A Study Guide for

Book, Lyrics, and Music by Alex Syiek Based on the book by Jules Verne

Directed by Tom Ford

Presented by Idaho Theater for Youth,

a program of Idaho Shakespeare Festival

Around

the world

in 80 days (WITHOUT THE USE OF AIR-BASED ENGINE-POWERED

VEHICLES, SUCH AS PLANES AND HELICOPTERS (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HOT AIR BALLOONS.))

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3

Section four: APPENDIX

Meet the Cast………………………………….…….....pg 6

Around the World in 80 Days Summary……...…..pg 7

About the Author…….………...……………...……...pg 7

About the Playwright, lyricist, and composer…...pg 7

Around the World………….…………………...….….pg 8

Vocabulary Words………….................................pg 9

Who is Elon Musk?....………………………………...pg 10

Activity: Word Search…………………………………pg. 11

Activity: Passport to Adventure……………………..pg.12

Using this Study Guide…..………………………...…pg 4

Special Thanks………..……………………………..…pg 4

About the Idaho Shakespeare Festival…….….…..pg 5

A Note From the Director……….……………….......pg 5

Activity: “Characters’ Character”.………………….pg 13

Activity: Quote Identification………...…….....……pg 14

Activity: Character Comparison…………………….pg 14

Experiment: Hot Air Balloon………………………..pg 15

Activity: Think like a Composer……..………..……pg 16

Activity: Postcards from Afar…………...……..……pg 17

Activity: World Traveler..………………………..……pg 18

Activity: A ‘New World………………………………...pg 19

Discussion topics……………………………………...pg 20

Activity: Think Like a Critic…………………….......pg 21

Suggested reading………………..………….……….pg 22

Sources……………………………..………..……..….pg 22

End Quote……………………….……………………..pg 23

Section three: AFTER THE SHOW

Section two: BEFORE THE SHOW

Section one: WELCOME!

table of contents

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Dear Teachers,

Welcome to the Idaho Theater for Youth study guide for Around the World in 80 Days! These materials have been designed to expand your students’ engagement with the performance with a range of information, discussion topics, and activities that can stand on their own or serve as building blocks for a larger unit. The activities are designed to be mixed, matched, and modified to suit the needs of your students.

Inside, you’ll find activities to share with your students both before the show and after the show, indicated by headings at the top of the page. These are designed to help focus your students’ engagement with the performance by giving them specific themes to watch out for, as well as to foster critical thinking and discussion following the performance. During post-show talkbacks, our actors will pull from many of the themes included here to engage your students. Each activity is designed to help meet Idaho Standards of Education to foster critical thinking and problem solving skills.

We encourage you and your students to share your thoughts with us! Any of the artwork or activities your students send will be shared with the artists who created Around the World in 80 Days, and any feedback from you will not only help to improve our study guides for future audiences, but will aide in the ongoing pursuit for grants that make these plays possible! Our mailing address is located on page 18.

Thank you for helping to bring our theater and the Arts to your students!

Using This Guide... welcome!

A Very Special Thank You! As a part of Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s educational programming, Idaho Theater for Youth (ITY) performances have enriched the lives of well over one million students and teachers since 1981 with productions that convey the unique and impactful voice of theater arts. The magic of this art form is brought to schools across the State of Idaho each Winter/Spring semester with assistance from a generous group of underwriters:

Idaho Commission on the Arts US Bancorp Foundation Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation Idaho Power Foundation The Whittenberger Foundation Eastern Region Greatest Needs Fund

Idaho Community Foundation and the following Funds: F.M., Anne G. & Beverly B. Bistline Foundation James A. Pinney Memorial Fund Perc H. Shelton & Gladys A. Pospisil Shelton Foundation Gladys E. Langroise Advised Fund John William Jackson Fund

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So…….. I wanted to do a musical. Idaho Theater for Youth has a history of doing new plays and plays with music but I wanted us to do a full-fledged musical. I started looking at existing scripts and realized quickly that I wasn’t finding the kind of show that I wanted. I decided to reach out to my friend Alex Syiek who had just graduated from the very well regarded New York University graduate musical theater writing program. I said, “Alex, how about writing a new musical for Idaho Theater for Youth?” Alex said, “Sure. What would it be?” And off the top of my head I said, “Around the World in 80 Days.” Why did I say that? I honestly don’t know why. It was a moment of impulse. A moment of craziness? But here we are, just like Passepartout and Fogg, the creators and the audience about to embark on a wild adventure. Jules Verne’s 1873 novel has been adapted numerous times for the stage, film, TV, gaming, and even an amusement park! The first stage production was in 1874, only one year after the novel’s publication. The most recent film adaptation is the 2004 movie which stars Jackie Chan as Passepartout. Alex immediately decided that our version of the story would be set not in the past but very much in our world today. This excited both of us and we started to work. I said to Alex, “Think Dora the Explorer meets The Amazing Race.” And that’s where we began. After many conversations about what we wanted to say I think our version of the story is very funny, surprising and a little bit moving. It begins as an adventure story and ends up being a story about friendship and generosity.

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival has become an integral part of arts education throughout Idaho. The Festival’s annual Shakespearience tour brings live theater to more than 21,000 high-school students in more than 70 Idaho communities each year. Since it began touring in 1986, Shakespearience has enriched the lives of nearly 500,000 students.

In 1999, the Festival assumed the operations of Idaho Theater for Youth. This alliance has more than doubled the Festival’s annual educational programming, resulting in the Festival becoming the largest provider of professional, performing arts outreach in the state of Idaho. In addition to the statewide Idaho Theater for Youth school tour, which brings professional productions to nearly 30,000 students in grades K-6 across Idaho, the Festival oversees year-round School of Theater programs. This series of classes in acting, playwriting and production, for students of all ages, enrolls over 300 Treasure Valley students each year, and includes our one-of-a-kind Apprentice Company. Look for upcoming student productions throughout the summer, fall and spring.

For more information on any of the Festival’s educational activities, please contact the Education Manager at the Festival offices or by email at:

veronica@idahoshakespeare.org.

A Note From the Director...

welcome!

About our education programs...

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Around the World in 80 Days Cast

Seth Salsbury as Jean Passepartout

Taylor Jacobs as Mr. Fogg and others

Rachel Dickerson As Aouda and others

Director: Tom Ford

Musical Director: Alex Syiek

Stage Manager/Choreographer: Jaclyn Miller

Sound Design: Patrick Kiernan

Set Design: Will Ledbetter

Scenic Painter: Angi Grow

Costume Design: Darrin Pufall

Costume Build: Grace Slaughter

Special thanks to: BSU Theater Department Costume Shop Chris Canfield

as Mr. Fix and others

Meet the Artists!

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About the Author: Jules Verne

“It’s New York in two thousand and eighteen…” the show begins. We meet Jean Passepartout a poor kid from New Jersey who just got a job as the assistant to one of the wealthiest men in America, Phileas

Fogg. Jean is excited for his new life to have structure and be perfectly planned out, but Fogg has different plans. Fogg has just made a bet with some golf buddies that he can make it around the world in 80 days without the use of air-based engine powered vehicles, such as planes and helicopters (with the exception of hot air balloons). If the bet wasn’t enough, they are also being chased by one Mr. Fix, who is convinced that Fogg has not paid his taxes. Jean is caught up in this crazy adventure, traveling from country to country, meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. Can they outrun Fix? Can they make it around the world in 80 days? Will they win the 10 million dollar prize? Grab your suitcase and join us as we go around the world in 80 days!

Jules Verne (1828-1905)

Jules Verne was a French poet, playwright and novelist. He has been called the father of science fiction and has had an

incalculable influence on the development of science fiction writing.

Verne is one of the world’s most converted authors: his works have been translated into more than 140 languages. A number of films have been made from his novels, starting in 1916 with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island, From the Earth to the Moon, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and, the most famous, Around the World in 80 Days.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, adventurers like Nellie Bly, Wiley Post, Richard Branson and Steve Fossett have been inspired by Verne’s fictional hero Phileas Fogg by attempting to circumnavigate the globe in record-breaking times.

“Trains, like time and tide, stop for no one” - Jules Verne

Around the World in 80 Days Summary

About the Lyricist, Playwright, and Composer: Alex Syiek

Alex Syiek is a Manhattan-based performer, composer, and wordsperson. Past Musicals: The Pokémusical (Book and Lyrics), Hella Crazee Holidayzee (Music and Lyrics), Giraffenstein (Book, Music, Lyrics), Howard, Henry, and Pearl (Music and Lyrics), Merely Play-ers (Music and Lyrics). Upcoming: Alex is writing music and lyrics to Oh Hi, Johnny, a musical parody based on the cult classic film The Room, which will premiere in Orlando, FL in May 2018. Alex’s songs have been fea-tured in William Finn’s annual concert, Songs By Ridicu-lously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don't Know, But Should. Alex is a proud graduate of NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program (Cycle 26). www.alexsyiek.com

before the show

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before the show

In Around the World in 80 Days, our main characters embark on an adventure to go around the world in 80 days without the use of air-based engine-powered

vehicles, “such as Planes and Helicopters (With the Exception of Hot Air Balloons.)” Here’s a map of their travels for you to follow along!

Beginning: New York

Around the World

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vocabulary itinerary: noun — a detailed plan for a journey, especially a list of places to visit; plan of travel.

vaccine: noun — shots that help protect against certain diseases

accomplice: noun — a person who knowingly helps another in a crime or wrongdoing

tax: noun ; verb—a sum of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific facilities or services

crooked: adjective — dishonest

billionaire: noun — a person who has property and items worth a billion or more dollars

Awe-inspiring: adjective — causing awe, spectacular, magnificent

deadline: noun — the time by which something must be done or finished

perspective: noun — a mental view, how one sees something and has thoughts and feelings about it

donation: noun— Something that is given to a charity or someone in need, usually a sum of money

philanthropist: noun — a person who seeks to help others, especially by generous donations of money to good causes

wager: noun, verb — a bet, to risk something on the outcome of a contest or any uncertain event

Create five sentences that use a vocabulary word to help

illustrate its meaning.

1.____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

2.____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

3.____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

4.____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

5.____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

copy this page! before the show

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Who is Elon Musk? As Fogg is always reminding us, Elon Musk is one of his good buddies. He’s got an unusual name and 20.6 billion dollars! Musk is a business man, inventor,

and philanthropist. A philanthropist is someone who helps others. Here are some important things to know about Elon Musk.

How Do I Say His Name?

E-LAWN Musk (like Dusk, but with an M)

Who is he?

Elon was born in South Africa. He invented his first computer game at the

age of 12 and sold it for $500.

Later in life he moved to Canada and then eventually started living and going

to college in the United States.

Later he was the CEO (person in charge of a company) of Paypal. He sold Paypal

and became interested in space engineering and alternative energy

sources.

Musk than helped create an electric car for the Tesla Company. An electric car is

a car that doesn’t need gas to go, you just need to plug it in, like you would a

cell phone, and charge it.

Musk then started a company called SpaceX, which focuses on coming up with the technology to allow people to

live on Mars.

Along with these endeavors Musk has done so much more, including work on a

hyperloop.

What’s A Hyperloop?

Hyperloop is a solar-powered, high speed transportation system. Solar-

powered means something that uses the sun to power it instead of gas or

electricity. The hyperloop would be composed of steel tubes that go between

cities. There would be capsules in the tubes that would travel at speeds of 800 mph. The capsules would carry people and cargo. The hyperloop would be two

times faster than a plane!

What has he done for others?

Along with all the work Musk does for a better planet and future he also gives back

to people in other ways.

Elon Musk signed the Giving Pledge in 2012, which is a commitment by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

Elon Musk is promising at least 50 percent of his net worth. As it stands, that would mean

Musk would be donating over $6 billion dollars to charity before he dies.

before the show

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word search

Find the list of characters and vocabulary words in the word search! Remember words can be diagonal and backwards!

B I L L I O N A I R E G G Y S K I A J Z  N I A R T D L K G D E O N F D R W I E Z  Y X I F V L G I Y L L A C S N O O R A T  J P C Y M E Y W O F M U J F A Y R Y N X  I W O C S I C N A R F N A S L W L S P S  P C H R W N M Q E O O O H W R E D E A H  G A O A H U A G G Y U O G R E N U O S I  N J G N S T L E K O T D E G H Q X Q S P  B E I K T N N O C A U V A P T S P G E L  R X G Y D I T A I O I I Q G E A O I P C  Y A E V V H N R L T J T V M N M M T A J  Z R U O A D B E C I H K T O H L A C R F  P I T B R A L E N I H Q M R Y Z P V T X  T O S N L P P A A T W P S Z P D L H O U  L N E L U S N O I L L I M U E T H K U B  L Y O J R O A U S T R I A J R B N P T F  C O E E R A C T A X E S V N L E Z T P I  N O P D K M V O P Y T D J J O O S U W W  

activity

copy this page!

Jean Passepartout Fogg

Fix Aouda World Wager

Million Country

Continent Train

Hot Air Balloon Hyperloop

Ship Ocean

New York Germany

Netherlands Austria

Syria Tokyo

San Francisco Elon Musk

Perspective Philanthropy

Taxes Golf

Billionaire

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It’s not just a clever title, YOU are about to go around the world in 80 days! And to do that you need a passport! When you enter a different country you are required to show your passport and it will be

stamped with that country’s stamp. Create your own passport. Look at the map on page 8 and create different stamps for the countries you would like to visit!

Passport to Adventure activity

copy this page!

before the show

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To better understand the characters in a play, book, or movie, it’s helpful to examine their key character traits—what qualities make these characters the way they are? Match the characters

from the play with character traits that best describe them and support their actions. A selection of qualities are provided below and you can always add your own!

Students can analyze one character or all of them, and should support their ideas with evidence from the play or observations they made about the character.

copy this page!

Characters:

Jean Passepartout

Mr. Fogg

Aouda

Mr. Fix

Traits:

funny loyal

sneaky determined

cunning creative

generous adventurous

caring brave

thoughtful selfish

confident dishonest

wise _______________

_______________ _______________

Character:

Traits:

Example:

Character:

Traits:

Example:

after the show activity

character’s character

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activity after the show Answers: 1. Fogg 2. Mr. Fix; 3. Jean 4. Aouda 5. Elon Musk 6. Fogg 7. Jean

Identify which characters from the play said the lines below!

1. “Am I Mr. Fogg? Can’t you tell from my fabulous money tie?”

2. “ While I’m on this mission, I have a mission for you. Find some clear confetti. Cool?”

3. “We have almost died twenty times so far, we’re weeks behind schedule, and we’re on the run from a very scary man.”

4. “You could say I’m Search and Rescue around here. I searched and found you two. Now I’m rescuing you.”

5. “You’re a lucky dog. I just finished construction of my superfast, futuristic train that’ll take you back to the city in a few hours.”

6. “You know, my good pal, Elon Musk, said when he was working on the Tesla, he said, if something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.”

7. “I’m sorry, we’re going on a trip around the world? But your schedule, it’s so exact. Doesn’t this mess with that? Or that with this?”

copy this page!

Pick two characters from the play and use the venn-diagram below to describe their different

traits, morals, and actions to show how they are different, as well as how they are similar.

Character: Character:

Character

Comparison

Who Said That?

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Make Your Own Hot Air Balloon!

Why do hot air balloons rise up? Hot air balloons rise because they are filled with air hotter than the air around them, and hot air is lighter than cold air. Why is hot air lighter than cold air? When a material is heated, its molecules absorb the heat or energy and with this extra energy are able to move around at greater speeds.

MATERIALS: 5-6 sheets of tissue paper, a strip of paper, a glue stick, a marker, scissors, and a hair dryer

1) The first step is to layer 5-6 sheets of tissue paper and fold them in half lengthwise.

2) Use a marker to draw a half tear drop shape

3) Cut along the line and unfold the layers. Each one will be a panel for the hot air balloon

4) Using a glue stick, or wet glue thinly applied with a paintbrush, glue one edge (marked in the picture above) and layer another panel on top. Press down firmly to seal the edge.

5) Once the glue has dried, unfold the two panels to inspect for any holes. Make sure to seal up any gaps

6) Fold enough panels (5 pictured here, but depending on your teardrop shape you may need more or less) to create a round hot air balloon body. Since the seams are facing outward, it is easy to repair any gaps and to fit in the last panel

7) Glue a strip of paper inside the opening of the hot air balloon. The paper strip should fit snugly over the hair dryer end you plan on using. This paper strip gives the balloon support and make it easy to inflate.

8) With the hairdryer on low, fill the balloon with hot air. You will need to use one hand to keep the hot air balloon on the hair dryer, but don't press too tightly. It is necessary that some air escape out the bottom opening rather than creating a hole elsewhere. Once the balloon is filled with hot air, is should rise a little and slowly drift back down to the ground.

after the show

Discussion: Discuss why the hot air balloon did not break the rules of the bet. Remember the rule was they had to make it around the world ‘without the use of air-based engine powered vehicles”.

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Think like a Composer copy this page! after the show

Around the World in 80 Days is considered a musical, not just a regular play. The characters sing about what’s happening in the story as well as how they’re feeling. The composer writes the songs and the lyricist writes the words or lyrics to the song. Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt so happy you just wanted to sing or dance? A time when you were so sad you just didn’t have the words to say how you felt? When characters in musicals feel that way they sing about it! Think about Around the World in 80 Days and write your own short song! You can write it for one of the characters or create a new character that they might have met on their journey.

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Expanding the Activity: Get together in groups to write a short additional song for “Around the World in 80 Days”. Put group dance moves to your song and present it to the class.

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Postcards from Afar In Around the World in 80 Days, Mr. Fogg and Jean Passpartout travel all over. Imagine that you

were on the trip with them. Send a postcard to a friend or loved one. Tell them all about your favorite part of the trip. Include a picture for the front of the postcard!

activity after the show

copy this page!

expanding the activity:

Break off into groups and have each group make a live version of their postcards and present them to the class. The class can then guess what part of the show each “picture” is from. Remind each group that they have to be frozen just like a picture!

Picture Letter Recipient of

Postcard

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World Travelers activity

copy this page!

after the show

It’s your turn! Pick a country and learn all about it! It can be one that Jean and Fogg went to or somewhere totally different. Pick a country that you’ve always wanted to travel to or close your eyes and pick a spot on the

map!

Fill in the boxes below with your findings! Happy traveling!

COUNTRY:___________________________ Continent:______________________________________________________

Flag Draw the country’s flag in the box below

Details

Language: _________________________ Currency:___________________________

Famous Landmarks

Draw an X where your country is located.

Foods

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activity The ‘New’ World Fogg and Passepartout got to explore so many countries! Each country is so different, from the way they speak to the foods they eat! If you could create a country what would it be like?

Be as creative as possible!

copy this page!

Draw the outline of your country below. It can be as big or as small,

as curvy or flat as you want!

Name of country:

Name of language:

How to say hello in the language:

Draw a famous landmark in your country (a landmark is an object or feature that is easily recognizable, like the Golden Gate

Bridge or Statue of Liberty)

Animals:

Foods:

How do people travel around your country?:

Draw your country’s flag below:

1.

2.

Create 2 laws for your country

Expanding the Activity: Each ‘new’ country can be drawn on a blank map and the classroom can take a trip around this new world and learn about each country!

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Around the World in 80 Days is an adventure filled with themes of generosity, thwarted expectations, and changing perspectives which provide great methods of talking to students about larger concepts. Theater and the arts strives to generate critical thinking and discussion—we’ve included some jumping off points

below that you can adapt to your class.

discussion activities

Theme to Follow Perspective is a very important theme in Around the World in 80 Days. Perspective is how someone sees something. Discuss the various examples of characters changing their perspectives in the play. What was Jean’s perspective of wealthy people in the beginning

of the play? How did it change?

How did seeing the world from up above change the characters perspective of the world?

What do you think Aouda meant, while riding in the hot air balloon, when she said “When you look up from way up here. A new perspective. All the borders aren’t so clear.”

Think about your perspective on things. Do you think if you looked at it in a different way, you would have a new perspective?

Why do you think it’s good to look at things from a new perspective?

Discuss Thwarted Expectation: In the play, Jean goes in expecting his new job to be one thing, but quickly discovers that it’s the exact opposite. Have you ever expected a situation to go one way and then have it go very

differently? When this happened how did you react? Upset, excited, angry? What do you think is the best way to handle something not going as planned? Do

you think Jean handled it well?

prejudice: Mr. Fix is after Fogg because he believes “pretty people” are usually bad or crooked

Have you ever judged someone because of what they looked like?

Do you think you can tell what someone is like based on their looks?

“With a varied, open, informed, experienced, mind blowing, brand new perspective.”

Encourage students to write what they think each character learned from the journey around the world. How are the characters different from when the story first started?

Theme to Follow Though he has the appearance to not be generous, Mr. Fogg ends up giving to people in each place he visits. Was there ever a time in your life where someone was generous with you? Gave

you something of theirs or helped you? Was there ever a time when you were generous? Why is it important to be giving?

Discuss Mr. Fogg’s good friend, Elon Musk, says “If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.” What do you think this means? Where did you see this in the play? Was there ever a time in your life where you did some-

thing even though you were scared?

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Think like a critic! This is your students’ opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions about the performance of Around the World in 80 Days! Invite them to think about their experience and answer the following questions:

1. What is the name of your school?

2. Have you ever seen a play before?

3. Would you recommend this play to your friends?

4. Do you think it is important for people to see plays? Why or why not?

5. Was the story of Around the World in 80 Days clear to you?

6. Did you learn something from this play that you did not expect to learn?

7. What was your favorite part of the performance? What did you like about it?

8. Did you have a least favorite part of the performance? Why?

9. Were there any additional aspects of the show that stood out to you (i.e. music, costumes, jokes, etc.)? What did you like most about those aspects of the show?

10. Would you like for ITY to perform at your school again next year?

Idaho Shakespeare Festival Attn: Education Department P.O. Box 9365 Boise, ID 83707

Mail your reviews to the Education Department at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival!

expanding the activity

Have your students pretend that they are reviewers for a major

newspaper. They can name the newspaper, format their article, add headlines and “photographs,” and display their publications around

the classroom!

after the show copy this page!

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Suggested reading and films for students who enjoyed Around the World in 80 Days

additional materials

See it in Action

By Jules Verne

https://www.template.net/business/word-templates/passport-template/ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/FREE-Less-Mess-Explore-the-World-Research-a-Country-or-City-2035606 https://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/04/08/elon-musk-10-things-you-didnt-know/ https://astrumpeople.com/elon-musk-biography/ https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/13/books/elon-musk-a-biography-by-ashlee-vance-paints-a-driven-portrait.html http://iridescentlearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/making-machines_Balloon.pdf http://oaklanddiscovery.blogspot.com/2012/11/tissue-paper-hot-air-balloon.html

sources

after the show

(from left to right) How Big is the World? by Britta Teckentrup; Stories From Around the World by Heather Amery; A Ticket Around the World by Natalia Diaz and Melissa Owens ; Lost and Found Cat by Doug Kuntz and Amy Shroder. Films: Around the World in 80 Days

released in 1956 and 2004

Books Around the World

23 the end

“To the friends that I found. From Berlin to Damascus to Bombay. I shared my wealth and helped them in my way. So something

good could brighten their day.”