1. Mermaid Theatre Company of Nova Scotia
McAninch Arts Center
College of DuPage

2. About Mermaid Theatre Company
Founded in 1972, based in Windsor Nova Scotia, Canada
Performed for more than four million spectators on four continents and in forty-eight states in the USA
Each year, Mermaid Theatre presents 400+ shows for 200,000+ audiences

3. Vocabulary and Show Etiquette
These are items that students should be familiar before coming to the show
Black Light: Black lights look purple, but most of the light it emits is in the ultraviolet (UV) range of the spectrum, which is invisible to the human eye. Under a UV light, fluorescent colored items emit a bright glow. Watch to understand more. Black light is used in the performance on the puppets.
Uses of Black Light: Money security, Reveal germs in bathroom and restaurants, Expose finger prints in crime scenes, In space exploration to show cracks or leaks in shuttles and telescopes.
Puppetry: an art form in which objects are brought to life by puppeteers. Use Rod, Shadow and hand puppets to tell each story.
Narration: the story is told through the use of a narrator who recites the book’s text verbatim.
Non-shushing show: Students are encouraged to clap and laugh when they see something that pleases them. They may also help tell the story along with the narration. Noises that help tell the story are okay – side conversations are not.

4. About Eric Carle
Born in Syracuse, New York in 1929 – moved to Germany when he was six years old.
1952, he arrived in New York and found a job as a graphic designer with The New York Times.
Bill Martin, Jr., asked Carle to illustrate a story he wrote (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?) based on a striking picture Carle had made of a red lobster for an advertisement. This was the beginning of Eric Carle’s career as illustrator of more than 70 books, many that he wrote.
Eric Carle uses a Collage Style – using hand-painted papers, he cuts and layers to form bright and cheerful images.
Visit his website at

5. About the Show
The entire presentation is approx. one hour long. Included at the end of the performance is time to meet and talk with the performers. The puppeteers will come back onstage to demonstrate to the audience how some of the puppets work and how they create some of the special effects.

6. Production features 3 Eric Carle Books
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See
Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me
The Very Hungry Caterpillar

7. Classroom Activities: Pre Show
Talk about the show
Read each book and talk about the show they will see.
Which story are they most excited to see?
Share how puppets are used and what the black lights will do to the puppets. Have them guess how many people will it take to act out a story?
Bring in a black light and show them how it affects colors.
Do they think the show will look like Eric Carle pictures in the books?
Watch video of the show – to see Black Light in action on the puppets. See how they glow!

8. Classroom Activities The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Sit in a circle and complete the following statement
My name is _______________ (first name)
And I am VERY ________________ (adjective)
Expanded activity
Use an adjective that begins with the same letter as their first or last name
Use an adjective that has more than four letters, or more

9. Classroom Activities The Very Hungry Caterpillar
A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z
Students cut twenty-six circles. Write a letter of the alphabet in each. Give students a green circle to represent the head and decorate. Then spell the following words using the circles to complete a caterpillar body.
Inch Hungry Sun Plum Pie
Fruit Leaf Pear Cake Oranges

10. Fruits Vegetables Meat Dairy Sweet
Classroom Activities The Very Hungry Caterpillar
What food group does the picture belong to?
Fruits
Vegetables
Meat
Dairy
Sweet

11. Classroom Activities: Illustrate Very Hungry Caterpillar
Read to the Students the book – show each page and give them the first couple of words, asking them to fill in the rest. Example, “One day…” or “On Monday…” then point to the picture and let the students tell the rest of the action. Do this for the entire story.
Explain a story board – ask the students to make one. Each square represents a part of the story in order from beginning to end. Show them the outline page. Remind them they just told the action on each page. Now they will be drawing the action into the square. You may have them do it in groups, or need book reminders or visual aides.
Closure – After they have finished, let them talk about the sequence of the story. Ask guiding questions, “On what day did the book begin?” “What day did it end?” “Did he eat the leaf first or last?”

12. Post Show: Moon Research
What are the moon phases?
What is the moon made of – physical and atmospheric properties?
Why does the moon ‘shine’? What are we actually seeing when we see moonlight?
Draw or paint a creative image of the moon – include other elements that can be found in space such as spacecraft, comets, planets, satellites.
Watch YouTube Video:

13. Post Show: Rhythm Train
Read a few pages of “Brown Bear, Brown Bear..” and ask the students if they can hear a rhythm in the text? Can the find the repeating pattern.
Read a few more pages and ask them to clap a steady beat with the rhythm of the book.
Share with the students that the author wrote “Brown Bear..” while riding on a train. Just like a train moves slow and fast – use a phrase from the book and try chanting it with the rhythm of the train starting slow and speeding up.
Ask student to use their own name and clap syllables. Then they should continue to make their pattern while finding others in the room making the same pattern. Have them create groups based on same name patterns – keeping 4 to 6 in a group.
Now with their own pattern – use body percussion to make a unique sound. Practice as a group – then perform their rhythms for the class.
Finally, make a name train. Students follow the leader/teacher – with each group representing a car of the train. Teacher will play a steady beat while the train follows. Each group performing the name patterns. Speed up or slow down the train.

14. Post Show: Make Your Own Puppets
Here are some great websites to show you how to make your own puppets
Sock Puppet:
Rod Puppet:
Bunny Hand Puppet:

15. Assessment Activity-Write a letter
Goal: reflect on the performance experience and practice writing skills
Activity: After the show, discuss the experience with students using these questions to guide the conversation:
What was the show about?
What parts were most exciting?
Which character did you enjoy the most and why?
What did the characters find? What did they learn?
What was special about the puppets?
Beginning of letter:
Dear Mermaid Theatre performers:
My favorite part of the show was…
While watching your show I felt…because…
I have drawn a picture of the scene when…
If I could be in your show, I would play the part of…because…
Mail your letter: McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

16. Post Show Discussion Questions
What was your favorite part about your trip to the McAninch Arts Center?
How was the performance different than the books? How was it the same?
What story was told First? Second? Last?
Were you able to see the puppeteers during the show? When? How many did you find?
Describe how the puppets looked: big, small, bendable, colors, serious, funny.
What was the best part of seeing the story told as a live performance?

17. Special Thanks
SchoolStage Series is supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

18. Sources