ovations offstage presents
A Study Guide for the School-Time Performance
Study guides are free and available online: http://portlandovations.org/offstage/study-guides.shtml
Thursday, October 3, 2013 • 11 am • 70 minute performanceMerrill Auditorium, Portland
Welcome to Portland Ovations
Each year since 1931, Portland Ovations has brought a dynamic season of exceptional
performing artists to Portland, Maine, including classical music, jazz, opera, dance, theater, and
Broadway.
Portland Ovations…
• believes that cultural enrichment should be accessible to all
• provides quality live performances and education experiences
• engages our community with integrity and compassion
• collaborates with other arts organizations, nonprofits, education systems and the
business sector to promote cultural enrichment and lifelong learning
• celebrates the power and virtuosity of the performing arts
• sustains a staff and board who are thoughtful, committed, enthusiastic and fiscally
responsible
In addition to live performances, we bring the exhilaration of the performing arts out into our
community with season-long educational and outreach programs called Ovations Offstage.
Ovations Offstage creates those magical resonating moments when artists and audiences
connect. Whether it’s an unexpected “art happening,” a workshop or masterclass with a
visiting artist, a lively community discussion, or a pre-performance lecture, Portland Ovations
invites you to join us as we explore together the relevance and connection of the performing
arts to our lives.
“Potted Potter” Study Guide
Portland Ovations presents highly acclaimed, innovative, and masterful artists from around
the world who represent a broad range of performing arts—quality performance for young
audiences is our primary concern in assembling our School-Time Performance series.
In this performance, Dan and Jeff have adapted J.K. Rowling’s seven books from her Harry
Potter series for the stage. They have added elements of movement, clowning, song, and
props to enhance the story.
This guide includes information Potted Potter; contextual background about the performance;
cultural and literary connections; suggested activities designed to engage and sustain your
students’ interest before, during, and after the show; as well as a number of resources to help
you extend your exploration. Also included are connections to Common Core State Standards.
Use of this guide will help your students to anticipate, investigate, and reflect upon your live
performance experience.
Please share your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions with us: [email protected]
POTTED POTTER – The Unauthorized Harry Experience –A Parody by Dan and Jeff
A 70 minute performance
Potted Potter takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books
(and a real life game of Quidditch) into seventy hilarious minutes. The show is created by
two-time Olivier Award-nominated actors Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, whose
phenomenal chemistry engages audiences of all ages.
DANIEL CLARKSON graduated from Bretton Hall in 2000 with a spring in his step and
a smile on his face. He is best known for being one half of the double act Dan and Jeff,
creators of both Potted Potter and Potted Pirates. Last year with Jeff, Dan had a fantastic
time presenting on CBBC, appearing on Blue Peter and TMI as well as getting his first ever
piece of fan mail! Other TV credits include Big Brother’s Little Brother, Where The Heart Is,
Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Film includes The Usual Children, The Guilty Hunter and
Finding Beckham. Theatre includes Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Little Shop of Horrors,
Art and Sketch Machine.
JEFF TURNER graduated from the University of Plymouth in 2002, and after three years of
various TIE, fringe and panto appearances he met and started working with Dan in 2005. In
the last five years, he has been an Ugly Sister, co-written and starred in Potted Potter and
Potted Pirates, appeared on Newsnight, Richard & Judy, and Big Brother’s Little Brother.
With Dan he has carved a successful children’s TV career, starting with regular appearances
on Blue Peter in 2005, and has since appeared on The Slammer and TMI, as well as being a
permanent resident of the CBBC office for over a year, starting in 2008.
Excerpted from www.pottedpotter.com and geeky-guide.com
Other Resources
Reduced Shakespeare Company
The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-man comedy troupe that takes long, serious
subjects and reduces them to short, sharp comedies. The company has created seven stage
shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots, and numerous radio pieces – all of
which have been performed, seen, and heard the world over.
http://www.reducedshakespeare.com
Online Resources
Quiz: Which Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat choose for you?
http://quizzes.familyeducation.com/book-lists/harry-potter/what-hogwarts-house-would-
the-sorting-hat-choose-for-you.html?detoured=1
Harry Potter Games
http://www.roundgames.com/onlinegame/Harry+Potter
Activities
Book Covers and Reviews
What are the most exciting/important parts of your favorite book? What pulls a reader in?
Summarizer Challenge – Summarize your favorite book into a half-page description. What are
the key elements of the story? Why should someone else read this book?
Post-Show
What are the main ideas that Jeff and Dan incorporate in the show? What did they omit?
Did this change the story? How/why?
Physical Theatre Activity: Portraits
Recreate a frozen scene from one of your favorite books. Include major characters and actions
without using any movement or words. In writing, describe the portrait- what is going on
in the scene and why is it important to the story? Have the class guess what story you have
created.
Ask:
Some parts of Harry Potter can be scary for readers. Is it okay to include scary things in books
if it gets kids to read?
Wizard Games
Broomstick Races
What you need: broomstick and sport cones or plastic cups
How to play: In two parallel straight lines place cones/cups 4 feet apart.
With the broomstick between their legs have the children weave
through line of cups (like an obstacle course) the one who crosses the
finish line first wins.
Catch the Snitch
What you need: Handheld net (butterfly or fish) and tennis balls
How to play: Kids try to catch the balls thrown into the air by an adult. The child who
catches the most balls wins.
Set the Mood
Get tableware in Gryffindor colors of red, yellow and black. Hang a Hogwarts banner on the
front door for another festive touch!
http://bangordailynews.com/2011/07/07/living/have-a-harry-potter-party/
If You Like the Harry Potter Series…
Other Authors and Titles
Tony Abbott’s The Secrets of Droon series, starting with The Hidden Stairs and the Magic
Carpet
The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander, starting with The Book of Three
Going Through the Gate by Janet S. Anderson
Several books by Avi, including Bright Shadow and Midnight Magic
The Myth-adventures series by Robert Asprin, which includes Myth Conceptions
Lynne Reid Banks’ Omri series, which includes The Indian in the Cupboard
The Thief of Always, a youth book by horror writer Clive Barker
The Lost Years of Merlin series by T.A. Barron, starting with The Lost Years of Merlin
The classic Oz books of L. Frank Baum, which start with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Two series by John Bellairs -- the Lewis Barnavelt series that begins with House With a Clock
in Its Walls and the Anthony Monday series, beginning with The Dark Secret of Weatherend
The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley
The Green Knowe series by Lucy Maria Boston, starting with The Children of Green Knowe
The Magic Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks, including Wizard at Large
Susan Butler’s The Hermit Thrush Sings
The Tales of Gom saga by Grace Chetwin, beginning with Gom on Windy Mountain
The Voyage of the Basset by James C. Christensen
The classic Tripods Trilogy (scifi) by John Christopher, starting with The White Mountains
The humorous Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, starting with Artemis Fowl
The popular new Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins, including Gregor the Overlander
Susan Cooper’s unforgettable Dark is Rising saga, starting with Over Sea, Under Stone
Bruce Coville’s Magic Shop series, beginning with The Monster’s Ring
The Secret World of Polly Flint by Helen Cresswell
Nearly anything by Roald Dahl, but especially The Witches, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory or The Magic Finger
Diane Duane’s popular Wizardry series, beginning with So You Want to be a Wizard?
Edward Eager’s Magic series, starting with Half Magic
The Dragon Chronicles by Susan Fletcher, including Dragon’s Milk
The Books of Magic, a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman
The Pure Dead series by Debi Gliori, starting with Pure Dead Magic
Odo Hirsch’ Bartlett series, starting with Bartlett and the Ice Voyage
The Liveship Traders trilogy, by Robin Hobb, beginning with Ship of Magic
Eva Ittobson’s The Secret of Platform 13
The hugely popular Redwall series by Brian Jacques, starting with Redwall
Most of the works of Diana Wynne Jones, including the Christomanci series, starting with
Charmed Life, Howl’s Moving Castle, and the Mr. Chesney series, exemplified by The Dark Lord
of Derkholm
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
Other Authors and Titles, Cont.
Ursula Leguin’s classic Earthsea series, starting with A Wizard of Earthsea
Madeleine L’Engle’s wonderful Time Quartet, starting with A Wrinkle in Time
The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, beginning with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Tomorrow’s Wizard by Patricia Maclachlan
Patricia McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
The Danar series by Robin McKinley, starting with The Blue Sword
The Saga of Recluce, by L.E. Modesitt, beginning with The Magic of Recluce
Edith Nesbit’s Five Children series – a personal favorite of Potter author J.K. Rowling –
including The Five Children and It
William Nicholson’s The Wind on Fire series, starting with The Wind Singer
The Magician series by Jenny Nimmo, starting with The Snow Spider
Most of the novels by Garth Nix, including those in his Seventh Tower series, which begins with
The Fall
Bed-Knob and Boomstick by Mary Norton
The Hounds of the Morrigan by Pat O’Shea
Mervyn Peake’s exotic Gormenghast trilogy, starting with Titus Groan
The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce, which begins with Sandry’s Book; also, most
anything else by this author
Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials saga, beginning with The Golden Compass
Under the Cat’s Eye: A Tale of Morph and Mystery by Gillian Rubinstein
The juvenile, yet amusing, Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka, starting with Knights of the
Kitchen Table
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, another of J.K. Rowling’s personal favorites
The Wren series by Sherwood Smith, starting with Wren to the Rescue
A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket, starting with The Bad Beginning
The Unicorns of Balinor series, by Mary Stanton, beginning with The Road to Balinor
The legendary books of Middle Earth, by J.R.R. Tolkien, including the prequel to the Lord of
the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit
The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, starting with The Thief
The Castle in the Attic series by Elizabeth Winthrop, starting with The Castle in the Attic
Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles, beginning with Dealing With Dragons
The Grand Conspiracy by Janny Wurts
The Shimmer and Thorn series by Laurence Yep, starting with Dragon of the Lost Sea
Most of the novels of Jane Yolen, including Wizard’s Hall
A Plague of Sorcerers by Mary Frances Zambreno
Study Guide Connections to Common Core Standards
This guide offers activities for students at multiple grade levels.
For more information about Common Core Standards:
Maine Department of Education Learning Standards and Goals,
http://www.maine.gov/education/standards.htm
Maine Department of Education Common Core State Standards,
http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/commoncore/index.html
Common Core State Standards Initiative, http://www.corestandards.org/
Maine Department of Education Learning Results Visual and Performing Arts,
http://www.maine.gov/education/lres/vpa/index.html
“The Giver”
Read
ing
Lit
era
ture
Read
ing
Info
Tex
tsR
ead
ing
Fo
und
atio
nal S
kills
Wri
ting
Sp
eaki
ng
and
Lis
tenin
g
Lang
uag
e
Read
ing
Sci
ence
Te
chnic
al S
ub
ject
s
Read
ing
His
tory
/Soci
al S
tud
ies
Sub
ject
s
Common Core State Standards
and ME Learning Standards
RL RF SL
Vis
ual a
nd
P
erf
orm
ing
Art
s
VPA
Audience
Audience members play a special and important role in the performance. The performers
are very aware of the audience while they perform and each performance calls for different
audience responses. Lively bands, musicians and dancers may desire audience members to
clap and move to the beat. Other performers require silent focus on the stage and will want an
audience to applaud only when they have completed a portion of their performance. As you
enjoy the show, think about being a part of the performance..
• What are the differences between attending a live performance and going to a
movie or watching television?
• What are some different types of live performances? Name a few as a class.
• What kind of responses might an audience give in each circumstance?
• What are the different cues that a performer will give you so that you know how to
respond? For example, might they bow or pause for applause?
Also, remember that a theater is designed to magnify sound and even the smallest whispers
or paper rustling can be heard throughout the auditorium. You are part of a community of
audience members and you all work together to create your theater experience.
Acknowledgements
Portland Ovations Offstage is grateful to Lincoln City Libraries, Bangor Daily News,
PottedPotter.com and GeekyGuide.com for use of their educational materials in compiling
this resource.
Portland Ovations Offstage is made possible in part with support from Gorham Savings
Bank, New England Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, The Maine
Arts Commission, Macy’s, TD Bank, Unum, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Sam L. Cohen
Foundation, and Portland Ovations’ Endowment and its members.
S A V I N G S B A N K
Top Related