespeare Theatre celebrates its fifty-fourth anniversary in 2016.

The Company’s dedication to the classics and commitment to artistic excellence helps set high standards for the field. Nationwide, the Theatre has emerged as one of America’s most exciting companies under the leadership of Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte, who has been with the company since 1990. It is one of only a handful of Shakespeare Theatres on the East Coast, and in recent years has drawn larger and larger audiences and unprecedented critical acclaim. The opening of the intimate 308-seat F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in 1998, provided the Theatre with a state-of-the-art venue with excellent sightlines, and increased access for patrons and artists with disabilities.

The company’s 2016 Main Stage Season features six productions presented in the Kirby Shakespeare Theatre from June through December. Each summer, an Outdoor Stage production is also presented at an open-air amphitheatre nestled in a hillside on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth in nearby Florham Park. The Theatre is proud to have launched into its second half-century with a brand new support facility housing all its administrative and technical shops, as well as a new rehearsal hall, classroom spaces, and extensive costume, property and scenic inventory in the nearby town of Florham Park.

In addition to being a celebrated producer of classic plays and operating Shakespeare LIVE! (one of the largest educational Shakespeare touring programs in the North East region), The Shakespeare Theatre is also deeply committed to nurturing new talent for the American stage. By providing an outstanding training ground for students of the theatre, and cultivating audiences for the future by providing extensive outreach opportunities for students across New Jersey and beyond, The Shakespeare Theatre is a leader in arts education and professional training. For additional information, visit our web site at www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is a member of ArtPride, The Shakespeare Theatre Association, Madison Cultural & Arts Alliance, and is a founding member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

About The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

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The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare TheatrePhoto © Andrew Murad, 2008

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional major support is received from The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, Bank of America, and The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, as well as contributions from other numerous corporations, foundations, government agencies and individuals.

Support for the Theatre’s education programs is provided in part by The Investors Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, The Provident Bank Foundation, and the Turrell Fund.

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