the arkansaw bear

Created and Presented By: Victoria Ninemire

summary of the arkansaw bear

• Tish is told by her Mother and Aunt Ellen that her Grandfather is dying. Tish is devastated by this news and runs away from it.
• She runs away into, what I believe should be a forest, where she wishes upon Star Bright.
• She makes a wish to understand why her grandpa is dying, which leads her to meeting The World’s Greatest Dancing Bear and the Mime.
• He is running from the Ringmaster, who is the personification of death, and after meeting Bear she wants to help him hide.

summary of the arkansaw bear Cont.

• They then meet Little Bear, who Bear tries to leave his legacy to.
• Little Bear helps Tish figure out a way to cope and better understand death.
• The Ringmaster takes Bear, but it’s okay because he left a part of himself behind in Little Bear.
• Tish understands that it’s her Grandpa’s time to go so she goes home where she is told that her Grandpa is dead.
• Tish accepts this because she is a “chip off the old block” and ends up helping her Mother and Aunt cope with the heartbreaking loss.

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theme/message of the arkansaw bear

The theme/message that I got from this play was the understanding and acceptance of the death of a loved one.

house setting

The house will be set in the 1960s or 70s. I’m going for a more traditional household with not many electronics around so that children still have to depend on their imaginations.

Chairs that Grandpa and Tish made together.

background for when tish calls star bright

forest setting

I would make it appear that Tish is runing towards the light when she runs away from her mother and aunt and when she emerges again she is in the forest.

wardrobe for tish

wardrobe for little Bear/bear

star bright & the mime

mother and Aunt Ellen

I know that the outfits for the other characters are more modern and I’m shooting for the 1960s look, but these are definitely how I see the mother and aunt looking. The characters of Tish and the Bears are in my mind more modern than the mother and aunt.

• Do you have any questions for me?
• From what I’ve shown you can you tell me some ideas about what you would do?

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• I will listen to any advice that you have to offer or share.

Questions

Suggestions