The Jungle Book Based on the storied of Rudyard

The Jungle Book Based on the storied of Rudyard Kipling Adapted for the stage by Eric Schmiedl TEACHER’S NOTES Welcome to the Cleveland Play House! The following material focuses on Eric Schmiedl’s adaptation of The Jungle Book. It has been designed for use by the classroom teacher and contains the following information: biography of the author, adapting the story and biography of the playwright, plot, setting and characters in the play, themes explored in the play, preparing your students for their first visit to the theatre. Domenick Danza, Education Director The Cleveland Play House 8500 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44106-0189 216-795-7000 x270 ddanza@clevelandplayhouse.com Material written by: Prithi Kanakamedala About the Author Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 19 January 1936), was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India during British Colonial Rule. His parents enjoyed an incredibly comfortable existence in India and Kipling himself enjoyed a privileged childhood, with nannies and servants. When he was 6 six years old, Kipling and his sister, Alice were taken to England where they had their formal schooling. Upon graduation in 1882, Kipling returned to Lahore, India (now in Pakistan), where his father had obtained a job for him. It was then that he began to write short stories, and had a number of them accepted in British publications both in India and England. In 1891 he moved back to England and would remain in the West, spending time in both the United States and England for the rest of his life. The time that he spent in India, however, would greatly affect his writing for the rest of his career. He became a prolific writer of short stories, novels, and poems and with it his popularity grew immensely. He is, perhaps, best known for his children’s books, including The Jungle Book (1894), the Second Jungle Book (1895), and Just So Stories (1902). In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, making him the first English language writer to receive the prize, and he remains even today its youngest ever recipient. His legacy cannot be underestimated, he remains one of the most popular writers to this day, and there are three towns in the United States, and one in Canada, named after him! 2 About the Book The Jungle Book (1894) is actually a collection of stories, centering on various jungle animals. The stories, or fables, are designed to tell moral lessons through the use of talking animals. The most famous of these stories, is probably those involving Mowgli, an abandoned child who is brought up by the jungle wolves. In 1967, Disney made Mowgli’s adventures enter popular culture forever, as Jungle Book has been wowing audiences for over four decades. Although a great deal of liberty was taken with plots and characters, it remains the best adaptation of the book today. 3 Adapting the Book Adaptation The play being produced by The Cleveland Play House is an adaptation of the story described previously. A theatrical adaptation is the playwright’s interpretation of the existing story. In other words, the play you are about to see may not resemble Rudyard Kipling’s story exactly. Rather, character names, places, chronology and other elements of the original story may be altered to fit the playwright’s vision for the theatre. It has always remained the artistic license of the playwright, throughout the history of the theatre, to do so. The Story Meet Mowgli, a young “man-cub”, a title that acknowledges his upbringing by wolves and human origins. He lives in the jungle of the Seeonee hills, which has its own laws, governing council and where the animals have learnt to respect each other. Unfortunately, Mowgli is desperate to show that he can one day be the King of the Jungle. His mentor, the wise bear, Baloo, tries to teach him patience and the laws of the jungle. As does his brother, Bagheera, a black panther. But the Bandar-log, or the Monkey People, have been putting other ideas in his head. They tell Mowgli that if he can hold the Red Flower then he will emerge as the jungle’s natural leader. Baloo warns Mowgli that the Bandar-log are not to be trusted, because the monkeys have no loyalties to anybody except themselves. Besides, Mowgli faces a bigger threat from Shere Khan, the jungle’s feared tiger who was had vowed ten years ago to fight the man-cub. Undeterred by the news, Mowgli seeks the Red Flower, which brings him to the human village. He is taken in by a kind woman, Messua who lost her own son and husband to Shere Khan many years ago. Slowly, he begins to learn English and human emotions. One day, he sees a young girl about to be bitten by a large cobra and saves her by reverting to jungle talk. The villagers are scared by Mowgli’s power, thinking it to be evil, and Mowgli returns to the jungle. There, he knows he must face the increasingly powerful Shere Khan. When he finally comes to meet his enemy, Mowgli learns the most important lesson of all, confrontation through non-violence. 4 About the Playwright Eric Schmiedl is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and a graduate of Kent State University and the University of Hawaii. His plays have been commissioned and produced by The Cleveland Play House, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Oregon Children’s Theatre, BackStage Theatre in Chicago, Karamu House, and the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati. His adaptations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Wind in the Willows were included in the 2005/2006 Children’s Series at The Cleveland Play House. Eric is a member of The Cleveland Play House's Playwrights Unit and on the faculty of the MFA in Writing program at Spalding University. He is also the recipient of the Lisa Toishigawa Inoye Playwriting Award. Eric and his wife Adaora live in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, with their sons Zeke and Arthur and beagle Mable. Meet the Characters Mowgli – our protagonist, a young, impatient man-cub. He has been brought up and acts like the jungle wolves, even though he looks like a little boy. He can speak to many different animal communities in the jungle. Bagheera – a black panther, Mowgli’s friend, a great ally, loyal and wise. Baloo – a wise bear, Mowgli’s mentor and well wisher. Bandar-log – the jungle’s monkey community, playful but manipulative. Messua – lady from the village, lost her husband and son to Shere Khan, has tremendous compassion and accepts her fate. Shere Khan – a tiger, a bully, strikes fear into the other jungle animals. Question The Jungle Book is just one literary example of animals being able to talk. Can you name any others? You might have seen adaptations of these books at The Cleveland Play House. 5 The Setting Exploring India British Tourist in India The world’s largest democracy and second most populous country (after China), India is home to a rich and vast cultural history, it is also home to a number of different religions which all live, for the most part, harmoniously along side one another. 6 India Major languages: Hindi, English and 17 other official languages Major religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism 7 The British Empire Kipling wrote The Jungle Book during the height of the British Empire. He had a vast knowledge of the country as he had grown up there, like many other British citizens. But how did the British end up in India? It all began with a business proposal. In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I gave permission to a small English company to trade in the East for spices, cotton, tea and other desirable goods. The East India Company became one of the most powerful trading companies in the world, and formed the basis of the British Empire in India. From 1600 – 1834, the East India Company had a stronghold on India’s economy, turned the British into the ruling class of the country, introduced British customs, architecture, and made its original inhabitants their servants and workers. From 1834 the British Government overtook the East India’s Company hold, and it was not until August 15, 1947 that India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, with Mahatma Gandhi by his side, would declare the country’s independent of colonial rule. Indian Army in the British Empire Jawaharlal Nehru 8 Indian Jungles Although safaris and wildlife are most commonly associated with beautiful African countries, such as Kenya, India is also the home to many jungles. Its most well known inhabitants are: Indian Bengal Tigers, Indian Elephants, Rhinoceros, Snakes, and Monkeys Common Indian Monkey Cobra Bengal Tiger Rhinoceros Indian Elephant with Face Paint 9 Ganesha These animals are so important to Hindu culture in India, that many of the Hindu Gods take on animal like forms, such as Ganesha, the elephant God, who looks after wisdom, prosperity and perseverance and Hanuman, the monkey god, and the noble hero. Hanuman 10 Questions and Activities Research some of these animals, and fill in the chart “What Do I Need to Survive?” Data Collection Chart What food is eaten? Wolf How does it get food? Body covering Body structures Environment/ habitat Enemies and how it hides/ escapes Life cycle stages Elephant Bear Panther Tiger Monkey Python 11 Themes Nature vs. Nurture What is the difference? Nature is instinctive tendencies that come naturally to us. When Mowgli flies across the jungle using the branches, he instinctively knows to land safely, in his case, using both feet. Nurture is the ways in which we are brought up. When Mowgli visits Messua and listens to her story of how Shere Khan killed her family, he cannot explain why but he must go and face the tiger, though he does not intend the confrontation to be violent. He does not understand that he is slowly developing the human capacity for compassion, and confrontation through non-violence. Nature vs. Nurture in the Laws of the Jungle While the jungle animals might not have a president and formal government to explain and reinforce the laws of their environment to them, they have learnt to co-exist. They have survived over centuries because they know exactly how to take care of themselves in the wild, and are instead governed by the laws of nature. Compassion Mohandas Ghandi Compassion can be traced all the way back to Abraham and Isaac. When Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as God has asked him to, he was shown compassion by God. Indeed, the idea of sharing one’s suffering, that leads another person or community to organise themselves to alleviate that suffering is a very sophisticated emotion. 12 Throughout history many instances of compassion have turned around world events. For example, if a South African lawyer by the name of Mohandas Gandhi had not felt moved and compassionate for his fellow countrymen back in India, perhaps he would have continued to be a successful lawyer, and there would be no great, peaceful, and powerful leader by the name of Mahatma Gandhi. Similarly, in the United States, while Martin Luther King, Jr., despised the way African Americans were treated, his compassion for a greater common good informed his practices of non-violence in order to work towards peaceful resistance. Martin Luther King Activity Write three things you are compassionate about. They can be local, regional, national or world events. Write three reasons why you feel it is important to be compassionate about those issues. 13 PREPARING YOUR STUDENTS FOR THEIR TRIP TO THE CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE This might be the first time that some of your students are attending the theatre. Here is some information about the Cleveland Play House and the production that will help you and your students prepare for your role as audience members. I. Expected Behavior For many children, this production will be their first experience with live theatre, therefore it is important to discuss with them the expected behavior of the audience. The Cleveland Play House asks that prior to the performance, students are made aware of the following: - Do not go on stage at any time. The stage will be three-quarter thrust (not proscenium, as you might be used to, where the audience all sit facing the stage). It is therefore important that you ask your students not to disturb the action on stage nor try and communicate to audience members sitting opposite them. - All isles must be kept clear throughout the performance (no sitting on the stairs). - Visit the washroom before the show. It is hard to leave once the performance begins. - Do not bring food or drinks into the theatre. Theatre is not a place for popcorn and rustling candy wrappers. - Try not to talk throughout the performance – even whispering voices can be distracting. - Don’t leave your seat unless instructed by the teacher or theatre staff. - Turn off your cell phone, if you have brought one, and don’t use a camera or video recorder. II. Relationship to the Theatre - There is an implicit understanding between audience and performer to “suspend disbelief.” Here, both audience and performer pretend that the action is real and is happening for the first time. - The characters in the play will not look exactly like the drawings provided. They will wear an item that will help us know who the character is. 14 - Actors, costumed in neutral colors, who move scenery and props, are considered “invisible” by other performers and the audience. Some performers may play many characters. Nontraditional casting in which actors play roles regardless of their gender and/or race Characters sometimes speak their thoughts aloud (soliloquy) so that the audience knows what the characters are thinking. III. The Production There are many people who work together to put on a play. The whole process takes about one year from deciding to produce the play to the play’s opening night. Each team consists of the following people: Playwright: a person who writes plays is called a playwright. A playwright writes lines (dialogue) for the actors. Director: the person who interprets the play. S/He works with the designers to establish the concept of the play. After several meetings s/he will agree on the production elements to be used for the show including sets, costumes, props, lights and sounds. The director also chooses the actors to play the different parts in the show. Once rehearsals begin the director conveys his ideas to the actors by giving them directions on their character development and blocking their movements. Once the play opens for the public, the majority of the director’s job is over. Actors: actors pretend to be the characters in a play. Sometimes, a grow-up plays the part of a child. They might also play old people or animals. Sometimes, one actor plays many different characters. Watch the ways in which actors change their voices, movements, or costumes to become different characters. Set Designer: the person who designs the set. S/He creates the world that is seen when you enter the theatre. S/He decides whether there will be real or pretend furniture (such as cubes or chairs). S/He also decides where all the different locations will be on stage. The designer drafts diagrams so the carpenter can build the set and then the designer will return to paint everything. - - 15 - Costume Designer: the person who chooses what clothes the actors will wear. The costume designer decides how each actor should look to represent the character and time period. The designer will sometimes shop for clothing or may create some costumes from scratch. Props Designer: the person who provides all of the objects used during the play. This person either buys or creates everything that the actors might need to convey the story. Sound Designer: the person that creates all of the sound effects and music for the play. The sound designer creates the noises that are heard when someone rings a doorbell or a telephone rings. Lighting Designer: the person that provides the lighting for the play. The designer will decide what color the lights should be to complement the sets and costumes. - - - RECOMMENDED READING Aesop’s Fables Munro Leaf, Ferdinand the Bull E. B. White, Charlottes Web Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book & rent Disney’s Jungle Book 16