Schools

Truth

Truth
By Kanika Ambrose
Based on the novel “The Gospel Truth” by Caroline Pignat
Directed by Sabryn Rock

Introduction

This guide was written by Marissa Blagrove. As you scroll through the guide, you will find curriculum connections, discussion questions, units of study and more. If you wish to create your own lesson plan from the study guide copy, we have created a lesson plan template for your use. We hope you will find this guide to be a useful resource. 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.

Synopsis

It is 1858 on a Virginian tobacco plantation. Deep in a forest, a young Black girl named Phoebe sits in the hollow of a tree, a notebook in her pocket and a harrowing choice ahead. Truth tells the story of a courageous 16-year-old, the arrival of a stranger from the north, and a trail of secrets that could change everything. From the American South to St. Catharine’s, Ontario, Truth chronicles the fierce strength and resilience of a community as it struggles to find freedom.

Thematic Overview

Truth by Kanika Ambrose is based on the Governor General Award-winning novel The Gospel Truth by Caroline Pignat. The story brings into focus the relationships of the characters of Phoebe, Will, Shad and Bea as they navigate important decisions. They have different desires, challenges and perspectives but they similarly are trying to do what is best, not just for themselves but for all. These characters find hope during dark times and take risks while doing what they think is best. The play shines light on themes of caring for those around you, finding your voice and initiating action to do what is right. The play asks, how do we make difficult choices, especially when we are afraid? Do we risk it all, or play it safe?

Content Advisory

In this theatrical production, the story takes place on a plantation in Virginia during the institution of slavery. Some of the characters are enslaved. There are references to physical abuse and violence. There is an abstract depiction of a whipping, and stage combat is used to depict a beating. At the end of the story, there is a theatrical depiction of gun violence resulting in loss of life. There are two prop (fake) revolvers on stage and a gunshot sound is heard. There is also reference to the plantation owner fathering a child by one of the enslaved characters, as well as another instance of concern over the possibility of sexual abuse.  

Curriculum Connections

The Arts – Drama

English/Language

Canadian and World Studies – American History, World History Since the Fifteenth Century (Black Communities, the Institution of Slavery and the Abolitionist Movement)

Social Studies – History: Creating Canada 1850-1890

Ancestral Teachings

Bravery

Truth

Themes

Facing history

Finding your voice

Confronting injustice

About the Playwright

Kanika headshot

Kanika Ambrose is a playwright, librettist, screenwriter and mom. She is a recent graduate of Canadian Film Centre’s Bell Media Primetime TV Program (2022-2023).  Her critically acclaimed play our place, was first produced by Cahoots Theatre and Theatre Passe Muraille in November 2022 and received a Dora Mavor Moore Award in June 2023. Her children’s opera Anansi and the Great Light with composer Nick diBerardino and the students at Girard College premiered at Curtis Institute of Music (Philadelphia) in 2019. Her opera Of the Sea with composer Ian Cusson premiered at the Bluma Appel Theatre in March 2023, commissioned by Tapestry Opera and Obsidian Theatre Company. Other short works have premiered across North America including celebrated digital work Tak-Tak-Shoo with composer Rene Orth. 

Kanika has been in residences, festivals and programs including at Cahoots Theatre, Obsidian Theatre Company, Tapestry Opera, Musical Stage Company, Toronto Fringe, and Rhubarb Festival. 

Kanika is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University and is Associate Artistic Director of Necessary Angel Theatre Company. She was featured as one of Cahoots Theatre Company’s 30 for 30 theatre makers for their 30th anniversary season.

Interview with Playwright Kanika Ambrose

What inspired you to write this play?

The novel, The Gospel Truth was given to me by a good friend, who is also a playwright. She felt that I would be a good fit to adapt it. What I loved about the book, when I read it was that the enslaved people were written as full human beings; individuals who had a heart, mind and spirit and I felt that would be relatable in a contemporary world – relevant life circumstances such as losing a parent, finding our voice and expanding our views on the world. I also enjoyed the full, well-rounded characters. 

What kind of research did you do to write this play?

Since I was a child, I had been exposed to the history of Black people in America, Canada and the Caribbean.  I took so much of an interest in it, that prior to having interest in becoming a theatre artist, I wanted to become a historian. The author of The Gospel Truth referred to a few great resources of formerly enslaved people speaking out from their own experiences, in addition to many of their images. I found this to be hugely helpful in stepping into the world of the characters.

What does the title of the play represent?

This much will be revealed when watching the play and I invite audience members to reflect on it then. I would invite the audience to reflect on what truth means to them and to each of the characters by the end of the play.

What was your vision as you wrote this play?

I wanted to write a story that centered the Black characters and brings their beauty and humanity to the forefront of difficult circumstances.  To that end, I was very careful not to have anyone re-experience past trauma in order for the story to be told.  As such, the enslaved people are at the forefront of their own stories while the “Master” remains present still in the background.

What do you hope the impact of the show will be for the audience?

I hope this play will serve as a gentle way for students to experience this difficult part of our human history. Contrary to many depictions of enslaved people, this story is full of hope, and I hope that that is felt.

How did you adapt the book into the play?

Using a fun and creative technique, I mapped out the story and the essentials of the script on my wall! Different from sitting and looking at a screen. I got to physically print, cut and rearrange the story; this helps me to understand the story in a different way. I started by breaking down the book into sections by themes and scenes. Then I typed the entire book out and used a story board to mark it out and adjust the story into the best form for the play. I noted the central parts: what was needed, what the story could do without, and what could be said in other ways. Keeping in mind that the play needed to fit within a certain timeframe for a younger audience, I had to consider weaving certain scenes and characters together to be more succinct.

Can you relate to any of the characters in the story?

I connect with all of them because I have had to be in the bodies and minds of each character during the writing process. I have love and compassion for all of them! That said, one of the complex struggles I connected with is Shad. There is a complicated relationship between him and his older brother Will. I have three older brothers and understand how relationships between siblings can be beautiful but also troubling as they change through life.  I relate to Shad because of his desire to get along, be accepted and feel loved. It doesn’t always come easily.

Curriculum Expectations

The Arts – Drama

  • engage actively in drama exploration and role play, with a focus on examining multiple perspectives related to current issues, themes, and relationships from a wide variety of sources and diverse communities
  • plan and shape the direction of the drama by working with others, both in and out of role, to generate ideas and explore multiple perspectives
  • analyze and describe, using drama terminology, how drama elements are used to communicate meaning in a variety of drama works and shared drama experiences

English/Language

  • select and use a variety of listening strategies before, during, and after listening to comprehend information communicated orally and non-verbally, seek clarification, and develop a relevant response appropriate to the context
  • analyze and compare how images, graphics, and visual design create, communicate, and contribute to meaning in a variety of texts
  • explain how the ideas expressed in texts connect to their knowledge and lived experiences, the ideas in other texts, and the world around them

Canadian and World Studies – American History, World History since the Fifteenth Century

  • analyse some of the challenges facing  individuals, groups, and/or communities…in Canada  between 1800 and ways in which people  responded to those challenges
  • gather and organize information and evidence about perspectives of different groups and communities… , on some significant events, developments, and/or issues that affected Canada and/or people in Canada during this period, using a variety of primary sources
  • describe significant interactions between  different groups and communities in Canada during this period

Social Studies – History: Creating Canada 1850-1890

  • analyze key similarities and differences  in social values and aspects of life between present-day Canadians and some different groups and/or communities in Canada between 1713 and 1800
  • evaluate evidence and draw conclusions about perspectives of different groups on  significant events, developments, or issues  that affected Canada and/or Canadians during this period

Set & Costume Design

Shannon Lea Doyle is the Set and Costume Designer for Truth. Here are a few of her costume designs for the different characters.  

Prompt for students: Fashion was very different in the mid-1800’s compared to now. In looking at these costume designs how would you describe the differences between now and then? Which look would you wear?

Here is an image of part of Shannon Lea Doyle’s set design.

Glossary

Slavery: the condition of being enslaved, held or owned as human chattel or property; bondage.

The Abolitionist Movement: (c.1783-1888) in Western Europe and the Americas the social movement responsible for creating the emotional climate necessary for the ending of the institution of slavery.

The Underground Railroad: a system in the United States before the Civil War where escaped enslaved people from the Southern States were secretly helped to reach the Northern States and British Upper Canada.

Plantation: a large farm or estate in a tropical or semitropical zone, for the cultivation of cotton, tobacco, coffee, sugarcane, etc., typically by enslaved, unpaid, or low-wage resident laborers.

Improvisation: creating something without preparation.

Mime: the theatrical technique of suggesting action, character or emotion without words using only gesture and physical movement.

Objective: a character’s goal within a scene.

Tableaux: a still picture or scene.

Units of Study

The units of study within this guide prompt students to think about main themes in Truth through engaging with drama and other creative outlets.

Pre-show Unit of Study

Welcome to the theatre!

Before you bring your students to the theatre we encourage you to talk to them about what the experience of seeing a play is like, especially for those who will be experiencing it for the first time. Here is a prompt to share with your students highlighting elements of the story and production they can take note of:

“You are about to experience live theatre– how exciting! Whether it’s your first, second or tenth time seeing a performance, there are always new things to discover. In theatre, the story is performed by the actors on stage but there are other production elements that contribute to the storytelling onstage. When you watch the play take note of what these other elements are and how they work together to help tell the story. Additionally, as you watch the performers, stay connected to the characters they are portraying and their journeys. Notice the different situations and decisions being made.”

Here are some pre-show questions to discuss with your class:

Pre-show Questions

  • What are different ways we can express our thoughts/feelings to those around us?
  • How does someone’s body language show how they feel?
  • Do you ever have a disagreement with your siblings or friends? How do you work it out?
  • What do you know about the history of enslavement in the United States of America?
  • What does fair treatment and justice mean to you?

Pre-show Activities

The Lost Object

Objective

This is a warm-up exercise for students to work together and consider how to communicate using gestures.

Materials

A large room or open space where students can move around, that can become a space with room for an audience area and performance area.

Instructions

  1. Ask one student to be a volunteer actor and have the rest of the class be the audience.
  2.  Give the volunteer actor an example of an object without the rest of the class knowing what it is (ex. a pencil, hairbrush or shoe). Ask them to physically act out to the rest of the class that they have lost this object somewhere in the room. They must communicate what that object is without saying it verbally.
  3. Ask the rest of the class to guess what the object is. Students can ask questions. The volunteer actor cannot speak but can nod their head yes or no to answer the audiences’ questions. They can use physical gestures to express what the object is to help their peers guess correctly.
  4. Students ask the volunteer actor questions until they have discovered what the object is as a group.

Debriefing Question for students:

  1. Were there movements or gestures that were effective in clearly communicating what the object was? Why were they effective?
  2. Did you all work together to guess the answer? Why or why not?
  3. As the actor, did you find it frustrating not to have a voice? If so, why?

Power and powerlessness

Objective

Have students explore themes of power and powerlessness through movement.

Materials

An open space allowing for students to move around. Music can be added to the background of the activity to inspire the movement.

Instructions

  1. Have students walk around the room independently filling up the space. They can walk in all different directions. Encourage them to use all parts of their bodies and explore making gestures.
  2. Choose one student to be the leader and have everyone else follow their movement exactly. Give opportunities to multiple students to be the leader.
  3. Repeat the exercise again however this time let students know that once they start following the movement of the leader they are allowed to break away from it at any time. They can then return to following if they like, or not. Again, allow all students to get the experience of being a leader and follower.

Debriefing Questions

  • What did it feel like to have to follow the movement of someone else exactly?
  • What did it feel like to break away from following someone else to instead move the way you chose to?
  • Was it easier to comply and move like everyone else, or not to comply and to break away? Why?

Historical Narratives: The Institution of Slavery

Objective

By creating tableaux, have students think and learn about the historical time period of enslavement in the United States and British North America.

Materials

An open space. Research materials either from the library or online.

Instructions

  1. Ask students to tell you what a tableaux is (see definition in the glossary).
  2. Have students practice creating tableaux in small groups using simple words or phrases.
  3. Ask students to walk around the room. You will then call out a number and a word. For example “Three. Birthday.” or “Four. Ocean.” Students will gather quickly in groups of that number and create a tableau representing that word.
  4. Next continue with the same exercise but use the following words “Power” “Powerlessness”, “Inequality”, “Justice” and “Freedom”.
  5. Have students share some of their tableaux with each other by allowing some groups to release their tableaux to instead be the audience.
  6. Discuss as a class the historical time period of the institution of slavery in the United States and British North America and the setting for the play Truth (on a plantation in Virginia in 1858).
  7. In small groups have students research either “The Institution of Slavery”, “Abolition” or the “Underground Railroad” using books from the library or approved online sources.
  8. Have groups share something they learned through their research with the rest of the class.

Debriefing Questions

  1. Through tableaux, how did you and your peers create a clear picture?
  2. What did you learn today through your research or the research of your peers that you want to keep learning about?

Post-Show Unit of Study

Post-Show Questions

  1. How does Phoebe find her voice?
  2. Which character(s) stood out to you as having a good heart?
  3. What is something new you learned through this play?
  4. After watching the play, what does the title Truth mean to you?

Post-Show Activities

Phoebe’s Journal

Objective

This is a warm-up exercise allowing students to express themselves through writing just as Phoebe does in the play, while reflecting on their experience of seeing Truth.

Materials

A large room or open space where students can have individual space. Paper and writing utensils or computers/laptops.

Instructions

  1. Ask each student to find a place in the room with their writing materials. Set a timer for 5 minutes and ask students to write without stopping.
  2. Ask students to respond to the following prompt: “Reflect on your experience seeing the play Truth. What about the story made an impact on you? What did you think about how the story was told?”
  3. If appropriate, have students volunteer to share some of what they wrote.

Debriefing Questions

  1. Was it difficult to put your thoughts into words? Why or why not?
  2. Was it challenging to write for five minutes straight? Why or why not?
  3. By taking time to reflect or listen to yourself, did you more clearly understand what you thought and felt?

Emotional Chairs

Objective

This exercise allows students to explore the characters of the play and their emotions through mime and improvisation.

Materials

An open space. Five chairs labeled with different emotions.

Instructions

  1. Set-up the five chairs in a row that each represent a different emotion. For example: happy, sad, angry, scared and confused.
  2. Ask five students to volunteer to be the actors and they will each sit in one of the chairs with a designated emotion. They are then offered a phrase. For example the phrase could be “I’m moving to a new place.”
  3. First ask the students in chairs to express the phrase in their given emotion without speaking.
  4. Ask the audience to guess what everyone’s emotion is and what the phrase is.
  5. Then, have all five students say the phrase out loud at the same time with their different emotions.
  6. Then have them say the phrase individually with a sentence to follow to explain why they feel the way they do about the phrase. (ex. Happy Chair: I’m moving! I’m getting my own room now and going to be closer to my best friend, I’m so excited! Sad Chair: I’m moving, but I have to go to a new school and make new friends.) After each round, the actors find a new chair and start again. A new group of five students can then take a turn in front of the class with a new phrase.

Debriefing Questions

  • What did it feel like when you couldn’t verbalize the phrase out loud? Was it easy to communicate the phrase or not?
  • For much of the play the character of Phoebe doesn’t speak. Was it easy to tell what the character was feeling? If so, how did the actor communicate Phoebe’s emotions?
  • What emotions did other characters in Truth feel at which moments of the play and why?

Brave Choices

Objective

Have students explore what bravery is and what a brave choice can be through revisiting tableaux narratives.  

Materials

An open space.

Instructions

  1. In groups of three, have students discuss what bravery means to them. What were examples of brave choices in the play? Have they ever made a brave choice?
  2. Ask students in their groups to create a series of three tableaux that demonstrates a brave choice. These are not examples from the play, but other examples. The three tableaux should tell a story by demonstrating the situation, the characters, the brave choice and the outcome of that choice.
  3. Ask for groups to volunteer to share their tableaux with the rest of the class. Have the class guess what the brave choice was. Allow for the group to explain their stories afterwards.
  4. Debriefing Question for students:
  5. In participating in this exercise by either creating a tableaux story or being an audience to your peers did your understanding of bravery change at all? If so, in what way?
  6. How can we support each other in being brave?

Debriefing Questions

  • In participating in this exercise by either creating a tableaux story or being an audience to your peers did your understanding of bravery change at all? If so, in what way?
  • How can we support each other in being brave?

Additional Resources

Books

  • Skin Like Mine by Latashia M Perry
  • Our Diversity Makes Us Stronger by Elizabeth Cole
  • Kindness Makes Me Stronger by Elizabeth Cole
  • Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine