P@ndora Study Guide

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Introduction to the Guide

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This Study Guide was adapted by Lois Adamson, Member Schools & Education Manager at YPT and includes some materials from the Youtheatre Study Guide written by Janna Smith. The video segments were filmed by Nicholas Bradford-Ewart and feature students from Craig Kielburger Secondary School in Milton, Ontario.

Should you have any questions or feedback or have inquiries about the use of this guide (which is copyright protected), please feel free to contact Karen Gilodo, Associate Artistic Director, Education at kgilodo@youngpeoplestheatre.org.

• Download the Lesson Plan Template.

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Thematic Overview

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CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS

Curriculum Connections:

• The Arts (Drama)
• Healthy Living (Mental and Sexual Health and Well-Being)
• Language (Oral, Written, Media)
• History (Classical Civilization)

Character Education Connections:

• Respect
• Integrity
• Responsibility

Themes:

• Body Image
• Self Esteem
• The impact of explicit imagery on adolescent sexuality
• Negotiating the intersection of real life and online relationships

YOUTHEATRE

Founded 1968, Youtheatre is Montreal’s oldest professional English language theatre company. Youtheatre is committed to the creation, development and production of new works by the finest Canadian playwrights. Most importantly, the company considers provocative, intelligent and socially relevant subject matter to be a crucial factor in reaching its audiences. Each year, the company produces three works for Quebec audiences and tours productions from its repertoire on a national level. These works are seen by an average of 30,000 young people each season. Since 2000, Youtheatre has been presenting work in French and considers the francophone community an important part of its audience.

SYNOPSIS

Pandora is a regular teen. Like most girls her age, she is not crazy about herself. She is insecure about her looks, her brain, almost everything. She doesn’t believe that guys are interested in her, especially Alex. Alex is different – a bit of a loner, his nose always hidden behind a computer screen, writing. He writes short stories and publishes them on his blog. Pandora follows his posts and likes what he has to say. But that’s the problem – she likes not only his posts but Alex as well. Every time she passes him in the hall at school, she stumbles over her words, gets anxious, uncertain.

One day, feeling completely overwhelmed by life, Pandora escapes to the girls’ washroom. Just when she thinks she is finally alone, someone passes a lighter under the stall. On it is a website: www.foxylady.com. Despite dismissing it at first, Pandora’s curiosity finally gets the best of her. Once at home she checks it out. She’s not surprised that it’s a porn site – she’s seen those before, but is surprised by the fact that the porn star looks exactly like her. Confused, she watches it over and over trying to figure out the trick – the truth. For days, Pandora is obsessed. The real world slips from her grasp and she becomes lost in the web. Her only companion is the troublesome Firefox, who first slipped Pandora the lighter and now taunts her mercilessly as she becomes more confused and troubled by what she is seeing.

Pandora is still interested in Alex, but feels even more distanced from what she really wants. They finally hang out and have their first kiss, but she can’t handle what she perceives as pressure to perform. What does he expect? What does he want? Does he want the girl she’s been watching on the web? Is that really her? What about her desires?

Pandora runs away and finds herself lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood. But she is not alone. Firefox is following her, mocking her, insulting her. Is it her conscience or is he really there? She continues running, searching for a way out, when she comes across a field of hydro towers. It is an eerie scene that sounds even stranger with a constant, artificial buzz engulfing everything. Despite the noise, Pandora is lulled to sleep. She dreams of Alex, of the unrelenting Firefox, of a part of herself that she still loves. Slowly she awakes, and decides to stand her ground and fight.

GLOSSARY

Choral Speaking: choral dramatization invites students to read aloud such texts as poems by assigning parts among group members
Fantasy: something that is produced by the imagination: an idea about doing something that is far removed from normal reality
Gender: socially constructed ideas and expectations of characteristics about a particular sex
Gender-Based: thoughts or actions that rely on or support socially constructed ideas and expectations of characteristics about a particular sex
In Role: a drama technique where actors put themselves in the shoes of a character and write or act as if they were the character
Media: the system and organizations of communication through which information is spread to a large number of people
Perception: an interpretation or impression based on one’s understanding of something
Pornography: movies, pictures, magazines, etc., that show or describe naked people or sex in order to cause sexual excitement
Reality: the true situation that exists; a real event, occurrence, situation, etc.
Self-Esteem: a feeling of having respect for yourself and your abilities; confidence
Sexualization: when a person’s value comes only from their sexual appeal or behaviour and all other characteristics are excluded; when a person is objectified, that is made into a thing for other’s sexual use, rather than seen as a human being with the capacity for independent action
Tableau: a group of silent, motionless figures used to represent a scene, theme, or abstract idea, or an important moment in a narrative; tableaux may be presented as stand-alone images to communicate one specific message or may be used to achieve particular effects in a longer drama work; important features of a tableau include character, space, gesture, facial expression, and different levels.

PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS

PRE-SHOW UNIT OF STUDY

WARM UP: TRUE OR FALSE?

Objective:
This exercise aims to engage students in conversation about the media and particularly pornography. It is intended to help students think critically about what they believe about the pornography industry and its impact on young people especially.

Materials:

• True/False Statements and Answers
• Paper and writing materials and/or space in which to move

Directions:

1. Have students respond to the following statements according to whether they believe they are true or false.
2. You may choose to have students respond to these questions individually and then discuss them as a whole class.
3. You may also decide to have students respond by moving physically to indicate what they believe.
4. To do this, you may designate one side of the rotom as “True” and the other side as “False” and instruct students to move according to their opinion after you read each statement aloud.

True/False Statements:

• What makes an image sexually explicit is subjective; there is no clear legal definition.
• It is not normal for women to look at pornography.
• Adolescent boys are the largest viewers of pornography in the world.
• Pornography has not always existed – it is an invention of the 20th century.
• The pornography industry has larger revenues than those of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple and Netflix combined.
• Sex in pornography usually focuses on men’s sexual pleasure, rather than women’s.
• If people don’t want to look at pornography, they can choose to avoid it.
• Pornography is about fantasy – nobody believes it’s what sex is really like.

Answers:

• True
• False (though male viewership is much higher)
• True
• False (though its definition and content has evolved over time)
• True
• True
• False (pornographic images are widely available in various mediums not only online, but in public spaces, and are sometimes unavoidable)
• False (many people, young people in particular, learn about sex by watching pornography, despite the fact that much of what is depicted may not be realistic)

Debriefing Questions:

• Did any of these statements surprise you? Why or why not?
• What do these facts and myths tell you about the pornography industry?
• Why do you think the pornography industry is so popular
• Why are people curious about sex?
• Why is talking about sex sometimes so difficult?
• How is pornography different from other media forms such as TV, music videos, video games and advertising? What are the parallels across media?
• How are the effects of media and pornography gender-based?
• What is sexualization? How does being viewed as a sexual object impact a person?

EXERCISE: EXPLORING THE MYTH OF PANDORA

Objective:
This exercise introduces students to the original myth of Pandora. Students will have the opportunity to explore the particular dramatic techniques of choral speaking and tableau. They will use these techniques in order to communicate meaning to an audience.

Materials:

• Copies of the Myth of Pandora (divided into five sections, as below)
• Space in which to move

Directions:

1. Ask students what they already know about the myth of Pandora.
2. Then, share the following version of the myth with students:
   Pandora was the very first woman on earth. The gods formed her out of clay. Her name means “all-gifted”, so called because the gods bestowed her with all the gifts of femininity: beauty, talent, charm and cunning.On her wedding day, Pandora was given a box as a wedding gift by Zeus, king of the gods. It was an incredibly beautiful box. In presenting this gift to Pandora, Zeus instructed her that she must never, ever open it, but he did not explain why.

   This caveat puzzled Pandora. She wanted very much to open the box. She stopped herself from doing so many times, but eventually – secretly – opened it up.

   Unbeknownst to her, Zeus had filled the box with all of the worst things in the world – misery, horror, poverty, disease and death. Curious and unaware, when Pandora opened the box, she spilled all of its evils out into the world.

   She slammed it shut as quickly as she could, but not before releasing the very last thing in the box: Hope.

3. Divide students into five small groups and assign each group one section of the myth.
4. Give students time to work in their groups to devise a way to perform their section, using one tableau alongside the following elements of choral speaking: changes in volume, tempo and number of voices; the emphasis of certain words and use of repetition to convey meaning.
5. Invite groups to share their performances in chronological order.

Debriefing Questions:

• Myths are often meant to explain some element of why the world is the way it is. What does this myth tell us about curiosity?
• Do you think Pandora would have wanted to open the box if it had not been forbidden?
• Why was hope included in the box? What place does hope have among the evils of the world?
• In this myth, Pandora is often blamed for releasing evil into the world. Do you think that is fair?
• Why do you think the play you will be seeing is called Pandora?

CULMINATING EXERCISE: NEW MYTHS

Objective:
This exercise encourages students to think critically about the original myth and to work as story-creators and storytellers themselves. Students will think about different possibilities for adapting ancient stories and will imagine the ways in which the original myth might be taken up in this play. Students will further explore the particular dramatic techniques of choral speaking and tableau and will again employ them in order to communicate meaning to an audience.

Ideally the students will be able to enact the plan created in this exercise during scheduled class time. This exercise is flexible and can be a tool for students to take over the classroom for one period, half a day or whole day.

Materials:

• Copies of the Myth of Pandora (one per group)
• Paper
• Writing utensils
• Markers
• Chart paper
• Chalk
• Chalkboard
• Space in which to move

Directions:

1. Share with students this brief description of Pandora: “an innocent online foray reveals the disturbing and surreal world of cyber-porn and exacerbates a 16 year-old girl’s self-image issues by complicating her relationship with a boy she likes.”
2. Then tell students that the play they will be seeing incorporates some elements of the original myth, but in a modern context.
3. Discuss the following as a class, recording responses to each question on chart paper or a chalk board, so students can reference them during the rest of the exercise:
   • What kind of woman would Pandora be today? What feminine qualities do we idealize?
   • On what occasions are young women bestowed gifts today? Who would be the giver of this present and what do you think it would be? Is the box a metaphor and, if so, what might it represent?
   • Would Pandora be allowed to open her gift? Why or why not?
   • What might be released? Should curiosity be punished or rewarded?
   • What should be the moral of this story? How do we want it to end?
4. Working in the same groups as before, give each group time to adapt the myth to suit a modern audience. Unlike the previous exercise, each group will create and perform the adapted myth as a whole rather than just a section of it. Invite them to continue to employ tableau and choral speaking techniques.
5. Have each group perform their myths for the rest of the class.

Debriefing Questions:

• Compare the different endings to each of these adaptations. What was common across the five myths? What differed?
• What surprised you about these adaptations?
• Knowing what you do about Pandora, what elements of the original myth do you think will be in the play?

POST-SHOW QUESTIONS

POST-SHOW UNIT OF STUDY

WARM UP: CHANGING PERSPECTIVES

Objective:
The aim of this exercise is to guide students to think about how perspectives and perceptions are shaped and created in relation to others and to consider the ways in which and the reasons why our perceptions differ, particularly in a dramatic context.

Materials:

• Space in which to move

Directions:

1. Organize students into a circle.
2. Invite one student to create a tableau image in the centre of the circle. Do not give specific direction as to setting, character or theme, but encourage the students to think about their specific intentions as they create their tableau.
3. Then invite a second student to create an image in response to the first.
4. Ask the remaining students in the circle to give a title to the scene the two students have created.
5. Repeat steps #2-4 a number of times.
6. As you go through, ask the audience and the performers to give a title to the scenes created both before and after the second person has added their responsive tableau. You may also choose to have students create a few different responsive images to the same initial tableau in order to clearly demonstrate the multiple ways in which a single image can be interpreted. Depending on the group, a third option is to have more than two students create a scene together.

Debriefing Questions:

• How did the images change when a second actor joined the scene?
• In what ways did the titles given to the scenes change how you saw them?
• Why do you think the actors and the audience members sometimes gave the same scene different titles?
• What did this exercise tell you about perception?

EXERCISE: IN ROLE AS PANDORA

Objective:
This exercise asks students to work in role as Pandora with the aim of imagining what might happen next in the play. Students will use writing and dramatic performance in order to operate in role.

Materials:

• Paper
• Writing Utensils

Directions:

1. Review and have a focused discussion about the end of the play using the following guiding questions:
   • Why does the playwright choose to end the play the way she does?
   • What do you think happens next for Pandora?
2. Then, invite students to return to their desks or find a comfortable spot in the classroom
3. Give them 10-15 minutes to write in role from the point of view of Pandora about what happens next.
4. Next, have students select what they believe is the most important line in what they’ve written.
5. Invite students to walk around the room, repeating that particular line.
6. Reading aloud in a group also works well when done in the round. Have students sit in a circle and tap a student’s shoulder when they are to begin reading, starting from that line, but continuing on. After a few sentences tap another student’s shoulder and have them begin reading. This technique creates an interesting and dramatic soundscape.

CULMINATING EXERCISE: PERCEPTIONS OF PANDORA

Objective:
Students will build on the previous two exercises and create character sketches of Pandora and of themselves. The aim of this exercise is to have students examine more deeply the relationship between how others see us and how we see ourselves.

Materials:

• Paper
• Writing utensils
• Large craft paper
• Markers
• Other images

Directions:

1. Throughout the play, Pandora is struggling with her sense of self and questioning her own and other people’s expectations of her. Have students write out five sentences, each with a different ending, but following the same structure of:
   “My name is Pandora and if you knew me you would know that I am ______________________.
2. Next, have them write out five more sentences, again, each with a different ending, but following the same structure of:
   “My name is Pandora and people who don’t know me think I am _________________________.
3. Then, have students find a partner and create a life-size character sketch on a large piece of craft paper. To do this, one person lies down and their partner traces the outline of their body.
4. Have students repeat this on the other side of the craft paper.
5. Have them label one side “Who I Am” and the other side “Who They See”.
6. Give students time to fill out their outlines for both sides using the text they have written and any other images that contribute to Pandora’s character. Students may draw, add colour or use images from magazines to fill out their character sketch.

Debriefing Questions:

• Who does Pandora think she is?
• Who does she want to be?
• How does Firefox affect her self-perception?
• What do you think Alex wants from her?
• What’s missing from Pandora and Alex’s communication with one another?
• How do our perceptions of ourselves differ from what others see? Why do these sometimes differ?

SOURCES AND RESOURCES

Media Education Foundation

• Study Guide: The Price of Pleasure

Media Smarts

• Executive Summary – Young Canadians in a Wired World
• Talking to your Kids about Pornography – Tip Sheet

Merriam Webster Dictionary

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Planned Parenthood

Scarleteen

Sexuality and U

• Pornography Use and Relationship Satisfaction

Stop Porn Culture

REVIEWING A PLAY

Jon Kaplan’s Introduction to Student Reviewers

Theatre is, for me, an art form that tells me something about myself or gets me thinking about the world in which I live.

Whether going to the theatre as a reviewer or simply an audience member, I think that watching a play is an emotional experience and not just an intellectual one. I always let a show wash over me, letting it touch my feelings, and only later, after the show, do I try to analyze those feelings.

That’s when I start to think about some of the basic questions you ask when you’re writing a review – what did I see (story, characters, themes); how did I respond to what I saw; what parts of the production (script, performances, direction, design and possibly other elements) made me feel and think what I did; why was I supposed to respond in that fashion?

When you go to the theatre to review, take a few notes during a show if you feel comfortable doing so, but don’t spend your time writing the review during the show; you’ll miss what’s happening onstage.

Writing a review doesn’t mean providing a plot summary. That’s only part of the job; you have to discuss your reaction to what you saw and try to explore some of the reasons for that reaction.

I don’t believe that there’s any such thing as a totally objective piece of criticism. We are all individuals, bringing our own backgrounds, experiences and beliefs to a production. In some fashion, every one of us sitting in the theatre is a critic, no matter whether we’re writing a review or not; we all react to and from judgments about what we see on the stage.

When I go to a production, I always keep in mind that the people involved in putting it on have worked long and hard – weeks, months, sometimes years – getting it onto the stage. Even if I have problems with the result, it’s important to respect the efforts that went into the show.

Jon Kaplan is Senior Theatre Writer at NOW Magazine, where he’s worked for the past 35 years.