Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Collaborating for Creativity - a program of Lone Tree Arts Center & PACE Center Study Guide Alexander is having a bad day. A terrible day. A horrible day. To be quite honest, it's a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But then, everybody has bad days, sometimes. In this delightful adaptation of her popular book, Judith Viorst sets Alexander's rather trying life to music and brings to the stage one of America's feistiest characters. April 30 – May 2, 2013 10:00am Performances Tuesday – Thursday 7:00pm on Tuesday, April 30 www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org 720.509.1000 10075 Commons Street Lone Tree, CO 80124
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& the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - Lone Tree Arts
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Transcript
Ale
xander
& t
he T
errib
le,
Horrib
le, No G
ood, Very B
ad D
ay
Collaborating for Creativity
- a program of Lone Tree Arts Center & PACE Center
Study Guide
Alexander is having a bad day. A terrible day. A horrible day.
To be quite honest, it's a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad
day. But then, everybody has bad days, sometimes. In this
delightful adaptation of her popular book, Judith Viorst sets
Alexander's rather trying life to music and brings to the stage
Here are a few guidelines for being a respectful audience member. Every person has a job
to do to make sure the live performance goes on! Here is how you can play your part!
The Audience Game
Learn the difference between a #1, #2 and #3 audience
Teachers, here is a theater game to play with your students. It’s a fun way to reinforce
what it means to be a #1 listening audience and prepare for watching a play in the theater.
#1 Audience is quiet, stays still, and pays attention to what is going on.
#2 Audience whispers, fidgets a little, and looks around.
#3 Audience talks loudly, moves around, and doesn’t really care about what is happening on
the stage.
After explaining the differences among the different audience behaviors and having your
class practice each one, hold up one, two or three fingers to signal which audience the
class should pretend to be. Switch from one audience number to another to get the
appropriate response. To be tricky, you can hold up the same number finger twice or
change numbers really quickly. You can also have students, one at a time, take your place,
allowing them to be the leader of the group by holding up fingers and directing the class
themselves.
How to be a #1 audience!
1. Stay sitting in your seat.
2. Keep your hands and feet to yourselves.
3. If the actors ask the audience questions, it’s okay to answer!
4. You can laugh when something is funny!
5. Pay attention! Watch and listen carefully to what is going on.
6. Get ready to clap at the end of the show when the actors bow.
7. Have fun, enjoy the show, and be sure to share the story with your parents!
2
How many theater words and their definitions do you know?
Actor – a person who uses their mind, body, and voice and pretends to become a
character on stage to tell a story
Adaptation – when a story is changed from one form into another; for example, a book
can be changed into a play or movie
Applause – when audience members clap at the end of the show to thank the actors for
a job well done
Audience – the people who are watching the show
Australia – the world’s smallest continent southeast of Asia, between the Pacific and
Indian Oceans
Bio – a short paragraph about the actor put in a show’s program for the audience to
read
Cavity – a hallow space; sometimes in your teeth
Costume Designer – the person who creates all the clothing the actors wear during the
show
Director – the person who tells the actors where to go and how to move and thinks
about how all parts of the play come together to best tell the story
Duet – a performance with two voices or two instruments
Ensemble – a group of musicians, singers, dancers and actors who perform together
Headshot – a photograph of an actor smiling or looking serious, usually just of their
head and shoulders
Playwright – the person who writes a script which has lines, or sentences, that the
actors memorize
Review – written by a person who has seen the show to tell what they liked and disliked
about it
Set – the background scenery that is on the stage to show where the story takes place
Sibling – a brother or a sister
Taunting – to tease or challenge someone with an insulting remark
Tune – the proper pitch of a song or melody
Theater Words!
3
Look below to see which actor plays which character in the story.
Cast of Characters
Rachel Graham plays…
Alexander
the show’s main character who is just trying to
survive a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad
day. If his day gets any worse he is moving to
Australia.
Seth Caikowski plays…
Alexander’s Father
who tries to guide his son through
a difficult day.
Sarah Grover plays…
Nick
Alexander’s older brother
who teases and fights with
him. He even calls Alex a
crybaby.
Joanie Beyette
plays…
Alexander’s Mother
who takes Alexander to the
dentist and shoe store.
Brett Ambler plays…
Anthony
Alexander’s other older
brother who teases and fights
with Alex.
4
Teachers, here are some ideas to help your students start thinking about Alexander and
his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
Before the Show
1. Have you ever had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day? What happened? What did
you do when all those things happened?
2. What does “fair” mean?
3. Have there been times when you feel like no one has listened to you? If so, what did you
say or do?
4. What are ways you can make sure your bad day doesn’t get worse? How can you turn a
bad day into a good day?
Here are some ways to engage your students in conversation after the show.
After the Show
1. Paul tells Alex that he isn’t his best friend any more, that Alex is his “third” best friend.
How would you feel if your best friend said that to you?
2. Do you have brothers and sisters? Do you always get along?
3. What do you think about Alex’s bad day? What would you have done if the same day
happened to you?
4. What characters were the least fair to Alexander in the show? Why?
5. Do you think it was fair how Alexander treated the other characters in the show? Why
or why not?
Discussion Questions
5
A reviewer’s job is to see a play and write about what they liked and what they did not like.
Now it is your turn to write or draw a review and share your ideas!
Share your reviews with the rest of your class and us! Teachers, if you would like to share your students’ reviews, you can mail them in to: Kirstin Fletcher, Lone Tree Arts
Center,10075 Commons Street, Lone Tree, CO, 80124. We look forward to reading them! For more information please email