Program Description

HITTY:  HER FIRST FIFTY YEARS is loosely based on Rachel Field’s Newberry Award winning novel.  Hitty is an antique doll who experiences history first hand, as she passes from owner to owner during the years 1815-1865. Follow Hitty, a remarkable doll, made from mountain ash wood, said to bring good luck, as she journeys on a whaling ship, meets Quaker abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier; and witnesses the signing of the peace treaty ending the Civil War at the McLean farmhouse in Appomattox Court House, Virginia.  

   Artist Bio
Cathy Kaemmerlen, professional actress, dancer, and storyteller, is known for her variety of characters, one-woman shows, and for her rapport with audiences.  A performer and “creator of shows” since she can remember, she has toured in schools coast to coast, since receiving a BA in English/elementary education from UNC-Charlotte, and a MFA in dance performance/choreography/theatre at the University of Wisconsin.  She tours through Young Audiences of Atlanta, the Georgia and South Carolina Touring Arts Rosters, Fulton County SAP, and has received numerous grants and honors, including Outstanding New Interpreter for her region with the National Association of Interpreters.

    Background on Art Form
Telling stories is an oral tradition, dating back to when mankind first developed a language or form of communication.  Storytelling is a universal way of passing down information to be saved and remembered for generations to come.  It is an interactive art form in which the storytellers’ passion for the story, material, and information, is passed on to the audience, who sorts through, interprets, stores, and synthesizes what is heard.

Prepare:

Teachers, please read this to your students.

Today we are going to have a program by actress storyteller Cathy Kaemmerlen in which she portrays Hitty, an antique doll made out of mountain ash wood, guaranteed to bring good luck.  She needs good luck too as she faces a ship fire, being thrown overboard, being washed ashore, stuffed into an old sofa, thrown off an old supply wagon, witnessing the end of the Civil War.  Hitty is an eyewitness to many important events in our nation's history.  We see all of this through her handpainted eyes as she tells of her adventures.

Warm Up Questions to set the stage for engaging students:

--Look at the original book about Hitty or the new adaptation by Rosemary Wells.  Read a few chapters to your class to pique their interest. 
--What makes an antique an antique?
--What was the whaling  industry like in the United States in the 1800’s?
--What was and abolitionist? What role did  Quakers play in abolishing slavery? Would you have been an abolitionist?
--Read some of John Greenleaf Whittier’s poetry.  Can poetry be a vehicle for protest or a way to make people aware of issues?
--Talk about the end of the Civil War-was it a happy or sad or bittersweet time for our country?

Vocabulary to look at before and after:

cannibal: a human being that eats the flesh of another
daguerrotype:  an early photograph produced on a silver plate
popinjay:  a parrot, or a talkative bird
sampler: a piece of needlework showing embroidered letters or sayings 
try works:whaling term; separating the whale oil by boiling
chemise:  a woman's shirtlike undergarment
abolitionist:  a person who favors abolishing or getting rid of slavery
fischu:   dress term for crossed piece worn over the bodice
pacifist: one who does not support war, but by solving problems by peaceful means
whaling expressions:  “Thar she blows.”  (the whale is spouting water) “She’s white waterin’ again.” (whale in sight and pulling away creating a wake)  Nantucket sleighride (when the spear hits the whale and pulls the rowboat after the rope plays out); greasy luck;  (good luck catching the whale and bringing him on board to draw the oil from)  “Drawin’ on too well.”(things are going better than expected so don't count your luck)

Warm Up Questions for meeting the Georgia Performance Standards for "Listening/Speaking/Viewing":

Describe the perfect audience.
What are some of our class rules for being good listeners?
How do we show someone we appreciate their visit to our school or classroom?
How does being part of an audience help make you a good citizen?
What are some examples of bad audience behavior or attitudes?
How does a negative audience member effect your enjoyment of a show or performance?
How would this make the performer feel?
How do we want the performer to feel when they leave our school or classroom?

Reflect:

--What would it be like to be an eyewitness to the end of the Civil War?
--How does the original Hitty book compare to the new adaptation; compare it to the play?
--Write about being an eyewitness to an historical event.  Create a character for yourself or be a fly on the wall,  a spider, a pet, an inanimate object, etc.  Act out your script or write a class play.
--Bring in an antique from home or an object that has a story connected with it.  Share your story.

Resources:

HITTY:  HER FIRST 100 YEARS by Rachel Field
HITTY:  HER FIRST 100 YEARS adapted by Rosemary Wells/Susan Jeffers (new)
THE STORY OF HOLLY AND IVY by Rumer Godden
THE RAGGEDY ANN STORIES by Johnny Gruelle
MISS HICKORY ( Newberry Award)
FUN WITH MRS. THUMB by Jan Mark
ELISABETH by Claire A. Nivola
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER:  ANTHOLOGY OF POEMS
QUAKERS Dec. 1995 Vol. 16 #10 COBBLESTONE MAGAZINE
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER:  FIGHTING QUAKER by Ruth Langland  Holberg
DAVID LIVINGSTONE:  FIRST TO CROSS AFRICA by Mrs. J.H. Worcester, Jr.
LEE AND GRANT AT APPOMATTOX by Mackinlay Kentor
A STILLNESS AT APPOMATTOX by Bruce Catton