Educator’s Study Guide Honk!

Music by George Stiles Book & Lyrics by Anthony Drewe

Directed & Choreographed by David ConnollyMusic Direction by Steve Thomas

Nov 29 – Dec 24 ST. JACOBS COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE

Honk! Study Guide

Table of Contents

About .................................................................................................................. 3

Synopsis ......................................................................................................... 3

The Characters ............................................................................................... 3

About Drayton Entertainment ....................................................................... 3

Language Arts ..................................................................................................... 4

Questions, Thoughts, Reflections .................................................................. 4

Creative Writing ............................................................................................. 4

Vocabulary ..................................................................................................... 5

Social Studies ...................................................................................................... 6

Sciences .............................................................................................................. 7

The Arts .............................................................................................................. 7

Activity Pages ..................................................................................................... 8

Crossword ...................................................................................................... 8

Word Search ................................................................................................... 9

Colouring Page ............................................................................................. 10

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Honk! Study Guide

HONK! is a musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s story “The Ugly Duckling.” It is the story of Ugly, whose odd, gawky looks cause his duck family and farmyard neighbours to tease him. Separated from the farm and pursued by a hungry Cat, Ugly must find his way home. Along his high-spirited and harrowing journey, he not only discovers his true beauty, but also finds love and acceptance in all its forms.

HONK! is a wonderful reminder of all the things we hope our children will learn: Accept others for who they are, not what they look like, and remember, being different is okay!

Synopsis

Ugly: the unusual duckling who looks different from the other ducklings.

Drake: a mallard duck, the husband of Ida and the proud papa of the ducklings.

Ida Duck: wife of Drake and the proud mama of Ugly and the ducklings

Greylag: a pompous military goose – the gander and leader of the troop of geese.

Bullfrog: teaches Ugly to love himself “warts and all.”

Penny: a young swan that offers to guide Ugly South; returning in the spring, she falls in love with Ugly.

Cat: a devious gourmet who tries to trick ugly into becoming a savory dinner.

The Characters

About Drayton Entertainment

An award-winning, not-for-profit charitable organization, Drayton Entertainment produces the finest in live theatre at seven venues in southwestern Ontario. Each theatre maintains its distinct identity, but at the same time, combines the strengths and energy of all to provide an entertainment experience that is unparalleled.

The stage for success was first set in 1991, with the launch of the Drayton Festival Theatre. Under the leadership of founding and current Artistic Director, Alex Mustakas, the theatre was an immediate success. Since then, Drayton Entertainment has added the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre, King’s Wharf Theatre (in Penetanguishene), Huron Country Playhouse (with two stages in Grand Bend), St. Jacobs Country Playhouse and most recently in 2013, the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge.

Drayton Entertainment’s distinctive business model provides protection from the inherent fragility of the theatre industry, while providing an outlet for growth and prosperity. This has positive implications for artists and audiences – all of whom enjoy enhanced opportunities both on and off the stage.

By successfully balancing the competing demands of quality productions, fiscal responsibility, and community integrity, Drayton Entertainment has emerged as a true innovator and leader for arts and culture in Canada.

About

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Honk! Study Guide

Questions, Thoughts and Reflections

Questions for students before the performance:

1. Write about a time when you felt like you didn’t fit in. How did it feel?

2. Acceptance is a major theme in this story. Why did the duckling not feel welcome in the barnyard? Why did the wild ducks and the swans seem to accept the duckling and why did they invite them to join them?

3. What is the main theme/lesson of the story?

4. What are some ways you can help people feel welcome and accepted?

5. How do you think the musical will be different than the story? How will it be the same?

Questions for students after the performance:

1. How was the musical different from the story? How was it the same?

2. Write about (draw, for younger students) your favourite part of the musical. Why was it your favourite?

3. After watching the musical, what have you learned?

4. A lot of people work behind the scenes on a musical to make everything magical. Can you guess all the parts that go into a show? (Actors, Director, Musical Director/Band, Choreographer, Costumes, Lights, Sound, Stage Managers, Props, Sets, Ushers, Marketing [to sell tickets], and more).

5. Write a review for the show. Tell us about what you enjoyed, what you disliked, and anything else you would like to mention.

Read “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Anderson short story available on our website.

Activities:

1. Create a poem or rap inspired by “HONK!”

2. Write a story based on the themes in “HONK!”

3. Become a playwright and write a new scene for the characters of “HONK!” in script format.

4. Create a new character for “HONK!”. What is their purpose? How will they change the story? Describe their looks, character traits, and movements.

Language Arts

Creative Writing

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Honk! Study Guide

Blizzard – heavy snowstorm with a very strong wind.

Cattails – wetland plants with a tail, flowering spike, flat blade like leaves.

Cob – a male swan.

Clutch – a group of eggs.

Cygnet – a baby swan.

Dabbling – when a duck puts its head in the water and its bottom up to eat.

Diving – when a duck puts its whole body in the water while eating.

Down – the soft under feathers on ducks, swans and geese.

Drake – a male duck.

Duckling – a baby duck.

Formation – a pattern during movement.

Fowl – a bird of any kind.

Gander – a male goose.

Habitat – natural home of plants and animals.

Hatch – to come out of an egg.

Hen – a female duck or goose.

Migrate – move from one place to another.

Molt – when a bird loses its feathers.

Pen – a female swan.

Poultry – fowls used for food.

River – a large body of water.

Waterfowl – a bird that lives around the water.

Wetland – land that is partly underwater, ie. Swamps.

Vocabulary

Actor/Actress – someone who performs on stage or screen.

Blocking – the actor’s movements on the stage.

Cast – all of the actors in the entire show.

Character – a personality that an actor or script creates.

Choreography – the organized dance moves.

Comedy – a work of theatre that is funny.

Costume – the clothing or outfit worn on stage.

Critique – opinions and comments that evaluate the actors or the performance.

Cue – a signal that indicates something else is about to happen.

Dialogue – the conversation between actors on stage.

Director – the person who oversees the entire staging of a production.

Dress Rehearsal – the final rehearsal before the performance with costumes and makeup.

Ensemble – the group of characters on stage without a large role that help support the show.

Gesture – an expressive movement of the body or limbs.

Monologue – a long speech by a single character.

Motivation – a character’s reason for doing or saying something.

Musical Theatre – a type of play that contains music, singing and usually dancing.

Playwright – the person who writes a play.

Props – the items carried or used by actors.

Stage – the area where the characters perform - usually containing a set.

Environment Theatre

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Honk! Study Guide

Questions, Thoughts and Reflections

Social Studies

Activity for Junior Students:

Ugly, is perceived by those around him to be different. Some of the other animals in the story treat him terribly because he is different. Discuss the behaviours related to bullying with the class. How is Ugly bullied? Define some ‘differences’ and why we should not judge others for them (i.e. we’re all beautiful on the inside).

Activity for Senior Students:

Differences in appearance are often a catalyst for bullying. Our hero, Ugly, is perceived by those around him to be different and the result is behaviour that causes him to feel like he doesn’t belong. Ugly, through the support of new more accepting friends is able to move beyond these feelings. Research and discuss notable Canadian figures (politicians, celebrities, business people, etc.) have overcome feelings of adversity due to being “different”.

All Grades:

Discuss bullying and respect with your class. Discuss how a person’s actions can have adverse effects on another person.

Some decisions are easy to make, others are more complicated. When it's a choice between right and wrong, you don't need to weigh the pros and cons. Choosing to do the right thing is an act of self-respect and responsible decision making. Here are some guidelines for deciding what's right:

• What do my heart and conscience tell me?• Could it hurt anyone – including me?• Is it fair?• How would I feel if somebody did it to me?• How will I feel about myself later if I do it?• What would adults I respect say about it?

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George Stiles (Music) and Anthony Drewe (Book and Lyrics) premiered HONK! in 1993. Since then it has had many successful productions world-wide.

In a note about the play, Anthony Drewe wrote: “The principal theme of the show is clearly the acceptance of others who may appear different for whatever reason. The main message we wanted the audience to go away with was that different is OK, it is something to be welcomed, embraced and celebrated rather than feared, misunderstood or persecuted.”

Fun Fact

Honk! Study Guide

1. The ducks in the play fly south for the winter. Look on a map with the class and trace a possible route from a cold climate to a warmer one. Discuss why birds make this journey every year.

2. Research and discuss life cycles and how animals mature. Have students create a chart depicting the different stages of an animal’s life.

3. Have students pick an animal from the story and find fun facts about that animal then report them to the class.

4. Swans and Ducks have a lot of interesting attributes - research duck and swan facts together.

Environmental Activities

Sciences

Activities

The Arts

Visual Art:

1. Design a costume for one of the characters in “HONK!”

2. Draw before and after pictures of Ugly.

3. Draw a picture of your favourite moment from the play. (Language Aspect: Write about your picture.)

Music and Drama:

1. Act out a part of the musical you saw (or try to guess ahead of time).

2. Create a dance to a song from the musical and present it to the class in groups.

3. Learn why actors warm up, and create your own warm up or follow fun ones from YouTube together.

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Honk! Study Guide

Down1. The noise that Ugly makes (and the title of the show!).2. Name for a baby duck.6. At the end of the story, the whole neighborhoodlearns how important it is to "just believe in _________."7. Military minded admiral of the geese.9. What Ugly eventually turns into.11. The term for a lesson learned from a story.12. Ugly's mother’s name.14. The animal that tries to trick Ugly into "lunch."

Honk! Crossword

Across3. The noise a duck makes.4. Ugly's father and the name for a male duck.5. The main character of "Honk!"8. The animal similar to a toad.10. Ugly's beautiful swan friend.13. The writer of the "Ugly Duckling."15. The name for a bad winter storm.

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Honk! Study Guide

ANDERSENBULLFROGBULLYING

DRAKEDUCKLINGFAIRYTALEFARMYARD

GREYLAGHONK

IDALOWBUTTMALLARD

PENNY

QUACKQUEENIE

SWANTOMCAT

TRANSFORMATIONUGLY

Honk! Word search

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Honk! Study Guide

Honk! Colouring PageDraw a scene from the show

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