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5 The Story of the Rainbow Serpent
6 The origin of the Story
6&7 Find Australia on a Map & Information on The Aboriginal People of Australia
8&9 Australia Today & Australian Terrain
10 Color The Landforms!
11&12 Vocabulary from the show
13 Tongue Twisters!

3
The Cast & Crew of The Rainbow Serpent
Davis Aguila Bilbil Brother
Wesley Allen Bilbil Brother
Marina Gordon. The Star Woman
Katie Huskey Gorialla, The Rainbow Serpent
Emily Jane Zart. The Dancer

The cast of
The Rainbow
Serpent!

About TCTs Director of Education and Outreach,

Katelyn Cornelius
Katelyn is a proud graduate of the Cleveland State University Theater program, and
passionate about supporting arts in and around Cleveland. For the past four years, Katelyn
has traveled North East Ohio as an Actor-Teacher for Great Lakes Theater, where she worked
with grades K through 12, bringing literature to life ranging from classic children's stories to
Shakespeare. Prior to GLT, Katelyn taught for the East Cleveland Adult Activities Center and
directed quarterly performances with the residents. Katelyn is also an actor, and has been
seen onstage at such venues as Cleveland Public Theater, Theater Ninjas, Karamu House,
Ensemble Theater, The Bang and the Clatter, and of course, Talespinner Children's Theatre.
(Red Beard in TCT's Aesop's Pirate Adventure will forever be a favorite role.) She is also a
Movement Specialist - recent work includes TCTs Loki & Lucy, The Silent Princess, and Finn
McCool.

4
 The Story of The Rainbow Serpent
Many thousands of years ago, in the faraway land of
Australia, it was Dreamtime. In Dreamtime, the Great
Rainbow Serpent, Goorialla, creator of this world,
awakens, and goes in search of her people. In the
wake of her travels, she creates the mountains,
valleys, and rivers that we now recognize as Australia.
But not only did she give the people the land, she
gave them his spirit in the sky--the rainbows, and the
shooting stars... This is the Serpent's story--filled with
magic, and myth, and the "becoming of all things."
Join us in the beautiful re-telling of this powerful
creation story, and learn more about the mysterious
country that is "the Land Down Under," Australia.

Find Australia on a world map!

5
The origin of the story
The first known image of the Rainbow Serpent was found in a cave and is 6,000
years old. Stories of the Rainbow Serpent have been passed from generation to
generation of Aboriginal Tribes. There many different versions of the story, but
they all believe the snake is some kind of creator. Goorialla is a common name for
this deity. A common story is that the Rainbow Serpent (a male in some stories, a
female in others, sometimes neither) created all of the features of the earth as
they searched the land for their tribe or family. Goorialla created rivers,
mountains, ridges, and is especially associated with sources of water. Some
believe the connection between a rainbow and a snake doesnt just have to do
with shape, but the fact that water is a human life source. When a rainbow
appears, it is believes the Serpent is travelling to a new water source. The
connection to water makes the Serpent the creator and protector of all life.
The Aboriginal People call the time when The Rainbow Serpent and other
ancestors came to create the earth Dreamtime or The Dreaming. During this
time, there were only people, no animals, and the earth was flat and featureless.
This is when the Goorialla, and the other ancestors, created. After the creating, it
is believed the ancestors became elements of the earth and sky, like rocks, trees,
stars, and of course, rainbows. Although these myths date back thousands and
thousands of years, Dreamtime is said to never end. It is an ongoing state that
rules the state of the earth and its people as we know it. This is very important to
the Aboriginal People because spirituality is the center of their being. It rules all
of their relationships and creates a kindship to the environment.

6
About the Aboriginal People
Australia was inhabited by indigenous people for approximately 50,000 years
before The British came. The Europeans landed in Botany Bay in 1788.
The Aborigines are Australias native people. They still make up 2% of Australias
population.
Aboriginal Australians were nomadic people. This means they travelled all over
the country without one specific home. They would travel to hunt and gather
food, making shelters when they needed protection from the weather.
In 1788 there were over 300 Aboriginal languages spoken. Now, only 75 remain.
Some of these languages are well-established, such as Walpiri, and are in no
danger of being lost. Walpiri is even taught in some schools. Others such as
Dyribal are almost extinct. The Western Desert Language has the most
Aboriginal speakers at several thousand people. Most Aborigines actually speak
English as their first or second language.
The Aboriginal Mythology, known as Dreamtime, is accepted as a record of
absolute truth. This is the time in which the Aboriginal Ancestors established
their world.

7
About Australia Today
Australia is an island, surrounded by 8,000 smaller islands
Australia is the worlds 6th largest country by area.
Australia is as big as the Continental US.
The largest cities in Australia are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and
Adelaide.
The capitol is Canberra, which is only the 8th largest city.
The world's largest reef system, the Great Barrier Reef, is found off the north-
eastern coast of Australia.
As of 2012, Australia has an estimated population of over 22 million people.
Australia has the worlds 12th largest economy
Australia has over 10,000 beaches
The Outback is a desert area that cover two thirds of the country.
Australias Highway 1 is the worlds longest highway at 9,000 miles.
Burning Mountain in Australia has an underground natural coal fire that has
been burning for 6,000 years.
If you do not vote in Australia, you are fined.
There is a pink lake in Australia called Lake Hillier. Scientists do not know why
its this color.
About the Aboriginal People

8
The Terrain of Australia

9
Can you label these landforms from
Australia using the words below? After
youre finished, use a rainbow of colorful
crayons to create your own, just like the
Rainbow Serpent does in the story!

Desert Hills Marsh Island

Mountains Volcano Canyon

10
Vocabulary from The Rainbow Serpent
Aboriginal being the first or earlier know of its kind present in a region, can refer
to people (Aborigines) or things
Alliteration - the repetition of a sound at the beginning of two or more neighboring
words
Ancient having existed for many years, or relating to a period of time long past
Ascend to go up (as in to climb or rise)
Benevolent having a desire to do good; kindly or or charitable
Brazen not ashamed or embarrassed by ones bad behavior
Collapse to cave or fall in, or give way
Elders The older members of the tribe/ family/ community
Foretold to tell of or describe beforehand, to predict
Gorge - a narrow passage, ravine, or steep-walled canyon
Granite - a very hard rock that can be polished and is used in buildings and
monuments
Initiation the ceremonies with which a person is made a member of a club or
society

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Vocabulary from The Rainbow Serpent
Majority - the amount by which such a number exceeds the smaller number

Masterful - having or showing the technical or artistic skill of a master

Mischief the quality or state of being irresponsibly playful

Mysterious - creating wonder, curiosity, or surprise, possibly difficult to understand

Notorious - generally known and talked of; especially, widely and unfavorably know

Resplendence the quality or state of being characterized by a glowing splendor

Spelunking the hobby or practice of exploring caves

Summit - the highest point (as of a mountain)
Reveal to make known, to show or display

Tranquil free from disturbance or turmoil

Tribe - a social group made up of many families, clans, or generations that share
the same language, customs, and beliefs

Wise - having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

12
Tongue Twisters!
Actors spend time preparing their instruments of Mind, Body, and Voice before they
rehearse or perform, just like an athlete stretches and warms up before a practice or
game. Part of having a strong voice, is to have clear diction. Having clear diction means
all of your sounds can be perfectly heard and understood. One way to help warm up
your diction is to say Tongue Twisters out loud.
Our Rainbow Serpent gives us a great example (full of alliteration!) from the script:

The sneaky serpent snuck and slithered and slid and swam through the
crashing, swirling sea!
Here is a list of more fun tongue twisters to try. Remember, focus of making each sound of the
words clearly before trying to say the lines quickly in repetition.

Red Leather, Yellow Leather Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards.

Unique New York, New Yorks unique. You know you need unique New York.

Chester Cheetah chewed a chunk of cheap cheddar cheese.

A proper cup of coffee in a copper coffee pot.

One-One was a race horse. Two-Two was one, too.

When One-One won one, Two-Two won one too!

Tie twine to three tree twigs. Wild winds whip wildly Westward.

The queen in green screamed! I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.

Double bubble gum, bubbles double.

If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?

13
Animal Facts
Australia has more kangaroos than people.
The Red Kangaroos in the national animal of Australia.
Australia has 10 times more camels than koalas. Australia actually exports camels to Saudi
Arabia.
The town of Docker River was once invaded by 6,000 camels who were in search of
water.
Over 75% of Australias living species are unknown to man.
The top 10 deadliest snakes can be found in Australia.
Approximately 90% of Australian Animals are found nowhere else.
Koalas The name Koala comes for the Australian words No drink, since the Koalas get most of
their hydration through their diet. Koalas live in Eucalyptus Trees, also known as Gum Trees. The
leaves from these trees are their food source. Koalas have a digest food very slowly, and have such a
limited diet, that they spend very little time moving, and up to 18 hours a day sleeping. Koalas, like
many Australian animals, is a marsupials, meaning they are birthed and carried in a pouch on the
mothers body until they are about 10 months old.
Kangaroos Kangaroos are in the Zoological family of macropods, meaning Long Foot. There are
grey and red kangaroos, which doesnt just refer to their coloring, but their overall look as well.
Their large feet are made to only move together, at the same time. This is where the hopping and
jumping motions come from. These are very large animals. A full grown male can be up to 6 feet tall
and weigh over 200 pounds. Kangaroos travel and live in groups of 5 40 kangaroos. These groups are
called mobs. Kangaroos have great hearing, sight, and sense of smell. If a member of the mob
senses danger, they send a warning to the other by thumping their feet loudly on the ground. Like the
Koalas, Kangaroos are marsupials and the females have a large, visible pouch where their babies live
until they are about 6 8 months old. Kangaroo babies are called Joeys. Kangaroos are herbivores
and eat a number of different grasses and plants.
Wallabies Wallabies are in the same family as Kangaroos. There are about 30 different species of
wallabies. They are typically grouped and names by their habitat, such as Rock Wallabies, Shrub
Wallabies, and Brush Wallabies. Some, like the Hare Wallaby is named for its appearance. Wallabies
are typically much smaller than kangaroos (although some can grow up to 6 feet tall, also). They can
be as small as 10 pounds. They have large powerful tales that help them with balance, to prop
themselves up when sitting, and in some cases, as a defense weapon. The Nail Tailed wallaby even
has a sharp growth at the end of its tail. Wallabies are herbivores and have wide, flat teeth making it
easy for them to chew grasses and plants.
Tasmanian Devils Tasmanian Devils get their name because of their aggressive nature, and the
hissing, growls, whines, and screaming sounds they make, and of course because they live on the
Australian island of Tasmania. These marsupials are carnivores with very strong jaws and sharp teeth.
While they do sometimes hunt birds, insects, and small game, Tasmanian Devils are mostly
scavengers. Their keen sense of smell leads them to their meals, and they will consume every bit of
it, bones and all. They are mostly nocturnal, but can be seen hunting during the day. Tasmanian devils
fight each other quite a bit. They are normally solo creature, so sometimes there has to be a dispute
over food. The devils will try tactics to avoid fighting, like emitting a strong odor, or letting out a
sneeze as an intimidation tactic that is so strong, it often makes the sneezer lose its footing. Males
and Females will actually wrestle for a male can prove he is a worthy mate.

14
Post-Show Writing PromptsFor Younger Students
1. Pick a character from The Rainbow Serpent, and draw a picture of the character. Next to the
picture, list 5 words that describe that character.
2. What do you think of when you think of Australia? Did seeing The Rainbow Serpent change that?
3. Why do you think it was important to the Rainbow Serpent to find her Tribe/ Family? If she had
so much fun creating things, why didnt she just do that?
4. If you met The Rainbow Serpent, what kinds of questions would you ask her? What about the
earth would you like to know?
5. Both the Bil Bil brothers and the Wangoo brothers show signs of bravery. Do you think one set
of brothers was braver? Why?
6. Create a new landform, like a mountain, forest, river, ocean, etc. and draw a picture of it.
Dont forget to name it!

Post-Show Writing Prompts For Older Students

1. Pick a character from the production of The Rainbow Serpent. Write a series of diary entries
for each day describing the characters journey either leading up to the action of the play, or
what happens after. Start each page with Dear Diary, or Dear Journal. Then write about
your day from a first persons point of view, as if you were really the character having these
adventures.
2. Create a Newspaper. Divide students into groups and have each student write a story for their
group newspaper. The stories could focus on actions that happen during the play, such as an
interview with the Bil-Bil brothers as they travel (or from the belly of the serpent!), news stories
about all of the new mountains popping up, or could be about what happens after the action of
the play takes place. There could also be stories from the characters point of view, as if they
were the reporter.
3. Have students write a play review of The Rainbow Serpent. Talk to students about what it
means to critique a play. Have students write about what they liked best and what they might
change. Students may include favorite actors, moments in the play, costumes, sets and music.
4. Star Woman stands up for the women of the tribe during the play, asking why they cant be
part of the Bora Ceremony. What would you do if you were in her place? Have you ever had to
stand up for yourself or someone you know?
5. The Aboriginals have what is called an Oral History passed down from generation to
generation. They teach their history by telling stories. Can you think of times in our own lives
today when we do this?
6. The Aboriginals are very Earth conscious. How do you think the Rainbow Serpent helped teach
them that?
7. The didgeridoo is an Aboriginal wind instrument. Why do you think it is called that? And what
do you think its significance is in Aboriginal life? Have students research photos and sounds of the
instrument.

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