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MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS – AN AFRICAN TALEEducator Resource Guide

Dallas Children’s Theater’s production of John Steptoe’s

Series Sponsor Community Partner With additional support from

Dear Educator –We are excited to welcome you to the 2016-17 Season, filled with engaging artistic and educational opportunities for you and your students. Join us as we celebrate the voices of community and culture that have the power to unite us all. As part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage Education Program, this resource guide will provide you with lesson ideas to prepare your students for the upcoming performance. Please feel free to adapt any of the activities in this guide to make them appropriate and meaningful to your students.

This classic tale is highlighted by authentic African drumming, powerful choreography and thrilling original music. The splendor of Zimbabwe comes to life on stage as you take a journey with the daughters of Mufaroas they travel to meet a king in search of a wife. Along the way the girls are tested through mysterious situations that demand courage, kindness and strength of spirit.

We look forward to recognizing each unique voice and providing a platform for expression through the arts. From lesson ideas and professional development workshops to backstage tours, allow us to partner with you to provide students with exciting educational opportunities!

For questions contact the education sales department (920) 730-3726 or [email protected].

INSIDE THIS GUIDEWelcome 3 Discover the Arts 9

Standards 4 In the Spotlight 12

About 5 Resource Room 18

Lesson Plans 6

Dallas Children’s Theater’s production of John Steptoe’s

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters - An African Tale

Adapted for the Stage by Karen Abbot Music and Lyrics by S-Ankh Rasa

Thursday, March 23, 20179:30 a.m. | 12:30 p.m.

Run Time: Approx. 65 minutesGrades: 1-6

WELCOME TO THE FOX CITIES P.A.C.We are in need of an audience – are you up for the part?

THEATER ETIQUETTE •When entering the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, remember to show respect for others by waiting your turn and speaking quietly.

•Remember that during the performance the live performers can see and hear you. Even the smallest sounds can be heard throughout the theater, so it is best to remain quiet so everyone can enjoy the performance.

•Applause is the best way to express how much you enjoyed the performance!

•Important things to remember: •Student backpacks, gum, drinks and food are not allowed in the theater.•Cell phones should be turned off and stowed. •Note that recording or taking photos in the theater is strictly prohibited; however, photos may be taken in the lobby. •It’s a long way down – please do not drop items off balconies.

This study guide was created for you by the Education Team as a part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage Education program. To download copies of this study guide or to find additional resources for this performance or view past study guides please visit: www.foxcitiespac.com/educators

Questions about your show reservation? Contact our education sales team at [email protected] call (920) 730-3726.

ENJOY THE SHOW!

INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS

Be prepared to arrive early – You should plan on arriving to the Center 30 minutes before the show. Allow for travel time, parking and trips to the restroom.

Know your needs – To best serve the needs of you and your students, please indicate in advance if you have individuals who require special services or seating needs upon making your reservation.

Seating – Seating is based on a number of factors including when the reservation is made, size of group, students’ ages and any special seating needs.

•The Thrivent Financial Hall has a stage larger than any Broadway theater in New York’s infamous theater district.

•The public women’s restrooms have 56 toilets.

•The Center is held up by an amazing 1,056,100 pounds of reinforcing steel in concrete.

DID YOU KNOW?

http://www.foxcitiespac.com/educators

mailto:[email protected]

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | [email protected] | (920) 730-3726

WISCONSIN ACADEMIC STANDARDSTo assist you in your planning the Wisconsin Academic Standards that are most likely to connect with this performance are listed below.

English Language Arts READING/LITERATURE: Students in Wisconsin will read and respond to a wide range of writing to build an understanding of written materials, of themselves and of others.

ORAL LANGUAGE: Students in Wisconsin will listen to understand and will speak clearly and effectively for diverse purposes.

SOCIAL STUDIESGEOGRAPHY: Students in Wisconsin will learn about geography through the study of the relationships among people, places and environments.

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES: Students in Wisconsin will learn about the behavioral sciences by exploring concepts from the discipline of sociology, the study of the interactions among individuals, groups and institutions; the discipline of psychology, the study of factors that influence individual identity and learning; and the discipline of anthropology, the study of cultures in various times and settings.

MUSIC ANALYSIS: Students in Wisconsin will analyze and describe music.

THE ARTS: Students in Wisconsin will relate music to the other arts and disciplines outside the arts.

HISTORY AND CULTURE: Students in Wisconsin will relate music to history and culture.

THEATER PLAY READING AND ANALYSIS: Students in Wisconsin will attend live theater and read plays, be able to analyze and evaluate the play and articulate (create meaning from) the play’s message for individuals and society.

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS: Students in Wisconsin will research and analyze methods of presentation and audience response for theater, the interconnections of theater, community, other cultures and historical periods for use as general knowledge.


ABOUT THE COMPANYDallas Children’s Theater was founded in 1984 by Robyn Flatt and Dennis Vincent in response to the growing need for professional family theater. The mission of the Theater is to inspire young people to creative and productive lives through the art of theater. To accomplish this, the Dallas Children’s Theater creates and produces innovative professional theater for a multi-generational audience with original works, world premieres, literary classics, folk and fairy tales and contemporary drama. Because of their passion for kids and the arts, they work towards having a world where young people, having been astonished, delighted and challenged by the transformational experience of theater, are inspired to creatively contribute to the vibrancy of their communities.

ABOUT THE SHOW When a great African king desires a wife, only the most perfect maidens in the land are invited to meet him. Mufaro’s pride and joy, his two daughters of very different dispositions, travel a half day’s journey through a mystical jungle and across a deep river to be presented to the king. Along the way the two girls encounter a number of mysterious situations that test their courage, kindness and strength of spirit.

Combining authentic African drumming, powerful and majestic choreography and thrilling original music, the splendor of Zimbabwe and energy of the African land will burst onto stage in the Caldecott Award winning Cinderella tale!


LESSON ONE: FOLKTALES & CHARACTERS OBJECTIVE: Students will be introduced to the story “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” by John Steptoe and explore the characters of the story.

MATERIALS “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” by John Steptoe

OPENING DISCUSSION We all love stories and getting caught up in another time or place! What is your favorite type of story? There is a rich legacy of folklore and storytelling from Africa. On its vast continent, folk tales and myths serve as a means of handing down traditions and customs from one generation to the next. “Mufaro’sBeautiful Daughters” is a folktale and this style of story is often used to teach a moral or lesson to children.

WARM UP • Introduce the folktale of “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” by sharing that folktales are categorized as

stories that are heard and remembered. The illustrations included in this book were inspired by the flowers and ruins found in the ancient city of Zimbabwe in Southern Africa.

• Throughout the book you will see names of characters that are not very common in our language. The names are from the Shona language and mean the following: Mufaro (moo-far-on) means “happy man,” Nyasha (ne-AH-sha) means “mercy,” Manyara (mahn-YAR-ah) means “ashamed,” and Myoka (nee-Yo-kah) means “snake.”

DID YOU KNOW?The national flag of Zimbabwe consists of seven even horizontal stripes of green, gold, red and black with a white triangle containing a red 5 – pointed star with a Zimbabwe Bird. The present design was adopted on April 18, 1980 when Zimbabwe won its independence from the United Kingdom.

The soapstone bird featured on the flag represents a statue of a bird found at the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. The Great Zimbabwe is believed to have served as a royal palace for the local monarch and its ruins are some of the oldest and largest structures located in Southern Africa. The most notable artifacts recovered from the monument are eight Zimbabwe birds carved from micaceous schist (soapstone). The birds were originally installed on the walls and monoliths (large, single upright block of stone which serves as a pillar) within the city. They are unique to the Great Zimbabwe and nothing like them have been discovered elsewhere.

The colors on the flag carry political, regional and cultural meanings. Green represents the agriculture and rural areas of Zimbabwe. Yellow stands for the wealth of minerals in the country. The red symbolizes the blood shed during the first and second Chimurenga wars and the black indicates the heritage, race and ethnicity of the people who live there. The white triangle is the symbol for peace. The star surrounding the Zimbabwe Bird represents the nation’s aspirations.

Source: wikipedia.org


• Discuss with students what they think the character’s names may tell us about who they are. As a class brainstorm ideas and write them on the board.

• Next, flip through some of the pictures in the book. Have students point out things that they see. What ideas can they gather from the pictures?

• Read the story aloud for the class and enjoy.

ACTIVITY • Following reading the story, write Manyara and Nyasha on the board. As a class create a list

describing characteristics of the two sisters. • Next, explain to students that as a class they are going to warm up their bodies. Stand so all

students can see you and instruct them to make your eyes their point of concentration. • Create simple, fluid motions for your students to follow as if you were a mirror. Instruct them to

use their peripheral vision to see you actions while staying focused on your eyes. (Fix your eyes on the back wall of the room).

• Use various levels while you are moving and create a full range of movement. • Once students have warmed up their bodies, open space in the classroom in which they have open

area around them. Share with students that you are going to name a particular type of character and the students are tasked with using their bodies to show how they would portray the character. Instruct students to not use their voices and only their bodies.

• Someone who is happy• Someone who is sad• Someone who is scared• Someone who is proud

• Going back to the characteristics written on the board, ask students how they would depict those in their bodies.

• Select a few and have students show you how they would represent those characteristics and discuss.

CLOSING DISCUSSION How did the names the author chose for the characters give you insight into who they were? Was it interesting to see how he picked names that matched their characteristics? Do you know what your name means? If so, do you think it matches who you are?


LESSON TWO: CELEBRATION OF KINDNESS OBJECTIVE: Students will look to the story of “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” for ideas on kindness.

MATERIALS “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daugther” by John Steptoe Construction paper (cut into strips) Writing utensils

OPENING DISCUSSION What is kindness? Discuss with students what they think being kind means? Share with students that one definition is: kindness means doing something for a person, while expecting nothing in return.

WARM UP • Ask students to reflect on reading “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” as a class. What was something

you noticed was different about Maynara and Nyasha? They were both beautiful, but one was bad tempered and the other was kind.

• Write down one example of Maynara’s character and write down one example of Nyasha. • If students need reminders, have the book available for them for review.

• Have one student share their example of Nyasha’s behavior. Ask the class if this behavior is kind?• If so, take the example and write it down on a strip of construction paper and glue the two ends

together, to make a circle.

DID YOU KNOW?Zimbabwe is a landlocked country bordered by five countries: Mozambique to the east, South Africa to the South, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the northwest and Namibia at the western tip. The country has a long oral tradition of folklore and storytelling which, far from being mere entertainment, maintained a sense of cultural identity by keeping each generation in touch with its historical and ancestral past. Storytelling was often augmented with music, song and dance.

Oral African storytelling was essentially a communal participatory experience. Everyone in most traditional African societies participate in formal and informal storytelling as interactive oral performance – such participation is an essential part of traditional African communal life and basic training in a particular culture’s oral arts and skills in an essential part of children’s traditional indigenous education on their way to adulthood.

One form of storytelling is known as the call and response. This entails a caller or soloist who “raises a song” and the community chorus responds. This form of audience participation is very important to the art of storytelling. The four key elements that make up African storytelling. The first that entertainment is an important component of the art. Through morals and instructions of proper conduct are taught and the lessons appear throughout the storyline. Thirdly, beast, plants and nature are at the center of the stories and are incorporated. Fourthly, the stories will often teach historical lessons for those listening to them.


• Ask students for an example of kindness that they have seen in their lives and pass out a strip of construction paper. Have each student write down their example and bring it to the front of the room.

• Attach their strips to Nyasha’s circle and show the students how kindness can create a chain that will grow and grow.

• Explain to students that beginning today, you as a class are going to record acts of kindness that are witnessed. Instruct students to look for people being kind throughout the day and celebrate it!

• Have a stack of strips available in the classroom for students to write examples throughout the weeks. Watch how kindness can impact your classroom.

ACTIVITY • Looking at the book, as a class find examples of where being kind and being unkind were contrasted.

(example: Manyara shoving the hungry boy along the path vs. Nyasha feeding the hungry boy). • Divide students into groups of three or four and assign them one of the examples you discovered

from the text. • Do not share with the class which scene you have assigned to each group.

• Explain that as a team, they are going to create a picture with their bodies that depicts how one sister responded to a situation and contrast it to how the other sister responded.

• Share that this activity is known as a tableau and will serve as a snap shot into the story.

It is believed that the traditional dresses for the women of the country are decked up with beautiful beads. Large sized ornaments form integral part of the traditional clothing of the women. They take great pride in their dress and is typically decorated brightly with a lot of lovely beadwork. Women’s traditional dress shows her age and status in the community. For example a married woman traditionally wears a blanket over her shoulders with a lot of thick beaded hoops of twisted grass, called “isigolwani” around her neck and legs. She also wears copper and brass rings or “idszilla” around her arms, neck and legs. The blanket or “nguba” is usually one with stripes of green, red, blue, yellow and brown. The Zimbabwe people prefer to wear colorful clothing with wraparounds and headdresses being quite popular among women. For men, breastplates made from the animal skins are also very popular.

The main part of the male attire in Zimbabwe is the breastplate, which is also known as Iporiyana. It is worn around the neck and men will also wear animal skin head bands and ankle bands. To keep warm, they wear an animal skin “karos” around their shoulders. The animal skin traditionally played an important role in men’s dress because each Ndebele group is associated with a different animal. For rituals and ceremonies, Ndebele men wear ornaments made for them by their wives out of animal skins.

However, most people of the republic do not wear the traditional Zimbabwe clothing any more. Instead modern style clothes have long been adopted by the Zimbabweans, who put on European and Western apparels freely.


ACTIVITY (continued)• Tips:

• Instruct students to utilize every member on the team to depict the picture. • Encourage the use of high, low and medium stances. • Think of stance and expression and how you showed character’s personalities from lesson

one. • Have each student group work on their first tableau for about five minutes, then have them conduct a

rehearsal run. • Give students two more minutes to tweak their tableau and then have them transition to their

contrasting tableau. • After allowing students to finalize their second tableau, have them conduct a rehearsal run. • Next, have the students work on transitioning from tableau one to tableau two. • Going around the room, have each student group perform their tableaus for each other.

• After each performance, have the audience guess which contrasting scene the group is portraying.

CLOSING DISCUSSION How did you change your body to show kindness? What were some things you did to represent this in your body. How did you contrast your body to show unkindness?


LESSON THREE: CINDERELLA AROUND THE WORLDOBJECTIVE: Students will study the story of Cinderella and how she is depicted in various cultures. They will create their own version of the story.

MATERIALS “Cinderella” by Charles Perrault Dry erase board Story Mapping Handout (p. 13)

OPENING DISCUSSION What can you recall about the story of Cinderella? Who is the main character? What other characters are in the story? What was something the main character really wanted? Who was standing in her way? Every story has a beginning, middle and end. Good stories can take the reader (or listener) on a journey with rich and diverse characters. Some stories have similarities, but add slight alterations to make them fresh and exciting. Today we are going to explore some variations in the story of Cinderella.

WARM UP • Read students “Cinderella” by Charles Perrault. Share that Perfault’s version is what the popular

Disney movie is based on. • Discuss with the students that this story is set in France and have students share what they know

about the country. Ask students to share thoughts they had while you read the story. • On your dry erase board, draw a simple t-graph. On one side, write “Cinderella” and on the other,

write “Nyasha.”• Have students share what they noticed in the story about architecture, weather, time period

and culture from the two stories. • Graph the students suggestions and compare what the similarities are between the stories.

DID YOU KNOW?Cinderella stories originated through the oral tradition of storytelling. That is one of the reasons there are more than 1500 versions of this tale. They can be found in more parts of the world, told in more languages, and in more different ways than any other folktale. The power of Cinderella is its universality. This story shows that within everyone there are common longings and fears. No matter what the culture, the characteristic elements are the same: a young girl (sometimes a young boy) is mistreated by her family, she overcomes this problem with magical help or by her own wits, her true good nature is revealed, in the end good triumphs over evil and she is rewarded. The main differences lie in the tasks the girl is given to perform, the magical power that helps her, and how her rescuer ultimately finds her.

The unique aspect of Cinderella stories is that they assume the flavor of the culture in which they are set. From the beautiful illustrations to the customs, to simple words in the story, readers are able to catch a glimpse of the culture in which the story takes place. The first Cinderella story to be written down was the Chinese tale of Yeh-shen. The French version of Cinderella is referred to as a castle tale because they deal mainly with the aristocracy. On the opposite side, German tales are called cottage tales because their version centers around common people. English storytellers claim the creation of Cinderella as a children’s story. However, the most popular Cinderella story is Walt Disney’s version which came from the French writer Charles Perrault.

Source: www.education.ne.gov

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In his twenty-year career, John Steptoe illustrated sixteen picture books, twelve of which he also wrote. The American Library Association named two of his books Caldecott Honor Books, a prestigious award for children's book illustration: ”The Story of the Jumping Mouse” in 1985 and ”Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters” in 1988. Mr. Steptoe twice received the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration, for ”Mother Crocodile” (text by Rosa Guy) in 1982, and for “Mufaro’sBeautiful Daughters” in 1988.

While all of Mr. Steptoe's work deals with aspects of the African American experience,”Mufaro’sBeautiful Daughters” was acknowledged by reviewers and critics as a breakthrough. Based on an African tale recorded in the 19th century, it required Mr. Steptoe for the first time to research African history and culture, awakening his pride in his African ancestry. Mr. Steptoe hoped that his books would lead children, especially African American children, to feel pride in their origins and in who they are. "I am not an exception to the rule among my race of people," he said, accepting the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Illustration, "I am the rule. By that I mean there are a great many others like me where I come from.“

Mr. Steptoe frequently spoke to audiences of children and adults about his work. He was the 1989 winner of the Milner Award, voted by Atlanta schoolchildren for their favorite author.John Steptoe died on August 28, 1989 at Saint Luke's Hospital in Manhattan, following a long illness. He was 38 years old and lived in Brooklyn. Mr. Steptoe was among the handful of African American artists who have made a career in children's books.

Source: www.johnsteptoe.com

• Find one more Cinderella example and share with students. Compare and contrast this story with the others. Some suggestions include: “Moss Gown” by William H. Hooks or “Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella” by Rober D. San Souci

ACTIVITY• Explain to students that they will be writing original Cinderella stories based off their own ideas. • Begin the process by passing out the Story Mapping Handout (p. 13) and walk through the sections. • Reiterate the bottom circles show the making of a story (beginning, middle and end).• Instruct students first to determine a theme for their story, once decided have them include the

theme in the middle circle. • Remind them that it needs to connect to the Cinderella plot in some way.

• Have students brainstorm their setting and characters, moving on to include the problem and solution.

• After students have completed their worksheets, explain that in the next class session they will begin to draft their stories.

CLOSING DISCUSSION What did you learn about the story writing process? What are the three main sections of a story? How would you divide “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughter’s” into these sections?


Theme

Setting Characters

Problem Solution

Beginning Middle End

Story Mapping


LESSON FOUR: . . . AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER OBJECTIVE: Students will put their finishing touches on their stories and finish the exploration of other Cinderella themes.

MATERIALS Screen Writing utensils Internet Paper “Domitila” by Jewell Coburn

OPENING DISCUSSION In the previous lesson we looked at Cinderella stories from France, American and one picked by your class. We began working on creating our own Cinderella stories and explored the story writing process. Today we are going to finalize our stories and also look at a few more examples to help us see how stories are told throughout the world.

WARM UP • One way we can tell stories is through words and pictures. Ask students if they can think of other ways

stories can be told. Explain to students that in the African culture, they can tell stories through movement and dance. It embodies athleticism and graceful beauty flowing with the rhythm.

• All ceremonial African dances have a purpose as they tell stories and relate history. • Explain to students that as a class you are going to learn a short dance from Zimbabwe. This dance is

called the Dinhe (nee-Nay) and unlike ballet, African dance it is rooted to the floor and has a sense of weight.

• While you are learning this piece, remember to bend your knees and relax! This will make the movements easier to learn.

• Find an open space for your students to watch the video and work on the movements together.• www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/multimedia/series/VideoStories/african-dance#learnmore-v2 • Perform the routine as a class once you feel comfortable.

ACTIVITY • We discussed that all stories feature a beginning, middle and end, but they also feature protagonists

and antagonists. • Define these two words for your students: Protagonist is a main character in a drama and an antagonist

is the main character’s chief opponent. • Read students “Domitila” by Jewell Coburn and discuss the characters of the story. Lead a discussion

on how the story is similar or different to “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daugheters” and “Cinderella.”

artsedge.kennedycenter.org


ACTIVITY• Have students reference their Story Mapping handout to see the plan for their story that they had

laid out in a previous lesson. • Have students turn to the student next to them and share their plot idea. Encourage each student

to provide one thing they like about the student’s idea and one question they have. • Once the conversation is completed, pass out the EdSITEment Plot and Setting handout (p. 16). • Instruct each student to go through the form to help them finalize the details of their story and keep

them connecting their story to Cinderella. • Allow students time to create and write their story. • After having students draft their stories, provide feedback and have students re-write their pieces.

CLOSING DISCUSSION Cinderella can take on many different forms based on the culture the story stems from, but several traits remain the same within the character. What are the consistent traits seen in Cinderella?

DID YOU KNOW?African drums hold a special place in the entire continent’s history. In the Western Culture the idea of drumming is nearly always associated with entertainment or to add a rhythmic quality to a song. In Africa, the drums hold a deeper symbolic and historical meaning.

Drums are almost always an accompaniment for any manner of ceremony – births, deaths, marriages –together with a ritual dance. The vicious sound of many drums pounding together is also necessary installment to stir up emotions in a battle to inspire the warriors.

The Djembe drum is possibly the most influential and basic of all the African drums. It dates back to 500 AD and was created as a sacred drum to be used in healing ceremonies, rites of passage, ancestral worship, warrior rituals, as well as social dances. The rhythm performed in the evening for most celebrations, especially during full moon, spring, summer and winter harvesting times, weddings, baptisms, honoring of mothers and countless other celebrations.

Source: blog.africanimports.org

Don’t let this experience end with the drop of the curtain. Keep the conversation going with your students and reflect on the performance that you just attended. Here are a few

questions to get the conversation started!

•What did you learn about the importance of kindness from today’s performance?

•How did the performers work together to tell the story?

•What was your favorite moment during the performance? How did this story contrast from the traditional Cinderella story? How was it similar?

•Which moment do you remember most from the performance? What was happening?

•Describe the costumes that you saw onstage. Describe the scenery. How did it mimic what you saw in the book “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters”?

•Describe the music you heard. How did the music add to the mood or atmosphere of the performance?

•Describe the movement you saw in the performance. How did this represent the culture of the story?

•If you were going to tell a friend about the performance, how would you describe it in one sentence?

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BOOKS “Children’s Folk Tales from Zimbabwe” by Thelma Grace Sithole“Domitila” by Jewell Coburn“Moss Gown” by William H. Hooks“Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella” by Rober D. San Souci

WEBSITES Arts Edge – free digital resource for teaching and learning in, through and about the arts www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org

John Steptoe www.johnsteptoe.com

Dallas Children’s Theater www.dct.org

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This educator resource guide is created as part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage Education Program.

THANK YOU TO OUR SERIES SPONSORS FOR MAKING THIS PERFORMANCE POSSIBLE!

Our sponsors love to hear from you! Mail or drop off cards, letters or pictures to the Center and we will share with them.

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education Department 400 W. College Avenue

Appleton, WI 54911

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