Guys and Dolls Study Guide

GUYS AND DOLLS

A Musical Fable of Broadway
Based on a Story and Characters of Damon Runyon
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Directed by Donna Feore
Music Direction by Franklin Brasz

Download House Program

GRADE RECOMMENDATION

Grade 6+

CONTENT ADVISORY

Please see the show page for a detailed advisory.

SYNOPSIS

Set in the bustling world of 1940s New York, Guys and Dolls follows a colourful cast of gamblers, showgirls and mission workers whose lives collide in unexpected ways. Nathan Detroit scrambles to secure a venue for his famed but illicit craps game, all while trying to keep the peace with his devoted fiancée, Miss Adelaide. To raise the money he needs for the game, Nathan makes a daring wager with slick highroller Sky Masterson – a bet that sends Sky straight into the path of earnest missionary Sarah Brown. As schemes unfold and loyalties are tested, romance, chance and charm weave together in this classic musical comedy.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

Global Competencies or Transferable Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship; Self-Directed Learning; Collaboration; Communication; Global Citizenship and Sustainability; Digital Literacy

Grades 6-8

The Arts
Health and Physical Education
Language

Grades 9-12

The Arts
English
Health and Physical Education
Social Sciences and Humanities

Post-Secondary

Suitable for courses in disciplines such as Arts, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, Dramatic Arts and Theatre, English, Fine Arts, Gender Studies, History, Music, Musical Theatre, Social Development Studies, Teacher Education

THEMES

Commitment
The Importance of Community
Faith and Religion
Gender and Access to Power
Honour and Reputation
Hope for the Future
Love as Transformative
Luck and Gambling
Making Change
Redemption
Releasing the Past
Social Class and Criminality

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION QUESTIONS

PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS

The sub-title of Guys and Dolls is "a Musical Fable of Broadway." How would you define a fable? What do you think the creators are suggesting by calling the show a fable?
In what ways can a play's setting become another "character" in the show? Can you think of a few examples?
What do you know about New York City? Why do you think so many plays and films take place there?
Do you believe in luck? Why or why not?
What are the benefits of belonging to a community? What are the challenges?
Do you believe that people are truly capable of change? If so, what do you think true transformation requires? If not, share your thinking as to why people rarely change.
Guys and Dolls is adapted from stories and characters written by Damon Runyon. What might some of the challenges be in adapting a work of literary fiction to the stage? What does the musical theatre form offer a story that literary fiction may not?
Are you a risk-taker or risk-averse? Have you ever taken a big risk? How did it turn out?
Do "good deeds" always come from a place of unselfishness? Explain your reasoning.
What does it mean to "have faith"? Is this something you have experienced in your own life?
Can you think of a time when your belief in something or someone was tested? How did you respond?
Many musicals both contain and rebut stereotypes at the same time. Written in 1950 and based on a story from the 1930s, in what ways do you expect Guys and Dolls might perpetuate stereotypes? How do you imagine this 2026 production might also upend and even transform these conventional portrayals?
The number "Guys and Dolls" emphasizes the need to find a romantic partner, even if it means behaving irrationally for the sake of finding a significant other. Do you think this idea exists today? Why or why not?

POST-SHOW QUESTIONS

This production of Guys and Dolls is set in post-World War II New York City. What elements of the set, costume and sound design most evoked the physical location and time period for you? Could this musical be set anywhere other than New York City? Why or why not?
An overture is a musical introduction to a work meant to suggest the tone, themes and musical motifs of the show. What expectations did the overture of Guys and Dolls establish in your mind when you heard it? How did the staging of the opening sequence work with the music to create a sense of the show's setting?
Guys and Dolls features two popular romantic tropes:
1. opposites attract
2. a bet that leads to characters falling in love
Brainstorm as many other works that use one or both of these tropes. Why do you think they're such popular conceits? In your opinion, how do they function in modern works and contemporary sensibilities?
In musicals, songs are often meant to propel the plot forward. What was an example of a song in Guys and Dolls that moved the plot forward and/or marked a significant turning point for a character? How does the music contribute to the storytelling in moments of self-discovery and emotional revelation?
Which character surprised you the most? Why?
Guys and Dolls presents a dichotomy between "outlaws" and "saviours." What stereotypes are conjured for you when you think of each of these groups? How does the show uphold but also challenge our expectations about characters in each of these groups? What does it suggest about the dangers of dichotomous thinking? Are there other examples of dichotomous thinking in the production?
The show asks audiences to root against those traditionally associated with upholding the law. How does the musical ask the audience to reconsider ideas of right and wrong? Do the gamblers and gangsters in the show have their own moral code? What are examples of it?
"Runyonese" is the term used for the unique language Runyon used in his fiction, mixing formal speech with slang and nearly always writing in the present tense. What are some examples of Runyonese lines that stood out to you in Guys and Dolls? How did this use of his style help offer more insight into the characters and the setting of the musical?
Sky and Sarah both start off the show inhabiting extreme and opposite positions. What did each learn by the end of the show? How is their worldview changed by the other?
What does Nathan's sneeze near the end of the musical signify? What does it suggest about the future of Nathan and Adelaide's relationship?
Are there any unintentional harms that might be caused through the production of this play? If so, what are they and what might be done to take care of the artists and audience members participating in the work?

MINDS ON

Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of character arc by analyzing the inner journey of one major character from Guys and Dolls, focusing on how musical elements help underscore the character's transformation.

Materials:

Character Arc Organizer
Writing utensils
Laptops/tablets
Selected songs from Guys and Dolls
Speakers
Black construction paper

Directions:

Start by introducing the concept of a character arc to students. Suggested resources include:
- The 4 Basic Types of Character Arcs by September C. Fawke
- Character Arcs: Turning Inner Struggles into Story Power by Sarah Branson
Divide students into small groups and assign each group one of the following characters: Sarah, Sky, Nathan or Adelaide. There should be at least two groups working on each character.
Provide each group with the Character Arc Organizer.
Ask students to map their assigned character's journey throughout the show by noting five major plot points and then assessing what each moment reveals about the character's inner emotional journey.
After completing their organizers, explain that students will be listening to one song from the show to analyze how musical elements can reveal character and emphasize their inner journey:
- Sarah Group 1: "I'll Know"
- Sarah Group 2: "I've Never Been in Love Before"
- Sky Group 1: "I'll Know"
- Sky Group 2: "My Time of Day"
- Adelaide Song 1: "Adelaide's Lament"
- Adelaide Song 2: "Sue Me"
- Nathan Song 1: "The Oldest Established"
- Nathan Song 2: "Sue Me"
After listening to the song once, ask students to listen to their assigned song again, this time responding to the following questions:
- Where in their emotional journey is the character at this point in the show?
- If the character is early in their journey in your assigned song, what do they still need to learn? If the character has progressed further along their journey, in what ways have they changed by this point in the show?
- What lyrics are most revealing about the character's inner state at this point in the show?
- How do other musical elements in the song reveal something about the character's inner emotional state? Pay attention to melody, rhythm, beat, meter, tonality and texture, as well as the structure and form. Consider whether the song is sung solo or as a duet.
Have students present what they have learned about their assigned character's arc, sharing an overview of how the character changes from the start to end of the musical and what the specific song they examined revealed about the character's journey.

DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS:

What new insights do you have about how writers and composers reveal character to the audience?
What types of stories do you prefer: those that emphasize external action or those that focus on a character's emotional journey? Why?
What's another example of a play, novel, film or television show that you think successfully reveals a character's inner journey? How do you see similar techniques being used to illustrate change and make audiences care about the characters?

POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS:

Compare and Contrast

Ask students to listen to a different cast recording of the song that your group was assigned, and compare the performances in each.
Invite students to discuss or respond in a journal entry to the following questions: What did each performer do to help you as a listener understand the character and their emotional state? Did this second version reveal anything new about the character? What moments in each performance of the song most stood out to you? Why?
Ask students to keep these recordings in mind and to compare them to the 2026 Stratford Festival production.

Expanding Character Journeys

Ask students to select one of the supporting characters in Guys and Dolls.
Invite them to list what they know about them from the show
Have students develop their chosen character further by responding, in or out of role, to the following questions: What's their backstory? If they were the protagonist of a story, what would they want? What would they learn? How could they be transformed?
Ask students to write a short 10-minute play or 500-word piece of flash fiction where that character is the protagonist and audiences or readers witness them undergoing a moment of change.

About the Play

GUYS AND DOLLS

A Musical Fable of Broadway
Based on a Story and Characters of Damon Runyon
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Directed by Donna Feore
Music Direction by Franklin Brasz

Download House Program

GRADE RECOMMENDATION

Grade 6+

CONTENT ADVISORY

Please see the show page for a detailed advisory.

SYNOPSIS

Set in the bustling world of 1940s New York, Guys and Dolls follows a colourful cast of gamblers, showgirls and mission workers whose lives collide in unexpected ways. Nathan Detroit scrambles to secure a venue for his famed but illicit craps game, all while trying to keep the peace with his devoted fiancée, Miss Adelaide. To raise the money he needs for the game, Nathan makes a daring wager with slick highroller Sky Masterson – a bet that sends Sky straight into the path of earnest missionary Sarah Brown. As schemes unfold and loyalties are tested, romance, chance and charm weave together in this classic musical comedy.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

Global Competencies or Transferable Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship; Self-Directed Learning; Collaboration; Communication; Global Citizenship and Sustainability; Digital Literacy

Grades 6-8

The Arts
Health and Physical Education
Language

Grades 9-12

The Arts
English
Health and Physical Education
Social Sciences and Humanities

Post-Secondary

Suitable for courses in disciplines such as Arts, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, Dramatic Arts and Theatre, English, Fine Arts, Gender Studies, History, Music, Musical Theatre, Social Development Studies, Teacher Education

THEMES

Commitment
The Importance of Community
Faith and Religion
Gender and Access to Power
Honour and Reputation
Hope for the Future
Love as Transformative
Luck and Gambling
Making Change
Redemption
Releasing the Past
Social Class and Criminality

Discussion Questions

DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION QUESTIONS

PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS

The sub-title of Guys and Dolls is "a Musical Fable of Broadway." How would you define a fable? What do you think the creators are suggesting by calling the show a fable?
In what ways can a play's setting become another "character" in the show? Can you think of a few examples?
What do you know about New York City? Why do you think so many plays and films take place there?
Do you believe in luck? Why or why not?
What are the benefits of belonging to a community? What are the challenges?
Do you believe that people are truly capable of change? If so, what do you think true transformation requires? If not, share your thinking as to why people rarely change.
Guys and Dolls is adapted from stories and characters written by Damon Runyon. What might some of the challenges be in adapting a work of literary fiction to the stage? What does the musical theatre form offer a story that literary fiction may not?
Are you a risk-taker or risk-averse? Have you ever taken a big risk? How did it turn out?
Do "good deeds" always come from a place of unselfishness? Explain your reasoning.
What does it mean to "have faith"? Is this something you have experienced in your own life?
Can you think of a time when your belief in something or someone was tested? How did you respond?
Many musicals both contain and rebut stereotypes at the same time. Written in 1950 and based on a story from the 1930s, in what ways do you expect Guys and Dolls might perpetuate stereotypes? How do you imagine this 2026 production might also upend and even transform these conventional portrayals?
The number "Guys and Dolls" emphasizes the need to find a romantic partner, even if it means behaving irrationally for the sake of finding a significant other. Do you think this idea exists today? Why or why not?

POST-SHOW QUESTIONS

This production of Guys and Dolls is set in post-World War II New York City. What elements of the set, costume and sound design most evoked the physical location and time period for you? Could this musical be set anywhere other than New York City? Why or why not?
An overture is a musical introduction to a work meant to suggest the tone, themes and musical motifs of the show. What expectations did the overture of Guys and Dolls establish in your mind when you heard it? How did the staging of the opening sequence work with the music to create a sense of the show's setting?
Guys and Dolls features two popular romantic tropes:
1. opposites attract
2. a bet that leads to characters falling in love
Brainstorm as many other works that use one or both of these tropes. Why do you think they're such popular conceits? In your opinion, how do they function in modern works and contemporary sensibilities?
In musicals, songs are often meant to propel the plot forward. What was an example of a song in Guys and Dolls that moved the plot forward and/or marked a significant turning point for a character? How does the music contribute to the storytelling in moments of self-discovery and emotional revelation?
Which character surprised you the most? Why?
Guys and Dolls presents a dichotomy between "outlaws" and "saviours." What stereotypes are conjured for you when you think of each of these groups? How does the show uphold but also challenge our expectations about characters in each of these groups? What does it suggest about the dangers of dichotomous thinking? Are there other examples of dichotomous thinking in the production?
The show asks audiences to root against those traditionally associated with upholding the law. How does the musical ask the audience to reconsider ideas of right and wrong? Do the gamblers and gangsters in the show have their own moral code? What are examples of it?
"Runyonese" is the term used for the unique language Runyon used in his fiction, mixing formal speech with slang and nearly always writing in the present tense. What are some examples of Runyonese lines that stood out to you in Guys and Dolls? How did this use of his style help offer more insight into the characters and the setting of the musical?
Sky and Sarah both start off the show inhabiting extreme and opposite positions. What did each learn by the end of the show? How is their worldview changed by the other?
What does Nathan's sneeze near the end of the musical signify? What does it suggest about the future of Nathan and Adelaide's relationship?
Are there any unintentional harms that might be caused through the production of this play? If so, what are they and what might be done to take care of the artists and audience members participating in the work?

Minds On

MINDS ON

Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of character arc by analyzing the inner journey of one major character from Guys and Dolls, focusing on how musical elements help underscore the character's transformation.

Materials:

Character Arc Organizer
Writing utensils
Laptops/tablets
Selected songs from Guys and Dolls
Speakers
Black construction paper

Directions:

Start by introducing the concept of a character arc to students. Suggested resources include:
- The 4 Basic Types of Character Arcs by September C. Fawke
- Character Arcs: Turning Inner Struggles into Story Power by Sarah Branson
Divide students into small groups and assign each group one of the following characters: Sarah, Sky, Nathan or Adelaide. There should be at least two groups working on each character.
Provide each group with the Character Arc Organizer.
Ask students to map their assigned character's journey throughout the show by noting five major plot points and then assessing what each moment reveals about the character's inner emotional journey.
After completing their organizers, explain that students will be listening to one song from the show to analyze how musical elements can reveal character and emphasize their inner journey:
- Sarah Group 1: "I'll Know"
- Sarah Group 2: "I've Never Been in Love Before"
- Sky Group 1: "I'll Know"
- Sky Group 2: "My Time of Day"
- Adelaide Song 1: "Adelaide's Lament"
- Adelaide Song 2: "Sue Me"
- Nathan Song 1: "The Oldest Established"
- Nathan Song 2: "Sue Me"
After listening to the song once, ask students to listen to their assigned song again, this time responding to the following questions:
- Where in their emotional journey is the character at this point in the show?
- If the character is early in their journey in your assigned song, what do they still need to learn? If the character has progressed further along their journey, in what ways have they changed by this point in the show?
- What lyrics are most revealing about the character's inner state at this point in the show?
- How do other musical elements in the song reveal something about the character's inner emotional state? Pay attention to melody, rhythm, beat, meter, tonality and texture, as well as the structure and form. Consider whether the song is sung solo or as a duet.
Have students present what they have learned about their assigned character's arc, sharing an overview of how the character changes from the start to end of the musical and what the specific song they examined revealed about the character's journey.

DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS:

What new insights do you have about how writers and composers reveal character to the audience?
What types of stories do you prefer: those that emphasize external action or those that focus on a character's emotional journey? Why?
What's another example of a play, novel, film or television show that you think successfully reveals a character's inner journey? How do you see similar techniques being used to illustrate change and make audiences care about the characters?

POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS:

Compare and Contrast

Ask students to listen to a different cast recording of the song that your group was assigned, and compare the performances in each.
Invite students to discuss or respond in a journal entry to the following questions: What did each performer do to help you as a listener understand the character and their emotional state? Did this second version reveal anything new about the character? What moments in each performance of the song most stood out to you? Why?
Ask students to keep these recordings in mind and to compare them to the 2026 Stratford Festival production.

Expanding Character Journeys

Ask students to select one of the supporting characters in Guys and Dolls.
Invite them to list what they know about them from the show
Have students develop their chosen character further by responding, in or out of role, to the following questions: What's their backstory? If they were the protagonist of a story, what would they want? What would they learn? How could they be transformed?
Ask students to write a short 10-minute play or 500-word piece of flash fiction where that character is the protagonist and audiences or readers witness them undergoing a moment of change.

CONNECTION TO THE ARCHIVES

This is the Festival's fourth production of Guys and Dolls. What are the reasons why a theatre company might choose to produce a play again and again? If you were to choose a play from the Stratford Festival's production history to produce again, which would it be and why?

Guys and Dolls, 2017

Steve Ross as Nicely-Nicely Johnson (centre) with members of the company in Guys and Dolls (Stratford Festival, 2017). Based on a story and characters of Damon Runyon. Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Directed and choreographed by Donna Feore. Music direction by LauraBburton. Set design by Michael Gianfrancesco. Costume design by Dana Osborne. Lighting design by Michael Walton. Sound design by Peter Mcboyle. Photography by Cylla von Tiedemann.
Stratford Festival Archives, GPO.2017.004.3272B

The Stratford Festival Archives maintains, conserves and protects records about the Festival and makes those materials available to people around the world. Their collection contains material ranging from 1952 right up to the present and includes administrative documents, production records, photographs, design artwork, scores, audio-visual recordings, promotional materials, costumes, props, set decorations and much more. These materials are collected and preserved with the aim of documenting the history of the Festival, preserving the page-to-stage process, and capturing the creative processes involved in numerous other activities that contribute to the Festival each season.

RESOURCES

Study Guide PDF

Stratford Public Library's 2026 Season Reading Lists

STUDY GUIDES

View all 2026 Shorts and Study Guides for selected 2026 plays, along with those from previous seasons, free of charge.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Guys and Dolls and Damon Runyon

Beating the Odds: How Guys and Dolls Conquered Broadway, America, and the World | Gregory Kable | Playmakers Repertory Company

Damon Runyon: Biography, Stories and Facts | Britannica

Damon Runyon, a question of characters | Dan Rodricks | The Baltimore Sun

Diversity in the Traditional Musical | Julio Agustin (Matos), Jr. | Music Theatre Educators

Guys and Dolls | Know the Show

Guys and Dolls | Weekend Edition Saturday | NPR

The Rarest Kind of Broadway Gold | Daniel Frezza | Utah Shakespeare Festival

Talk It Up: Damon Runyon's Guys and Dolls | Adam Gopnik | The New Yorker

Runyon, Damon. Guys & Dolls: The Stories of Damon Runyon. 1992

Musicals and the Golden Age of Broadway

Broadway Book Musical | Crash Course Theater

Elements of the Musical | Laurence Maslon | PBS

Musical | Britannica

What Was the Golden Age of Broadway? | Broadway World

Post-World War II New York and Times Square

History of Times Square | Times Square Alliance

New York After WWII | American Experience

What Times Square looked like in the 1940s through these Fascinating Vintage Photos | Dennis Saul | See Old NYC

BOOKING INFORMATION: TICKETS, WORKSHOPS AND CHATS

STUDENT MATINEES

You may book any available date, but selected student matinee performances for this show are at 2 p.m. on the following dates:

Wednesday, April 22
Monday, April 27
Wednesday, April 29
Wednesday, May 6
Tuesday, May 12
Wednesday, May 20
Thursday, May 21
Thursday, June 4
Tuesday, June 9
Thursday, June 18
Tuesday, June 23
Wednesday, June 24
Friday, September 11
Tuesday, September 15
Wednesday, September 23
Tuesday, October 6
Thursday, October 15
Friday, October 16
Thursday, October 22
Friday, October 23
Tuesday, October 27
Friday, October 30

WORKSHOPS AND CHATS

Visit our website or contact us at educate@stratfordfestival.ca to book:

InterACTive Preshows
Collaborative Learning Workshops
Customized Workshops
Post-Show Chats
Behind-the-Scenes Tours

2026 SEASON SPONSOR

The 2026 Season is generously supported by Ophelia Lazaridis

PROUD SEASON PARTNERS

2019_BMO_White Canada-Life_White(1) RBC_White(1)

2026 Festival Theatre Sponsor: Daniel Bernstein & Claire Foerster

Production Co-Sponsors: Robert & Mary Ann Gorlin, Sylvia Soyka, Riki Turofsky & Charles Petersen and Peter & Carol Walters

Production Co-Sponsor
RBC_White(1)

TOOLS FOR TEACHERS

Tools for Teachers includes InterACTive Preshows, Study Guides and Stratford Shorts sponsored by

Canada-Life_White(1)

Connection to the Archives

CONNECTION TO THE ARCHIVES

This is the Festival's fourth production of Guys and Dolls. What are the reasons why a theatre company might choose to produce a play again and again? If you were to choose a play from the Stratford Festival's production history to produce again, which would it be and why?

Guys and Dolls, 2017

Steve Ross as Nicely-Nicely Johnson (centre) with members of the company in Guys and Dolls (Stratford Festival, 2017). Based on a story and characters of Damon Runyon. Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Directed and choreographed by Donna Feore. Music direction by LauraBburton. Set design by Michael Gianfrancesco. Costume design by Dana Osborne. Lighting design by Michael Walton. Sound design by Peter Mcboyle. Photography by Cylla von Tiedemann.
Stratford Festival Archives, GPO.2017.004.3272B

The Stratford Festival Archives maintains, conserves and protects records about the Festival and makes those materials available to people around the world. Their collection contains material ranging from 1952 right up to the present and includes administrative documents, production records, photographs, design artwork, scores, audio-visual recordings, promotional materials, costumes, props, set decorations and much more. These materials are collected and preserved with the aim of documenting the history of the Festival, preserving the page-to-stage process, and capturing the creative processes involved in numerous other activities that contribute to the Festival each season.

Resources