STUDY GUIDESTUDY GUIDEGRADES 9-12GRADES 9-12

by Kieron Barryby Kieron BarryNumbers

On tour(formerly merry-go-round

youth theatre)

Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre has rebranded to:

Over the past decade, our organization has seen significant programmatic expansion in our education division, increased attendance in our

professional musical theatre division, sophistication of our products and deliverables and bold implementation of new innovative engagement

and enrichment programs. Our steady growth has resulted in an organizational transformation. As such, it became evident that our many programs and outreach efforts were not being represented cohesively by our existing brand. Our existing brand names (The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival and Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre) housed within the parent company title, Merry Go Round Playhouse, Inc., were confusing, fractured and creating great challenges to all facets of our identity. As

such, it was clear that a rebranding effort was critical.

Fall of 2019, after eighteen months of intense strategic planning, we officially re-branded as The Rev Theatre Company. THE REV is short

for many words but for us, not one in particular. It is not a symbol or an acronym. THE REV references our creation and infusion of energy into Auburn and the Finger Lakes region; THE REV references the original

carousel that once revolved in our flagship venue, and THE REV stands for our reverence for our 60-year legacy and our incredible community.

While we have changed our overall brand name, all of our programs have remained the same. We still provide the same professional arts

education through the Sequential Dramatics Program to your school.

Thank you for being our partner in education.

PLAY SYNOPSISPLAY SYNOPSISNumbers opens with Katherine rehearsing her speech

to become the “Head Girl” at her boarding school in England. Her friends, Isabel and Jennifer say she is a

shoo-in because of her position as the lacrosse captain, her popularity, and her father’s charity to the school.

Amidst discussing Katherine’s speech, Jennifer gushes over her crush, Simon, who happens to be their friend

Hetty’s brother. She is hoping to spend the summer with Hetty’s family so she can get closer to Simon.

Katherine, Jennifer, and Isabel discuss the matter of who will be named Katherine’s “Deputy Head Girl” and this opens up criticism of each other, as well as scrutiny of their fourth friend, Hetty. It is clear that the girls feel that Hetty is somehow not on the same level as them, due to her scholarship to the school and how she is “moral and righteous”.

Jennifer reveals that she has found the diary belonging to Emily Mitchell, a girl at school who doesn’t seem to fit in with any crowds. From the diary, we learn that Emily feels unpopular, treated poorly, and left out; and plans to do something shocking that the girls say will get her expelled.

Hetty enters and it becomes clear that she is invested in her friend’s lives and chooses to do the right thing, even if it is unpopular. She is upset that the girls took Emily’s diary and tries to stick up for her. We find out that Katherine has said rude things about Emily that has turned the school against Emily. Hetty reveals that she has actually been chosen as the Head Girl, which drives Katherine crazy. Hetty reads a list of items she would like to change as the new Head Girl, including a special committee to help with the problem of bullying at the school.

After hearing the list, the girls feel attacked and begin to list off how all of the girls in the school “belong” to Katherine, or would side with her on issues over Hetty. Hetty then reveals that she has chosen Emily Mitchell as her Deputy Head Girl and this only makes the girls angrier. They are so upset that they list off a full alphabet worth of reasons why Hetty is “uncool” and how they have endured all of her uncoolness as a kindness to her.

The girls decide to use Emily’s diary and her expel-worthy act as blackmail and suddenly, Hetty has a change of heart. She agrees to release the role of Head Girl and never talk to the girls again. She then, very cleverly, mentions how her brother will be upset that Jennifer cannot spend the summer with them, which causes Jennifer to completely change her tune and hand over the diary to Hetty.

In the end, the “gang” deteriorates and goes their separate ways, leaving Katherine to figure out how to tell her father that she has not been chosen as Head Girl.

PAGE 3

UK Education SystemUK Education SystemThe education system in the UK is divided into four main parts;

primary education, secondary education, further education and higher education. Children in the UK are legally required to attend primary and

secondary education which runs from about 5 years old until 16 years old. This full-time education can be carried out at a school or from home. Primary and secondary students in the UK do not associate themselves

with a grade, but a Key Stage, as illustrated in the chart below.

Numbers takes place in a boarding school and all the characters are in Key Stage 5, or sixth form. Once students reach a school’s sixth form, a head girl may be chosen to represent the school and organize the prefects, or senior students who are authorized to enforce discipline. A typical boarding school has various houses in which students live, so it’s not uncommon for older students to assume some responsibility for younger students. Parents send students to boarding schools to help their child gain independence and take advantage of unique opportunities: smaller class sizes, a stronger sense of community, and well-rounded extracurricular programs and activities.

KEY STAGE 1

KEY STAGE 2

KEY STAGE 3

KEY STAGE 4

KEY STAGE 5(SIXTH FORM)

HIGHER EDUCATION(UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE)

AGES 5 - 7

AGES 7 - 11

AGES 11 - 14

AGES 14 - 16

AGES 17 - 18

AGES 18+

PRIM

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UC

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SEC

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AL

Ties to literature and filmTies to literature and filmNumbers has been described as “Mean Girls meets Lord of the Flies.”

Before the performance, familiarize your students with the movie Mean Girls and the book or film version of Lord of the Flies. After they view

our performance of Numbers, ask your students to compare the characters and themes of each story. Then ask them if they see

any similarities to their own school.

CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS IN CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS IN NUMBERSNUMBERS

Unkind behaviors and bullying don’t just happen- there are always reasons. At the beginning of the play, Katherine is the obvious leader of her friend group and has enjoyed living her life from a position of privilege. Her father, Sir Anthony Judah, has provided considerable aid to the school; she is an exceptional student earning high marks in all her subjects; and she is a gifted athlete. Katherine is captain of the lacrosse team, which has historically meant one was destined to be Head Girl. She looks forward to attaining this powerful position and being able to appoint her deputy, pinning her friends against each other for the coveted position.

When it is revealed that Hetty has been named Head Girl, Katherine employs several tactics to try to reverse this unthinkable truth: trying to make Hetty feel bad for accepting a position that she was “meant for,” trying to make Hetty feel underqualified for the position, dismissing her concerns about the school, listing off an enormous list of insults about her interests, abilities, and appearance, and eventually threatens to share Emily Mitchell’s diary if Hetty doesn’t give up the Head Girl position.

Katherine is under immense pressure from her peers and family to be named Head Girl. Her father’s position and aid to the school alone make her feel like she owes this honor to him. She has carefully calculated every step of her academic career, ensuring that she rose to the top at every occasion. Not being named Head Girl is a huge failure for Katherine, and also affects Jennifer and Isabel’s status. With the help of her loyal comrades, Katherine verbally attacks Hetty: the one person she sees as responsible for her misfortune. What she fails to realize is that Hetty’s recent rise to power is purely due to her kindness, inclusive ideas, and ability to not fall into the behaviors of those around her.

Hetty’s morals and motivations are well intentioned, but even she falls into manipulative behavior when Katherine threatens to share Emily’s diary. Hetty is determined to protect Emily’s privacy and to keep her new position of power. She exploits Jennifer’s feelings for her brother and gets her to return the diary, removing Katherine’s hold over her. Fear, resentment, jealousy, and ambition cause these four “friends” to behave in ways that will change their relationship forever.

What You Can Expect From What You Can Expect From Our ProductionOur ProductionThe play is set in present day at a boarding school in England and all four characters are 16-17 years old. A basic explanation of the British school system will precede the performance to ensure that students have the necessary vocabulary to understand the premise of the play. With this production, we intend to expose your students to a modern piece of theatre depicting characters their own age wrestling with challenges they can directly relate to.

Learning ObjectivesLearning ObjectivesStudents:• Engage with a modern piece of theatre• Relate the objectives, obstacles, motivations, and tactics of the

characters in the play to situations in their own lives, thereby developing empathy and tolerance

• Recognize each character’s arc, or how the characters change from the beginning of the play to the end

• Describe major themes and extract meaning from a work of theatre• Differentiate between reality and dramatizations• Respond to Discussion Prompts provided in the

Rev On Tour Study Guide

Additional Resources Additional Resources for Teachersfor TeachersWebsites:www.pacer.org/bullying/ - A national bullying prevention center with helpful resources for teachers to use in the classroom.

www.stopbullying.gov/ - A federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with training, tips, and tools to help stop bullying.

www.internationalstudent.com/study_uk/education_system/ - A great explanation of the UK education system for an outsider.

http://kieronbarry.net/ - Website with information about the playwright of Numbers.

PEER PRESSUREFitting in is important to people of all ages. The pressure to go along with what others are doing can be powerful and hard to resist. Peer pressure can influence a person to do something that is relatively harmless or some-thing that has more serious consequences. Ask your students to think of a time they made a decision to help themselves fit in somewhere. It could be using certain words and phrases, dressing a certain way, or maybe a less desirable action such as breaking the rules. Have them journal about their experience, how they felt about the choice they made after the fact, and if their decision has continued to impact their life.

For more information on this production and the entire Sequential Dramatics Program, please visit our website:

WWW.THEREVTHEATRE/EDUCATION.COM

Topics for Discussion and ResponseTopics for Discussion and Response

WHAT WE DESERVEIn the play, Hetty has to tell her friends that she has been selected as Head Girl, a position Katherine was certain she’d been chosen for. Katherine is the textbook choice for Head Girl: exceptional student, consistent leader on athletic teams, driven. Tradition dictates she is the clear choice, but this year the school administration decides to go another direction. Kather-ine has carefully set herself on the trajectory of Head Girl status based on what she has observed others do in the past, but has come up short. Has Katherine gotten what she deserves? Why or why not?

FRIENDSHIPNumbers illustrates several examples of different kinds of friendships, some healthier than others. What makes a friendship between two peo-ple positive? Think about the motivation to start the friendship in the first place, how each party benefits from the friendship, and what each person actively contributes to the relationship to keep it strong.

“Numbers” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

Accessing Digital Programming

For the 2020-2021 school year, you will access our programming through

HOW TO LOG IN: Visit Livestream.BroadwayOnDemand.com/Rev-Education/ and click “Log in.” Your school’s unique username and password will be shared directly with The Rev’s contact person at your school. Every teacher in your district will use the same username and password. Once you’ve logged in, you will be able to click on and view the programming content you are looking for.

STUDENTS NEED TO ACCESS CONTENT FROM HOME?Feel free to share the username and passwords with your students if individual streaming from home is necessary.

QUESTIONS?Contact Erin Katzker, Educational Theatre Manager, at revtour@therevtheatre.com or 315-255-1305.

The Rev EducationThe Rev EducationLisa Chase, Director of Education

Erin Katzker, Educational Theatre Manager 17 William St., 2nd Floor • Auburn, New York 13021

Phone: (315) 255-1305 • Fax (315) 252-3815 Email: revtour@therevtheatre.com

www.TheRevTheatre/Education.com