Your first lesson should always be the Mandatory Lesson or a review of that lesson. If you have time for only one other lesson, please make that a review of the synopsis (or plot line) of the play. The King and I is singing theatre. For the history of this art form, go to this link. If you have time for more than one, or if your students already understand the rules of live theater, please feel free to choose one of the additional lessons. They are divided roughly by general subject matter, e. g. language arts, social studies, etc.

Language Arts
The story of Anna in Siam has been written and made into a number books, plays and movies. The most famous books are The English Governess in the Siamese Court by Anna Leonowens and Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon. Neither of these is very historically accurate; for background information follow the links to: King Mongkut, Chulalongkorn, Thailand and Historic Characters.The Landon book was the basis of the 1946 movie Anna and the King of Siam starring Rex Harrison. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The King and I, was remade as a film in 1956 and starred Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. In 1999, another version was made called Anna and the King of Siam starring Jodie Foster. All of these films have been banned in Thailand. The Thais find them offensive to the memory of their king and the history of their country.

Have your students read one of the books and view one or more versions of the movie. Have them compare and contrast the versions. There is a wide number of possibilities of things to look for. They can look for similarities and differences in the principal characters. They can compare the social structures, including absolute royalty, social classes, slavery and manners, comparing the fictionalized version to the reality. They can look for historical accuracy and invention/poetic license. Are these necessary for the story to be successful? Which one of these "stories" could be told accurately and still make a good plot? Are there more other stories that could enrich the story, if told accurately? (For example, the king's favorite daughter?)

Anna Leonowens' book, An English Governess in the Court of Siam, is an autobiography. If your students have read another autobiography, have them compare and contrast the two. Which is more historically accurate? Which is more interesting? Do both authors exaggerate their own lives to be seen at an advantage? Are there other differences in content? Have your students write an autobiographical incident from their own life. Ask them to consider "exaggerating" some portion and see if others can pick out the inaccuracy.

Margaret Landon's book, Anna and the King of Siam, is a biography. If your students have read another biography, have them compare and contrast the two. Which is more historically accurate? Which is more interesting? Do both authors exaggerate the live of their subject to be seen at an advantage? Are there other differences in content? Have your students write a brief biography of some one they know. Have them decide if they should "exaggerate" something for effect. Have them meet with a peer and see if they can decide which version is better.

Rewrite/revise
Choose one of the characters in the story. Decide how you would change that part if you were asked to rewrite the story. Would you give that person a bigger role? a smaller one? make them nicer? meaner? When you have decided, write one scene with your "new, improved" character. Have your classmates help you to decide if your rewrite would improve the story.

Have your students revise or rewrite a portion of the play that they either did not like or that they felt would be stronger/funnier/better if written differently. Have the remainder of the class offer opinions on whether they think the revision is an improvement.

Critique
Have your students write a column of criticism of the play. Be sure they support their opinion with data from the performance. Be sure to make this assignment before they attend so they can be thinking about it as they watch the performance. Choices could include the music as performed by the orchestra, the music as performed by the vocalists (either collectively or individually), the sets, the staging and the directing. Have your students read several newspaper critics before they attend the performance so they can be familiar with the professional's manner of critiquing.

Compare and contrast discussion
If your students were able to attend both The Mikado and The King and I, have them compare and contrast the two pieces. As the discussion progresses, make sure they are supporting their opinions with evidence from the plays. Have them remember things like: both are set in foreign countries which were terra incognita to most of the original audiences.

While both are mainly fictional, Gilbert and Sullivan state up front that they were making a fictional spoof on England and not on Japan, but ads for all versions of King stress the "real" Anna. Although the latter story is loosely based on a real person's experiences, much of it is far from accurate.

The King and I does not represent the real Siam of the 1860's any more than The Mikado represents the real Japan of the 1880s.

Some items in common:
The officious functionary (Krahalome vs. Pooh-Bah),
The cruel punishment (although in The Mikado it is tongue-in-cheek),
Much of the silks for the costumes were imported from the respective countries,
And as Mongkut said long before Anna got there, "etcetera, etcetera, etcetera".

Author Study
Another parallel involves the authors. Both pairs, Gilbert & Sullivan and Rodgers & Hammerstein, worked well together but were not great friends otherwise. The personalities of those of each pair were very different. In a switch, Sullivan and Hammerstein were rather similar as were Gilbert and Rodgers. Have your students compare and contrast the personalities of Richard Charles Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and the effect on their collaboration. Have them determine if they believe they were similar or different. Be sure they use evidence to support their claim. You may choose to have them offer an opinion about the probability of these two men collaborating successfully over time. What factors seem to have affected the actual collaboration? Did they work exclusively together? Did they have other collaborators? Did they work alone?

Your students should understand that singing theatre is a collaboration between a composer (who writes the music) and a librettist (who writes the words). In this case, Rodgers and Hammerstein were a very successful team. Have your students study several of their works and determine why they think that is true. They could compare and contrast The King and I with Oklahoma or The Sound of Music.

Social Studies
These books and movies have not been well received by the government of Siam/Thailand. All of the movies have been banned in that country. Determine why that might be the case. Defend your position with evidence. Take a position on "banning" books and/or movies. Why would a government ban a book? There are several possible reasons. What are the good points of the practice, what are the negatives? What are the kinds of things that must be in place for banning a book to be successful? Could the government ban a book in the United States? What about Cuba? England? China? Iran?

Slavery has a long history worldwide. It looked different in many places. Compare the slavery in The King and I and the form it took in the United States. One of the justifications used in the American south was that blacks were “happy” in slavery because they were fed and housed. If that was truthful, how would you account for Tuptin? She was kept in luxury in the King’s harem. Be sure your students provide evidence for their opinions.

King Mongkut brought Mrs. Leonowens to Siam in hopes of bringing the best of the western knowledge to his people. Looking at the years since his death in 1868, has his country become more westernized? Has it been for the better or worse? Be sure to provide evidence to back up you claim. Was Chulalongkorn a good king? Did he combine the East and the West?

Compare and contrast what was going on in Europe and the United States at the time of this story. Use the dates of the reigns of Mongkut and Chulalongkorn as reference points. What famous figures in history share the same time as these kings?

If you are studying the Second World War, have your students look up the information about The Bridge on the River Kwai. Have them compare the actual, factual story with the fictionalized version in the movie. Have them write a position paper on their opinion of the validity of “changing” factual events to make them into entertainment. If they are able, research the opinion of the survivors of the actual bridge building concerning the movie. Have them research the opinions expressed in Thailand when the Jodie Foster movie was released. Have them use that information to support or disagree with their personal opinion of the practice.

Buddhism is referred to, especially at the end of Act 1. Describe how Buddhism affects the people who practice it. Is the portrayal in the play accurate? Be sure to support your opinion with evidence.

Fine Arts

Compare and contrast what was going on in the rest of the world on music and art and literature during the time of the reigns of Mongkut and Chulalongkorn. What great artists were in the world view? Provide dates and other evidence to support your opinion.

Music
The King and I is singing theater. You should consider an early lesson on singing and the part music plays in our enjoyment of theatre and other performance venues. Your students will know and recognize many theme songs from movies and some music from opera, such as The Toreador Song from Carmen. Although they may not know the music from The King and I, they should be able to discuss how music affects us as we watch and listen to various forms of entertainment. Play one or more of the important songs from the play for your students. (Suggestions: Shall We Dance, Whenever I Feel Afraid, ask for their reactions.)

Rodgers and Hammerstein collaborated in a specific fashion. Hammerstein wrote the lyrics first. Then they went to Rodgers for setting to music. This is the opposite for Rodgers's collaboration with Lorenz Hart. Have your students look at music from each paring and determine which method they think worked better. Be sure they provide evidence to support their opinion.

Have your students take one of the songs from The King and I and rewrite the lyrics or the music. This is easier if the student is not already familiar with the piece. That should give them a feeling for the difficulty of collaborating to write a song. Have each student decide which is easier for him/her and provide the reasons that it true.

Have your students take a song they are familiar with and rewrite the words. Have them decide in advance if they are going to change the purpose of the song or are attempting to keep it the same. Have them state which way they think will be easier. Have them report on which was actually easier and why they think so. Be sure they provide evidence to support their opinion.

Art
Closely observe the sets for The King and I. Write a paper describing your opinion of the scenery as presented. Be sure to provide evidence to support your opinion.

As a follow-up activity, have students design one set they would like to see used for this production. Have them tell why they think the set they have designed would improve it.

Closely observe the costumes forThe King and I. Write a paper describing your opinion of the costumes as presented. Be sure to provide evidence to support your opinion.

As a follow-up activity, have students design costumes for one scene they would like to see used for this production. Have them tell why they think the costumes they have designed would improve it.

Have your students create a playbill to advertise this play. Decide in advance if they should use the performance you are to attend (or have attended) or if they should create one from the past, a possible date in the distant future, or other options. Another option would be to create a handbill.

Career and Technical Education
There are many people other than performers involved in this kind of production. There are two links to help you here. The first link, to Creating an Opera, will tell your students about creating the performance itself. There are numbers of people who are involved in this process. The second link, to Unsung Heroes, will provide you with the people who are rarely, if ever, seen. Have your students look at this list and determine an area that interests them. Have them research the opportunities in that area and write a report on it.

Return to King Home Page

Revised
Please credit Lyric Opera San Diego when using this material.