JackieMe EdGuide Final

7/31/2019 JackieMe EdGuide Final

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bySTEVEN DIETZ

Adapted from the book by

DAN GUTMAN

Metro Theater Company and Edisonare pleased to join forces once again to bring

great theater to St. Louis audiences. Our first collaborative venture in 2007 was the

U.S. Premiere of Hanas Suitcase by Emil Sher. Two years later, we produced Harper

Lees monumental To Kill a Mockingbird. In 2011 we brought you Lois Lowrys The Giver,

adapted for the stage so beautifully by Eric Coble.

> Insight into the

production

> Discussion ideas to

stimulate interest

and reflection

> Classroom activities

linked to Grade Level

Expectations for core

subjects

> Resources for

further inquiry

IN THIS GUIDE

YOULL FIND

A GREETING FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CAROL NORTH

1

AND

PRESENT

www.metroplays.org

In this 40th anniversary season for both Metro

Theater Company and Edison we invite you to

celebrate with us as we bring you a story steeped in

real history and laced with wonderfully magical fiction

Dan Gutmans novel, now adapted for the stage by

Steven Dietz, is an exciting story about Americas

favorite pastime, a man of enormous courage and a

kid whos struggling to make sense of his life.

We hope you find this Production Guide useful. Tell

us about the great conversations you have with your

children and your students. What sparked especially

meaningful learning or surprising connections?

We want to hear your stories and share them with

others. Letters, e-mail, phone calls, tweets, and

Facebook postingswe love them all!Reginald Pierre plays Jackie Robinson inMetro Theater Companys production.

JeremyKeltner


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CLASSROOM DISCUSSION:Jackie Robinson felt like an outsider when he joined the

Dodgers baseball team. Have you ever been in a situation

that made you feel that way? How did you work through it?

MISSOURI COMMUNICATION ARTS GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

L1B K-8 Develop and apply effective listening skills andstrategies

L2A K-8 Develop and apply effective speaking skills andstrategies

ElliotErwitt,1950

JACKIE ROBINSONS WORLD

Separate but equal made its way onto the baseball field as well. The Negro

Leagues were an important institution in African-American culture. When

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball by joining the Brooklyn

Dodgers, the Negro League teams quickly dissolved.

Jackie Robinson didnt change baseball on his own. Branch Rickey, the

general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, saw Jackies enormous potential

both as an athlete and a man of characterand saw the opportunity to make

a big move. From a business perspective, Rickey had a lot at stake. When he

signed Jackie Robinson to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Rickey exacted a

promise from Jackie that no matter what kind of abuse he sufferedon or

off the fieldJackie would not fight back.

After Jackie joined the Major Leagues, he took verbal abuse from team-

mates and players on other teams. He received hate mail and death threats

from the public. In the face of all this, Jackie could not fight back. He was

held to a different standard, and everyone was watching him. After estab-

lishing himself as one of the most outstanding players in baseball history,

Jackie broke his silence and became a vocal advocate for integration. He

joined with other ballplayers in driving baseball to use its economic power

to desegregate southern towns, hotels and ballparks.

EXAMPLES OF JIM CROW LAWSRestaurants: All persons licensed to conduct a

restaurant shall serve either white people exclu-

sively or colored people exclusively and shall not

sell to the two races within the same room or

serve the two races anywhere under the same

license. (Georgia)

Restrooms:Every employer of white or negro

males shall provide for such white or negro males

reasonably accessible and separate toilet facili-

ties. (Alabama)

Education: Separate schools shall be maintained

for the children of the white and colored races.

(Mississippi)

Libraries:The state librarian is directed to fit up

and maintain a separate place for the use of the

colored people who may come to the library for

the purpose of reading books or periodicals.

(North Carolina)

The Jim Crow laws were federal, state and

local laws in the United States (1876-1965)

that mandated racial segregation in all

public facilities.

SEGREGATION is the act ofisolating a race or class from

the rest of the population.

Supposedly, these laws created a separate

but equal experience for African Americans.

But in reality, these laws led to facilities that

were inferior to those provided for the sole

use of white Americans.

2

DID YOU KNOWThat the Negro Leagues Baseball

Museum is right here in Missouri?

Next time youre in Kansas City,go check it out! www.nlbm.com


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In 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers called Ebbets Field home.

This is where Joey Stoshack witnesses Jackie Robinsons

first game. Ebbets Field opened in 1913 and closed in 1957.

A group of St. Louis Cardinals said that they would rather go on

strike than play against the Dodgers if Jackie Robinson was in the

lineup. The Cardinals own manager, Eddie Dyer, wanted to disas-

sociate himself from the hateful attitudes and words of his play-

ers, and he made a point of wishing Jackie well the first time he

saw him. Ford Frick, the president of the National League, also

responded to the Cardinals threats to strike. He said, I do not

care if half the league strikes. Those who do will encounter quick

retribution. All will be suspended and I do not care if it wrecks the

national league for five years. This is the United States of

America and one citizen has as much right to play as another.

Following Fricks statement, four other black players were signed

by major league teams in the 1947 season.

Nope, thats not Busch Stadium! This is Sportsmans Park, where Jackie

Robinson would have played against the Cardinals in 1947.

Photo source: schools.nyc.gov/schoolportals/17/k352/default.htm

legendsrevealed.com

MISSOURI THEATRE GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS:

1CPP 6-8 Design and use technical elements of theatre to represent

time and place, establish character, and create environment

ACTIVITY IDEA! In small groups, have studentsbrainstorm a list of sounds one might hear at a ballpark. Use objects

found in your classroom or house to create a soundscape. Dont

forget about the instrument you always have with you: your voice!

JACKIE ROBINSONS

CONNECTION TO ST. LOUISWHERE DID JACKIE ROBINSON

PLAY IN 1947?

When Jackie took the field, something

reminded us of our birthright to be free.

Rev. Jesse Jackson

He led America by example. He reminded

our people of what was right and he remind-ed them of what was wrong. I think it can

be safely said today that Jackie Robinson

made the United States a better nation.

American League President Gene Budig

He knew he had to do well. He knew that

the future of blacks in baseball depended on

it. The pressure was enormous, overwhelm-

ing, and unbearable at times. I dont know

how he held up. I know I never could have.

Duke Snider

Thinking about the things that happened, I

dont know any other ball player who could have

done what he did. To be able to hit with every-

body yelling at him. He had to block all that out,

block out everything but this ball that is coming

in at a hundred miles an hour. To do what he did

has got to be the most tremendous thing Ive

ever seen in sports.

Pee Wee Reese, Jackies teammate

Back in the days when integration wasnt fash-

ionable, he underwent the trauma and humilia-

tion and the loneliness which comes with being

a pilgrim walking the lonesome byways toward

the high road of freedom. He was a sit-inner

before the sit-ins, a freedom rider before the

Freedom Rides.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.LOC,LC-DIG-ppmsc-00048

GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSONS LEGACY

3


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Branch Rickey

A year before the Mayflower, the first twenty African slaves

are sold to settlers in Virginia as indentured servants.

A slave named Dred Scott sues for his freedom claiming that living

on free soil liberates him. The Supreme Court rules against him, say-

ing African-American people are regarded as so far inferior. that

they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.

Jackie Robinson is born in Georgia.

Anheuser-Busch, Inc. buys the St. Louis

Cardinals, and the teams Sportsmans

Park is renamed Busch Stadium.

William Cammeyer, known as the father of the enclosed ballpark,

opens The Union Grounds in Brooklyn on the site of an ice skating rink.

The Cardinals beat the St. Louis Browns in the only all-St. Louis World

Series. This Series was called the Streetcar Series after the mode

of transport most used to travel to and from the ballpark.

The Brooklyn Dodgers move to

the west coast and became the

Los Angeles Dodgers.

1619

1789

1857

1861-1865

1862

1869

1870

1919

1942

1944

1947

1953

1955

1958

1960

1962

1963

1964

1965

The Constitution is adopted. Slaves are counted as three

fifths of a person for means of representation.

The Civil War divides the country over the legality of slavery.

The 15th Amendment gives African Americans the right to vote.

Branch Rickey becomes president and general

manager of the Brooklyn Dodger organization.

Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson to

the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the

color barrier in American baseball.

The first Jim Crow segregation law

is passed in Tennessee mandating the

separation of African Americans fromwhites on trains, depots and wharves.

The rest of the South follows this

pattern. African Americans are

banned from white hotels, barber-

shops, restaurants, theaters, and

other public accommodations. By

1885, most southern states have laws

requiring separate schools.

Rosa Parks refuses to give up her

seat on a bus to a white man.

Jackie Robinson is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Civil Rights Act allows greater protection

of the right to vote for African Americans.

Demolition of Brooklyns Ebbets Field begins,

breaking the hearts of millions of fans.

Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his I Have a

Dream speech at the March on Washington.

The first indoor ballpark

(The Astrodome) opens.

Rosa Parks

Segregation signs

Martin Luther King, Jr

MAJOR EVENTS IN:

> THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT> THE LIFE OF JACKIE ROBINSON> BASEBALL HISTORY

ACTIVITY IDEA! Allow students to choose a famousperson from the Civil Rights Movement, a legendary baseball player or

an important figure from the time period you are currently studying.

Have each student research this person and then give an oral report to

the class on the persons biggest accomplishments and contributions.

MISSOURI COMMUNICATION ARTS GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS:

L2A K-8 Develop and apply effective speaking skills and strategies forvarious audiences and purposes

L3A K-8 Develop and apply skills and strategies to comprehend, analyzeand evaluate nonfiction from a variety of cultures and times

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OpeningDayTicketM

useum

ofth

eC

ityo

fN

ew

Y o r k

Television

Transistor inventor photo

TRAVEL BACK IN TIME!

Chutes and Ladders

LOTS OF FAMOUS PEOPLEWERE BORN IN 1947!

Elton John, musician

Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and politician

Hilary Clinton, current Secretary of State

Deepok Chopra, doctor and journalist

Billy Crystal, actor and comedian

Paula Dean, TV personality and chef

Richard Dreyfuss, actor

Stephen King, author

DO ANY OF THESE POPULAR

1947 GAMES LOOK FAMILIAR?

INVENTIONS IN 1947

earlytelevision.org

parkcirclediscgolf.com

cedmagic.com

Polaroidcamera

ACTIVITY IDEA! Imagine it is the year 2075, and timetravel has been invented. Have students create a travel brochure to

advertise the year 2012 as a great year to visit. Make sure to include

photos and travel information about the years major events,

technology, food, daily life, arts, and popular culture.

MISSOURI COMMUNICATION ARTS GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS:W2 K-8 Compose well-developed textW3 K-8 Write effectively in various forms and types of writing

MISSOURI VISUAL ARTS GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS:

PP3C K-8 Communicate ideas about subject matter and themes inartworks created for various purposes

Monopoly

5

ROLLBACK PRICES: 1947

Get a load of these prices!

Talk about deep discounts

Average cost of a new house = $6,600

1 loaf of bread = 13

1 gallon of gas = 15

Postage stamp = 3

Movie ticket = 15

Ticket to a Brooklyn Dodgers game = $1.25

wir

ed

.com

Lil Abner Frisbee

from 1947

Candyland

WHOWAS

BORNIN

1947?

WHATTOYSDIDKIDS

HAVE?

WHATW

A

SINVENTED1947?HO

WMUC

HDID

THING

SCOST?


6/9

1

3

21

MEET THE MAJOR LEAGUERS BEHIND JACKIE AND ME

FROM SCRIPT TO STAGE!Once a play has been written, the directors

job is to work with the actors and designers

to put the story up on its feet and bring

it to life!

THE NOVELBECOMES A PLAY!Playwright Steven Dietz read Gutmans

book and was immediately captivated by

the magic and responsibility of having

history come to life on stage.

ACTIVITY IDEA!

MISSOURI COMMUNICATION ARTS GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS:

L1B K-8 Develop and apply effective listening skills and strategies

HISTORY BECOMES A NOVELDan Gutmans book Jackie and Me is based on

Jackie Robinsons life. This means that Dan made

some things up to make his story work. In addition

to the time travel and Joeys skin changing color,

the order of the events in Dans book is different

from how it happened in real life, and thats okay!

Its the writers job to craft a good story for readers

to enjoy.

STATS

> National League Rookie of the Year in 1947

> 1949 batting average: 0.342 earned him

National League MVP

> Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962

FIRST JOB:enlisting in the U.S. Army

FIRST BASEBALL TEAM:Kansas City Monarchs

in the Negro Leagues

OTHER SPORTS: track, basketball, football

FAMILY: wife, Rachel; and three children,

Jackie Jr., Sharon and David

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

A life is not important except for the impact it

has on other lives.JACKIE

ROBINSON

STATS

HOMETOWN:Hoboken, New JerseyPlayed Little League in elementary school

EDUCATION: Rutgers University,

psychology major

FIRST JOB: writing a video games magazine,

Video Games Player.

FAMILY: wife, Nina; and two children,

Sam and Emma

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

I discovered how incredibly rewarding it is to

take a blank page and turn it into a WORLD. For

the first time, I felt that I was doing something I

was good at, something that was fun, creatively

rewarding, and appreciated by an audience.

DAN

GUTMANAUTHOR

STATS

NUMBER OF PLAYS WRITTEN: 30+

HOMETOWNS: Seattle, WA and Austin, TX

In addition to writing plays, Steven alsoteaches directing and playwriting at the

University of Texas at Austin.

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

I try to never take for granted that my

work does not vanish at day's end, but

instead accumulates. I like the small

steps that add up to great journeys.

STEVEN

DIETZ PLAYWRIGHT

6

Joe Stoshack and his dad value baseball cards a lot. Have

students think (and maybe write) about a collection or a

single object that is special to them personally. Pair students

up; one is A, the other is B. Partner A has one minute to tell

B everything they can about their special object. Partner As

job is to give B a vivid mental picture of the object; Bs job is

to listen closely. After one minute, B has thirty seconds to ask

as many questions about the object as possible. A then has

one minute to answer as many of the questions as possible.

Switch roles and repeat the process.


7/9

What first grabbed your attention

about the play, Jackie and Me?

What are you most excited about?I was hooked when our hero, 12-year-old

white kid Joey Stoshack, having travelled

back in time to meet Jackie Robinson,

discovers that he is now black and will

experience life in 1947 as Jackie Robinson

and the black community actually lived

it. Regardless of race, it is impossible not

to lean in and wonder what Joey is going to

do. To step into the shoes of others is an

amazing, frightening, and often liberating

event, and coincidentally, it's what the

theater does best. Theater enables actors

to experience others by stepping into their

skins, their lives, and in the audience we

get to watch them live it. We care because

it's our lives, our history, our possibility

being told. I like a story that is filled with

possibility.

What are some of the challenges that

this play presents for a director?The play jumps time periods from 2012 to

1947 and back again. It also has many

locations and a large cast of characters.

So it takes some planning to stage a

physical production (sets, costumes, lights,

sound) that can do all the things that need

to be accomplished. All of that is challeng-

ing and takes coordination. But I'm not so

intimidated about putting baseball onstage

because in the theater anything is possible!

What do you hope audience members

will take away from this production?That's always a tricky question because it

assumes that an audience has a collective

point-of-view while watching a play, and

they don't. At the same time, audiences

do have a collective experience when

watching a play togetherat least I hope

they do. I hope that encountering together

what this play determines to be right and

wrong and identifying with that determina-

tion, will somehow bind us as a community

for a brief period of time and possibly

longer. I want all of us to know, collectively,

that Joey is a better human being for his

experience with Jackie. I want us to

understand the injustices Jackie and

Rachel Robinson were standing up to when

they said yes to Branch Rickey, and the

valor they showed when they did so. I

want us to know that a few courageous

individuals can change the world for the

better when they believe that all men are

created equal.

Do you have a personal connection

to the game of baseball?My personal connection to this story is

deeply rooted in my memories of my Dad,

and playing Little League baseball, and the

fact that I associate my love of the sport

in so many ways with my love of him.

We adopted our son from Ethiopia in 2006

and introduced him to baseballwhich he

loves. My Dad never lived to meet his

grandson, but I can't help but think that

baseball, in some way, has connected them

across time and distanceand in some

ways allowed them to meet each other in

the same way that Joey is allowed to meet

Jackie Robinson.

How did you discover Dan Gutmans

work, and what inspired you to bring

this particular story to the stage?I was given Dans first baseball card

adventure, Honus and Me, ... As a baseball

fan, and as a parent, I responded to it

immediately. It captures both the magic

and the responsibilities of having history

come to life. I adapted the play and enjoyed

the process tremendously. After Dan saw a

production of that adaptation, he offered me

any of his other books to adapt. I chose

Jackie and Me.

What is the most exciting part of

being a playwright?I find playwriting exciting in several ways.

I'm so grateful for the way it allows me to

travel out of my known world, my comfort

zone, my personal history, and into the lives

of other people and other times. This has

broadened my thinking and hopefully

deepened my view of this world we all share.

I also find it extremely rewarding to work in a

profession where I can make a little progress

every daysome tangible words on a page,

some tangible moments in rehearsal with my

collaborators. As simple as this may sound, I

try to never take for granted that my work

does not vanish at days end, but instead

accumulates. I like the small steps that add

up to great journeys.

AN INTERVIEW WITH PLAYRIGHT STEVEN DIETZ

7

TIM

OCELDIRECTOR

AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR TIM OCEL


8/9

UCLA.edu

THIS IS WHY WE STUDY SCIENCE!

CRUNCH THE BASEBALL NUMBERS!

Joey Stoshack watches Jackie Robinson steal home base, even though it

should be scientifically impossible. Understanding baseball is not the only

reason for studying science, but along with math, it can help us know

whats going on in the game.

baseball basics:TEST YOUR REACTION TIME!

A baseball travels about 55 feet from thepitchers mound to the batter, and it only

takes the baseball four tenths of a second to

reach home plate! The batter has even less

time to decide whether or not to swing at

the pitch.

Test your reaction time: www.exploratorium.

edu/baseball/reactiontime.html

WHY DOESNT THE BEST TEAM HAVETHE BEST RECORD?

The 162 games in each season arent enough

to ensure that the best team in the league

ends the season with the best record. For

that to happen, the 16 teams in the National

League would have to play 256 games per

season. Playing fewer games, of course,

gives underdogs more of a chance to

reach the playoffs and sometimes win

the World Series!

WHY DO HITTERS SWING AT SO FEWPITCHES?

Players will watch a pitch or two pass over

home plate and into the catchers mitt. The

batter allows the ball to go by so he can cali-

brate it and figure out if the pitch is travel-

ing at the speed and in the pattern he antici-

pated. The next time the same type of pitch

is thrown, the batter now has an advantage

and just may knock it out to the cheap seats.

IS IT FASTER TO SLIDE INTO HOME BASEHEAD FIRST OR FEET FIRST?

According to David Peters, a physicist at

Washington University in St. Louis, sliding

into home plate head first has the edge.

Arms weigh less than legs, so as the body

rotates, the players arms can reach farther

than the legs. The players feet also give an

extra push. Even though a head-first slide is

faster, many players still prefer a foot first

slide. They can pop up easier, instead of

sliding by the bag.

BATTING AVERAGE:How often the player successfully hits the ball

at bat. A 0.300 hitter is a traditional standard

of excellence in batting.

CRUNCH THE NUMBERS! To find the battingaverage, divide the number of base hits by the

total number of times at bat.

If David Freese had 400 at bats and has 157 hits,

what is his batting average?

EARNED RUN AVERAGE (ERA):The average number of earned runs a pitcher

gives up over the course of a nine-inning

game of baseball.

CRUNCH THE NUMBERS! Multiply the totalnumber of earned runs by nine, and divide the

results by the total innings pitched.

If Chris Carpenter allows 3 earned runs in

8 innings, what is the ERA?

WIN-LOSS PERCENTAGE:The percentage of wins a team has had in

a season.

CRUNCH THE NUMBERS! Divide the number ofgames won by the total number of games played

If the Cardinals win 20 out of their first 33

games, what is their win-loss percentage?MORE BASEBALL LESSON PLANS!http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mathline/lessonplans/pdf/msmp/fantasybaseball.pdf

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons/grade-3-4/All_Around_The_Baseball_Field.aspx

ssfu.edu

8

DID YOU KNOWMost batters do not see the ball hit the

bat. The human eye cant rotate fast

enough to keep up with the velocity of the

angular velocity of the baseball on the eye!


9/9

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS:

MEMORABILIA

FOR EARLY READERS:

Jackie Robinson and the Big Game(Ready-to-Read, Level 2) by Dan Gutman

A Picture Book of Jackie Robinsonby David A. Adler, illustrated by Robert Casilla

FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLESCHOOL READERS:

More baseball card adventuresfrom Dan Gutman:

Honus and Me Ted and Me Roberto and Me Ray and Me Babe and Me And MANY more!

Who Was Jackie Robinson?by Gail Herman, Nancy Harrison and John OBrien

Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson(Scholastic Biography) by Barry Denenberg

Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson

Changed Americaby Sharon Robinson

Jackies Nine: Jackie Robinsons Valuesto Live Byby Sharon Robinson

FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS:

I Never Had it Made: An Autobiographyof Jackie Robinson

A Level Playing Field: African American

Athletes and the Republic of Sportsby Gerald L. Early

Interactive timeline of Black History milestoneshttp://www.history.com/topics/jackie-robinson/interactives/black-history-timeline

How Baseball Works:http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/baseball.htm

The Baseball Hall of Fame:http://baseballhall.org/

Jackie Robinsons letter to PresidentEisenhower (1958):http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/jackie_robinson_letter/

Baseball Scorecard & Instructions:http://www.baseballscorecard.com/scorecard.htm

AUDIO AND VISUAL:

FILM

Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns (PBS)

The Jackie Robinson Story(featuring Jackie Robinson!)

AUDIO

Jackie Robinson speaks about racial tauntshe experienced during his career:http://www.history.com/topics/jackie-robinson/audio#robinson-on-racial-taunts

Jackie Robinson steals homehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XY-XshGhM

VIDEOJackie Robinsons first career appearanceat Wrigley Fieldhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXvp8q0FTF

INTERACTIVE DISTANCE LEARNINGCheck out programming on HEC-TV Live!http://www.hectv.org

METRO THEATER COMPANYS MISSION

Inspired by the intelligence and emotional wisdom of young

people, we create professional theater, foster inclusive

community and nurture meaningful learning through the arts.

Funding for Jackie and Meis made possible in part by the late Fred Saigh, who through his foundation is helping area children have a better opportunity to achieve their goals.

W H I T A K E R F O U N D A T I O N

Metro Theater Company 2012

Content for this Guide was compiled and written by Meredyth Pederson, Metro Theater Companys 2011-12 Teaching Artist Fellow. Graphic Design by Britni Eggers.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.metroplays.org

OR WRITE TO: Metro Theater Company3311 Washington Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63103

p: 314.932.7414 f: 314.932.7434

9

Images from private collection of Dan Rosen, St. Louis, Missouri.

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JackieMe EdGuide Final