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CTC Family Guide 
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins Family Guide 
A detailed description of the play, including things to do and think about, for parents to share with their families.
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A Synopsis of the Story
At the start, young Bartholomew had just one hat. A plain hat, an old hand-me-down hat, at that. That simple red hat is the seed of the story- how it brings to B. Cubbins unexpected glory. For he often exclaims from his stump of a tree, "Nothing much happens to happen to me."
At the edge of a bog full of cranberry flowers, Bart lived. 'Cross the way was a castle with towers. King Derwin of Didd lived there, and he'd look down on the cranberry bog on the far side of town. And this looking across made him feel most pontificant. From his end it just made Bart feel insignificant. (That means that His Majesty liked being king, and that Bart often felt less a human, than thing.)
Well, one day when the king through the streets comes parading, Bartholomew finds himself with hats cascading one after another from off of his head. His intentions are perfect but he's filled with dread because one who can't take off his hat ends up dead when a king like King Derwin shouts "Off with his head." It's a law, don't you see. so intentions don't count. There must be law and order or chaos will mount.
The hatmaker’s never seen anything like it. The archer of archers does his best to spike it. Magicians incant with a droomeling droom, and at last the King sends Bart deep down to the room in the dungeon where far from the faint light of day, the executioner waits to take folk’s heads away. This man with the ax does his best to obey - though he’s lonely and wishes that someone would stay when they come down to visit - he does try to chop it, but one little detail is wrong and that stops it. You can’t chop the head off a guy with a hat. The hat’s got to be off and that is just that. So up Mr. Cubbins trudges again, back to the King who it seems just can’t win.
Then, King Derwin’s nephew, an uppity lad, has an idea that’s good, and gruesomely bad. What’s the idea of this pert little pup? Take Bart to the tower, all the way up, and push him right off. That will fix him alright, unless he is suddenly gifted with flight. Bart starts to climb, dignified, he’ll not falter, but on the way up his red hats start to alter. By the time Bart has climbed to the top of the tower he’s produced hats with feathers and jewels - maybe flowers - and the five hundredth hat is so stunning and slick that it in itself finally does the right trick. The King loves it! He wants it! He’s willing to pay. Thus Bartholomew’s hat by itself saves the day.
Now, here is the puzzle that makes us all think: One day something happens that shakes out the kinks of the every day, go your way, take it for granted, way of seeing the world that is awfullly slanted. It wakes us ALL up; not just Derwin and Bart. It makes us all puzzle from dermis to heart. How do we, what do we, do with surprises? We don't know 'til we get there, but what we surmise is, the thing about living that makes life delectable, is the stuff that is finally most unexpectable.
| THE DILEMMA |
 There is a very huge dilemma in this story: sometimes rules don't make sense. All the fun of the play can mean even more if we watch it with that in mind. So, talk about this. There are a lot of rules in the world. Think of some. Think of big important ones. Think of small sort of silly ones. Talk about what a struggle it is to know which is which. Bartholomew breaks a rule...is it ever OK to do that? When? The king is supposed to enforce the rules...what if he can't? What if he doesn’t want to? |
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| AS YOU GET READY TO SEE THE SHOW |
Also, read some books by Dr. Seuss. Especially The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, and perhaps its sequal...Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Dr. Seuss had the ability to somehow transform the world we all live in, into a remarkable place. With just a few words, and even fewer pictures, he transports us; and his images tumble and jiggle, and ricochet off the page. Whatever the story he tells, the message is always the same: life is good; life is funny; life is important.
If you'd like to approach Seuss through video, check out The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. This movie was created by Dr. Seuss in 1953. It is surreal and wonderfully bizarre - just like it should be - and stars Hans Conried as the sinister Dr. T.
NOTE: To find out more about Theodore Geisel, Oh, The Places He Went, by Maryann Weidt, is a very good biography. Or try www.seussville.com. |
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