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Last updated 4/6/2009

Elise Walter, Rachel Alba,

James Butler, & Kelby Siddons

updated 4/6/2009
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Dear Students,
Welcome to the Purple Crayon Players’ BACKSTAGE guide to the Spring 2009 tour of
the Pinballs! We hope you enjoy the show, and we hope that your experience with the
Pinballs doesn’t stop after you leave the theatre. That’s why we’ve put together
interviews, quotes, activities, information, questions, and ideas for conversation in the
following pages.

This edition of BACKSTAGE is all about decisions, and when you see or think about
this performance of the Pinballs, it’s helpful to think about decisions as falling into two
categories: play and production.

When you think about the play, you’re thinking about the story that you see taking
place – the lives of Carlie, Harvey, Thomas J, Mrs. Mason, and Harvey’s father. How do
these characters decide to interact with each other and the world they live in?

When you think about the production, you’re thinking about the way that the story is
being told by the script, the actors, the director, and the designers. Everything you see
and hear onstage is the result of a decision by someone on the Pinballs team. What are
those production choices telling you about the play or story?

You can read this guide on your own or with your class,
friends, and family. We’d love to hear about your
responses and conversations to the guide or start our
own conversation about it!
Please send your questions and responses to:
 ATTN: Purple Crayon Players
Center for Student Involvement
Norris University Center
1999 Campus Drive, box #39
Evanston, IL 60201
purplecrayonplayers@gmail.com
We also invite you to visit our website,
www.purplecrayonplayers.com, for videos, blogs, and
other content designed to go hand-in-hand with this
BACKSTAGE guide. Send us a letter or e-mail, and we
may feature your work online, too!
We hope to see you at Purple Crayon Players’ shows
and events in the future!
Sincerely,
Purple Crayon Players & the Pinballs Tour
Table of Contents
* = great pre-show content
Front Cover......................1
Intro Letter*......................2
The play
The Writers*.....................3
Differences & Decisions...4
Foster Care*....................5
Characters.......................6
Pinballs*...........................7
Decisions*........................8
Technology*................9-11
Make a wish!..................12
Write a letter...................13
The production
The tour team*...............14
Rehearsal blog*........15-19
Set design......................20
Back Cover....................21
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The Adaptation: The Writers *

The performance of The Pinballs you see at school is an adaptation of a novel for the
stage. This means that the story was first written as a book by the author Betsy Byars.
The playwright, Aurand Harris, read that book, and decided to write the story into a
script that would guide a director, actors, and production team to put the story onstage.
Here’s a side-by-side look at the authors behind this production of The Pinballs…

Author & Novel Playwright & Play

Betsy Byars was born in 1928 in
Charlotte, North Carolina. She graduated
from Queens College with a degree in
English. Inspired by her pilot husband,
Betsy she received her pilot’s license in
1983. Over the course of her writing
career she has received the Newberry
Medal for The Summer of Swans (1971)
and the National Book Award for The
Night Swimmers (1981). Betsy continues
to write and update her website,
BetsyByars.com, regularly. She wrote
the novel the Pinballs in 1977.
Aurand Harris was born in Jamesport,
Missouri in 1915. He attended the
University of Kansas City, Northwestern
University, and Columbia University. In
addition to being a playwright, he worked
as both a teacher and a college professor
in schools and universities across the
country. He also edited other Theatre for
Young Audiences plays and anthologies.
He died of cancer at the age of 82 as
America’s most-produced and most-
celebrated Theatre for Young Audiences
playwright.

Betsy Byars on her novel… Aurand Harris on his play…

“I loved writing this book because I cared
so much about Carlie, Harvey and
Thomas J… this is the first time I didn't
have a favorite [character]. I've had more
letters about The Pinballs than any book
I've ever written, and almost all of them
want a sequel…. One thing I do know
about Carlie and Harvey and Thomas J is
they kept in touch for the rest of their
lives.”
Aurand had nicknames for each of his
plays, and he called The Pinballs his
“Chekhov play,” after the Russian
playwright Anton Chekhov. Chekhov’s
playwriting style featured stories moved
forward by characters’ actions and
personalities, rather than outside events.
Based on this description, do you agree
with Aurand’s nickname for the Pinballs?

Further thoughts & questions… Further thoughts & questions…

• Of the three characters Carlie,
Harvey, and Thomas J, who do you
relate to the most? Can you pick a
favorite, or do you care for them
equally like like Betsy?
• What do you think would happen in
the sequel to the Pinballs? What
would the title be?
• How do you see characters’
decisions moving the action of the
story?
• Can you think of an example of an
opposite type of story – where
outside events provide much of the
story’s conflict and action? What
stories are combinations of both?
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The Adaptation (con’t): Differences & Decisions

If you read The Pinballs, you’ll notice there are differences between the story and
characters in the novel and in the play. Keep in mind that some of these differences are
based on not only the playwright’s decisions, but the director’s and the rest of the
production team’s. We’ve made a few notes to get you started – what else did you
notice that’s different about the novel and the play?

The novel by Betsy Byars The play by Aurand Harris

as performed by Purple Crayon Players
Characters • Carlie • Carlie
• Harvey • Harvey
• Thomas J • Thomas J
• Harvey’s Dad • Harvey’s Dad
• Mrs. Mason • Mrs. Mason
• Mr. Mason • Puppy
• Puppy

Setting Mrs. Mason’s home and Mrs. Mason’s backyard

surrounding areas Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Georgia
Time Period Summer, 1977 July 2008
References • Joe Montana, • Brett Favre, Quarterback of
Quarterback for the San the Green Bay Packers
Francisco 49ers (1979- (1992-1997) and the New
1992) York Jets (2008-present)
• •

Other Notes
Think about the
way you see the
characters, parts
of the plot that
are added, taken
away, or in a
different order.

Look at the differences between these two versions of the Pinballs story.
Why do you think certain differences are there? Why might some things need to be
changed from novel to play? After you read the production section of BACKSTAGE,
what decisions from the second column (the play) do you think were made by the
playwright? by the director? Would you have made any decisions differently?
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The Characters
The play the Pinballs feature the characters Carlie, Harvey, Thomas J, Mrs. Mason,
and Harvey’s Father. Which of these characters are in each of these scenes from the
Pinballs? What do we learn about them and their relationships from their expressions
and gestures? If you know what moment of the play happens during these pictures,
write it down below.

Characters in this scene: Characters in this scene:

What I learn from this picture: What I learn from this picture:

When this moment occurs in the show: When this moment occurs in the show:

Characters in this scene: Characters in this scene:

What I learn from this picture: What I learn from this picture:

When this moment occurs in the show: When this moment occurs in the show:
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Pinballs *
“Harvey and me and Thomas J – we’re just pinballs. Somebody puts in a quarter and
punches a button and out we come, ready or not… And as soon as they get settled,
somebody comes along and puts in another quarter, and off they go again.” – Carlie

Pinball machines are not as popular today as

they were in the 1970’s, but the idea of pinballs
is the creative way Carlie expresses the
helplessness she and her foster brothers,
Harvey and Thomas J feel in the care system.
Pinball is an arcade game played with a
set of pinballs (see the upper right hand
corner of this page) released into the
pinball machine by a player’s quarter(s).
The player’s goal is to use the flippers at
the bottom of the table to keep the ball
in play, hitting bumpers and racking up
points, rather than falling between the
flippers and ending the game.
In the game, the pinballs are at the
mercy of the player’s use of the
flippers and the laws of physics as

This is a screenshot from a space-themed

computer version of a pinball table.
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they rocket around inside the table.

Carlie feels like a powerless pinball
because adults determine where
and when she lives and give her
little say in the matter.

• Think about a time when you felt powerless, helpless, or like you didn’t have any
choices. What did you do about it?*

• How might all the characters in the play feel like pinballs at some point? (Think
about Mrs. Mason and Harvey’s father, too!)

• Does Carlie’s theory about “being a pinball” change over the course of the play?
If so, how? What makes her change her mind?
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Moments of Decision *
I read the Pinballs by Betsy Byars when I was in 5th grade, but the message of the story
followed me long after the last page, as teachers told me “no one can make you do
anything,” “there is always a moment of decision,” and “attitude is everything.”
Carlie, Harvey, and Thomas J feel like pinballs – as though they have no choice or say
in their lives. The way they get sent through the foster care system mirrors how many of
us can feel about the demands upon our own lives. That’s why it’s such a powerful thing
to realize that even though you sometimes can’t choose what life deals you, you can
always decide how you will react to what life deals you.
Many people do not realize the Helpful Resources
power that lies in their moments
of decision, and they choose
• Alateen, a division of Alcoholics Anonymous
poor ways to cope with
o 1-888-425-2666
problems. Harvey’s Dad does
o www.al-anon.alateen.org/alateen.html
not deal with problems at work
and the absence of his wife in a • National Association for Children of
positive way. He uses alcohol to Alcoholics: www.nacoa.org
cope with his sadness. Drinking • The National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and
makes him feel more powerful, Drug Information: www.health.org
but in reality, it puts him less in • Childhelp of Illinois
control of his situation and he o 1-800-252-2873
accidentally hurts Harvey when o www.state.il.us/dcfs/child/index.shtml
he’s under the influence.
It can be painful and uncomfortable to watch Harvey’s father begin to deal with the
consequences of his actions during the play, but these reactions honor the seriousness
of the character’s decisions. It’s important to remember that such decisions and their
consequences do not necessarily make someone a bad person. The issue is
complicated because alcoholism is a disease, which is difficult to overcome without
help: something it also takes courage to decide to ask for. If you or someone you
know if affected by alcoholism, there are people you can turn to. Talk to a trusted
counselor and see the above box of helpful resources.
I encourage you to become aware of the moments of decision that happen for all the
characters in the Pinballs as well as your in own life. Such moments are not as clear-cut
as asking a question and getting the “right” answer. Rather, such moments are about
seeing all the options and having the courage to decide which one is right for you.
I hope you enjoy the Pinballs, which just like real life, has moments of humor and heart
as well as hardship. The cast and I are looking forward to talking with you about the
decisions you see in both play and production and the ideas behind them!

Best wishes,
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Technology in the play *

Carlie uses a digital camera to record and narrate some parts of the story as it occurs,
making a documentary or, if she were to post it online, a vlog of her life. The word vlog
comes from:
WEB + LOG, = “BLOG”
meaning “journal”

VIDEO + BLOG = VLOG,

a video journal,
also called simply
“video blogging.”

Yet vlogging is not the same as traditional journaling, writing and recording details
about your life in a private book. Let’s take a look: on the left below, write a journal entry
about your life which you would keep to yourself to remember and reflect on. On the
right, write a version of this that you would be comfortable including on an internet blog
that anyone, including strangers, can access. Circle the details from your journal that
you omit from your blog.

My journal… My blog…

For tips on blogging safely, visit

microsoft.com/protect/family/activities/blogging.mspx.
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Technology in the play (cont’d)

Here are some verbs that may or may not describe the ways Carlie uses technology
and her vlog throughout the play. Circle the verbs you think apply.

Interview Demand
Give Share
Belittle Block
Compliment Encourage
Insult Tease
Protect Question
Now write down the verbs you chose in the left-hand column below. What moment of
the play does this action happen during? Once you’ve written down all the verbs and
their moments, number the moments to show the order they happened in.

Verb: Moment in the play: When it happens:

Compare the verb from your first moment with the verb from your last moment.

• Based on this exercise, does the way Carlie use this technology change over the
course of the play? If so, how? Why?
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Write a letter
• On Carlie, Harvey, and Thomas J’s second day at Mrs. Mason’s home, Mrs.
Mason suggests they write letters home. Carlie writes to her mother, Thomas J
writes to the Benson twins in the hospital, and Harvey writes (later in the play) to
his mother. Do you think they got letters back? If they did – what would they say?
• Author Betsy Byars has said the one thing she knows about Carlie, Harvey, and
Thomas J is that they kept in touch after they eventually went their separate
ways from Mrs. Mason’s home. Write a future letter from Carlie, Harvey, or
Thomas J to Mrs. Mason or one of their foster siblings. How long has it been
since the summer shown in the play? What has happened?
• Harvey’s father talks about writing letters to his wife in Virginia as well. What do
you think he said in these letters? What would he write now in a letter to Harvey
after he visited for his birthday?

Use the space below to imagine one of the letters suggested or inspired by the Pinballs.
Use a separate piece of paper if you need it.

To: From:
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Meet the Cast & Touring Team

Cast
Kacy Smith (Carlie) is a Theatre major sophomore from Sugarloaf, Texas. She has
recently been seen at Northwestern in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
(Clarence), Assassins (Squeaky Fromme), Feed the Birds (Ellen) and The Curious
Case of Caroline Crane (Laura Diddlycrumb). Other favorites include The Chalk Garden
(Laurel), Anne of Green Gables (Anne), Children of Eden (Eve) and Parade (Mary
Phagan).

Jeff Konowitch (Harvey’s Dad) is Junior theatre major from Dobbs Ferry, New York. He
has had such an amazing time working on The Pinballs, and wants to think the cast and
crew for their hard work and dedication throughout the process. He also would like to
thank his teachers, friends, and family for their love and support.

Justin Barbin (Thomas J), a sophomore and recent transfer into the School of
Communication Studies. He is also currently touring with Griffin’s Tale. Favorite things
include candy, peeling dry paint, buying things in bulk, and wearing animal hats. Justin
sends his gratitude to his supportive friends and family as well as his love to all those
who feel they’re not loved enough.

Emma Roberts (Mrs. Mason) is a junior Theatre major from Vienna, Virginia. She
would like to thank Kelby and the cast of The Pinballs for reminding of her of what's
important in life: cake and puppies. Kisses to Wednesday, Gamma Phi and Sit & Spin
Productions. Bring on the 5AM wake-up calls!

Mikey Renan (Harvey) is thrilled to be part of Purple Crayon Players' production of The
Pinballs. He is a sophomore Theatre major from Los Angeles, California, and he is
unbelievable thankful that winter is over and spring is just around the corner. Hallelujah!

Touring Team
Jordan Puckett (Tour Director) is a sophomore Theatre major from San Jose,
California. She is one of the teaching artists for the Barrel of Monkey’s after-school
program in Loyola Park. She stage-managed Purple Crayon Players previous tour, Salt
& Pepper.

Kelby Siddons (Director) is a junior from Jacksonville, Florida majoring in Drama. She
would like to thank Mrs. Hamm for teaching The Pinballs in her fifth grade classroom.

Jacob Watson (Tour Director) is a sophomore Theatre major from Belmont,

Massachusetts. He is currently directing a staged reading of Drew Chappell’s Time
Pieces at Northwestern. The show plays at the John Evans Alumni Center Saturday,
April 18 at 7 pm and is FREE – see purplecrayonplayers.com for directions and details!
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Rehearsal Blog
The actors kept a weekly rehearsal blog. Read their entries to find out
about what it takes to put on a production, and what they discovered about
the play. Their entries also appear online, with more rehearsal photos and
links, so check it out at purplecrayonplayers.com!

Week One: 2/8/09 - 2/12/09

by Justin Barbin

The rehearsals for Pinballs isn't all fun and games, but it surely is mostly
fun and games! We began the acting process with a week of
introductions. We were introduced to the entire team needed to make
this show happen (and boy are we a team!) There is of course the director and the
actors, but there are so many other people involved like a stage manager (who makes
sure rehearsals start and stay on time), assistant director, set designer, lighting
designer, sound designer, and publicist among others. We played games to get to know
one another better as a cast as well as read and reread the script to understand what
the show is really about. To play these characters, we had to fully understand them and
we did so by using our imagination to think about what it was like to really be them.
What does Thomas J do first thing in the morning? What's his favorite color? His
favorite song? It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be someone you're not, but it
is also a lot of fun and so rewarding.

Below, at left: Our first read-through. At right: Some character work through list-making.

What are the characters' favorite songs? Visit our rehearsal blog online at
purplecrayonplayers.com for a playlist the actors and director compiled,
inspired by characters, setting, and story.
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Week Two: 2/15/09 - 2/19/09

by Kacy Smith

My name is Kacy and I will be playing Carlie in Purple Crayon Player’s

spring tour production of The Pinballs. We just finished our second week
of rehearsal and it has been exciting because we blocked the whole
show. Blocking is when the director and the cast make specific decisions about where
the actors move on stage. For instance, at the end of this week we blocked the final
scene of the show – which involves a puppy! We decided exactly where on stage we
stand, where our attention is pointed, and how we handle the puppy during each line.

When I auditioned for the The Pinballs a few months ago, I was asked to read a scene
from the script (often called a “side”). As soon as I read through the side, I knew that
Carlie would be a difficult character to play because her imagination is incredibly
vibrant, she can switch between several different ideas in an instant, and she is so
physically active. While she has an extremely tough exterior, she is really a child at
heart. She hopes for truth and goodness in the world, but does not believe it can exist.
My hope is that I will do this wonderful character justice.

The blocking and physical work

that we have done this week in
rehearsal has helped me to figure
out how to slip into Carlie’s skin
and it’s evident to me now how
important physicality of a
character is. The true emotions
and thoughts of a character come
out of physicality so much more
naturally than reading from a
script! I jump, roll, and dance
around the stage during the show
(and I would imagine that as we
get closer to the first performance
my movements will only get
wilder). Blocking this show has
been a blast, but it’s also been extremely tiring! I’ve always been told that you are not
doing your “job” as an actor if you are not completely tired when the show or rehearsal
is over every night. Well, I guess I’m doing pretty well because by the end of the night
all of my energy has been zapped out of me!

Above right: Kelby explains a physicality exercise to Jeff and Kacy.

A director will sometimes compare a conversation or scene to a game to

understand the relationships and goals of the characters. What scenes in the
Pinballs remind you of games, and which games do they seem like?
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Weeks Three and Four: 2/22/09 - 2/26/09 and 3/2/09 – 3/5/09

by Mikey Renan

This last week of rehearsals was really busy. First, at the beginning of the
week we were required to be off book. Off book means having all of your
lines memorized. Thursday, we had our first full run through of the show.
A run through is when you perform the whole show without stopping at all to correct
things. Finally, on Sunday we had a film shoot to film some scenes that will show up on
a projector during the show. It was a very tiring week, but it was really exciting too.

The first run through went well. Things

never go perfectly on a first run, so there
were parts where some of us forgot our
lines or where we were supposed to go
on stage, but considering that it was a
FIRST run, I’m super excited. By the time
you see the show I’m sure it’ll be
awesome!

Filming on Sunday was also soooo fun. It

was cool to be on a film set (I’d never
been in a film before so it was a really
new experience for me). The scene I
filmed was…well, I can’t tell you because
it’s a surprise, but I’ll give you a hint: one
of the actors in the scene was fat, wiggly,
had a tail, and was a licker!

At right: Emma, Mikey, and Kacy take

some direction from Kelby on the set of
the film shoot.

In our production of the Pinballs, there are moments projected onto a screen
that is built into the set. Of these projections, what do you think is a memory,
what's imagination, and what's happening at the same time as the scene
onstage? Whose memory or imagination is it?
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Tech Week: 3/8-3/12

by Jeff Konowitch

So we are now in the midst of tech week. What is tech week you may
ask? Well, we’ve worked hard for the past four weeks on figuring out
how to portray these characters and how we want to tell the story.
During tech week we move from the rehearsal room to the theater and start using
costumes, sets, lights, and props. It takes a week for us to integrate these new
elements into the show.

We do what’s called a “cue-to-cue” to time the lights and sound to match up with
moments in the play. For example, there is a scene where the characters Harvey and
Carlie are waiting for the arrival of a car. The sound designer needs to learn how to time
the sound of the car on the right line, and the lighting designer must time the lighting
change as well. It sounds very complicated, but the students who have created the
sound and lights have thought about all of this in detail. But, it takes a while because
sometimes the lighting designer needs to adjust the light for a scene to get it just as he
imagined it, or the sound designer might need to redo a moment in order to get the
timing right.

During tech week the actors need to make

sure that they can change their costumes
in time between scenes. Last night the
actor who plays Thomas J had to change
into his roller skates really quickly so a few
of us other actors helped him to frantically
change so he could be on stage in time for
his next scene.

Tech week starts a bit hectically – lots of

details need to be worked out – but as the
week progresses the play starts to come
together smoothly with the sound, lights,
costumes, and props. We are all geared
up and excited for Thursday...opening night!

Above right: Emma and Justin perform a scene beneath our newly hung lights.

Tech week is all in the timing. It's the stage manager's job to make sure that
lights, sound, projections, props' movements, and costume changes all happen
at the right times while keeping the actors safe on the set. It's the ultimate
multitasking! Our Stage Manager uses a "call book" that lists all the cues and
the lines they happen on. Have you ever had to juggle a lot of responsibilities at
once? What helps you stay organized?
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Show time! March 12 – 14

by Emma Roberts

Being a part of the on-campus run of The Pinballs has been something
really special. Since The Pinballs is Theatre for Young Audiences, I had
been a little nervous about our show's ability to reach college-age
students - but our show genuinely smart and funny - that's something everyone can
enjoy! My friends who came to see it were really impressed with how the play tackled
such complicated issues in such a delicate way. And, of course, the puppy was a hit. I
think what made all the difference was the way that Kelby taught us to play motivation
rather than age. That means thinking more about what our characters are trying to
accomplish as human beings, and thinking less about trying to make our nineteen- and
twenty-year-old selves into eight-, thirteen-, fifteen-, and forty-five-year-olds.

One of the most challenging parts of our run at Northwestern was trying to get all of our
technology issues worked out. There was only one show (the very last one!) where our
projection videos went off without a hitch. Fortunately, we had a wonderful and flexible
team that helped us work through any technical difficulties. I think you will agree that
the projections add a lot to the show by letting us show flashback moments (like what
happened to Harvey's legs) or tricky logistics (like the puppy!) in a way that feels real
and doesn't break the spell cast by the rest of the play.

When we were taking down

the set on the Sunday after
the show, I expected to feel
sad. But then I realized that
our work was nowhere near
finished - we have a long
way to go this spring, and
many more people to share
this story with. I am so
excited for our tour, to see
share it with schools we're
visiting think and have post-
show discussions afterward.
I’m a little nervous about
rebuilding the set in, oh, fifteen minutes, but mostly just really excited. I hope our on-
campus audiences enjoyed The Pinballs. I can't wait to see what else I will learn from
the new places we are about to go!

Above right: Justin, Kelby, Jeff, Kacy, Emma, and Mikey after the final on-campus
performance.

What accomplishments are you very proud of and like to share with people?
Have you ever felt like an ending was just a beginning in disguise?
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Purple Crayon Players There’s more to see on

is a performance and community
service group that strives to
produce quality theatre for young
our website!
audiences, both for the
Northwestern community and for Visit www.purplecrayonplayers.com. In the special
the Chicagoland area. Additionally, Pinballs section, you’ll find…
Purple Crayon Players recognizes
that theatre is an effective medium
for education and endeavors to use
• A video interview with costume designer
art as an educational tool. Mugsie Pike as she raids Purple Crayon
Players’ storage for the characters’ outfits.
Executive Board • Video interviews with the cast, the director,
Spring 2008 – Winter 2009
and the producer including behind-the-scenes
Co-Artistic Directors glimpses of the film shoot and set building.
Bryce Norbitz • An expanded rehearsal blog with more
Madeline Scheffler photos, links, and food for thought
accompanying each entry.
Production Manager • A gallery of the publicity images and
Anna Perczak advertising the Pinballs team put up on
Northwestern’s campus to spread the word
Business Manager
about the show.
Brynne Mancuso
• COMING SOON! Podcasts from the cast
Communications Director members and tour directors on the themes of
Christine Ritchey the show, from fun trivia to tough issues
covered by the play.
Education Director
Elise Walter Elsewhere on the site, be sure to check out:
• Information on and photos from past Purple
Education Chairs
Crayon Players shows and events, like our
Rachel Alba
James Butler fall production HONK! – a musical retelling of
the Ugly Duckling story.
Special Events • Updates on upcoming performances, events,
Kristen Cragwall and ways to get involved with our season like
Lindsey Dorcus creative drama workshops.
• Feeback surveys and other ways to contact
Publicity
us with your ideas and questions.
Kelby Siddons

Tour Directors Contact us! We appreciate all letters and e-mails…

Jordan Puckett
Jacob Watson ATTN: Purple Crayon
Players
Technical Director Center for Student Involvement
Dan Wilson Norris University Center
1999 Campus Drive, box #39
Evanston, IL 60201
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purplecrayonplayers@gmail.com