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ENRICHMENT GUIDE

Play Guides sponsored by

Book by ENDA WALSH

Music and Lyrics by GLEN HANSARD & MARKÉTA IRGLOVÁ

Based on the Motion Picture Written and Directed by JOHN CARNEY

Direction by Ann Hodges

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

THEATRE ETIQUETTE 3

WHO’S INVOLVED 4

ABOUT THE CREATORS 5

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION 6

DIRECTOR’S NOTE 7

SCRIPT REFERENCES 8

SYNOPSIS 9-10

PRODUCTION ELEMENTS 11

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 12

FURTHER READING/REFERENCES 13

CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT 14-15

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THEATRE ETIQUETTE

Going to the theatre is an engaging and interactive experience. We want you to be an active participant when you

see our shows; laugh when it’s funny, cry when it’s sad, gasp when it’s shocking, and enjoy the experience as much

as possible. But we want you to do this in the most respectful way possible, for both the performers and your

fellow audience members.

To ensure the most positive experience, please review the following information prior to arriving at the theatre.

The following items are not allowed in the theatre:

•No outside food or beverages. Only beverages purchased in the lobby and placed in a Citadel Sippy and bottled water will be allowed in the theatre. Unwrapped ice cream bars may be taken into the theatre. Please enjoy all

other snacks in the lobby.

•Cameras and other recording devices (please note that taking photographs or other recordings in the theatre is

strictly prohibited by law).

Basic courtesy:

•Turn OFF and put away all electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, video game systems, etc. prior to

entering the theatre.

•Do not place your feet on the seat in front of you.

•The actors onstage can see and hear the audience during the performance – it is important that audience members

not talk, move around, or fidget during the performance, as this can be distracting for the actors, as well as fellow

audience members.

•There is no dress code at the Citadel Theatre, but we respectfully request that patrons refrain from wearing hats

in the theatre.

•For the safety of those with allergies, please refrain from using perfumes or scented products before coming to

the theatre.

•Please do not place backpacks or other bags in the aisle in front of your feet, as this may impair the ability of

persons to exit the row in an emergency.

Inappropriate behaviour:

Citadel Theatre representatives watch carefully during performances for inappropriate behaviour, especially

behaviour that could endanger an actor or audience member. Inappropriate behaviour includes, but is not limited

to:

•Talking in the audience

•The use of laser pointers or other light or sound-emitting devices

•Interfering with an actor or the performance (tripping, throwing items on or near the stage, etc.)

Audience members identified as engaging in this type of behaviour will be removed from the theatre during the

performance or at intermission.

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CAST, CREATIVE TEAM AND CHARACTERS

CAST

RUTH ALEXANDER Barushka

JULIEN ARNOLD Da

BENJAMIN CAMENZULL Svec

CHRISTINA CUGLIETTA Ex-Girlfriend

EMILY DALLAS Girl

OSCAR DERKX Andrej

STEPHEN GUY-MCGRATH Billy

RICHARD LAM Emcee

LAWRENCE LIBOR Guy

KAREN LIZOTTE Bank Manager

LARISSA POHORESKI Reza

JOHN ULLYATT Eamon

ALEXA ZHANG Ivonka

CREATIVE TEAM

Director ANN HODGES

Music Director STEVEN GREENFIELD

Choreographer JULIE TOMAINO

Set & Costume Designer CORY SINCENNES

Lighting Designer LOUISE GUINAND

Sound Designer MATTHEW SKOPYK

Dialect Coach DAVID LEY

Czech Translator MARTIN GALBA

Assistant Director DORIAN LANG

Music Captain BENJAMIN CAMENZULL

Stage Manager MICHELLE CHAN

Assistant Stage Manager KATHRYN BALL

MUSICANS

Ruth Alexander................... Accordian, cajón, tambourine, piano, melodica, concertina

Julien Arnold....................... Guitar, mandolin

Benjamin Camenzuli.......... Drums, cajón, banjo, guitar, mandolin

Christina Cuglietta.......... Violin, cajón

Emily Dallas.......................... Piano

Oscar Derkx.......................... Ukelele, bass guitar, guitar, cajón

Stephen Guy-McGrath..... Guitar, ukulele, cajón, tambourine, cymbals

Richard Lam.......................... Guitar, piano, melodica, harmonica

Lawrence Libor................... Guitar

Karen Lizotte....................... Mandolin, cello, guitar, accordion

Larissa Pohoreski............. Violin, tambourine

John Ullyatt......................... Guitar, castanets, cajón

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ABOUT THE CREATORS

John Carney is a Dublin-based writer/director who came to the

world’s attention following the box office hit and critically acclaimed

musical feature film Once, which garnered multiple Independent

Spirit, Sundance, and Raindance awards. Previously, John was a

bassist in the Irish rock band the Frames, where he met Glen

Hansard. These musical roots continue to be evident in John’s work

with his latest production, Can a Song Save Your Life?. Other projects include Dogs of

Babel for David Heyman and Nathan Kahane starring Steve Carrell and a feature

adaptation of M.R. James’s Casting the Runes for Barbara Broccoli and Michael G.

Wilson.

Enda Walsh is an acclaimed playwright, screenwriter and

director. His recent work includes the play Arlington and the

opera The Second Violinist, which both premiered at the

Galway International Arts Festival in 2016 and 2017,

respectively. He also worked on the new musical, Lazarus,

with David Bowie, which opened at New York Theatre Workshop in December 2015. His

work has been translated into many languages and has been performed internationally

since 1996. In 2014, he received an Honourary Doctorate from Galway University. Enda is

currently adapting and directing Max Porter’s Grief is the Thing with Feathers for

Complicite.

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ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Act I

Leave – Guy

Falling Slowly – Guy & Girl

North Strand – Ensemble

The Moon – Andrej (as Ensemble)

Ej, Pada, Pada, Rosicka – Ensemble

If You Want Me – Guy, Girl, Ensemble

Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy – Guy

Say It to Me Now – Guy

Abandoned in Bandon – Bank Manager*

Gold – Guy & Ensemble**

Act II

Sleeping – Guy

When Your Mind’s Made Up – Guy, Girl, Ensemble

The Hill – Girl

Gold (A Cappella) – Company

The Moon – Company

Falling Slowly (Reprise) – Guy, Girl, Ensemble

*composed by Martin Lowe, Andy Taylor, and Enda Walsh

**composed by Fergus O’Farrell

Based on the award-winning film of the same name by John Carney, Once is an unforgettable story about

going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all. Winner of eight Tony awards, including

Best Book and Best Musical, the musical premiered at New York Theatre Workshop in 2011 and moved to

Broadway in 2012. Earning rave reviews, the show also earned a 2012 Drama Desk Award for Best Musical

and a 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. With a book written by Enda Walsh and music

and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, the cast of Once also acts as the orchestra, bringing

their musical talents to life on stage.

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DIRECTOR’S NOTES

If you have ever sung in a choir, played in a band, or even just clapped along to a great tune, you may have experienced the joyful and transformative power of making music with others. But why is music-making so transformative? I believe one reason is that making music, while lots of fun, is also rather risky. Play a wrong note and everyone hears it. Start a phrase early and you risk the withering glare of the conductor. Sing too high, your voice might crack. It takes courage to just jump in and commit, because everyone will hear if you make a mistake. Also, making music requires breath. However, the way we breathe can reveal feelings we’d rather keep hidden: fear, excitement, sadness. But musicians need to breathe with their music, and sometimes they need to look into each others’ eyes and breathe together. They also need to listen to each other, and themselves. There’s nowhere to hide, really, when making music with someone else. It’s risky. But we take these risks because

music-making has such a transformative power. We are different at the end of a song, simply by singing it, playing it, or hearing it. That is why I think that music-making is also an act of great generosity — because by sharing music with others, we are offering them the possibility of transformation. Once is the gentle love story that took Broadway by storm in 2012. Based on the tender 2007 film, the musical explores the transformative power of music in a uniquely ‘non-Broadway’ fashion. Played by multi-talented actor-musician-storytellers, the songs take us deep into the heart of the characters, or explode past the footlights and seem to transcend reality. The story is a simple one, of Guy, an Irish busker, and Girl, a Czech immigrant, who, like all the characters in the play, are ‘stopped’ in life in some way. But through the act of making music with each other, each not only becomes ‘unstuck,’ but also helps those around them move forward in life. And, each learns that love, like music-making, requires risk, courage, breath, listening, and great, great generosity.

-Ann Hodges, Director

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SCRIPT REFERENCES

Da — British slang for Dad. Bach — Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. Since the

19th-century Bach Revival, he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.

Bartok — Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is

considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Liszt are regarded as Hungary's greatest composers.

Brahms — Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist of the Romantic period. His

reputation and status as a composer are such that he is sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the "Three Bs" of music.

Bono — Paul David Hewson, known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician,

venture capitalist, businessman, and philanthropist. He is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of rock band U2.

Cork — A city in south-west Ireland, in the province of Munster, which had a population of 125,622 in

2016. Euro — The European dollar, the currency used in countries who belong to the European Union. Hoover — The British term for vacuum cleaner or vacuuming. Fair City — An Irish soap opera. Felix Mendelssohn — a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early romantic

period. Mendelssohn wrote symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano music and chamber music. Four Track — A 4-track tape for multitrack recording used in professional recording studios. Josh Groban — An American singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. His first four solo

albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, with over 22.3 million records.

Muso — British slang for a musician, especially one overly concerned with technique. Mozart — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, baptised as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus

Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the classical era. North Strand — A residential inner city neighbourhood on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. Rioja — Rioja wine is made from grapes grown in the autonomous communities of La

Rioja and Navarre, and the Basque province of Álava.

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SYNOPSIS

Act I

A thirty-something Dublin busker (identified only as "Guy") sings a heartfelt ballad of unrequited

love in a local bar, accompanying himself on guitar ("Leave"). He then puts his guitar in its case and

turns to leave without it; but a young Czech woman (identified only as "Girl"), who has been

listening to him sing, approaches. She asks numerous personal questions about his songs; he replies

that he wrote most of them for a girlfriend who broke up with him and moved to New York City. He

is giving up on his music because the memories of his defunct relationship are too painful; he now

works as a vacuum cleaner repairman in his father's shop. Girl responds that she has a vacuum that

"does not suck", and asks him to fix it. She offers to pay for the repair by playing piano for him.

Over his protests, she snatches the sheet music for a new song from his jacket. Reluctantly, Guy

picks up his guitar and they play the song together ("Falling Slowly"). Girl suggests that he could

win his old girlfriend back by singing her that song. Guy brushes this off, but Girl reminds him that

he now owes her a vacuum repair, so they head to his father's shop ("The North Strand").

As Guy fixes the vacuum, Girl becomes acquainted with his father, who seems to like her. Once the

vacuum is repaired, Guy impulsively invites Girl to his bedroom, above the shop. They are clearly

attracted to each other, but when he attempts to kiss her she stops him and leaves ("The Moon").

The next day he apologizes, and they write, rehearse, and record songs together. Girl introduces

Guy to her family, including her young daughter, Ivanka ("Ej, Pada, Pada, Rosicka"). After Guy

leaves, Girl plays one of his songs on the piano, substituting her own lyrics as she thinks of him ("If

You Want Me").

The next morning, Girl tells Guy that she has arranged a meeting with a banker ("Broken Hearted

Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy"). To persuade the bank manager to approve a loan — which would enable

Guy to take his music to New York — Guy plays him a song ("Say It to Me Now"). The banker is

impressed with his talent, approves the loan, and adds that he can play guitar as well. He plays a

song for them ("Abandoned in Bandon"), and though he is not a very good singer, they invite him to

play in the band. The following night at a night club, Guy tells Girl that she has convinced him that

his musical career is worth pursuing. Good, she replies, because it is open mic night at the club,

and she has signed him up to perform as "The Hoover Man." He is reluctant, but eventually takes

the stage. As he sings, it seems that he is now singing to Girl, not his ex-girlfriend ("Gold").

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SYNOPSIS CONTINUED

Act II

During band practice, one of the musicians gets into an argument with the bank manager; he opposes

capitalism, he says, despite the fact that he owns the shop where they are rehearsing. Guy and Girl

retreat to a hill overlooking the city where the two share a brief, tender moment. Girl tells Guy, in

Czech, that she loves him — but when he asks her to translate, she replies, "It looks like rain." Guy

realizes that he has fallen in love with Girl, and wonders how he will live without her when he moves

to New York ("Sleeping").

The next day, the band records a demo for a major record label ("When Your Mind's Made Up"). After

receiving praise for their performance, the band members take a break. Girl remains at the piano, and

thinking she is alone, plays one of her own compositions that reveals the depth of her feelings for Guy

("The Hill"). Guy, who has been listening, compliments her on her song. He suggests that she and

Ivanka move to New York with him, because they clearly have feelings for each other that they cannot

ignore. Girl answers angrily that he cannot feel that way. Incredulous, Guy asks why; Girl replies that

her husband — Ivanka's father — is trying to reconcile with her, and for the sake of their daughter she

must consider it ("It Cannot Be About That"). The following morning, the band gathers at the hill to

voice their hopes for success with the impending album ("Gold (Acapella)"). Guy asks Girl to spend his

last night in Dublin with him; she demurs, because it would only result in "hanky-panky," which is a

"bad idea"; but ultimately she agrees to come to the vacuum shop.

Back at the shop, Guy plays the demo for his father. Impressed and moved, he gives Guy money to

help him get settled in New York. Then Guy, encouraged by Girl, calls his ex-girlfriend in New York,

who is happy about his imminent arrival, and seems willing to give their relationship another try. A few

days later, Girl comes home to find a piano with a bright red bow on it — a gift from Guy. She sheds a

few tears, then sits at the piano and sings; as Guy, in his New York apartment, sings the same song

("Falling Slowly (Reprise)").

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PRODUCTION ELEMENTS

PROSCENIUM STAGE

A proscenium theatre is a specific style of theatre. Several features define a proscenium theatre, and this particular

theatre layout is extremely common; if you have ever been to see a live performance, especially in a high school

auditorium, chances are high that you have seen a proscenium theatre. In addition to proscenium style theatres, it is

also possible to find black box theatres, theatres with thrust stages, theatres in the round, and numerous other

configurations of stage and audience.

The classically defining feature of a proscenium theatre is the proscenium arch, which frames the stage for the

audience. In addition, the audience faces the stage directly, with no audience on the sides of the stage, and the stage

in a proscenium theatre is typically raised, allowing the audience to see more clearly. Modern proscenium theatres

sometimes lack the proscenium arch, but they are still called “proscenium theatres” because they retain the other

characteristics of this style of theatre.

Proscenium theatres originated in the 1600s, and became immensely popular by the 1700s. There are certain advantages

of a proscenium theatre, such as the fact that the stage doesn't have to be as open, allowing people to conceal props,

sets, and orchestras in the wings or near the stage without having these things visible to the audience. A proscenium

theatre also creates a sense of staged grandeur, with the proscenium arch acting almost like a picture frame, giving the

audience the sense that they are looking into a scene.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What are the main themes of Once?

2. How are these themes reflected in the show’s music, set, lighting, costumes, and dialogue?

3. Each character plays at least one instrument in Once. What role does music play in the

production? How does music affect the relationships between characters?

4. Describe the relationship like between Da and Guy. Do you think they have a healthy father-son

relationship? Why or why not?

5. About half of the characters in this show do not have names but are instead called by what they are: Guy, Girl, Da, Bank Manager, etc. Other, more minor characters, do have names. Do you

think this was a conscious choice by the author? What reasons might they have had for doing this?

6. The play takes place primarily in Dublin. Do you think the setting affects the story? Would the play

work if it was set in a different city or country? Why or why not?

7. Once is considered a romantic comedy but it’s an unconventional love story, especially the ending. What are some other examples of non-traditional love stories in movies, television, or lit-

erature? What makes these love stories different from more conventional love stories?

8. At the end of the play, Guy moves to a new city where he only knows one person and doesn’t have

a job lined up. Do you agree with his choice? Why or why not?

9. Guy asks Girl to go to New York with him but she says no, so he goes to New York intending to

reunite with his ex-girlfriend. Do you think they get back together? Why or why not?

10. Write a short scene imagining what the reunion between Guy and Ex-Girlfriend is like.

11. Do you think Guy and Girl would stay in touch after he moves to New York? Why or why not?

12. Write a letter from Guy to Girl, telling her what his new life in New York is like. Alternatively,

write a letter from Girl to Guy updating him on life in Dublin.

13. Music is hugely important to Guy and Girl. What role does music play in your life? Has that role

evolved or shifted as you’ve gotten older?

14. Create a soundtrack for your life — list 10 songs that have influenced/changed you as a person or

widened your perspective on something or someone.

15. Choose a minor character from the play and write a short paragraph imaging their back story. What brought them to Dublin (if they weren’t born there)? What was their life like before they

met Guy and Girl? How has it changed now?

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FURTHER READING AND REFERENCES

Q&A with Lawrence Libor and Emily Dallas, who play Guy and Girl, respectively

Citadel Theatre: What characters are you playing and how would you describe them?

Emily Dallas: I’m playing Girl and I would describe her as very prideful and very by-the-book, so I think that when she falls in love with Guy, it’s very much a shock to who she is. I think she’s a loyal person and a virtuous person. She’s also a mother and a wife, so I think up until this point in her life,

she’s followed the rules, and now everything is sort of uneven for her and confusing.

Lawrence Libor: I’m playing Guy and he’s a troubled soul, I would say, especially in the beginning of the show. He’s lost and directionless because a lot of loss has happened in his life recently – his moth-er’s passed and he had a really, really bad breakup. So he’s just like ‘What’s the point anymore?’ It’s

meeting Girl that is the catalyst for him changing his life. Before, he’s kind of adrift.

How would you describe Once to someone who’s never seen the movie or the play?

ED: I would describe it obviously as a love story but more of a celebration of music and of art and of life. I feel that it’s a very celebratory piece and I think the biggest love story isn’t just between [Guy

and Girl]; it’s between all the characters and their love for music. And I think that’s really beautiful.

LL: Heartwarming but at the same time, an ambiguous love story. It doesn’t tell you how to feel, especially at the ending. It kind of leaves you to decide yourself whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist, in a way. Do you have faith in pure love and in the future do you think this is going to work or not going to work? But the music itself will leave you a lot warmer than how you went to the

theatre.

Q&A with set & costume designer Cory Sincennes

Citadel Theatre: What is your inspiration for the set design? Cory Sincennes: Once is a beautiful story about an odd, unconventional romance. And, in the script, the show takes place in a million locations – it’s very cinematographic, like the movie. So the set needed to be something that could be very transformative and take us from one location to the next within a second. So I didn’t want to go ‘It’s in a bar’ or it’s in this part of the story or the script. So we created an abstract representation of Ireland so the audience, when they come in, they will see different parts of skies, bricks, grasses, and hills – all the iconic things that when you think of Ireland.

That’s our inspiration and we’ve pulled that together into a shape that works for us.

CT: How will the set design reflect the themes of the show? CS: The set acts as a metaphor for the piece and also the backdrop for the emotion of it. The walls are very sky-like and, through lighting – with Louise Guinand, who is lighting the show – we’re going

to help reinforce the themes and the story in the moments that are happening.

To read the full interviews with the cast and creative teams of Once, visit: https://www.citadeltheatre.com/artists-learning/audience-enrichment/interviews-with-cast-and-

creative-teams/once

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CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT

Curriculum Connections:

Participation as an audience member at the Citadel Theatre aligns with the Alberta Education Curriculum. We outline be-

low some (but not limited to) objectives which are developed through the viewing of live theatre:

Drama (Elementary)

Third Goal

To foster an appreciation for drama as an art form

Objectives The child should:

1. develop an awareness of an respect for potential excellence in self and others

2. Develop a capacity to analyze, evaluate and synthesize ideas and experiences

3. Develop an awareness and appreciation of the variety of dramatic forms of expression.

Specific Learner Expectations:

Intellectual—develop and exercise imagination; develop concentration

Emotional—explore emotion; control emotion; express emotion

Social—understand others; discipline self; develop appreciation of the work of self and others; cope with emotional re-

sponses

Integrative—learn to respond to stimuli; e.g., music, pictures, objects, literature; test and reflect on the consequences of

dramatic decisions

Drama (Junior High)

GOAL I

To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.

Objectives The student will:

• strengthen powers of concentration

• extend the ability to think imaginatively and creatively

• extend the ability to explore, control and express emotions

extend the ability to explore meaning through abstract concepts

develop the ability to offer and accept constructive criticism

develop the ability to offer and accept constructive criticism

GOAL III

To develop an appreciation for drama and theatre as a process and art form.

Objectives The student will:

develop awareness of various conventions of theatre

develop awareness of drama and theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible

develop the ability to analyze and assess the process and the art

develop recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre

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CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT

Drama 10-20-30

GOAL I

To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.

Objectives

The Student will:

extend the ability to concentrate

extend understanding of, acceptance of and empathy for others

demonstrate respect for others — their rights, ideas, abilities and differences (S)

demonstrate the ability to offer, accept, and reflect upon, constructive criticism.

GOAL II

To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration of various dramatic disciplines.

Objectives

The Student will:

demonstrate understanding of integration of disciplines to enrich a theatrical presentation.

GOAL III

To develop an appreciation of drama and theatre as a process and art form.

Objectives

The student will:

• explore various conventions and traditions of theatre

• broaden knowledge of theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible (

• demonstrate the ability to assess critically the process and the art

• demonstrate recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre

• develop an awareness of aesthetics in visual and performing arts.