Going to the Rose Production Guide

The Reluctant Dragon (March.20 - April.4.2015)

Intro/Lead-In:
GOING TO THE ROSE TO SEE The Reluctant Dragon
By: Mary Hall Surface
Its almost time for our next production, The Reluctant Dragon, a play based on the story by
Kennethe Grahame. Weve assembled some special information to helped you and your family to
get ready for the upcoming performance. Before you go to the show, you might want to take a
few moments to review this Know Before You Go Guide so everyone will know what to
expect from the performance!

The Characters Youll Meet:
Glaston: is an 11-year-old boy who lives in the village of Guildemere. He is an expert on tales of
knights and dragons, and is the first to meet The Dragon.
The Dragon: is the last dragon left on earth, and would much rather sip tea and write poetry than
get in fights or burn villages.
Darby: is the mother of Glaston, whom she loves very much.
Woolchester: is the father of Glaston, and does not like his son spending time with a dragon.
Kendal: is the noble-woman of Guildemere, and can be a know-it-all.
Morpeth: is a tavern-keeper of Guildemere, who is itching to see a fight.
Grimsby: is in the service of Lady Kendal, but dreams of being a knights squire.
St. George: is a saint who has long been in the business of dragon-slaying, but is unhappy with
his job.
The Story Youll See:
In the small village of Guildemere, sudden disturbances cause the town to suspect that a dragon
may be living on the outskirts of town, making all sorts of trouble. Young Glaston, practically an
expert on dragons from all of the stories he has read about epic battles between knights and
dragons. The villagers all share the same fear of the dragon, and celebrate the arrival of St.
George, an exceptionally skilled and famous dragon-slayer. Meanwhile, however, Glaston goes
in search of the dragon on his own, but what he finds is not at all what he expects. He discovers
the dragon to be kind and friendly, preferring writing poetry over fighting knights. However,
since he is the last dragon and all of the villagers fear him, he is a very lonely dragon. Will the
dragon ever be able to make friends? Will Gaston be able to stop St. Georges dragon-slaying
before it is too late?
Be Aware:
This production includes the portrayal of a staged fight, in which The Dragon is stabbed by St.
George. You may want to discuss this with your family beforehand, so that everyone knows it
is all pretend, and the safety precautions that go into stage combat.
This production includes the portrayal of townspeople who make up false stories, bet on the
fight behind St. Georges back, and needlessly demand the death of the innocent Dragon.
These characters are not meant to be role-models, but it is important for the story that they
behave this way. You may want to talk with your family about bad behavior like this,
discussing why characters may act this way, and what they should do differently.
From Story to Stage: Playwright and/or Composer or Book Author:
The original story of The Reluctant Dragon was written by Scottish author, Kenneth Grahame,
who also wrote The Wind in the Willows. The Reluctant Dragon was first published as a
chapter in Grahames book, Dream Days.
The playwright of The Reluctant Dragon, Mary Hall Surface, has written a number of plays for
young audiences, many of them adapted from childrens books.
At The Rose:
Join Our Post-Performance Q&A Session!--A few minutes after the performance, our actors
will conduct a Question & Answer session from the stage. Its a wonderful opportunity to learn
more about the scenery, costumes, special effect, and other aspects of the production.
Meet the Cast & Get and Autograph!--Some actors will be available after the show to say
hello, pose in pictures, and sign their autographs for you. You can meet them on the mezzanine
level right outside the entrance to our balcony level seats.
Take Home a Souvenir!--The Rose Guild presents a souvenir stand before and after each
performance offering a variety of fun and inexpensive show-related mementos. The proceeds
help to support the great education programs at The Rose Theater!
Grab a Theater Classes Brochure!--If you like what you saw on the stage and think youd like
to be a part of it, try taking a theater class here at The Rose Theater. We offer a wide range of arts
classes for every interest and experience level.
Awesome Aftershow Activities:
After your family enjoys the performance, you might want to try these fun and educational
activities at home to extend the experience! Try these:
1. Create your own Dragon!--Imagine your own dragon character, different from The Dragon
in the show.
What is your dragons name?
What does your dragon look like? (Draw a picture of it: What color are its scales? Does it
have big horns or claws? What does the fire it breath look like? What is its tail like?)
The Dragon from the show enjoyed drinking tea. What is your dragons favorite food or
drink? (Draw a picture of your dragon eating its favorite food or drink)
The Dragon from the show enjoyed writing poetry. What is your dragons favorite hobby?
(Draw a picture of your dragon doing their favorite activity, or write an example of it)
The Dragon from the show lived in a cave at the top of a mountain. Where does your
dragon live? (Draw a picture of your dragons home)
Now ACT OUT a day in the life of your dragon! (Act out your dragon waking up, getting
ready, eating breakfast, doing its favorite hobby, making friends, doing chores, going to
bed, or ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF THAT YOUR DRAGON MIGHT DO!)
2. Be your own Poet!--In the show, Glaston and The Dragon enjoy making up their own
rhymes and poems. Can you research the following types of poems to learn how to do
them...and then make your own?! Grab a pen or a pencil, a piece of paper, and your
imagination; those are all the tools you will need to be your own poet!
Acrostic
Cinquain
Haiku
Limerick
Quatrain (with an ABCB rhyme-pattern)
3. Write Your Own After-Story!--At the end of the show, a lot of changes have happened; The
Dragon has new friends, Glaston has learned that the tales of knights and dragons are not
quite what they seem, and the townsfolk have learned that sometimes first perceptions of
others can be deceiving. Write your own short stories about what these characters lives might
be like after the play ends:
The Dragon goes to his first party with Kendal, Morpeth, and the other townspeople.
St. George must find a new job, now that he is no longer a dragon slayer.
Glaston and The Dragon write more poetry together.
Make up your own!
Dinnertime Discussion:
One of the best ways to enjoy a play is to talk about the story and the characters with family and
friends who saw the show. Here are some topics you can discuss before and after you visit The
Rose Theater to see the production.
Before the Show:
1. Have you ever read a fairy tale and wanted to see the creatures in them (like dragons, fairies,
witches, and trolls) in real life? In what ways might they be different in person than you
imagined them from the story?
2. Have you ever been misunderstood by people around you, and wanted to do something so
they could get to know the real you? What did that feel like? What did you do? If you havent
ever felt misunderstood, can you imagine what it might feel like?
3. In the show, an actor in a costume/with a puppet must portray the character of The Dragon.
How do you think this actor could use his body/maneuver the puppet and use his/her voice to
look and sound like a dragon? What would your dragon look and sound like?
After the Show:
1. Glaston does not expect to become friends with The Dragon when he first goes to see him.
However, they soon find they have a lot in common, and their friendship grows strong. Have
you ever made friends with someone you didnt expect to? How did it make you feel to gain
a new friend, even when you werent expecting it?
2. St. George has to make a very important decision of whether to slay The Dragon, since it is
his job, or to help The Dragon, since he realizes it is the right thing to do. Have you ever had
to make an important decision? Was it hard or easy to make the decision? How did you end
up deciding?
3. Some characters in the show were rich and powerful, like St. George and Lady Kendal, while
others were common people, like Darby and Woolchester, Glastons parents. What are some
things the actors did with their bodies and voices to show the audience if they were rich and
powerful or common people? How would you look and sound different as a rich and
powerful character versus a common person?