2009-2010Educator’s Resource Guide

Horizons School Matinee Series

Celebrating 25 Years of Professional Performing Arts

for K-12 Students

Everybody’s Hero: The Jackie Robinson StoryWednesday, February 3, 2010

10:00 a.m./ 12:30 p.m.

Horizons School Matinee SeriesThank you for joining us as we celebrate the 25th anniversary season of the Horizons School Matinee Series. We are proud to announce that over half a million students have experienced a professional performing arts event with us since the inception of this program. This season continues the tradition of providing great performances to enhance learning, fi re imaginations, and reinforce school curriculum in meaningful ways. Thank you for expanding children’s minds and sharing with them the joy of the performing arts!

This resource guide has been designed to help you prepare your students with before activities that help them engage in the performance and after activities that encourage them to evaluate the performance and make relevant personal and academic connections. Within the guide you will fi nd a variety of activities that can be used to enhance the core subject areas as well as the creative arts. Wisconsin Academic Standards are listed at the end of the guide to help you link the activities to your lesson plans. The materials in this guide refl ect the grade range recommended by the performing arts group. As teachers, you know best what the needs and abilities of your students are; therefore, please select and/or adapt any of the material to best meet the needs of your particular group of students.

Thank you for your support!

Shannon DozorystEducation and Outreach Coordinator

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero

Credits

Editor:Shannon DozorystYoung Auditorium Education and Outreach

Contributors: Everybody’s Hero study guide content provided by Mad River Th eater Works

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide content written by Shannon Dozoryst

Teachers have permission to reproduce any and all parts of this study guide for classroom use only.

ABOUT YOUNG AUDITORIUM AT UW-WHITEWATER

The Young Auditorium is located on the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater campus and serves both the campus and public communities. The auditorium presents the highest quality arts and entertainment programming in a wide variety of disciplines for diverse audiences. There is something for everyone each season at Young Auditorium, including touring Broadway shows; classical, jazz, rock, pop, and folk music; family entertainment; school matinee performances; world-class ballet and opera; comedy; and lectures. This season marks the Young Auditorium’s 15th year of sensational performing arts programs under the big, blue roof.

The ground breaking for the auditorium in June 1991 was made possible through the Irvin L. Young Foundation. The Foundation, along with the auditorium, honors an individual whose name had long been associated with philanthropy and humanitarianism throughout the state of Wisconsin and around the world. From humble beginnings, without the advantages of a high school or college education, Mr. Irvin Young used his time, talents and strong entrepreneurial spirit to establish a variety of successful businesses. Inspired by a business trip to Africa and the commitments he formed there, Mr. Young established the Irvin L. Young Foundation in 1949. Mrs. Fern Young continued her husband’s benevolence until her death in January 2002. Thousands of people, both at home and abroad, have been positively affected by their kindness. It is our goal that, by bearing Mr. Young’s name, we continue in his path of serving Wisconsin residents for years to come.

HORIZONS SCHOOL MATINEE SERIES

The mission of the Horizons program is to support the curriculum of schools by providing culturally diverse programs and outreach opportunities for K-12 students. This will be accomplished through 1) providing performances and hands-on, interactive outreach opportunities that cultivate an appreciation for the performing arts among young people that will last throughout their lives and 2) supporting teachers through professional development opportunities in the arts. It is our vision that someday every K-12 student in the auditorium’s service region will attend a Horizon’s performance and/or participate in an outreach event each year.

Table of Contents

About the Company 1

The Artists 2

Racial Slurs 5

Synopsis 6

Jackie Robinson 9

Pee Wee Reese 10

Vocabulary 12

Bibliography 13

Refl ecting on the Performance 14

Letter Template 15

Wisconsin Academic Standards 16

Theatre Vocabulary A-Z 17

Courtesy Counts 20

For Your Information 21

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero

presents 

study guıde PO Box 248•West Liberty, Ohio•43357•9374656751•www.madrivertheater.org

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About the Company 

Mad River Theater Works is a professional touring theater company based in West Liberty, Ohio.  Our purpose is to craft plays that are both drawn from and produced for the people of the farms and small towns of rural America, and to communicate the concerns and insights of our communities to people everywhere. Since 1978 we have collected stories, molded this material into plays, and performed our work at community centers, schools, colleges, and theaters throughout the United States reaching an annual audience of over 50,000 through over 200 performances. 

Mad River Theater Works is one of only a handful of professional theaters in the United States based in rural communities.  Our unique mission has attracted the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as foundations, corporations, and individuals. 

Special Support 

Mad River Theater Works is particularly grateful for the generous ongoing support of Honda of America, Manufacturing. Honda has been the primary sponsor of the school touring programs of Mad River Theater Works for the past ten years. Their assistance has made this program possible.

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The Artists 

Tom Byrn (Pee Wee Reese, Clyde Sukeforth, Ensemble) is a freelance actor, director, and writer living in Pennsylvania. He has worked previously with Mad River Theater Works as a director on Everybody's Hero and on Long Journey Home, and he has been collaborating on the creation of a new work about writer and cartoonist Kin Hubbard, an Ohio native. He has worked often in Philadelphia at Interact Theatre, People's Light & Theatre, and Theatre Catalyst. Tom spent over eleven years as an Ensemble Member of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble in Bloomsburg, PA. He is a graduate of Vassar College. 

Nathan Crocker (Jackie Robinson) is appearing for the first time with Mad River Theater Works.  Originally from WinstonSalem, North Carolina, Nathan has appeared with the North Carolina Shakeseare Festival, the Georgia Shakespeare Festival, and the Utah Musical Theatre as well as touring throughout the United States with Shenandoah Shakespeare.  His roles incude Claudio inMeasure for Measure, Sebastian and Antonio in Twelfth Night, and Diggory in She Stoops to Conquer. Nathan graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of North CarolinaGreensboro with a BFA in Theatre Performance. 

Charles Lattimore (Mack, Clayton Hughes, Ensemble) is a multitalented actor and singer from Orlando, Florida. Charles has appeared with numerous companies around the United States including the Bijou Theatre Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, the West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, Sarasota, Florida, and the Tallahassee Little Theatre, Tallahassee, Florida. His roles include Four Eyed Moe in Five Guys Named Moe, Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls, and Lymon in The Piano Lesson. Charles is a graduate of Florida A & M University with a BA in Theatre Performance and was elected the first ever Mr. FA & MU. 

Jill Siefkes (Loretta, Ensemble) is a native of Hudson, Kansas and is joining Mad River Theater Works for the first time in Everybody’s Hero.  Jill is an accomplished singer and actor who appeared as Vivian in State Fair and Mrs. Rose in Hello Dolly! at the Jekyll Island Music Theatre Festival, as Katherine in Kiss Me Kate and Maria in Twelfth Night at the H&A Dinner Theatre, and as Johanna in Sweeny Todd at the Salina Community Theatre and as the Witch in Into the Woods at the FeltonStart Theatre.  Jill grew up on a farm and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre with a minor in Music Performance from Fort Hays State University. 

Jeff Hooper (Writer) is the founding director of Mad River Theater Works.  His writing and direction credits include work at

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Actors Theatre of Louisville, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Berkeley Stage Company in Berkeley, California and Roadside Theater of Whitesburg, Kentucky.  He was also a Founding Director of the Half Moon Theater in London, England.  He has written over twentyfive original scripts for Mad River Theater Works including Captive Heart, John Henry, Freedom Bound, Wings of Courage, and The Legend of Casey Jones.  He also collaborated with Native American Poet Lance Henson to create Cry of the Americas and Coyote Road and directed the premiere of John Olive's Evelyn and the Polka King at the Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville in 1992.  Coyote Road has been translated into French and was presented in 2001 at the Theatre Montansier in Versailles, France.  He was awarded an Ohio Arts Council Playwriting Fellowship in 198990 and has served on numerous panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Florida Arts Commission. He is also a site reporter for the NEA. 

Bob Lucas (Branch Rickey, Ensemble, Composer) comes from a singing family tradition. He is a rhythm guitarist, banjo player, oldtime fiddler and has a rich tenor voice spanning over three octaves. As a composer and lyricist with Mad River Theater Works, he has collaborated with playwright Jeff Hooper to create Freedom Bound, Black Hats, A Christmas Carol, and Evelyn and the Polka King and has acted as musical director and performed in those plays and many others. Bob was music director and performed in Evelyn and the Polka King at Actors Theater of Louisville, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, and City Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Moreover, Bob is a songwriter whose words and tunes have been praised by "Melody Maker" and "Pickin" Magazines, and two of his songs appear on Alison Kraus’ most recently released CD. Bob’s first album, The Dancer Inside You, received a 4star rating from "Downbeat" Magazine and Bob has recently produced a new CD, Rushsylvania. Bob’s musical expertise encompasses folk, bluegrass, swing, rock, and spiritual music of many genres. 

Keith McCoy (Choreographer) is an original member of Everybody’s Hero.  Keith has extensive touring experience with Theatre IV, the Lexington Children’s Theatre, and the Omaha Children’s Theatre and has appeared at numerous other regional theaters as well as several theme parks.  Some of his favorite roles were Pedro inMan of La Mancha and Aladdin in Genie of the Lamp at the MacHayden Theatre, Jim in Big River, the Mayor in the Pied Piper at Theatre IV.  Keith graduated from Norfolk State University.

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Cheryl Hainey (Managing Director) has spent most of her life working in administrative capacities for theaters and symphonies in Springfield and the surrounding area. As a teenager, she spent her summers on the stage of the Maple Lane Players in Urbana, Ohio, but as a student at Miami University discovered that her true talent was behind the scenes. Cheryl has held the positions of box office assistant, group sales coordinator and assistant box office manager at the Clark State Community College Performing Arts Center. Most recently she spent six seasons as the operations director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, where she successfully managed an extensive educational program and numerous fundraising events. 

Shalene Shimer (Education Director) joined Mad River in 2005 and is overseeing YouthWorks through the BenEl Partial Hospitalization Program.  Ms. Shimer has worked with the Hartford Stage Company, Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, the English Speaking Union's National Shakespeare Competition, Oddfellows Playhouse, and serves on the board of advisors for the Lakespeare Theatre Company.  Originally from Sandusky, she is happy to be home. 

Jean Hooper (Marketing Director) has been a member of Mad River Theater Works since its beginnings in 1978.  Jean has spent her entire life working in theaters in Southwest Ohio.  She had many leading roles in the Antioch Summer Theatre of the 1950’s and was a founder of the Trotwood Circle Theatre.  She founded Yellow Springs Center Stage in 1968 and has served as director, actor, and president of that organization for its entire history. Jean’s contributions to Mad River include over fifteen years as an actor in productions fromWhistlestop and The Pig Tales to The Return of Kate Shelley and Heartstrings.  Jean assumed the role of Marketing Director in 1990.

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Racial Slurs 

One of the most significant challenges of creating a play about Jackie Robinson is how to show the terrible abuse Robinson faced as he became the first AfricanAmerican to play professional sports in the United States and still remain within the bounds of language and behavior that are acceptable today.  We live in an era when public racial slurs are not tolerated and discrimination has been outlawed at the state and federal levels.  It is hard to believe the level of prejudice faced by minority groups as recently as the 1950’s and 1960’s.  When Jackie Robinson was entering Major League Baseball in the 1940’s, institutional racism was even more entrenched. 

We have tried to be sensitive in scenes that depict the name calling and physical attacks received by Robinson.  We have avoided many of the welldocumented taunts and insults while still trying to give some sense of the hatred that Robinson faced every day.  In one particular case, however, we felt it was important to use a word that Robinson heard repeatedly and hurt him deeply. 

One of Robinson’s first confrontations with authority was his court martial by the United States Army in 1943.  Robinson had joined the military in 1942 at the beginning of World War II.  The Army was segregated, but Robinson was accepted to Officer Candidate School and became a Second Lieutenant.  He served as a morale officer and worked to improve conditions for African American soldiers.  While stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, Robinson was riding on a civilian bus and was told to move to “colored section” at the rear.  He refused and was arrested by the Military Police. 

Robinson was within his rights.  The Army had recently outlawed segregation on buses serving the military.  But during his arrest, Robinson was repeatedly called a “nigger” by the arresting officers and it made him very angry.  The trial transcript shows that the use of this racial slur was an important factor in his acquittal. 

“Nigger” is one of the most highly charged and controversial words in the English language.  It is normally a word we would never use on stage, however, it is critical to the story.  Composer Bob Lucas wrote a powerful song called “Words Are Alive” to show the wounds Jack received by being called this name.  It only appears once, but we hope that the context will make it very clear to students that words can be as hurtful and destructive as a slap in the face.

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Synopsis 

Everybody’s Hero follows the story of Jackie Robinson from his days as a high school sports star in California to his rookie season on the Brooklyn Dodgers.  The play jumps forward in time and shows significant parts of Robinson’s life including scenes when he was a player in the Negro Leagues, being signed by the Dodgers, and the resistance he faced from his teammates.  As the first AfricanAmerican to play in the Major Leagues, Robinson faced challenges of many kinds.  He showed strength and determination as he finally broke the color line in professional sports. 

The play begins in 1937 on a street corner in Pasadena, California.  Jack is walking home from a football game when a white boy throws a rock at him and hits him in the head.  As he starts to run after the white boy, Jack’s older brother Mack emerges from the shadows.  He is angry with Jack and tells him that he has to learn to control his temper.  Mack points out that Jack has been getting in trouble frequently and that, as a Robinson, everything he does reflects on the whole family.  Mack starts to go back to work and Jack expresses his frustration in seeing his brother working as a street sweeper.  Mack won a Silver Medal at the 1936 Olympics and set a world record but can’t get anything but a menial job.  Mack reminds Jack of the time when they went together to the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and Jack stood on Mack’s shoulders to see the runners.  He tells Jack that he expects great things from him and they sing a song, “Raised Up by the Family. 

The scene ends and narrators say that Jack followed in his brother’s footsteps and went to college.  The start of World War II changed everything, however, and Jack joined the Army.  He became a Lieutenant but was courtmartialed for refusing to move to the back of a bus in the segregated South.  The scene shifts to Jack’s court martial.  A judge establishes the facts in the case and we learn that Army policy prohibited segregation on buses.  Jack admits that he reacted badly when he was detained.  He says that it was because he called a “nigger Lieutenant” by the Military Police. The judge is surprised to learn of this racial slur and Jack sings a song about how being called this vile name made him feel called “Words Are Alive.”  Jack is declared innocent of all charges. 

The play jumps forward in time again.  Jack is signed to play for the Kansas City Monarchs, a Negro League team.  He meets Newt Allen, another AfricanAmerican player and they get to know each other.  The conditions in the Negro Leagues are difficult and the play shows Newt and Jack at a gas station in the midst of an all night bus trip across the northern United States.  The attendant

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refuses to let them use the restroom.  Jack protests and says that they won’t buy gas unless they are allowed to use the facilities. Much to Newt’s surprise, the attendant allows them to use the restroom. 

The scene shifts to the offices of the Brooklyn Dodgers in New York in August, 1945.  Jack has been selected by the Dodger organization as a candidate to break the color line in Major League baseball.  Clyde Sukeforth, a scout for the Dodgers, has brought Jack to meet Branch Rickey, the President of the ball club.  Rickey welcomes Jack and asks what kind of contract he has with the Monarchs.  When he learns that Jack has no contract, Rickey offers Jack a position with the Dodger organization.  He asks Jack if he has any idea of the difficulties he will face.  Then Rickey acts out several difficult situations that Jack might encounter: hateful words and objects thrown from the fans, the refusal of a waiter to serve him in a restaurant, and attacks by players from other teams. Rickey wants to know what Jack will do when he is “hit in the cheek.”  Robinson says, “Mr. Rickey, I have two cheeks.”  Rickey makes Jack promise that he won’t fight back for three years.  Jack will start by playing for the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers top farm club.  They sing a song called “A Bat, A Ball, and A Glove” about how Jack will beat his opponents with his play on the field instead of physical resistance. 

The scene shifts to training camp the following spring, April 1946.  Jack is a celebrity and is interviewed by a reporter but, when he meets the captain of the Dodgers Pee Wee Reese, he receives a chilly reception.  Pee Wee tells him that he will have to earn a place on the team just like everybody else.  Jack and Pee Wee play against each other in an exhibition game.  As the only African American player in the game, the pressure on Jack is intense.  The fans are calling him names and Jack strikes out.  It takes time for Jack to settle down but as his first season with the Royals begins, he starts to show his outstanding ability.  The cast sings a song about one of his games called “Gentleman Jackie Robinson.” 

The play jumps forward again to the end of the 1946 season. Branch Rickey approaches Pee Wee Reese and asks him how he thinks the team will react if Jack is moved up from the Montreal Royals to the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Reese was raised in the South. He is willing to give Jack a chance but predicts that there will be trouble. 

Jack feels isolated from his family and teammates and wonders if the struggle is worth it.  He sings a song called “No One is Lonelier than Me.”  The reporter arrives and tries to cheer Jack up but the resistance on the Dodgers has become more organized.  The team’s top hitter, Dixie Walker, is putting together a petition that says that

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the members of the team refuse to play with Robinson.  He makes his feelings known in the newspapers and approaches Pee Wee about signing the petition.  Pee Wee refuses and the petition fails to stop the integration of baseball. 

The 1947 season begins.  Jack and Pee Wee meet in the locker room after a game against the St. Louis Cardinals.  Pee Wee learns about Jack’s bravery when he sees that Jack was severely injured when “spiked” by a St. Louis player, but hides the injury.  The reporter arrives and asks questions about how the team is getting along.  He wants to know if Jack and Dixie have made friends.  Pee Wee arranges for a picture to be taken of the teammates together but Dixie refuses to touch Jack.  The tension and lack of acceptance continue.  Pee Wee is angry because he feels that Jack’s hiring is just a publicity stunt, but Jack insists that he wants to be treated like any other player.  Jack reveals that he has been receiving death threats.  A letter has arrived from a fan in Cincinnati saying that Robinson will be killed if he tries to play at Crosley Field.  Pee Wee realizes that Jack deserves a chance. 

A few days later in Cincinnati, the Dodgers take the field.  A fan approaches Pee Wee and asks him to sign an autograph.  She asks Pee Wee to tell Branch Rickey that Jack shouldn’t be playing for the Dodgers.  Pee Wee brushes her off.  Later in game, the fan shouts insulting remarks from the stands.  Jack shows his tolerance and Pee Wee is impressed.  Finally, as Jack and Pee Wee are walking off the field at the end of the game, the fan yells at Pee Wee, telling him to stay away from Robinson.  Pee Wee responds by putting his arm around Jack’s shoulder.  The heckling stops. Pee Wee begins a song, “Do Right” that expresses his feeling that accepting Jack as a member of the team is the right thing to do. The entire cast joins in and celebrates the moment when Jackie Robinson was welcomed by his teammates as an equal and became a Brooklyn Dodger.

9 

Jackie Robinson 

Jackie Robinson, one of the most significant baseball players in the history of the game, got his professional start in Kansas City. While playing short stop for the wardepleted Monarchs in 1945 he was spotted by Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Two years later he became the first black man to play in the modern major leagues. 

Robinson was born in Georgia and raised in Pasadena, California. A superb athlete, he excelled at every sport he attempted. He achieved stardom at UCLA, where he became the first fourletter athlete in that university's history. Following his discharge from the Army in 1944, he accepted a position teaching physical education at Samuel Huston College in Austin, Texas. The following year, Monarchs founder and owner J. L. Wilkinson, acting on a tip from pitcher Hilton Smith, invited him to try out for the team during their spring training in Houston. 

During his one season in the Negro Leagues, Robinson proved himself to be an outstanding hitter, a skilled and aggressive base runner, and was one of the best infielders in the league. His spot on the Monarchs' roster proved to be instrumental in securing his part in "baseball's great experiment." During that season Branch Rickey scoured the Negro leagues under 

the pretext of finding players for a new allblack league he was starting. Only his closest associates knew that Rickey was actually looking for just the right player to lead an assault on baseball's 60 yearold color barrier. 

Robinson signed with the Dodgers after the 1945 season. He played on their top farm team in 1946, entered the major leagues the following year, and put together a spectacularly successful ten year career in the majors. Among his long list of achievements, in 1962 Robinson became the first black player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Pee Wee Reese 

Pee Wee Reese was born in the small town of Ekron, Kentucky, but grew up in nearby Louisville during the 1920’s and 1930’s.  His father was a railroad detective.  Reese earned his nickname “Pee Wee”, because of his marble playing abilities.  As a youngster he was runnerup to the eventual national champion in the Courier Journal Marble tournament. 

He graduated from DuPont Manual High School, where he earned a position on his varsity team after collecting several hits off the team’s best pitcher in practice games.  His position on the varsity baseball squad belied his stature – he was just barely 100 pounds in his senior year. The young Reese also played American Legion baseball, playing second base on the team that lost in the first round of the national finals. 

It was against all odds that little Pee Wee Reese made it to the major leagues.  During the Louisville city championships, minor league Louisville Colonels general manager Cap Neal was asked about the little infielder. “He’s too small and he can’t hit,” was his response. 

But after watching Reese in the field, Neal was convinced of his value and penned the youngster to his first minor league contract. Reese would be a Louisville Colonel in 1938. 

In 1940 the Brooklyn Dodgers were more pretenders than contenders for a National League pennant.  The team had fielded a series of crazy characters in the previous few seasons and held a solid position in the second division.  But the Dodgers would soon vault to rarified heights under the hand of Leo Durocher. 

Durocher’s prize pupil in the spring of 1940 was Pee Wee Reese, the little shortstop from Kentucky.  Reese had to battle for playing time and to silence the critics who said he’d never hit in the big leagues.  He was able to earn respect early on with his great glove, accurate arm, and speed afoot.  Many veterans called him the fastest man they had seen in the National League in years. 

In his rookie season Reese batted .272 in just 84 games.  He was hampered by a broken bone in his heel and a beaning from Cub hurler Jake Mooty in August.  In 1941 Reese struggled as the regular shortstop, batting .229 with a leagueleading 47 errors, but the Dodgers won their first flag in more than two decades.  They were on their way to dominance. 

After his first two seasons with Brooklyn, Reese served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. Much of his time was spent playing ball on the same military team as Phil Rizzuto.  Reese earned the shortstop

11 

position, pushing Rizzuto to third base. While preparing for the invasion of Japan in 1945, Reese was sent home with thousands of other soldiers after the atomic bombs ended the war. Reese returned to the Dodgers and helped lead them to a flag in 1947.  He was the team leader who helped pave the way for the acceptance of Jackie Robinson.  Several times Reese stood next to Robinson when hateful fans and opposing players hurled slurs and worse at the first black ballplayer.  Robinson, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, and later Roy Campanella, helped form the core of the great Dodgers teams of that era.  In 1949 the Dodgers won another flag, only to lose to the Yankees in the Fall Classic once again. Pennant seasons in 1952 and 1953 ended similarly.  In 1955 Reese was 37, but he still sparked the Dodgers, and after they won their sixth pennant in fifteen seasons, they finally beat the Yanks in the World Series.  In 1984 he was selected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

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Vocabulary 

The following are words that are used in the play.  In context, their intent should be readily understandable to almost all students, however, it might be useful for children to be familiar with these words. 

coliseum  segregation willful  impertinent vulgar  profane toil  wield reap  sown aspirations  comprehend petition  shiftless sideshow  curfew notion  ruckus 

The following are phrases and slang words that are used in the play. As above, their intent should be understandable. 

word or phrase  meaning 

“hoe the beans”  do work around the house “jive”  slang “cracker”  person who is prejudiced 

against AfricanAmericans “rattletrap”  nonsense “colored, Negro”  older terms for an 

AfricanAmerican “shootin’ craps”  playing with dice for money “dog days of August”  hottest days of August “rookie”  first year player “farm club”  minor league baseball team “Sunshine State”  Florida “Negro Leagues”  professional baseball leagues 

for AfricanAmerican players “spikes”  metal spikes on the soles of 

baseball shoes “get your dander up”  get mad “Jim Crow”  negative stereotype of 

an AfricanAmerican “color line”  a racial barrier

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Bibliography 

*PROMISES TO KEEP Rachael Robinson 

*JACKIE’S NINE Rachael Robinson 

*STEALING HOME: THE STORY OF JACKIE ROBINSON Barry Denenberg 

*TEAMMATES Peter Golenbock 

*JACKIE ROBINSON AND THE INTEGRATION OF BASEBALL Scott Simon 

*JACKIE ROBINSON Glenn Stout, Dick Johnson 

*BASEBALL’S GREAT EXPERIMENT Louis Tygiel 

*THE JACKIE ROBINSON READER edited by Louis Tygiel

Reflecting on the Performance

Write a friendly letter - As a way to refl ect on the play, ask your students to write the Young Auditorium staff a letter. Our staff would love to hear what your students think about the Horizons productions they experience. For your convenience there is a letter template on the next page that is ready for you to reproduce for your students. This activity will provide your students with the opportunity to practice their writing skills by writing a critical evaluation of the Horizons performance for an authentic audience.

Write a Review - Create an idea map on the board by asking students to brainstorm everything they remember from the performance. The fi rst part of this activity should be objective; remind students that they will be able to express their opinions when the write the review. Prompt students with the following questions: Was there music involved? If so, what kinds of songs did they sing? In what different ways did the actors use their voices? What costumes did the actors wear? How did the different characters move? What did the set on the stage look like? What else can you remember? - Instruct students to write a review that includes the following components: 1) A rating, out of fi ve stars 2) One paragraph that objectively describes what you saw and heard at the performance 3) For each star in your rating, explain one thing you liked about the performance (e.g. a four star rating equals four things you liked about the show) 4) For each star under fi ve, explain one thing you didn’t like about the performance (e.g. a three star rating equal two things you didn’t like about the show) 5) Use at least two of the new vocabulary words from this study guide in your review 6) Use the stages of the writing process to produce your review: pre-writing, draft, review, revise, edit 7) Publish your work by sending it to Young Auditorium! (Use the address on the letter tem plate on the next page.) We would love to hear from you, and our education coordinator will write back!

Create a Theatre Journal - Download and reproduce the four Theatre Journal pages available on the Young Auditorium web site. www.uww.edu/youngauditorium/HorizonsSeries.php Copy the pages back-to-back and fold them down the middle into a booklet. There are a variety of writing and drawing activities to stimulate your students’ imaginations before and after the play.

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero 14

Young AuditoriumHorizons School Matinee Series930 W. Main StreetWhitewater, WI 53190

Dear Horizons:

My name is __________________________________________

I attend __________________________ School in _______________________ (city or town).

I just saw ______________________________________________________ (name of show).I liked the performance because

My favorite part was when

One question that I have is

Signed

________________________________

Wisconsin Academic StandardsLanguage ArtsA.4.2/A.8.2 Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature. (Study Guide Activity: Read and discuss “Racial Slurs”, “Synopsis”, “Jackie Robinson”, “Pee Wee Reese”)B.4.1/B.8.1 Create or produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. (Study Guide Activity: Write a Review, Write a Friendly Letter)D.4.1/D.8.1 Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication. (Study Guide Activity: Vocabulary)D.4.2/D.8.2 Recognize and interpret various uses and adaptations of language in social, cultural, regional, and professional situations, and learn to be fl exible and responsive in their use of English. (Study Guide Activity: Vocabulary)

Social StudiesB.4.2/B.8.2 Employ cause and effect arguments to demonstrate how signifi cant events have infl uenced the past and the present in United States and world history. (Study Guide Activity: Read and discuss “Racial Slurs”)B.4.3/B.8.3 Examine information to understand the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people, place them in time and context, and explain their relationships to important historical events. (Study Guide Activity: Read and discuss “Jackie Robinson” and “Pee Wee Reese”)B.8.4 Explain how and why events may be interpreted differently depending upon the perspectives of participants, witnesses, reporters, and historians. (Study Guide Activity: Read and discuss “Synopsis”)B.4.5/B.8.5 Identify and use historical evidence to determine and support political values such as freedom, democracy, and justice. (Research and discuss information about Jim Crow laws)B.8.10 Analyze examples of confl ict, cooperation, and interdependence among groups, societies, or nations. (Discuss racial prejudice after reading study guide information and seeing play)

Theatre EducationA.4.1/A.8.1 Attend a live theatrical performance and be able to analyze, evaluate, and create personal meaning from the experience through small group discussion.C.8.3 Discuss the cultural/historical importance of a play through group discussion or written work.

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero 16

Theatre Vocabulary A-ZAct: 1. To perform a role on stage; 2. One of the main divisions of a play or opera, i.e. Act I, Act IIActor: Someone who performs a role on stageApplause: To show approval by clapping the handsApron: The part of the stage that extends in front of the main curtainAudience: Spectators that listen to or watch a performanceBackstage: The part of the stage and theater that is out of sight to the audienceBalcony: A platform inside of a building extending out over part of the main floor, as in a theatreBlackout: A fast shutdown of lights to darknessBow: To bend the head, body or knee in acknowledgementBox Office: Refers to the ticket office where people can buy tickets for a showCast: The group of actors or performers in a showCatwalk: A walkway above the stage used to gain access to equipmentChoreographer: A person who arranges dances or other movementsCompany: The cast, crew, and other staff associated with a showCostumes: Clothes worn by the actors on stageCrew: People that perform the technical tasks for a showCue: The signal for an actor or crew member to do an actionCurtain Call: At the end of a performance, the acknowledgement of applause by actors taking bowsDialogue: The spoke text of a play, conversations between charactersDirector: Person who guides the making of a showDownstage: The part of the stage nearest to the audienceDress Rehearsals: A full rehearsal in costume, to practice the show as it will be on show night

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero 17

Dressing Rooms: Room in which actors change into their costumes and apply make-upEquity: Short for American Actor’s Equity Association, the trade union of actors, directors, designers and stage managers (www.actorsequity.org)Follow Spot: A hand operated lighting instrument that emits a high intensity beam of light used to follow an actor on stageFront of House: Areas of the theatre in front of the proscenium arch, includes lobby areas open to the general publicGel: Thin, transparent sheet of colored plastic used to color stage lightsGhost Light: A light on a pole that is left on stage when nobody is there so the last person out and the first person in won’t fall off the end of the stage in the darkGreen Room: Room close to the stage for the actors to meet and relaxHouse: 1. The audience inside the theatre; 2. The seating area inside the theatreIntermission: A brief break between acts of a performance, usually ten to twenty minutes longLoad In/ Load Out: Process of moving a production in or out of the theatreMatinee: A performance held in the daytime, especially in the afternoonMusical: A play whose action and dialogue is interspersed with singing and dancingOrchestra Pit: Sunken area immediately in front of the stage, intended to accommodate an orchestraProps: Something other than scenery or costumes that is used in a performance, short for “properties”Proscenium: The frame separating the stage from the audienceRehearsal: A practice session in preparation for a public performanceScript: The text or a musical or playSet: The complete stage setting for a scene or actSound Check: A thorough test of the sound system before a performance

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero 18

Stage: the part of the theatre on which performances take placeStage Manager: A person who is in charge of the stage and the related details of a performanceStage Right/ Stage Left: The left and right of the stage from the point of view of the actor on stage looking at the audienceTheatre: A building or area for dramatic performancesUnderstudy: Someone who studies another actor’s part in order to be his or her substitute in an emergencyUpstage: The part of the stage furthest from the audienceUsher: A person who guides audience members to their seatsWardrobe: The general name for the costume departmentWings: The out of view area to the left and right sides of the stage

A Lesson in Theatre EtiquetteA fun way to review theatre etiquette with your students is to have them compare appropriate dress and behavior for the theatre with other activities such as attending a concert, going to a movie, swimming at the beach, going to a sports game, or going to the mall with family or friends. Divide the class into groups and assign each group a different activity. Have the groups list the appropriate dress and behavior for their activity and why. The groups can then briefly role play their activity and present their ideas to the rest of the class. After all groups have presented, discuss how we behave differently for a live theater performance than we do for other activities (such as watching TV or a movie).

Print copies and review the “Courtesy Counts” sheet in this guide with your students.

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero 19

Courtesy Counts Please share this information with your students . . . most children are unfamiliar with proper theatre behavior. Make sure you share these courtesies as a part of their experience, and be sure to select shows appropriate for their age & attention span. Have them use the restroom before the performance begins.

Produce positive energy…Watching a live theatre performance is very different from watching a movie or television show. A live presentation has not been pre-recorded with the mistakes edited out. The audience’s behavior and reactions can either add or detract from a performance. Each audience member affects those around him/her as well as the performers. Concentrate on helping the performers by producing only positive energy!

Find your seat…An usher will show you where to sit. Walk slowly and talk quietly as you are seated.

Keep it clean…Gum, food, and beverages are not allowed in the theatre!

Quiet on the set . . . Young Auditorium is known for its excellent acoustics, so if you make a noise others will hear you (including the performers)! Please no talking, humming, unwrapping cough drops, candy, or foot tapping during the performance. Exceptions to this rule include shows that ask for audience participation. Applause and laughter are appreciated and appropriate.

Unplug . . . Turn off pagers, cell phones, cameras, and watch alarms during performances. Better yet, leave them at home or school!

Only use your memory as a recording device . . . Flash photography and video recording is not allowed during performances because the bursts of light are dangerous to the performers on stage and distracting to other patrons. Please keep recording equipment at home or school or conceal it in a jacket pocket or purse.

Respect personal space . . . Please keep feet on the fl oor, not on the seat or balcony in front of you. Shifting in your seat, wearing hats, or wandering in the aisles is extremely distracting to those around you; please stay in your seat until intermission or the fi nal curtain.

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero 20

FOR YOUR INFORMATION (teachers & chaperones)PLACE: All Horizons School Matinee Series performances will be held in Young Auditorium, on the UW-W campus. Musical Encounters concerts are held in the Light Recital Hall in the Greenhill Center of the Arts. You will be escorted from the auditorium to the recital hall if you are attending a concert.

TIME: The doors of the auditorium will be opened 30 minutes prior to curtain time. Please arrange your schedule so the buses will arrive with time for seating and a bathroom stop. Late arrivals will not be seated until there is an appropriate pause in the production.

BUSES: The east side of Lot 1 is reserved for buses that are staying for the duration of the Horizon’s performance. Buses that are not staying will pull into Lot 2 and line up along the curb to drop off and pick up students. Please make sure that your bus driver receives the Bus Driver’s Memo available on our website.

WHEELCHAIR: All entrances are wheelchair accessible. If you have upper level seats, use the elevator. Main fl oor seats are on the same level as the lobby. Please inform us at least 4 weeks in advance if you need wheelchair seating or any other special accommodations.

RESTROOM: Main fl oor men’s and women’s restrooms are located on each side of the auditorium. On the upper level, the women’s restroom is on the south side and the men’s restroom is on the north side of the building. Please try to limit your restroom visits to before or after the show.

SEATING: An auditorium escort has been assigned to your school. The escort will direct you to your seats. All seats are reserved; thus each group must adhere to the seating assignment and may use only the number of seats reserved. Please plan to have chaperones seated with the students under their supervision. Chaperones - please do not bring infants/babies to the school matinee performance.

After all the students and respective chaperones have been seated, please settle in and remain seated during the entire show. No one should leave the hall until after the fi nal curtain, except in the case of emergency. Leaving during the performance is exceedingly distracting for both the performers and members of the audience. If students must leave during the performance for any reason, re-entry into the auditorium will be allowed only when there is an appropriate pause in the program.

CAMERAS/ RECORDERS AND CELL PHONES: The use of cameras or recorders during any performance is strictly forbidden. Please do not bring them to the program. Cell phones must be turned off for the duration of the program. We encourage you to ask your students not to bring cell phones with them to the theatre.

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero 21

FOOD, drinks, and chewing gum are not permitted in the auditorium.

EMERGENCY: Please contact the nearest usher in case of emergency.

LOST ARTICLES: Report lost articles to the house manager, or call 262-472-4444.

EXITING: Please disperse in an orderly manner. Teachers and chaperones have the responsibility of keeping their group together. Ushers are not assigned to oversee your exit from the building.

BUS PICK-UP: Your bus pick-up will be the same place as the drop-off.

LUNCH: Local fast food establishments and restaurants, as well as UW-W campus dining (262-472-1161) are happy to accommodate your group for lunch. Please make advanced arrangements to promote effi cient service.

LUNCH SPACE: Schools may request a place to eat their bag lunches. Young Auditorium can accommodate a very limited number of people eating lunch picnic-style seated on the fl oor. This must be scheduled in advance. You will receive an admission slip in the mail confi rming lunch space, which you must bring along with your lunches.

We thank you, in advance, for cooperating in implementing these procedures, giving all audience members the opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Thank you for coming – we appreciate having you as a part of the Horizons program!

SPECIAL NOTE: Please print the Bus Driver Memo/ Map from our website and give it to your driver on the day of the show!

PoliciesPlease note the following policies are in place to ensure enjoyment for all!

The house opens at least one-half hour before the curtain.

A seat must be purchased for everyone attending an event, including teachers, chaperones, and bus drivers.

Timing is everything . . . so don’t be late! Performances begin at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. so plan to arrive at the theater 30 minutes early.

Patrons arriving late are seated only when there is a suitable pause in the performance.

Horizons Educator’s Resource Guide: Everybody’s Hero 22

UW-Whitewater/ Young Auditorium930 W. Main Street

Whitewater, WI 53190262-472-4444 (main offi ce)

262-472-4400 (fax)www.uww.edu/youngauditorium

Shannon DozorystEducation and Outreach Coordinator

262-472-1432 (offi ce)262-472-4400 (fax)dozoryss@uww.edu

www.uww.edu/youngauditorium/horizonsSeries.php

Staff :

Ken Kohberger, Director

Shannon Dozoryst, Education and Outreach CoordinatorMalinda Hunter, Offi ce Manager

Leslie LaMuro, Marketing DirectorMichael Morrissey, Audience Services Coordinator

David Nees, Technical DirectorBen Strand, Development Director

The Horizons School Matinee Series is funded cooperatively by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, participating schools, grants from the Wisconsin Arts Board, Dorothy Remp Elmer Children’s Arts Outreach

Endowment, and Target, and a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, in addition to various public and private institutions. Young Auditorium is

a non-profit organization under Section 115 of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Dorothy Remp Elmer Children’s Arts Outreach Endowment