#1 PRE-SHOW WORKSHOP FOR SOUTH PACIFIC

Central Question:

What is the world of this play, and who are the characters who inhabit it?

Very brief introduction of yourself & why you’re here. Pass out a 3x5 card to each student and ask them to get out a pen or pencil & you’ll explain soon what to do with it.

Teacher-in-Role: With the help of the Classroom Teacher facilitating, the TA will perform two monologues as characters from South Pacific. The students are is to listen for clues as TA talks and guess WHO this person is and WHERE this person might be.

The 3x5 cards are for students to “Stop n’ Jot” between each character—give them 10 seconds after each monologue to write down the clues that give away who/where these people are. They can also write down questions they would ask or things they don’t understand. The two characters will be chosen from these four characters:

CAPTAIN BRACKETT (military hat)

            BLOODY MARY (lei, grass skirt)

            LUTHER BILLIS, SEABEE (hat)

            NELLIE FORBUSH, NURSE (nurse’s hat)

Classroom Teacher leads a “123 Action” to signal the TA put on the costume piece and begin. After each monologue, Classroom Teacher says “Freeze” and prompts students to “stop n’ jot” ideas. 

After TA has performed the monologues, debrief:

• Who are these people? Where do you think they are?  What facts did you hear?
• Are there one or two burning questions you think we need to ask to answer any unknowns? Which character would you ask? Go into role again and briefly answer as character. 
• Finally, then solve the mystery and reveal the basic plot of SOUTH PACIFIC using creative storytelling (You may use props and refer to a list of main characters)

§         The two characters you met (reveal a large Post-It with the main characters in the show, to be re-used in later lessons) are (choose the two you did) Captain Brackett, Ensign* Nellie Forbush, Native Islander Bloody Mary and Seabee** Luther Billis

Picture this:

§         It's World War II and the US army has stationed a base on an island in the middle of the South Pacific ocean. Nellie Forbush, a young US Navy nurse stationed on the island falls in love with a middle-aged French plantation owner, Emile de Becque. The two have a troubled romance as Nellie discovers that Emile once married and had children with a native woman.

§         Meanwhile, Lieutenant Joe Cable of the US Marines arrives on the island to head a dangerous mission that will help spy on the Japanese. Bloody Mary, the island souvenir dealer, sets Cable up with her beautiful daughter, Liat, and they fall in love.  Both couples experience relationship problems.

§         The Commanding Officers and the other Navy military men on the island, called the Seabees, are doing a lot of waiting around for a chance to jump into the action – their main job is to quickly rebuild anything that gets destroyed in the war.  Everything builds to the moment when Emile and Lieutenant Cable go together on the dangerous mission where they….you’ll have to wait to find out!!

 Now you are going to get a chance to explore this world even more. Each of you will be put into a group and each group will receive a photo from the world of the play: 1940’s wartime on an island in the South Pacific. Your job is to bring to life the world you see in the photo. Instructions:

Verbal Instructions for Modeling/Explaining Activity:

1. Each group will receive a photo from the world of our play like this one (show sample photo)
2. As a group, you will discuss WHO and WHERE these people are. (do using sample photo)
3. Now imagine this is a close-up shot and we’re going to pull the camera back. Who else or what else (such as a palm tree or a jeep) might be in the expanded picture? (Model with sample photo, be sure to add people AND objects so students can see their options)
4. Next you’ll recreate this world in a frozen picture with everyone in the group being some part of the world. (model)
5. Finally, you’ll get to add sound and movement to your world. You can use the lines we’ve provided for some of you in the group, and the others can create the sounds of the world. Try to get the rest of the class to guess what part of the island they are seeing. (model)

Verbal Instructions to Lead Them Through Activity:

1. Divide the class into groups and distribute photos
2. Everyone, look at the photo and decide WHO and WHERE (give them 2 minutes)
3. Now pretend you’re panning out to wide angle, so you see more of the picture. What can everyone in the group be? Other people? Environment? (give them 2 minutes)
4. Now create what this picture looks like – a frozen picture. Get up on your fee and practice your frozen picture. (give them 2 minute to practice)  I’m going to say “123 Action” and all groups  freeze.
5. Now we’re going to add sound and movement. If you want to say one of the lines on the back of your picture, decide who’s going to say them. Everyone must either speak (one line maximum per student) or make sounds to create the environment. (give them 3 minutes to practice)
6. Share: Now we’re going to go around the room and share our work. I will lead a “123 Action” and point to your group – this signals you to share your snapshot of the world. I will say “Freeze” at the end, and everyone will freeze. I will ask the rest of the class what clues they see and who/where these people are. (After each group goes individually, if there is time, you could use the Buddha bowl as transition device and have each group begin when you sound the bowl, overlapping so that the worlds are happening at once.)

Written Group Instructions To Be Typed on Back of Photos (and possibly on Post-It on Board):

1.      Decide WHO is in the photo, WHERE they are and WHAT they’re doing\

2.      Expand the lens so that you can see more of the world in the photo – what other human and non-human things might you see?

3.      Make a frozen picture of this expanded view of the photo

4.      Give your picture sound

Photos will represent these groups in an activity:

1.      NURSES

2.      NATIVES

3.      SEABEES (1)

4.      SEABEES (2)

5.      COMMANDING OFFICERS

Have students return to their seats.

ASK:

ü      How might these different groups interact?

ü      What are the potential stories that could start to happen when the different groups are suddenly thrust together?

ü      Who do you want to know more about? Who are you excited to see on stage?  

My next visit will be on _________ and we will hear some of the music and talk about why people sing in musical theater.

*************************************************************************************

*Ensign: junior rank officer

**Seabee – from “C.B” for “Construction Battalion” – an arm of the US Navy –they built infrastructure and could help recover from an attack so the military could regain power quickly

**Alternate Extended Synopsis:

It’s World War II. 1943. War is raging against the Japanese in the South Pacific and the Germans and Italians in Europe. On a South Pacific island, a young U.S. Navy nurse from Arkansas, Ensign Nellie Forbush, falls in love with a middle-aged French plantation owner, Emile de Becque.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy sailors on the island – led by a wily, Brooklyn-born Seabee (CB = construction battalion) named Luther Billis and under the command of Captain Brackett – are bored, restless and horny. Lieutenant Joe Cable of the U.S. Marines arrives on the island as part of a dangerous spy mission against the Japanese. Since only officers can sign out boats, Billis convinces Lt. Cable to accompany him to the mysterious island of Bali Ha'i -- where the beaches are lovely and the island girls are even lovelier. There Bloody Mary, a native peddler of island souvenirs, introduces Cable to her beautiful teenage daughter, Liat. The two fall in love.

The two couples -- Nellie and Emile, Liat and Joe – talk about getting married. But Nellie is prejudiced, and Emile has two biracial children from his marriage to a Polynesian wife, who’s now dead. Nellie, torn between her prejudice and her love for Emile, feels she can’t marry him. And Joe refuses to marry Liat because she is Polynesian. Joe's refusal infuriates Mary. Though aware of and ashamed of their bigotry, Nellie and Joe are prisoners of their upbringings: they think they have no options.

After Nellie breaks up with him, Emile feels he has nothing left to lose. He agrees to join Joe on his dangerous mission behind Japanese lines. The two successfully spy on the enemy and the Americans use this information to intercept and destroy Japanese convoys. "Operation Alligator" gets underway, and the sailors, including the reluctant Luther Billis, go off to battle.  

….and you’ll have to see the show to see what happens next

Commanding Officer—CAPTAIN BRACKETT

Seabees, Marines, Nurses, report to Command Headquarters immediately! Now listen up. (Pointing to map) Two American warships were sunk north of Savo last night. Eight of our planes were shot down over Guadal, and at least fifteen Japanese barges reached Cape Esperance with fresh troops. Toward morning we were bombed both at Tulagi and at Purvis Bay. A concentration of Bettys. Nurses, get ready to treat for malaria & wounds. Seabees, be on the beach at 0600 to get them to the hospital. At 1400 there’s a meeting in the mess hall to discuss this Thanksgiving talent show – so let’s hope any of you has some talent. DISMISSED!

Native South Pacific Islander—BLOODY MARY

(Hawking wares) Would anyone like a grass skirt? You? You?  No? How about a shrunken head? Made from real shrunken head! No?  (Dropping the act) Stingy Bastard! I figured, when these military people arrived on my island, I might as well make a buck or two! All day I sew these grass skirts, try to get sexy sailors to buy for their girlfriends or wives or mothers back home. These people – strange customs! But I learn English! And hope I find my daughter nice, rich American to marry. I must hurry – when war over, Americans go home.

Nurse-NELLIE FORBUSH

Did you girls think being a nurse would be like this? I remember waking up in my room in Arkansas, dreaming of being a nurse—of seeing the world…of helping people…of wearing a nice clean crisp white uniform.“ What a knucklehead I was! Now…the thought of a clean uniform…ha! With the huts? And the heat? It’s amazing anything ever gets clean at all! But we are helping. Soldiers come here and we give them medicine for malaria and other diseases I’ve never even heard of.  Sure the palm trees and beaches are pretty…but the gunshot wounds…and the shock…. When I need cheering up I think of home–and, well I am embarrassed ….but I also like to think of that …(looking lovingly toward hill) that handsome, mysterious Frenchman on the hill. They sure don’t make men like that back in Little Rock!

Seabee-LUTHER BILLIS

Seabee. SEA. BEE. We’re the real workers in this war, ya know? We can fix anything in a jiffy.  Landing strip gets blown out? We got it back up in 18 hours. Now that’s man power. We may not be in the middle of the action, but I know of some other action I wouldn’t mind being in the middle of.  (Looking around to see if anyone’s listening) See that island over there? I hear the island girls are …va va VOOM. And they got real boar’s tooth bracelets – I could make a bundle if I could just get over there. Problem is getting a boat. I think I got an idea of how to get one – you in?

#2 PRE-SHOW WORKSHOP FOR SOUTH PACIFIC

Central Question:

Why do people start singing in a musical? How does music affect the telling of a story?

Last time we got to know some of the characters in the play. Today we’re going to talk more about the music and songs you will hear.

Get students into two lines facing each other.

First do some non-threatening Cross the Line questions:

Cross the Line if you…

            Are wearing jeans

            Have an older brother or sister

            Believe in love at first sight

            Have ever had a perfect, enchanted evening

Cross the Line like you…

            Got one hour of sleep (tired)

Just won the lottery (joy, happy)

Are walking like the floor is covered in bubblegum (struggle)

Late for college interview (nervous)

Cross the Line to the mood of the music

            -Play three contrasting snippets of music from South Pacific (Dame, Ench. Eve., Wash That Man)

Debrief (5 min): How did the music make you feel? What about the music made you feel that way or want to move in a certain way? What is a contemporary example of a love song? What’s the music like?

1. We’re going to move on to look at a very special and famous song from South Pacific.  

2. Break out into song --

Oh, that reminds me, I wanted to tell you guys a funny story—on my way here on the subway, the train stopped while we were in the tunnel, and I was like (singing) “Oh NOOOOOOO, I have to PEEEEEEE, I  really have to GOOOOOO, PLEEEEEEEASE, train, GOOOO!!!” (TA’s take liberty with the “song”!)

§         REFLECT: Do we break out into song like that in real life? Let’s talk about why and how this happens in a musical. (When merely saying it isn’t strong enough & you need the emotional undercurrent of music to help you. When something is urgent. When we go to a musical, it’s a special occasion – we accept that people are allowed to break into song.)

§         Let’s use a song that Emile, the sexy French planter on the island sings to Nellie, the nurse he falls in love with. Who believes in love at first sight? Emile does. He sees Nellie at a party he throws at his home, and after the party is over, he is alone with her for the first time, and he sings this song to her.

Pass out lyrics to song. Teacher and TA alternate reading the lyrics aloud while students follow along.

Ask the students, before we listen to the music, let’s look at these lyrics:

• Do you notice anything repeated?
• Why do you think certain phrases are repeated in songs?
• What do you think the title of this song might be?
• Based on the words, what do you imagine it will sound like? Remember this is a historical piece of music, written nearly 60 years ago.
• Imagine you have just fallen in love and you are so overcome with emotion that you have to sing – let’s put ourselves in Emile’s shoes and listen.

Play song until bridge (“Wise men never try”)

Debrief: Did it sound the way you thought it would? Does it match the mood of the lyrics? What kind of music would NOT go with these lyrics? 

Transition: Now that we’ve discussed the mood of the music and heard the words, how do you think the characters might move on the stage in relationship to each other? 

We’re going to try a couple of different ways of staging the very beginning of this song (define staging – how the director and/or choreographer have the actors move on the stage to help define relationships and to help tell the story). (For the staging exercise, only use the introductory music into the first chorus of Some Enchanted Evening)

Cast some party-goer women who are gathered around Nellie stage right & party-goer men who are gathered around Emile stage left. Try three different scenarios, perhaps without music initially, and adding music to the third or repeat the favorite with music.

1.      On TA’s command, all party-goers and Nellie freeze and Emile sees Nellie across the room.

2.      On TA’s command, all party-goers freeze and Emile and Nellie see each other.

3.      On TA’s command, all party-goers freeze and Emile and Nellie begin a slow revolve around each other.

Debrief. Which one did you like best? WHY? How do you think it will look on stage at LCT?

Students return to their seats.

ASK: How does music affect the telling of a story?

(You may wish to reference contemporary examples, such as films like Chicago and Dream Girls or music videos, etc.)

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING

YOU MAY SEE A STRANGER,

YOU MAY SEE A STRANGER

ACROSS A CROWDED ROOM.

AND SOMEHOW YOU KNOW,

YOU KNOW EVEN THEN,

THAT SOMEWHERE YOU’LL SEE HER AGAIN AND AGAIN.

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING

SOMEONE MAY BE LAUGHING,

YOU MAY HEAR HER LAUGHING

ACROSS A CROWDED ROOM-

AND NIGHT AFTER NIGHT,

AS STRANGE AS IT SEEMS,

THE SOUND OF HER LAUGHTER WILL SING IN YOUR DREAMS.

WHO CAN EXPLAIN IT?

WHO CAN TELL YOU WHY?

FOOLS GIVE YOU REASONS-

WISE MEN NEVER TRY.

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING,

WHEN YOU FIND YOUR TRUE LOVE,

WHEN YOU FEEL HER CALL YOU,

ACROSS A CROWDED ROOM-

THEN FLY TO HER SIDE

AND MAKE HER YOUR OWN,

OR ALL THROUGH YOUR LIFE YOU MAY DREAM ALL ALONE.

ONCE YOU HAVE FOUND HER,

NEVER LET HER GO.

ONCE YOU HAVE FOUND HER,

NEVER LET HER GO!

#3 PRE-SHOW WORKSHOP FOR SOUTH PACIFIC

Central Question:

 Is racism something that is taught or is it innate? Who influences our beliefs about racism?

ON BOARD:

“Miscegenation”

1. Who here knows of, or is a part of, a multi-racial family?
2. Here’s a fact: In 1967, miscegenation, (marriage or intimate relations between people of two different races) was illegal in 16 states in America.
3. What do you think about that?
4. SOUTH PACIFIC was written in 1949, and the story takes place in 1943, during World War II, during the pre-civil rights era when laws like these were in effect.  As we get to know some of the characters better today, we’re going to keep in mind the world they are coming from.

ü      Nellie comes from Little Rock, Arkansas, where, like most of the country, Jim Crow laws were in effect – “separate but equal”. People of color were not allowed to share many public spaces with whites – restaurants, movie theaters, public transportation, hotels, and the military.  There was no internet or television, so people had very little experience meeting or understanding people of other cultures, in their country or the world.

ü      Lieutenant Joe Cable comes from the suburbs of Philadelphia – he attended Princeton. At the time of the play, there were no students of color at Princeton. He would never have come into contact with people of a different background.

ü      Emile Debecque is a French man who now lives on the island where Nellie & Joe are stationed on a pineapple plantation. He murdered a wicked man in his country and had to flee. He is now a widow, but he was married to a native woman and has two mixed-race children he is raising by himself.

1. We’re going to read a scene today between Nellie, Emile and Lieutenant Joe Cable. Here’s the situation:

                                                              i.      Nellie has learned of Emile’s past and his children with the native woman and is upset. In this scene, Emile is confronting Nellie because she has asked for a transfer off the island.

                                                            ii.      Lieutenant Joe Cable has fallen in love with a beautiful young native girl named Liat, and he is struggling with his own feelings about his situation.

                                                          iii.      Nellie and Joe are talking when Emile rushes in to talk to Nellie.

Set up the given circumstances of the scene:

In this scene, Nellie has found out about Emile’s children. Emile confronts Nellie when he finds out she has requested to transfer off the island to get away from him. Cable is in his own predicament because he has fallen in love with Liat. They are trying to work through the situation:

1. Hand out scene
2. Cast Nellie, Emile and Cable from class. TA will read stage directions. Establish that this is not a comedic scene, ask for cooperation to help create the mood of the scene.
3. Students read the scene (and TA reads stage directions), but TA freezes them before they read the lyrics.
4. Debrief Scene Only:

Fact Gathering Questions:

What are their relationships of the people in this scene?

What is the problem?

What reason does Nellie give Emile for not being able to marry him?

Speculation Question:

What do you think Cable is thinking about the situation between Emile & Nellie?

Meaning Making Questions:

What does she mean “It is born in you? What is at stake for Nellie if she stays with Emile? If she leaves? (What does she stand to lose?)

What are the stakes for Lieutenant Joe Cable staying with Liat? Leaving her?

5. TA or responsible student read lyrics to “Carefully Taught”
6. Debrief Lyrics Only:

What words jump out at you?

If what Cable says is true, that it is taught, who is doing the teaching?

How is the teaching happening?

Do you agree/disagree with Cable?

7. Prepare for Song: Let’s listen to the song now – notice that Cable sings this instead of just saying it. Going back to our lesson on musical theater and why people break out into song, why do you think he needs to sing this part?  How do you think the music will sound? Fast/Slow/Soft/Loud?
8. Play Song. Quick Debrief: Did it sound the way you thought? Any parts stick out for you?

Now we’re going to do something an actor does to prepare for a role – put ourselves in a character’s shoes and imagine the situation AS IF we are in it. 

1. Imagine that you are Nellie Forbush or Joe Cable. You have fallen in love with someone outside of your familiar community of friends, acquaintances and especially your family. Not only that, but Emile is older, and he has two mixed-race children from a previous marriage; and Liat is younger and is Polynesian and doesn’t speak English. What people in your world (Arkansas or Philadelphia 1943) would have something to say about this? (Brainstorm people on the board). Would there be supportive and unsupportive opinions? Positive and negative?

2. Now from this list pick one person.  Write down one sentence of what this person would say to you (Nellie or Joe). Remember it could be in support of you or against you – it depends on who it is.  (Give them 1 minute to write something)
3. SIMULTANEOUS REAHEARSAL (1 min): ALL read or say lines together just to practice their lines out loud 123, action.
4. Get students to form two lines facing each other (bring their cards.) Explain activity: I am going to play the part of Nellie (or Joe). You are going to form two lines like a hallway. As I walk down the hallway, as I pass you, you are going to read the line you have written on your card out loud to me, trying to get me to listen to you. (Think about how the different voices would sound, and play with that if you want!)
5. Thought Corridor: TA walks down and reacts, possibly verbally to build tension (i.e., “but how is that possible?” “I never thought of that…”) until reaches the end. To finish the exercise, turn and face the students & give a synthesizing monologue of what you’ve heard. (Ex: “I still don’t know what to do….on one hand, maybe I should follow my heart…but then what is my life going to be without the support of my family?...I don’t know what to do!!)

**Alternative: If you have extra time, you could ask a student volunteer to play Nellie or Cable and do a walk down the corridor.**

Students return to seats.

TELL: I’m not going to tell you what happens to Nellie or what decision she ends up making – you’ll have to see the play to find out.

1.      Would any of these voices be heard today?

2.      What would you hear today?

3.      How do you deal with these negative voices? How can you “undo” the teachings?

**Final reminders for matinee day?
Act II, Scene 4 – SOUTH PACIFIC

EMILE

Nellie! I must see you.

NELLIE

Emile! I …

EMILE

Will you excuse us, Lieutenant Cable? (CABLE starts to leave)

NELLIE

No, wait a minute, Joe. Stay. Please! (To EMILE) I’ve been meaning to call you but …

EMILE

You have asked for a transfer, why?

NELLIE

I’ll explain it to you tomorrow, Emile. I’m …

EMILE

No. Now. What does it mean, Nellie?

NELLIE

It means I can’t marry you. Do you understand? I can’t marry you.

EMILE

Nellie ... because of my children?

NELLIE

Not because of your children. They’re sweet.

EMILE

It is their Polynesian mother then – their mother and I.

NELLIE

… Yes. I can’t help it. It isn’t as if I could give you a good reason. There is no reason. This is emotional. This is something that is born in me.

EMILE

(Shouting the words in bitter protest) It is not. I do not believe this is born in you.

NELLIE

Then why do I feel the way I do? All I know is I can’t help it. I can’t help it! Explain how we feel, Joe. (She exits)

EMILE

What makes her talk like that? Why do you have this feeling you and she? I do not believe it is born in you. I do not believe it

CABLE

It’s not born in you! It happens after you’re born…

(He sings as if figuring this whole question out for the first time.)

YOU’VE GOT TO BE TAUGHT TO HATE AND FEAR,

YOU’VE GOT TO BE TAUGHT FROM YEAR TO YEAR,

IT’S GOT TO BE DRUMMED IN YOUR DEAR LITTLE EAR –

YOU’VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT!

YOU’VE GOT TO BE TAUGHT TO BE AFRAID

OF PEOPLE WHOSE EYES ARE ODDLY MADE,

AND PEOPLE WHOSE SKIN IS A DIFFERENT SHADE –

YOU’VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT!

YOU’VE GOT TO BE TAUGHT BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE,

BEFORE YOU ARE SIX OR SEVEN OR EIGHT,

TO HATE ALL THE PEOPLE YOUR RELATIVES HATE –

YOU’VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT!

YOU’VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT!

#4 POST-SHOW WORKSHOP FOR SOUTH PACIFIC

Reflection

Put a “YES” sign on one side of the room and a “NO” sign on the other. Ask students to stand. Explain that when you call out a statement they are to place themselves along the imaginary line. (Model this so they understand it’s not either/or, but a continuum.)

1.  Was SOUTH PACIFIC different than you thought it was going to be?

2.  I had a favorite moment in the play

3.  I could identify or relate to a specific character

4.  Racism was an important theme for me in the show

5.  Emile and Nellie live happily ever after

When the lights go down on SOUTH PACIFIC, Emile and Nellie are eating at the table with his children. But what happens next?

1. Let’s imagine that after the curtain goes down, it comes right back up again for SOUTH PACIFIC II! Emile’s first line is “Why did you come back?”  Nellie improvises what comes next. The idea is to come up with a way to let us know how Emile and Nellie will end up.
2. Either have a volunteer pair improvise for whole class or break class into pairs and then have a few share their exchange. TA cues with “123 Action” and ends with “Freeze” once the scene has a solution or clear direction.

Do you remember Bali Ha’i in the play? What do you think it represented? Point to lyrics:

Your own special hopes,
Your own special dreams,
If you try, you'll find me
Where the sky meets the sea.
"Here am I your special island
Come to me, Come to me."

For Emile (& Nellie) it seems his/her/their dream has come true -- at least for now. How about you? Many people imagine their dream house dream, partner, dream job etc…If Bali 'Hai were to represent a dream of something - what might that be - what might your Bali H'ai be…

Hand out postcards and have students write down and/or draw their Bali Ha’i. Students do a Pair Share (share with a partner) & then Group Discussion for those who wish to share.

Final Thoughts?

Thank you!!