From the Director
The holiday season is a magical time of year. It is a time when people seem to glow with a warmth that is contrary to our cold Nebraska winter. Around the city, friends and family gather to celebrate the holidays and share in this warmth together through traditions old and new. Today we all surround ourselves with a diverse group of people, each of whom comes with their own traditions and customs, to enjoy the season together.
By its nature, attending theater builds a community. We sit with people, many of whom we do not know, and share an emotional experience. For a brief moment in time, we all watch as the characters go on a journey and overcome difficulties. Today, however, we will create a very different experience because this show relies on the audience to propel the story. By breaking down the barrier of the fourth wall, the community begins to include the actors. The line between performer and audience member blurs as we bring the show into the audience and the audience onstage. It’s such a charming way for all of us to celebrate.
The beautiful collaboration of the cast and production team brought this holiday favorite back to The Rose. I am delighted to be surrounded by this family of talented artists.
Happy Holidays!
Amanda Kibler
“Holiday Time Around the World” Show Director
Going to The Rose Guide
It’s almost time for our next production Holiday Time Around the World. Get ready for a whirlwind tour of the globe to celebrate the many international holiday traditions that are a part of this special time of year. We have assembled some special information to help you and your family to get ready for the performance. Before you go, you might want to take a few moments to review this guide so everyone will know what to expect from the performance!
The Story You Will See
This interactive storytelling show introduces children and their families to winter holiday stories from around the world. A distinguished expert from the respected Global Research of Universal Multicultural Practices (G.R.U.M.P.) Institute, Dr. Petunia Upton, plans to lecture the gathered audience on holiday cultural traditions around the globe. However, her intelligent but somewhat silly inventor colleague invites the audience to try out his new transport device to travel all around the world and help teach his uptight research friend how to have fun for the holidays.
The audience will experience a German story about the Christmas Spider, the Chinese New Year story of the invention of fireworks, the Jewish Hanukkah game of dreidel, the Mexican Christmas legend of the poinsettia, and a Kwanzaa tale from Africa about lazy rabbits. Along the imaginative journey, members of the audience join the cast onstage to bring the stories to life, and the rather uptight Dr. Upton learns more about the true spirit of the season.
The Characters You Will Meet
• Dr. Petunia Upton – a prim and proper, highly intelligent lecturer at the Global Research of Universal Multicultural Practices Institute, the leader in cultural research in the USA. She wears a lab coat and is professional in appearance.
• Dr. Stanley Schille – an energetic new employee at the Institute who invented a Transimaginaveller.
• April – an eager, mischievous intern at the Institute.
• Mindy – a sweet, hyper, enthusiastic intern at the Institute.
• And maybe even YOU! – Throughout the performance, this show casts volunteers from the audience in small roles in stories from around the globe!
Things To “Know Before You Go”
• This play celebrates the diverse range of holiday traditions and stories from many different cultures around the world. You may see some stories that celebrate different cultural traditions than the ones your family celebrates. This offers a great opportunity to talk with your family about the meaning of your traditions and to learn more about those of other people.
• This is an audience participation play, which means we will be bringing up kids from the audience to help us play characters onstage. However, we want to keep everyone safe and avoid having audience members in the aisles. Make sure to raise a hand from your seat if you would like to volunteer to join the actors on stage.
• There is one section in the play where the audience might get squirted by spray bottles. Don’t worry: you won’t get too wet!
Topics for Dinnertime Discussion
One of the best ways to enjoy a play is to talk about the story and the characters with others who saw the show. Below are some topics you may want to discuss.
Before the Show
• Each country we travel to in the play has a different holiday tradition. Traditions are the ways that we like to celebrate a holiday year after year. What is your favorite holiday? What are the traditions that make that holiday your favorite?
• The characters in the show use a Transimaginaveller to transport the audience to different countries. If you could be transported to any country, where would you go? What would you like to do there?
After the Show
• The first place we traveled was Germany to hear the story of the Christmas spiders, where the characters learned to accept someone very different from themselves. How can you make friends with someone who seems different at first?
• The second place we traveled was China to hear the story of the Chinese New Year. The villagers lit bamboo to scare the Nian away. What would you use to chase the Nian away? Think about a time when you were scared. How did you get over your fear?
• The third place we traveled was to Israel to learn about Hannukah. We learned about the dreidel game. What is your favorite holiday game or toy?
• The fourth place we traveled was to Mexico to hear about the legend of the poinsettia. Maria was embarrassed about her gift for Jesus, but it ended up being perfect. What is the best gift you have ever given? Why was it so special?
• Our last stop was Kenya to hear about the lazy rabbits. The rabbits learned they needed to help out if they were going to share in the water. How do you help out your family? How can you work together with your family and friends to make this the best holiday season yet?
Awesome Post-Show Activities
After the performance, you might want to try these fun and educational activities at home to extend the experience!
• Spin Some Spider Ornaments (Germany) – Use chenille stems and poms in holiday colors to make your own spider tree ornaments. Add “wiggle eyes” and hang them from tinsel strands on the branches.
• Make a Monster (China) – What do you think the sea monster “Nian” might look like? Try to design your own version of a Nian. You can make a poster or even a puppet of your sea monster.
• Design a Dreidel (Israel) – Dreidels were originally made of clay. Try making your own four-sided spinning top using air-dry clay from a craft store. You can research the traditional symbols on the Internet or even make up your own game!
• Prepare a Poinsettia Pin (Mexico) – Cut red petal shapes from red felt and glue them in the shape of a poinsettia flower. Add green felt leaves and some yellow beads in the center. Use a safety pin to wear on your favorite holiday sweater!
• Craft a Unity Cup (Kenya) – Hunt for a fun cup at a thrift store. Decorate it using permanent markers or other craft materials like fabric and beads. Ask your family to write ideas for activities to do together on slips of paper. Put them in the cup. On a rainy day in the new year, you can pick an activity to do together!
• Share Your Own Holiday Traditions in a Play! – Try writing a short play about YOUR family’s holiday traditions. Talk to your family about their favorite traditions. Write a story to act out about Dr. Stanley Schille’s Transimaginaveller visiting your house for the holidays.
