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Theatre Bristol proudly presents

The Adventures of Robin Hood
(Expanded Cast Version)

Written by Michele L. Vacca
Classics on Stage! of Chicago, Ill.

School Performances: May 4, 6, 11, 12 & 13, 2005, at 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. daily

Public Performances: May 14 at 7 p.m. & May 15 at 2:30 p.m.

All performances of The Adventures of Robin Hood are at the Paramount Center for the Arts.

Performances run approximately 60 minutes.

Dear Educator:

We are excited that you have chosen Theatre Bristol’s production of The Adventures of Robin Hood as part of your curriculum.

Enclosed are numerous materials to facilitate understanding and initiate responses from your students in relation to the play The Adventures of Robin Hood. The information and activities provided can be used to enhance curriculum standards in many subjects. You know best the needs and abilities of your students. Please feel free to adapt the suggested materials for discussion or activities with your students. You are invited to make copies of the enclosed materials for other teachers as well as your students. We hope you will enjoy The Adventures of Robin Hood.

The Adventures of Robin Hood is sponsored in part by The Bristol Mall

Media Sponsors:
Bristol Broadcasting
Charter Media
Bristol Herald Courier

Theatre Bristol is a not-for-profit cultural and educational organization whose activities are made possible in part by generous financial support from the National Endowment for the Arts; Tennessee Arts Commission; Virginia Commission for the Arts; Johnson City Area Arts Council; Rose Center & Council for the Arts; City of Bristol, Tennessee; City of Bristol, Virginia; and corporations, foundations and individuals from throughout the region. Theatre Bristol is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization and all contributions are tax-deductible.

Theatre Bristol continues in our tradition of providing the theatre experience to children with the Discovery Series for Young Audiences. Performances reach over 25,000 children a year from 60 school districts & 5 states. Performances are possible through sponsorship by corporations, individuals, season ticket sales & souvenir program advertisement sales. Performances will transport children of all ages to magical faraway lands, through the pages of history & literature to amazing times & cultures . . . And we want you to join us!!!

The Story of Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary hero of medieval England. In most tales about him, Robin Hood leads an outlaw band called the Merry Men in daring forest adventures. The Merry Men fight authority and rob the rich to give to the poor. For more than 600 years, the adventures of Robin have been celebrated in stories, poems, ballads and motion pictures.
The stories of Robin Hood are typically set in England between the 1100s and 1400s. Most of the events take place in or near Sherwood Forest. In the first stories about him, Robin appears as a simple highway robber trying to avoid capture. Later tales present him as a man wrongfully denied his noble title. The stories about Robin celebrate his courage, generosity, skill in archery, and comic flair. He does not hesitate to fight and steal from his enemies, but he always shows compassion for the poor, protects women and children, and offers assistance to anyone of honor. (continued next page)
The key members of the Merry Men are an enormous man jokingly known as Little John, a traveling priest named Friar Tuck, and the outlaw Will Scarlet. In many versions of the legend, Robin falls in love with a spirited young woman named Maid Marion. The main enemy of Robin’s band is the Sheriff of Nottingham, a dastardly and greedy law officer. The band clashes with dishonest local abbots as well.
Although Robin fights to overturn the power of the rich land owners, church leaders and government representatives, he and his band respect the authority of the ruling king, who in most stories disguises himself and joins the Merry Men, intending to capture Robin. But the king then discovers Robin’s honorable ways and pardons him.
Some people believe that Robin Hood was an actual person, usually identified as Robert Fitzooth, the Earl of Huntington. Others think that Robin was not a real person and that the stories about him developed for historical and cultural reasons. In medieval England, peasant masses struggled to make a meager living while a relatively small number of nobles and members of the church elite controlled the country’s land and wealth. People told and retold the Robin Hood stories as a way to express their discontent with overbearing government authorities, dishonest church officials, laws restricting hunting and farming rights, and other social injustices.
The adventures of Robin Hood have captivated writers for centuries. The earliest accounts have been traced to ballads penned in the 14th century. In the following two centuries, dozens of long poems, ballads, and dramas fleshed out the story and elevated Robin Hood to mythical status. Perhaps the most famous is a 15th-century ballad series called A Gest of Robyn Hode.
A number of prominent authors wrote about Robin Hood in the 18th and 19th centuries, including Sir Walter Scott and John Keats. In England during the Victorian Age (1837-1901), the legend became a popular inspiration for children’s tales, including a successful collection called Robin Hood and Little John; or, The Merry Men of Sherwood Forest (1840) by Pierce Egan. In the 20th century, several movies appeared. The two most famous were Robin Hood (1922), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks, and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), an action-adventure with Errol Flynn. More recently, Kevin Costner played the leading man in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991).

Responding to the Play

Outlaw or Hero? Alfred calls Robin Hood “Champion of the Poor,” and Robin responds “the champion of all who are treated unfairly.” Throughout the play the Sheriff calls Robin a “villain,” “rogue,” “thief,” etc. Ask the students, based on this play, would they call Robin Hood a good fellow or a thief? Do they think it is possible to be both? Ask them to explain their answers.

Do two wrongs make a right? Robin Hood, in disguise, tricks the Sheriff into paying him to take the Sheriff into the woods where Robin Hood is. The Sheriff has many plots to trick Robin Hood into revealing who he is so the Sheriff can arrest Robin. Both are lying to get what they want. Which is right? Or are they both wrong?

Appearances deceive: Ask students what they would expect an outlaw living in the forest to be like. What would they expect a castle to be like? Are people always what they appear? Several times Robin and his gang wear disguises. Ask students to share examples of times when they have been deceived by a person’s appearance.

Making a legend: Ask students to think about why Robin Hood, if he ever existed, has become a legend. What made him so popular that his stories would be told for more than five hundred years? Ask students if they can think of anyone today who has the potential to become a legend. If so, who, and why?

Extension Activities

Picture this: Divide students into small groups and ask each group to make a poster advertising the play The Adventures of Robin Hood. Each group should try to create artwork and a tagline that convey the subject of the play. Display the completed posters. Ask students to look at them and think about the differences and similarities in the ways they and their classmates visually represented the play. Ask students what about each poster makes them want to see they play. Why? You may want to extend this to a discussion of advertising in general; what works to get students’ attention and what does not?

Rhyme time! Ask each student to research a legendary hero from American folklore (for example Davy Crockett, Johnny Chapman/Appleseed, Pocahontas). Ask each student to compose a ballad (a rhyming story suitable for singing) - the form of some of the first stories about Robin Hood—about his or her hero. The ballad can be about the hero’s entire life, or just about a portion of it. Invite students to share their ballads with the class.

Vocabulary

rogue—a scoundrel, a person without principles or scruples, a rascal, a villain

miller—one who owns or operates a mill, especially a flour mill

hark—to listen carefully

Saxon—one of a group of English people originally from western Germany

tyrant—a cruel, oppressive ruler

friar—a member of any of several religious orders, especially those living as traveling ministers

Nottingham—a city in central England

A Little History
Research for the script used by Theatre Bristol was done in England in 1987, primarily in the Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Sherwood and Barnsdale areas. All of the place names referenced are traditional or appear in legend. Beneath the city of Nottingham there are indeed underground passageways which are in the process of excavation. The Bluebell Inn still exists, and there really is a little pub adjoining the outer walls of Nottingham Castle.
Find the country of England on a map; try to find the cities mentioned in the play. Go online and try to find pictures of the cities. Does knowing that the places in the play are real places make it seem more or less likely that Robin Hood was a real person rather than a legend?

Guide to Appropriate Behavior at the Theatre
We think attendance at a live theatrical performance is not only exciting, it is a privilege; and as such demands certain behavior. Kids may act as they wish in their own homes. When guests come to your home, you want them to enjoy themselves, but you expect them to follow the rules of your house. For those of us at Theatre Bristol, the theatre is our home, and you are our valued guests! We ask that you—our guests—obey the rules of our home. Consideration is the key word. Just give others in the audience the same consideration that you expect of them, and everyone will have a great time!

1. Please, no talking during the play. When the lights go dim or completely out, it’s hard to sit quietly. But in the theatre, the lights always come right back up, usually on a new scene. Don’t be afraid, just sit quietly and wait a moment and the play will continue.
2. Please don’t move around or change seats.
3. Please go to the bathroom before the show begins.
4. NO FOOD, GUM OR DRINK ALLOWED IN THE THEATRE
5. No cameras, video or audio recording allowed
6. Please turn off all cell phones, pagers and watch alarms

Upcoming Events at Theatre Bristol

Theatre Bristol School of the Arts Summer Camp 2005
Don’t miss our incredible summer program, Theatre of the Stars, for grades 1st thru 12th. Students explore a broad spectrum of the arts including drawing, music, acting, directing, dance, costuming and stagecraft. Come see what the fuss is all about and why we believe this is the best summer arts camp around!

Session I: Star Spangled Summer
Completed Grades 1st - 3rd Dates: June 27th to July 1st
Cost: $100 Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Come wave your flag! Explore our nation’s history through theatre, song and dance. Be part of our Patriotic production for “Tunes at Noon” at the Paramount Center for the Arts. In preparation for the show you will spend an exciting week learning music, dance, acting and performance skills. Students will learn little known facts about America and its fascinating history. Get ready for a week full of excitement and fun! The class runs Monday thru Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. until the end of the performance at noon. Please bring a sack lunch. Snacks provided. Wear comfortable clothes. Tennis shoes required!

Session II: Star Spangled Summer
Completed Grades 4th thru 6th Dates: June 27th to July 1st
Cost: $100 Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Come wave your flag! Explore our nation’s history through theatre, song and dance. Be part of our Patriotic production for “Tunes at Noon” at the Paramount Center for the Arts. In preparation for the show you will spend an exciting week learning music, dance, acting and performance skills. Students will learn little known facts about America and its fascinating history. Get ready for a week full of excitement and fun! The class runs Monday thru Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. until the end of the performance at noon. Please bring a sack lunch. Snacks provided. Wear comfortable clothes. Tennis shoes required!

Session III: American Folktales
Completed Grades 7th-12th Dates: July 11 to July 22nd
Cost: $200 Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to put on an actual performance of a play? Enroll in this performance camp at Theatre Bristol and be part of a summer production. Students will have endless possibilities of American Folktales to explore in this session. Read, write, sing and dance your way thru America’s literary and oral tradition. Students will be involved in the entire process from auditioning for roles to making set designs and costumes. This will be an incredible two weeks of learning dance, costuming, make-up and performance skills. Note: to enroll in this session, you must be available for all workshops days July 11-22 and for the public performances on July 22nd and 23rd. The class runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The director may add additional hours on the two performance days. Please bring a sack lunch. Snacks provided. Wear comfortable clothes. Tennis shoes required!

Theatre Bristol’s 40th Anniversary Season!
Children’s Theatre Series 2005-2006 Season
(all show dates and times subject to change)

Rumpelstiltskin
September 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 & 16, 2005, at Theatre Bristol’s ARTspace
Auditions: August 1 & 2, 2005 at 7 p.m.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
November 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 & 18, 2005, at the Paramount Center for the Arts
Auditions: October 3 & 4, 2005 at 7 p.m.

I Never Saw Another Butterfly
April 4, 5, 6 & 7, 2006, at the Paramount Center for the Arts
Auditions: February 27 & 28, 2006 at 7 p.m.

Hansel and Gretel
May 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 & 12, 2006, at the Paramount Center for the Arts
Auditions: March 27 & 28, 2006 at 7 p.m.