Teacher's Guide

Teachers Guide

Target Audience

Theatre Production, Grades 10-12

Pre-Show Activity

The knichi in Barefoot in the Park is a dish that Neil Simon made up. What could be made to be similar to what he describes or believable to the audience? Make and practice popping the knichi. Make Mr. Velasco proud! SOL 3.d: Students apply technical knowledge and skills to collaboratively and safely create functional scenery, properties, lighting, sound, costumes, and makeup.

Kix on Stix Revipe

Amount of time: 

30 mins.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup sugar 

1/2 cup corn syrup 

1/2 cup peanut butter 

3 cups Kix Cereal 

various candys and dried fruit (mini marshmallows even) 

multi-colored sprinkles.

Directions: 

In 3-quart saucepan, heat sugar and corn syrup to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter until blended. Stir in cereal. Cool slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Lightly butter hands. Shape 1 to 2 tablespoons cereal mixture into a ball around each candy. Immediately roll in candy sprinkles. Place pretzel stick into each cereal ball.

Pre-Show Viewing and Discussion

Watch clips of the fight scene from different productions of the show and compare.

see 1:14:20-1:28:00

 Corie and Paul fighting

What are the differences and similarities between the different sets?

What are the differences and similarities between the different costumes?

Were there similarities in the acting from each character?

Pre-Show Reading and Discussion

Read the stage directions before each act and discuss how you would design the small apartment knowing what all needs to be done in the space. Make sure everything is functional and appropriate to the time period.

Post-Show Follow-Up Activity

Watch clips from the 1967 movie and discuss the differences; the way they tackled the set, differences in the script and locations for certain conversations. SOL 5.b: Students research and describe appropriate historical production designs, techniques, and performances from various cultures to assist in making artistic choices for informal and formal theatre, film, television, or electronic media productions.  

Corie finds Paul in the park, drunk and barefoot.

At the Four Winds restaurant with mom and Mr. Velasco.

Corie and Paul have a fight after an interesting night out.

Review Capsules

Production Reviews

"Early Simon, Dressed by Mizrahi" by Ben Brantley, New York Times, February 17, 2006
LINK

"Playhouse makes 'Barefoot in the Park' believable" James D. Watts Jr., Tulsa World, February 9, 2013
LINK

"Broadway 'Barefoot' With Bunions" by Peter Marks, Washington Post, February 18, 2006
LINK

"Barefoot in the Park, Richmond Theatre, review" by Charles Spencer, The Telegraph, May 1, 2012
LINK

"Sit back and enjoy this Stage West Production" by Barbara L. Fredricksen, Tampa Bay Times, May 12, 2012
LINK

"Not So Fresh" by Lee Williams, Houston Press, March 31, 2010
LINK

"Contemporary Theatre's take on 'Barefoot in the Park' is fresh, charming" by Lawson Taitte, The Dallas Morning News, October 29, 2010
LINK

"Barefoot in the Park" by Travis Andrews, DC Theatre Scene, January 30, 2013
LINK

"Barefoot in the Park at Contemporary Theatre in Dallas" Laura L. Watson, Pegasus News, November 4, 2010
LINK

"Barefoot in the Park" Lauren Whalen, Chicago Theatre Beat, September 16, 2011
LINK

Production History

Original Broadway
Biltmore Theatre
New York, New York
Oct. 23, 1963- June 25, 1967
Mike Nichols- Director
Oliver Smith- Scenic design
Robert Redfor- Paul

Recent Broadway
Cort Theatre
New York, New York
Feb. 16, 2006- May 21, 2006
Scott Elliott- Director
Derek McLan- Set
Patrick Wilson- Paul

Off-Broadway
Bucks County Playhouse
New Hope, Pennsylvania
August 7, 2012- Sep. 2, 2012
Sheryl Kaller- Director
James Noone- Set
Lee Aaron Rosen- Paul

Recent Regional
Unity Theatre
Brenham, Texas
April, 14, 2005- May 01, 2005
Teresa Beckers- Director
Jodi Bobrvosky- Set
Charles Charpiot- Paul

Houston Production
Texas Repertory Theatre
Houston, Texas
March 26, 2010- April 11, 2010
Steve Fenley- Director
Liz Freese- Set
Stephen Myers- Paul

Dallas Production
Contemporary Theatre of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Cynthia Hestand- Director
Jen Gilson-Gillian- Set/Props
Will Christoerson- Paul
Oct. 29, 2010- Nov. 21, 2010

All-Black Cast Television Series
Sitcom
Premiered on Sep. 24, 1970
Ran for 12 episodes
Bruce Bilson, Jerry Paris, Charles R. Rondeau- Directors
Scoey Mitchell- Paul

Production Stills

The original Broadway cast of Barefoot in the Park in 1963.

Play House Theatre in Tulsa Oklahoma did Barefoot in the Park in 2013.

Ivoryton Playhouse in Connecticut did Barefoot in the Park in 2011.  

MUT did Barefoot in the Park in 1967which was modern at the time.

ReAct did Barefoot in the Park and the cast was mostly Asian.  

Contemporary Theatre in Dallas did Barefoot in the Park in 2010

The 2006 Broadway revival of Barefoot in the Park at the Cort Theatre.

The Otterbein Summer Theatre produced Barefoot in the Park in 2012.

Hard Copy Resources

Hard Copy Resources

title, author, and date

LOC call number

1-2 complete sentences describing what the resource is and what it contains

1-2 complete sentences explaining why you think this resource will be valuable to the production team

Encyclopedia of the Sixties: A Decade of Culture and Counter Culture, James S. Bagess and Abbe Allen Debolt, 2012
REF E 169.12 .E515 2012 v.1
This book is an encyclopedia of everything 1960s culture. This would be valuable because it shows fashion from the day.

New York 365 Days, Gay Talese, 2006
F 128.37 .N5155 2006
This book is a giant picture book of New York ranging from the years 1920-2008. This would be valuable because there are pictures of what things look like now in New York and how they were in the 1960s.

Lost New York, Nathan Silver, 1967
F 128.37 .S55
This is a book full of architecture in the 1960s. This book would be valuable because there are pictures of old Brownstones and what other buildings looked like around New York and other big cities.

Impossible to Hold, Avital H. Bloch and Lauri Umansky, 2005
E 841 .I47 2005
This is a book that talks about the influential women in the 1960s and how they impacted society and other women of the time. This would be valuable because Corie Bratter is a strong woman who has her own views of life and I feel her character is greatly impacted by these women.

New Yorker, n/a, 1962
AP2 .N6763
This is a periodical of collections from the New Yorker in November though December in 1962. This is valuable because the play is set in the early 1960s and in winter. This information can be used to decorate their house with the items advertised and it also talks about what exactly was going on around the time the play opened on Broadway as well.

Sounds and Images

Sounds and Images

Corie tells Paul that she is going to do a "Cambodian Fertility Dance". This is a video depicting it at a festival.

 Cambodian Fertility Dance  

Paul and Corie live in an old brownstone building. This is an image of the outside of the buildings.

The newlyweds go the The Plaza for their honey moon. This is an image of the Plaza Hotel today. 

Corie whistles the Armenian National Anthem and this is what it sounds like.

Armenian National Anthem

Corie orders a Princess phone in beige. 

After returning from the Albanian restaurant, Corie and Mr. Velasco burst into the apartment singing "Shama Shama". This is a video from the movie where the song is being sung in the restaurant. 

"Shama Shama" 

Paul claims that Mr. Velasco orders him around like he "was one of the Santini Brothers" while arranging their apartment. This is who the Santini Brothers are.

Because Corie is fun and flirty, her fashion sense would be that of a "mod girl" and less like a Jackie Kennedy in the 1960's. This is "mod" fashion.

This link goes to different maps of New York City and the surrounding areas in the 1960's. 

MAPS!!!

Paul and Corie are a young couple and would be pretty in tune with the culture of the day. The artist Andy Warhol was a big success in the 1960's with his bright colors. This is a self portrait of his.

Corie is a free spirit and would listen to all types of music. This video is the top 60 songs of the 1960's.

Top 60 songs of the 1960's