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Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist A Noise Within’s 2008/2009 Season of Awakenings!

Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist A Noise Within’s 2008/2009 Season of Awakenings! California’s Home for the Classics California’s Home for the Classics A Noise Within Study Guide Photo by Craig Schwartz. 2 A Noise Within 2008/2009 Repertory Season Table of Contents 2 Table of Contents 3 Characters, Cast, and Synopsis 6 A Biography of Charles Dickens 7 Oliver Twist and the Hero’s Journey 10 Timeline of Child Labor in Dickensian England 12 Dickens’ Oliver Twist: An Interview with Neil Bartlett 14 Staging Dickens: Making A New Stage Version of Oliver Twist 16 Oliver with a Twist 20 Vocabulary from Oliver Twist 22 VISUAL ARTS: Creating the World of Oliver Twist 24 The Music of Oliver Twist 26 Bibliography/Resources 27 About Theatre Arts 28 About A Noise Within Funding for A Noise Within’s Educational Programs is provided in part by: The Ahmanson Foundation, Alliance for the Advancement of Arts Education, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, Employees Community Fund of Boeing California, The Capital Group Companies, Citigroup Foundation, Disney Worldwide Outreach, DLA Piper, Doukas Family Foundation, Ellingsen Family Foundation, The Herb Alpert Foundation, The Green Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Glendale, Lockheed Federal Credit Union, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, B.C. McCabe Foundation, Metropolitan Associates, National Endowment for the Arts, Shakespeare for a New Generation, The Steinmetz Foundation, Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation, Waterman Foundation. Portions of this study guide reprinted by courtesy of the American Repertory Theatre, Cambridge, Mass. Set design by Kurt Boetcher. 3 A Noise Within 2008/2009 Repertory Season Characters, Cast, and Synopsis of Oliver Twist Plot Summary Scene One: Treats of the place where Oliver Twist was born, and of the circumstances attending his birth. We are welcomed by The Artful Dodger to reflect on the piteous life of Oliver Twist, an orphaned and im poverished child in 1837. The company assures the audience that Oliver is the principle of “Good surviving through every adverse circumstance.” The Story Begins Oliver’s origins take us back to a workhouse. His moth er, laboring under Doctor and Mrs. Corney, dies during his birth. Unwed, the mother has nothing to pass along to Oliver except perhaps a small locket — which Mrs. Corney pockets after her death. She resolves to keep Oliver in her care and feed him gruel. Scene Two: Oliver Twist’s growth, education and board. Oliver now toils under under Mr. Bumble, a parish beadle, and endures the horrendous conditions typical of orphaned children during this period, and endures constant hunger pangs. Oliver is selected by the other boys to ask Mr. Bumble for more food. Trembling, Oliver comes forward and makes his famous request: “Please sir, I want some more.” Mrs. Corney screams in horror, and a great uproar ensues. The workhouse board convenes to decide the fate of this ungrateful boy who dares to ask for more food. It is decided that Oliver will be sold to “anybody who will take Oliver Twist off the hands of this Parish” for five pounds. Scene Three: Oliver prentissed. Undertakers Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry haggle with Mr. Bumble and purchase Oliver for three pounds to use him as their apprentice. The pair intends to take advantage of Oliver’s sorrowful face to add just the right mournful touch to their funeral ceremonies. Noah Claypole, a fellow apprentice, and maidservant Char lotte, take a dislike to Oliver and torment him about his mother. A struggle ensues, and Oliver is locked inside a coffin. Scene Four: Oliver walks to London. He encounters on the road a strange sort of young gentleman. Oliver escapes into the night and walks seventy miles to London over the course of seven days. He encounters a Cast of Characters The Artful Dodger Oliver Mr. Bumble Fagin Fagin’s Gang: Tom, Charley, Toby Mr. Brownlow Rose Noah Claypole Charlotte Mr. Sowerberry Mrs. Sowerberry Nancy Bill Sikes Pollock, Oliver. (1737-1823) Characters in Oliver Twist. 4 A Noise Within 2008/2009 Repertory Season “dirty, common-faced, strange boy” who turns out to be Jack Dawkins — otherwise known as The Art ful Dodger. Oliver, with nowhere else to turn, follows Dodger through the maze of London streets and shops to Farringdon Road — a well-known den of thieves and London’s underbelly of vagrants and street gangs. Scene Five: Oliver meets a pleasant old gentleman. Oliver, escorted by Dodger, meets Fagin and his gang — Toby Crackit, Charley Bates, Tom Chitlin, and oth ers. They feed Oliver, and his allegiance is quickly won. Oliver, exhausted from his journey, sleeps. Scene Six: Which is short, but a key to one that will follow when its time arrives. Mr. Bumble learns from Mrs. Corney that the locket sto len from Oliver’s mother upon her deathbed may hold some significance as a clue to Oliver’s family of origin. Scene Seven: Oliver becomes better acquainted with the merry old gentleman and his hopeful pupils. Fagin reveals to Oliver that the gang’s source of sup port is thievery. They teach Oliver to play a new game — the sole purpose of which is to train fledgling pick pockets. Oliver observes as Tom practices on Fagin, slipping a handkerchief out of his pocket. The gang is visited by Nancy, who comes to collect dues from her abusive lover Bill Sikes. Fagin pays Nancy and she de parts. The gang readies itself to venture into London to extract trinkets and fancies from unsuspecting pedestri ans. Naïve and hungry for companionship, Oliver opts to join the gang. Scene Eight: Oliver becomes better acquainted with the characters of his new associates, and purchases experience at a high price. In the busy streets of London, Oliver observes Tom, Charley, and Dodger engaged in the act of stealing a handkerchief from an unsuspecting passerby - Mr. Brownlow. The boys are caught in the act. Oliver- who isn’t quick enough to escape — is blamed for the at tempted theft. He is arrested and brought before the magistrate, while the other boys escape notice. Scene Nine: Treats of Mr. Fang, the police magistrate, and furnishes a slight specimen of his mode of admin istering justice. In front of a drunken magistrate, Mr. Brownlow accuses Oliver of thievery. He initially presses for prosecution, but then realizes that Oliver is quite ill. Mr. Brownlow changes course and advocates for Oliver, wishing to help him. Witnesses to the event resist Mr. Brownlow’s attempts to procure mercy for the boy, but he eventu ally succeeds in convincing the magistrate to release the boy into his custody. Charley and Dodger tip Fagin off to Oliver’s whereabouts — nearby Pentonville. Scene Ten: In which Oliver is taken better care of than he ever was before. Rose Brownlow and her father Mr. Brownlow nurse Oliver back to health. Oliver learns from Rose that Mr. Brownlow’s other daughter died some years ago. Mr. Grimwig enters, troubled by Oliver’s existence in the house, and warns Mr. Brownlow to count the silver. Meanwhile, Bill Sikes convinces Fagin that Oliver may have too much information about the gang’s dealings to be let go. Worried that Oliver will “peach” to the au thorities, Nancy is dispatched to collect him and return him to the hideout. To settle the matter of trust, Mr. Browlow instructs Oliver to return a stack of books to the bookseller, and requests that he bring the change back. Oliver departs, determined to earn the goodwill of the benevolent Mr. Brownlow. Scene Eleven: Showing how very fond of Oliver Twist Bill and Miss Nancy were. Nancy discovers Oliver, who is attempting to duti fully carry out Mr. Brownlow’s instructions. She makes a scene — pretending to be Oliver’s sister, distraught over losing track of her little brother. Oliver is spirited away, and returned forcibly to “…the bosom of his new ‘family’.” Scene Twelve: Which shows what became of Oliver Twist after he had been claimed by Nancy. Oliver is held captive back at Fagin’s lair. Teased by the boys for his new clothes and books, Oliver pleads with Fagin to release him. Fagin refuses, and Oliver sleeps. Scene Thirteen: While Oliver lay sleeping. Oliver’s reception by Fagin and the boys. Illustration by George Cruikshank. 5 A Noise Within 2008/2009 Repertory Season Rose posts a reward on behalf of her father Mr. Brown low for the safe return of Oliver, or to any person who will “…tend to throw any light upon his history.” Scene Fourteen: Which contains the substance of a pleasant conversation between Mr. Bumble and a Lady. Mrs. Corney is now Mrs. Bumble. The two converse about the sins and wickedness of the poor. They see Mr. Brownlow’s announcement in the paper about Oliver Twist, and resolve to collect the reward. Back in Penton ville, Nancy arrives at Mr. Brownlow’s house and discov ers the very same advertisement. Scene Fifteen: A strange interview. Nancy attempts to alleviate her sense of guilt by speak ing with Rose by bringing news that Oliver is indeed safe. She refuses to reveal Oliver’s whereabouts, and goes to leave. Rose convinces Nancy to set a weekly meeting place where she can receive news about uploads/Litterature/ twist-study-guide.pdf