Readers theatre: a secondary approach 9781553792536, 155379253X

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IN THIS RESOURCE, YOU WILL FIND: • • • • •

effective ways to incorporate Readers Theatre into daily lessons ideas for developing original scripts exercises for improving expression ways to incorporate Readers Theatre into any subject area ways to script short stories, poems, novel excerpts, and other material

staging suggestions for different forms of Readers Theatre • evaluation ideas • reproducible scripts from lessons, as well as bonus scripts from classic authors, with staging suggestions • evaluation tools •

READERS

THEATRE A S E C O N DA RY A P P R OAC H

A SECONDARY APPROACH

NEILL DIXON, B.ED.(SEC), MA IS A RETIRED SCHOOL PRINCIPAL who has taught in schools in both New Zealand and British Columbia. Since retiring he has presented workshops in Readers Theatre to teachers and lectured at numerous universities throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe. He was on the faculty of the Institute for Readers Theatre when it was headquartered in San Diego. During some of his spare time Neill works in Victoria as a marshal at the Cordova Bay Golf Club and gives guided tours on the Victoria Harbour ferries. This is the second book he has authored on the topic of Readers Theatre.

READERS THEATRE

In Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach, the author combines new and updated suggestions, ideas, and techniques with basic strategies that can be altered, expanded, and experimented with to provide students with enriched learning experiences. All of the activities have been successfully used in the classroom.

DIXON

Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach is the ideal resource for today’s busy middle-school and secondary teachers seeking new learning strategies for their classrooms. Readers Theatre activities are perfect for different learning styles. In addition, students who participate in Readers Theatre show improved standards of oral expression, self-confidence, self-image, and creativity.

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ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

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NEILL DIXON

15/06/10 10:45 AM

READERS

THEATRE A S E C O N DA RY A P P R OAC H

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READERS

THEATRE A S E C O N DA RY A P P R OAC H

NEILL DIXON

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© 2010 by Neill Dixon Pages of this publication designated as reproducible with the following icon may be reproduced under licence from Access Copyright. All other pages may only be reproduced with the express written permission of Portage & Main Press, or as permitted by law. Your purchase allows you to do the following: • Install the product on one or more computers used by you, at home and at work. • Reproduce pages, electronically or graphically, where noted for your classroom use. You are not permitted to do the following: • Allow another person to use the product. • Rent, loan, sell, distribute, or redistribute the product to any other person or entity. • Make the product available on any file-sharing or application-hosting service. • Electronically send the product to another person. • Copy the materials other than as necessary to support the uses permitted. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions. Portage & Main Press gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of Manitoba through the Department of Culture, Heritage & Tourism and the Manitoba Book Publishing Tax Credit and the Government of Canada through the Canada book fund (CBF) for our publishing activities. “The Macbeth Murder Mystery” by James Thurber. © 1937, 1971 by Rosemary A. Thurber. “The Moth and the Star” by James Thurber. © 1940, 1968 by Rosemary A. Thurber. Reprinted by arrangement with Rosemary A. Thurber and The Barbara Hogenson Agency, Inc. All rights reserved. Cover and interior design by Relish Design Studio Ltd. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Dixon, Neill, 1940Readers theatre [electronic resource] : a secondary approach / Neill Dixon. Includes bibliographical references. Type of computer file: Electronic monograph in PDF format. Issued also in print format. ISBN 978-1-55379-253-6 1. Readers' theater--Study and teaching (Middle school). 2. Readers' theater--Study and teaching (Secondary). 3. Drama in education. I. Title. PN2081.R4D53 2010a

371.39'9

Email: [email protected] Toll free: 1-800-667-9673 Fax free: 1-866-734-8477 www.pandmpress.com

C2010-902127-4

This book is dedicated to Linda for her continued love and encouragement, and to Craig and Tracy for their love and for helping me to see the forest beyond the trees.

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Contents Acknowledgements  ix Introduction  1

Who Is This Book For?  1

1. Readers Theatre Explained  3

What Is Readers Theatre?  3

Why Use Readers Theatre?  4

What Are the Benefits of Readers Theatre?  4 2. Readers Theatre in Middle and Secondary School  7 3. Oral Interpretation  9 Intelligibility   9

Gestures and Facial Expressions  11 Volume and Force  12 Pitch and Tone  13 Phrasing  15

Punctuation  16 Analysis  17

Performance  18 Cueing  21

4. Script Writing  25

Scripts From Scratch: Individual Brainstorming on Paper  26 Scripts From Scratch: Group Brainstorming on Flip Chart or Whiteboard  28 Scripts From Scratch: Nominal Group Technique  30

Scripts From Scratch: Folded Paper Brainstorming  31 Scripts From Scratch: Folded Paper Brainstorming/ Paired Conversation  33 Scripts From Scratch: Folded Paper Brainstorming/ Group Conversation  33 Scripts From Literature  34

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5. Staging  39

Simple Readers Theatre  40 Staged Readers Theatre  42 Chamber Theatre  45

6. Connecting Readers Theatre  47 Brainstorming  47

Connecting Readers Theatre With Environmental Studies  48

Connecting Readers Theatre With History  49 Connecting Readers Theatre With Art  50

Connecting Readers Theatre With Great Literature  50 Connecting Readers Theatre With Current Events  51 7. Evaluation  53

Self-Evaluation  54

Peer Evaluation  54

The Importance of Being Tactful  56 Teacher Evaluation  57

Audience Evaluation  59

Appendix A: Reproducible Scripts  61 Appendix B: Reproducible Masters  99 Appendix C: Bonus Scripts From Classic Authors  109 Glossary  143 Bibliography  145

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Acknowledgements

I would like to express my appreciation and sincere thanks to Susan MacDonald, English and drama teacher at St. Michaels University School in Victoria, B.C., and to her drama students who so willingly worked with me on the many ideas for staging and scripting. To the parents of these students who gave me their permission to work with these young people, I am extremely grateful. I appreciate the students’ involvement and enthusiasm for the activities in which they took part. My thanks also go to the administration of St. Michaels University School for permitting me to work with Susan and the students and to David Gauthier, head of the Drama Department, for supporting my work with the students. To my good friend and colleague, Bonnie Davison, trainer and founder of Singing English Education, who introduced me to Susan MacDonald at St. Michaels University School so that I might work with her drama students, thank you. Thanks, too, for the comments and suggestions you offered that helped motivate me to complete this book. Very special thanks to filmmaker and photographer Jordan Clark, of High Banks Productions, my extraordinary friend and colleague, who gave me a huge amount of his time attending all of the classroom sessions, photographing students in the learning process, and ensuring that the photographs were the best that light and subjects would allow. I am deeply grateful to him, too, for his patience and always-positive attitude.

Many thanks to the vast number of teachers throughout North America and Europe who have, over the past thirty years, attended my workshops and who have kept in touch and inspired me with their success stories of using Readers Theatre in their classrooms. Also, thank you to the many university students who have taken my courses in Oral Interpretation, Creative Drama, Readers Theatre, and Program Development over the years. Your responses have helped me to continue trying new approaches and experiment with different ideas that have extended my repertoire of activities while using Readers Theatre as a teaching tool. To my editor, Doug Whiteway, who has worked tirelessly striving to polish my efforts, I am indeed grateful. Thank you, too, to the staff at Portage & Main Press who, with their positive approach and willingness to listen and respond to my frequent calls, have made writing this book an interesting and pleasant process. Annalee, Catherine, Kirsten, and Susan — it’s always a pleasure to communicate with you and to receive your support and advice.

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Last, but certainly not least, to Linda, who is my continual support and sounding board and who encourages me in all of my projects. Her love and support make all my efforts worthwhile.

I would like to acknowledge my appreciation to Rosemary Thurber and The Barbara Hogenson Agency, Inc. for permission to use “The Moth and the Star” and “The Macbeth Murder Mystery” by James Thurber. While every effort has been made to trace and acknowledge copyrighted materials, someone may have been inadvertently missed. If infringement has occurred, I apologize; please contact the publisher so corrections can be made in subsequent editions.

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Introduction

Who Is This Book For?

R

eaders Theatre: A Secondary Approach has been designed for busy middleschool and secondary teachers seeking another learning strategy in their classrooms. I believe that teachers, faced with many different styles of learning, will find that Readers Theatre activities and skills give students a sense of accomplishment and improve standards of oral expression, self-confidence, selfimage, and creativity, which, for many students, may seem out of reach. Having worked for years in theatre, in university classrooms, in program development, in workshop situations, and in school classrooms, I’m glad to pass on the simple yet effective strategies that I’ve learned along the way. This book includes

• instructions on effective ways to use Readers Theatre in your classroom • ideas for developing scripts from scratch • models for scripting your own material • exercises for improving expression

• techniques for developing scripts from material currently being used in the classroom

• methods for scripting short stories, poems, novel excerpts, and other material for effective presentations • suggestions for staging Readers Theatre in its various forms • ways to use Readers Theatre in other subjects

• information on evaluating Readers Theatre scripts and performances As you read through this book, you will find many suggestions, ideas, and techniques. Some are new. Others are modifications of old ideas. Not all can (or should) be used for every classroom situation, but all of them have worked well for other people at one time or another. They are included only as examples. You are encouraged to try, adjust, modify, enhance, and improve upon the ideas and techniques in this book. You might also want to come up with your own, too, and share them with others.

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Chapter 1

Readers Theatre Explained What Is Readers Theatre? Readers Theatre involves people telling a story by reading aloud from scripts rather than by acting. The emphasis is on vocal expression to help audiences understand the story. The features of conventional theatre, such as scenery, props, costumes, make-up, and intricate blocking, are absent.

Readers Theatre is particularly appropriate in the school setting. Students learn to write their own scripts, read aloud, and work together to produce a meaningful and entertaining performance for an audience. The process has a number of benefits. Students develop a greater understanding and enjoyment of literature or others subjects in the curriculum. By delving more deeply into content, they sharpen their critical thinking skills. By listening to and learning from each other, they find the rewards of working collegially. And by becoming comfortable performing for an audience, they grow in poise and confidence.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Why Use Readers Theatre? Readers Theatre uses simple staging. The time between a script’s creation and its presentation is measured in minutes and hours, rather than in the days and weeks of conventional plays. Students are involved in the process from its beginning and learn the skills necessary for success quickly and painlessly.

Readers Theatre relies on the voice. Neither the traditional elements of staged theatre — scenery, props, costumes, or make-up — nor physical interaction between participants is necessary, though either may be used with discretion. Instead, participants read from scripts, interpreting a work in such a way that an audience can imagine the setting and the action.

Readers Theatre is a wide-ranging art form. It is suited to elementary classrooms, secondary classrooms, or to theatre groups, and it is suited to many different subjects. For instance, various types of literature — fiction or nonfiction, classic or modern, poetry or prose — can be easily turned into scripts and presented to audiences. Current affairs, too, can be scripted, which students often find to be a rewarding exercise. Readers Theatre emphasizes reading. By acting out the text, students improve their overall reading skills. They learn to better understand the text, including its component parts, and are often encouraged to read entire works as a consequence. They gain confidence, too, by learning to project and inflect the text so that listeners understand its message. Readers Theatre focuses on the process of learning. As students interpret text for oral delivery, they learn to engage in critical thinking and problem solving.

What Are The Benefits Of Readers Theatre? Readers Theatre works well for both students and teachers and can be used in all areas of the curriculum to communicate subject matter in ways that are meaningful and fun. With Readers Theatre, students • are actively engaged in their learning • do not require special equipment • enjoy the activity

• have success in presenting

• work together to achieve a satisfying performance • further develop their reading skills

• learn the processes of scripting all types of material • gain confidence

• learn more about the writing process

• retain information through repetition 4

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Chapter 1 — Readers Theatre Explained

With Readers Theatre, teachers • facilitate active learning

• are not at the mercy of budget restrictions

• work with the students rather than instructing from outside • encourage success

• use excellent reading material in a variety of ways

• enhance their teaching skills through developing group work • suggest different genres of reading material • allow students to make group decisions

• have a means for students to make presentations to other groups • enjoy the thrill of success with their students

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Chapter 2

Readers Theatre in Middle and Secondary School

R

eaders Theatre has two aspects — process and presentation.

With Readers Theatre in middle and secondary school, students are introduced to literary forms, including the novel and the short story, in greater variety and in more depth. Through the process of scripting selected passages of the works of different authors, students learn to more thoroughly analyze writing to better understand aspects of character, structure, and style. For instance, in preparing to reflect the moods of a story’s characters in front of an audience, they will find themselves delving deeper into the text to discover the author’s intent. Students often find that they learn more about literature by turning it into scripts than they do by simply reading it silently to themselves.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Readers Theatre is a pleasurable activity for all ages. By rehearsing and presenting stories, students increase language skills, extend the imaginations of both performers and audiences, enhance appreciation of the written word, and motivate themselves to further reading. Middle and secondary school students may perform for their peers or for younger students at the elementary level. Readers Theatre is an effective activity for school assemblies or special days such as Remembrance Day or Halloween, and it may be used to convey messages to other students about such subjects as school rules, citizenship, or personal behaviour.

Readers Theatre is portable. Because costumes, props, and sets are not necessary, a cast of students can easily stage a production in any location in a school — in a classroom, a gymnasium, an activity room, or on a stage. If a production is staged for different audiences or in different sized spaces, then students have an opportunity to sharpen their presentation techniques. They may, for instance, be required to adjust the volume, tone, or pitch of their voices, reconsider their characterizations, or revise their scripts. Young audiences respond well to presentations, which give performers instant feedback on their scripting and performance.

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Chapter 3

Oral Interpretation

O

ral interpretation is the art of performing literature. By using vocal expression, an interpreter conveys to the audience his or her intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical understanding of a work of literature. Every interpreter’s goal should be to convince the audience of the reality of the experience or situation that the writer has described. Oral interpretation provides students with an opportunity to experience literature either as performers of dramatic works or as listeners. As a method of studying literature, performing may reveal that words or phrases have different meanings and purposes that were not at first apparent. Likewise, listeners may gain insights that silent reading wouldn’t give them.

This chapter provides exercises for voice, and passages and selections that groups and individuals can use for varied inter­pretations.

Intelligibility Oral interpretation requires readers to say words clearly, distinctly, and accurately, so that listeners can understand what they are saying.

Practice exercises 1. Have students open their mouths widely and repeat each of the tongue twisters below slowly and carefully, gradually building up the pace until they can no longer control their articulation. Then have them slowly start again and gradually accelerate. Keep them practising until they can say the word combinations flawlessly at a rapid rate.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

• Better buy bigger rubber baby buggy bumpers. • Chrysanthemum geranium. • Are our eyes our own?

• Much whirling water makes the mill wheel work well. • Round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran. • Shave a cedar shingle thin.

• Sinful Caesar sipped his snifter, seized his knees, and sneezed. • Hither thither watch them slither.

• Odd birds always gobble green almonds in the autumn.

2. Ask students to say the following pairs of lines clearly so that they can hear the difference between each line: • It is five minutes to eight. You have five minutes to wait. • I think the summer’s cool. I go to summer school. • I know you are too wise. I see your two eyes. • I live in a nice house. I live in an ice house.

3. Below are word sequences with consonant combinations that are difficult for some readers to say clearly. Ask students to read them silently first, then practise them aloud, trying to enunciate clearly the consonant combinations. Have them do only one or two sequences each time they practise. • adapts, adopts, excerpts

• shifts, gifts, lifts, sifts, thefts, tufts

• acts, expects, directs, facts, ducts, edicts • sulks, silks, balks, elks

• nymphs, gulfs, golfs, sylphs

• desks, asks, risks, masks, husks

• hosts, posts, fists, wrists, costs, lists, insists • helps, yelps, alps, scalps, pulps

• thinks, thanks, blinks, winks, sinks • wasps, wisps, lisps, clasps, asps

• melts, dolts, bolts, colts, tilts, wilts • desks, asks, risks, masks, husks 10

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• hints, tents, dents, punts, scents, vents • widths, breadths, lengths, strengths • fifths, twelfths, sixths, hundredths

4. Here is another practice exercise for speaking with clarity. Have students say the following poem, focusing on the consonants in each syllable. Every time we speak We use our tongue, we do. Our tongue, and our teeth, And our lips, we do! Every time we speak, The whole day through, we use Our tongue, and our teeth, And our lips, we do!

5. Shakespeare used many interesting words in his works. Have students practise enunciating some of the following:

think’st, trouble’st , stifl’st, puzzl’st, revel’st, peopl’st, wronged’st, wreathed’st, harmed’st crushed’st, reveled’st, reckoned’st, open’st, help’st, insist’st, battl’st, fold’st, waft’st

Gestures and Facial Expressions Gestures and facial expressions in a performance complement and amplify elements of the text, such as mood. As Charlotte Lee says in her book Oral Interpretation, “The interpreter who reads only with his voice and his mind may interest his listeners, but he will seldom move them.” However, the successful use of gestures and facial expressions depends on the level of familiarity with Readers Theatre. For beginners of Readers Theatre, I suggest performers use limited gestures and facial expressions, as the emphasis should be on oral presentation to get the message across. However, as students advance and script more complicated texts, they will find that adding gestures and facial expressions comes relatively easy and gives a satisfying visual element to a performance. At advanced levels of Readers Theatre, gestures and facial expressions should be encouraged, though they should not be allowed to distract students from their focus on the text.

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Practice exercises 1. Divide students into pairs. Have each pair improvise a short scene with the following characters and situations, using only hand gestures: • two ladies in a manicure session • a parent discussing her child’s successes with another parent • a husband comforting his wife whose father has been taken to the hospital • a criminal signing a confession in front of a detective in the local police station • two teens playing a video game • a pupil and a teacher in a piano lesson 2. Have students in pairs improvise the above scenes using only facial expressions. 3. Ask students to indicate emotions for the following situations using gestures and facial expressions together: • You’re packing a suitcase and then learn you cannot go on your trip. • You’re preparing for a special party and then you get a phone call telling you the party has been cancelled. • You’re arranging in a vase some flow­ers that were sent to you in a box and then something happens that makes you put the flowers back into the box. • You’re wrapping a present for a special friend and then for some reason you must unwrap it. • You’ve just learned that your longtime business partner has betrayed your trust.

Volume and Force “Volume” refers to the degree of loudness with which an interpreter reads. “Force” refers to the emphasis the interpreter places on certain words within a selection. An interpreter must know the text well and the conditions of the performance space to determine the necessary volume and the necessary force for certain words or passages. The interpreter must decide, for instance, which passages should be spoken vigorously and which should be spoken softly.

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Practice exercises 1. Have students pick one of the emotions from the list below, then apply it to a situation of their own invention. Next, have them illustrate the situation in a spoken phrase or sentence. Ask students why they used the degree of volume they did and what effect it had on listeners. anger fear joy sadness depression anxiety surprise confidence annoyance timidity disgust hate excitement modesty pride 2. Using the same emotion, have students vary the volume. Then ask them what changed. Did they feel differently? Did the situation change? 3. Ask students to say the following sentence, emphasizing the words in sequence. Ask them how the meaning of the sentence changed according to the force they gave to certain words. The clerk gave the book to Susan. The clerk gave the book to Susan. The clerk gave the book to Susan. The clerk gave the book to Susan. The clerk gave the book to Susan. The clerk gave the book to Susan. The clerk gave the book to Susan.

Pitch and Tone “Pitch” refers to the degree of highness and lowness of an individual’s voice. An effective voice exhibits a wide pitch range. “Tone” is the modulation of a voice expressing a particular feeling or mood. So that students can practise pitch and tone of voice, introduce them to passages of text that include alliteration or onomatopoeic words. Ask them to pick out words that indicate action, emotion, or a specific mood.

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Practice exercise Have students go through the following poems with a highlighter pen, marking words that indicate action, emotion, or a specific mood. These will be the places where they might exercise pitch and tone as well as gestures, facial expressions, volume and force. The Main-Deep by James Stephens

Walking by Dilys Bennett Laing

I walked on a snow-bank that squeaked like leather, Or two wooden spoons that you rub together. I walked on green moss and brown earth, sprouting With little grass blades on their first Spring outing. I walked on blossoms and cool, green cresses, And grass that rustled like silken dresses.

I walked on bracken, and dry leaves after, That flamed with colour and crackled with laughter. I walked on the earth as the Seasons came, And under my feet it was never the same!

The long-rolling, Steady-pouring Deep-trenched Green billow. The wide-topped, Unbroken, Green-glacid Slow sliding.

Cold-flushing, On–on–on, Chill-rushing, Hush-hushing, Hush-hushing.

Madame Cureton Reads Poetry by Russ Vliet Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Madame Cureton reads poetry Intones it oh so musically Charms with such a deft-suspense The lulled brains of her audience.

All ears are primed to hear her speak To attend as she airs her rare technique;

In purple notes she throats her love hatreds she vaunts with silver rage — fluttering high and loose and free her vocalities stir the prim white doves that coo at her lips. The poetry still lies roosting upon the page.

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Phrasing In phrasing, all the words needed to convey an idea are grouped together. If you were to read the sentence below and pause after every word, it would sound stilted and monotonous. Jack – quickly – climbed – down – the – beanstalk – and – as – he – neared – the – bottom – yelled – for – his – mother.

If you were to read the same sentence, but group the words into three phrases, with pauses in between, it would sound livelier and more natural. Jack quickly climbed down the bean­ stalk and / as he neared the bottom / yelled for his mother.

An interpreter must be able to phrase sentences if the meaning of the words is to be clearly conveyed to an audience. Written punctuation is not always a reliable guide, particularly in poetry.

Practice exercises 1. Have students read the passage below, ignoring the punctuation: We had a great time. Later in the month we went back to the farm where we enjoyed more horseback riding. 2. Have students read it again, pausing where appropriate. The result should be something like that below. (Single diagonal lines [/] indicate brief pauses. Two diagonal lines [//] indicate longer pauses.) We had a great time. // Later in the month we went back to the farm / where we enjoyed more horseback riding. 3. Ask students to mark the pauses between phrases in the following sentences, using single diagonal lines (/) to indicate brief pauses and two diagonal lines (//) to indicate longer pauses. • The ice cream tasted so good I had a second helping. • He worked as hard as he said he would and became the champion. • Although the bus was late she still missed it after breaking her heel in the grate. • He depended upon his father to get him the position but unfortunately it was with the wrong company. • It really wasn’t the right thing to do and he knew it from the beginning but it was the only reasonable alternative. 15

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Punctuation An interpreter needs to pay attention to punctuation if he or she is going to interpret a story effectively. Capital letters at the beginning and periods at the end define sentences, but commas, exclamation marks, and question marks define how sentences should be expressed. For example, words or sentences that are repeated in a script are likely candidates for variation in tone, volume, or pitch, depending on variation to the punctuation. Compare “Come here. Come here.” to “Come here. Come here!” or “Come here. Come here?” Three different interpreters reading from the same script may repeat the same word and give it three different meanings. Reader 1: Holidays. Reader 2: Holidays!

Reader 3: Holidays?

Reader 2 (going on a cruise) is happy about what Reader 1 has said, but Reader 3 (renovating the bathroom) has second thoughts.

Commas indicate a slight pause in a sentence and can help interpreters define their phrasing. Commas may also subordinate clauses or parts of the sentence, which gives interpreters an opportunity to try different voice emphases to send different messages. For example, a sentence might appear this way in a script: It really wasn’t the right thing to do, and he knew it from the beginning, but it was the only reasonable alternative.

One interpreter might read the subordinate clause with a lower volume than the rest of the sentence, as if it were an aside:

It really wasn’t the right thing to do, and he knew it from the beginning, but it was the only reasonable alternative.

Another interpreter might read the subordinate clause with heavier emphasis, with more volume and slightly higher pitch: It really wasn’t the right thing to do, and he knew it from the beginning, but it was the only reasonable alternative.

Both versions draw attention to the key part of the sentence, which is the subordinate clause. They are both effective and the audience should get the message. The subtext, or underlying meaning of the text (see page 20), for each is not the same, however.

Practice exercise Ask students to listen to each version above and try to imagine the situation behind it. Have them identify the subtext for each. Then have them put each version into a scene. Always consider punctuation as one of the “clue givers.” Ask students when they are interpreting a piece of literature to try reading it the first time, ignoring 16

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Chapter 3 — Oral Interpretation

the punctuation. Then have them read it a second time, paying attention to the punctuation. You might, for instance, challenge students by having them read a passage from William Shakespeare in both manners.

Analysis “Let the material work on you before you begin to work on it,” Charlotte Lee says in Oral Interpretation. Analysis begins at first reading. This may be done silently or aloud, and several readings may be needed before students understand the material. When they understand the material, they will be better able to convey the mood of the piece with the appropriate expressions.

Practice exercise Suggest students take a highlighter pen and mark words and phrases that they feel are most germane to the meaning of any piece of text. Usually these will be words and phrases most open to a variety of expression when the passage is read aloud. Some words that might be highlighted are: excitement, sadness, joy, love, birth, death

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Some phrases that might be highlighted are: the dreary day at last came to an end, happiness was all around, he was extremely serious about his job, her tiredness was evident.

The interpreter should also consider who in the script is speaking and who is being addressed. Characters’ relationships with other characters will vary, which will colour interpretation. For instance, a man may speak to his wife differently than he speaks to his mother or his employer; a child may speak differently to her brother than she does to her teacher. As well, interpreters should think about where their characters have been before they arrived in the scene. For example, if a character had been in a car accident before meeting another character in a restaurant scene, he or she might be more angry or dazed than if the journey had been uneventful.

Performance An individual or a group may present a script. They will need some form of staging (see page 39). They will also need to rehearse so they can become comfortable enough in their roles to make audiences believe the situations and characters are credible. Some roles will prove challenging — the interpreter may be younger or of the opposite sex, for instance — and students will have to pay attention to the way they stand, move, and speak in the role so that they reflect the essential qualities of a character and refrain from caricature.

A character analysis checklist may be helpful. Though intended to be neither definitive nor exhaustive, such checklists can be used to itemize various qualities that an individual of a certain age or sex may possess. Suggest students take some time to subtly observe people in the community who most closely represent the roles they will be playing and make a checklist of their characteristics. Then ask them how their observations will help them make a character believable. The first two characters on the next page are provided as examples.

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Chapter 3 — Oral Interpretation

Role

Traits

Stance/Movement

Speech

grandfather

reduced energy

slightly stooped

slower

woman, mid-thirties

energetic

erect, shoulders held high

brisk

teenage girl grandmother boy, age eight man, mid-twenties

Descriptive Clues Adverbs and adjectives used to suggest mood are often placed before a piece of script, in either italics or parentheses, to guide the reader. Practice exercises 1. Ask students to think about the meaning of the words below and how each may affect their interpretations of a reading: frantically hysterically cautiously airily surprised defiantly shyly condescendingly sheepishly haughtily sternly anxious hysterically sarcastically dubiously aghast coyly disappointed 2. Have students choose descriptive clues from the list above and apply them to the sentences below. Then ask them to note how the meaning of each sentence changes depending on the descriptive clue they’ve chosen. • Would you listen to me? • You are always so pleasant to be with. • Don’t tell me you have been here all this time. • Now I’m only going to say this once. • She’ll never be able to do it — she just doesn’t have it. • How come he always gets his own way and I have to do as I’m told? • That was a very complimentary thing to say to him. Ask students to think of some more descriptive clues and add them to the list above. Then have them write some new sentences and try different descriptive clues with each.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Subtext Subtext is the implicit meaning of a text. That meaning can change depending on the interpreter’s intent, which can be conveyed through changes in tone or pitch. For instance, if someone says, “Cauliflower is my favourite vegetable,” with an enthusiastic tone, the subtext is that that person likes cauliflower very much. If someone says the same words in a sarcastic tone, then the subtext is that that person hates cauliflower and won’t eat it.

Practice exercises 1. Have students say the following according to the subtext suggestions: Is everyone ready? Subtexts: How much longer do I have to wait? Great, we’re all here. Where are your bags? This is a very important matter. Subtexts: Yeah, right. The whole project depends upon it I can use your help. I’m questioning your commitment. 2. Ask students to look at passages from scripts to see if the subtext is obvious. Sometimes it isn’t apparent in a written work and an interpreter needs to study the entire piece to understand the writer’s intent and vocalize it correctly. Have them try reading sentences emphasizing different words each time and ask them if they can hear the different subtexts. 3. Single words may be said in many ways. Ask students to try the following using the subtext clues: “Hello.” Subtexts: Didn’t I just say that? Wow! What a great catch? What happened here? Welcome. “Oh.” Subtexts: How beautiful. I’m sorry. What an exaggeration. That’s news to me. That hurts. So you thought you could get away with that. That’s a small item. Look out. Don’t be so dumb. 20

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Chapter 3 — Oral Interpretation



How revolting. I never would have thought that possible. I get the point.

Have them do the same for other single words such as really, cool, and neat. Ask them to think of other individual words that may be used in different ways for different meanings.

Cueing Cueing and the cue are common theatre terms. In conventional theatre, a performer reacts to a signal (cue) to appear on stage, which may be a sound, a speech, or a signal from the stage manager in the wings. On stage, to begin a speech or action, a performer takes a cue from another performer. Meanwhile, lighting and music are cued to occur at certain pre-selected moments in the script.

In Readers Theatre, as in conventional theatre, cueing is vital, particularly with sequential speech. In life, when two or three people are speaking, pauses are rare. Each person usually has an idea what he or she is going to say next and dives in as soon as a gap opens in the conversation. Likewise in theatre. In presentations, in most instances, each speaker needs to begin speaking right on top of the previous speaker’s last word. There should be no gaps from one speech to the next. One exception is the “pregnant pause,” a silent beat of one or two seconds used to accentuate, among other aspects, a comedic element. For effective presentations, to enter conversations in good time, students need to remember to listen attentively to the speakers who precede them. Teachers should ensure that their students understand the effect of, and need for, prompt cueing.

Passages for Practice Following are four typical conversations, each involving two interpreters. Have students choose roles and read through the scene a number of times, each time with a different interpretation. Among the interpretations might be amazement, scandal, annoyance, frustration, surprise, curiosity, defiance, doubt, caution, sarcasm, eagerness, stubbornness, irritability, or anger. Then have them switch roles. Switching roles is instructive as the first speaker usually sets the mood and tone and the second responds. Scene 1 He:

You know that’s not the correct way to do it.

He:

Well, it’s not so much of a problem as a sequence that should be followed.

He:

Then anyone following behind you may have trouble realizing exactly where you are in the process.

She: No, I didn’t. Is there a problem? She: And if it’s not?

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

She: Why does there have to be a certain way when the project gets completed satisfactorily? He:

I guess some of us get into certain habits and find it difficult to make changes.

She: Yeah, change is difficult to accept for some people. Why don’t you try it my way and see if it is as much of a change as you might think it is? He:

Next time.

She: We’ll see.

Scene 2

She: I really do like you a lot, you know. He:

That was a funny way to show it.

He:

Next time, think about what you are going to say before you say it. Otherwise we could have a big problem.

She: I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I guess I wasn’t thinking. She: All right, but I’m apologizing for what I said. He:

Good, and so you should.

He:

If I ever have, and I don’t recall any time at the moment, I bet I apologized right away.

She: Of course, you’ve never said anything offensive to me.

She: No, you wouldn’t remember — that’s so convenient. You really want me to feel guilty and for you to be the offended party. Just like you. He:

We’re not getting anywhere with this, so why don’t I just leave and come back when you’ve had time to reflect on how this all started.

She: And of course you don’t have to because you are always right.

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Chapter 3 — Oral Interpretation

Scene 3

Girl 1: You know who I saw at the mall yesterday? Girl 2: No.

Girl 1: Melody with Rob.

Girl 2: You’re kidding me, right?

Girl 1: No, they were sitting in the food court talking with their heads close together. Girl 2: Did they see you?

Girl 1: No, at least I don’t think so.

Girl 2: I didn’t even know they knew each other. She’s never said anything about him or even looked at him when I’ve been around. Girl 1: You’re right.

Girl 2: So how did you feel about seeing them together?

Girl 1: Well, it was a bit strange, but I thought it might have been just a coincidence, you know, like they had just run into each other and decided to have a chat.

Girl 2: You wish.

Girl 1: Anyway, it’s been a couple of months since we stopped seeing each other, so I wasn’t too affected by it. Girl 2: I thought he was seeing Jan.

Girl 1: He was, and Melody has been seeing Mark forever, so the whole thing doesn’t add up. Girl 2: You don’t want it to because you still have feelings for Rob. Girl 1: No way, that’s history.

Girl 2: History with a future, you hope.

Girl 1: Forget it, I’ve got to get home now.

Girl 2: What if you bump into Rob on the way home? Girl 1: I’ll just say hi and carry on.

Girl 2: He might want to stop and talk, then what?

Girl 1: I’ll tell him I’m in a hurry and that we can talk another time.

Girl 2: That’ll give you time to think about what you are going to say and whether or not you’ll bring up what you saw at the mall — smooth move. Girl 1: Bye.

Girl 2: Have fun.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Scene 4

She: What do you think?

He: I don’t know what to think. She: Doesn’t it feel awkward?

He: I guess I can take it or leave it, but it’s not a great situation. She: You are so right. What are you going to do about them? He: I’ll have to take some time to think about it.

She: Yeah, you don’t want to make the situation any more complicated than what it is. He: Maybe I’ll get Josh by himself and sound him out. She: Not Josh.

He: Why not?

She: He always seems so negative to me.

He: But he’s good at analyzing situations.

She: Perhaps, but he does appear to be a bit of a know-it-all and if you don’t see things his way he really doesn’t like it and tries to put you down. He: I’ve always found him reasonable, but now I think of it, I’ll ask Andy instead. She: Good idea. His opinion will at least be reasonable and not biased. He: I hope.

Have students isolate sections of direct speech from a short story, a chapter in a novel, or dialogue from play, and with a partner or partners try to change the accepted tone of the piece by using different emphases, inflection, or tones of voice to achieve an entirely different interpretation.

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Chapter 4

Script Writing

T

here are a number of sources for scripts. Ready-made scripts may be purchased. Works of literature may be adapted. Or scripts may be made from scratch — that is, though brainstorming, which is often the most satisfying process.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Scripts From Scratch: Individual Brainstorming on Paper The teacher introduces the topic and each student writes his or her own ideas on paper within a certain amount of time aimed to encourage fast thinking — say, to a maximum of ten minutes. The ideas may be expressed in single words, in phrases, or in sentences. Once the students are finished, ask them to organize their thoughts into categories as a prelude to making a script.

Practice exercise For example, you might introduce the topic “Holidays” to students and have them list everything that holidays remind them of. Then, when they are finished, ask them to organize their ideas into categories. In the case of holidays, these might include such categories as activities, feelings or emotions, or travel. Next, have them express their categories in the form of a topic phrase, sentence, or question. For example, with holidays, they might be: • Holidays are fun!

• What can we do during the holiday? • I look forward to travelling.

• Special holidays from school include: • We have mixed emotions during the holidays. With the relevant ideas listed under each topic, the result is a simple script.

One student’s brainstorming the topic of holidays

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Chapter 4 — Script Writing

Holidays — Categories Fun free time time with friends in the snow snowballs no school relax no pressure barbeques family time

Travel to ski hills Mexico Japan Hawaii to mountains in the car motorhome to the beach sailing to an island

Special Times Christmas New Year Easter Thanksgiving Labour Day Remembrance Day spring break long weekends

Different Seasons winter activities: skiing ice skating hockey football basketball lacrosse

Mixed Emotions happiness sadness (back to school) relaxation no homework summer school classes good times loneliness, boredom

summer activities: sailing swimming sunbathing snorkelling surfing baseball softball cricket tennis golf

Holidays organized into categories

Holidays

All readers: Holidays! Reader 3: Reader 1: Reader 2: Reader 4: Reader 3: Reader 5:

Reader 3: Reader 4: Reader 2: Reader 1: Reader 3: Reader 5: Reader 2:

Reader 3: Reader 2: Reader 4: Reader 1: Reader 3: Reader 5:

Holidays are fun! Lots of free time. Time with friends, for snowball fights, and no school, or pressure.

Holidays can mean travel —  to Mexico, and warm vacations in Hawaii, or up the mountains to the ski slopes, with the family on car trips and with friends to the beach. Sailing to the islands. Holidays can be special times —  parties and celebrations for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, during spring break, and New Year’s Eve.

Reader 3: Reader 1: Reader 4: Reader 3: Reader 5: Reader 2: Reader 4: Reader 1:

Holidays bring mixed emotions —  happiness, sadness (back to school!), relaxation, and no homework! Oh, but summer school classes! Good times with friends. Loneliness, boredom!

Reader 3: Holidays happen during different seasons —  Reader 2: winter cold, snow and rainfall, Reader 5: skiing, Reader 4: surfing in wet suits. Reader 1: Summer sailing, swimming and sweating, Reader 3: sunbathing, sand and snorkelling. Reader 2: Holidays? All readers: We do love holidays!

A student-created simple Holidays script by category

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Scripts From Scratch: Group Brainstorming on Flip Chart or Whiteboard In group brainstorming, the teacher introduces a topic to a group of students and invites everyone to offer their ideas orally, which are then written on a flip chart or whiteboard by one of the participants. Because brainstorming uses the experience and creativity of all members of a group, it can be very effective. If one member of the group runs out of ideas, others can step in with theirs. Ensure that students respect the following rules of brainstorming: • no criticism of another’s ideas

• no judgments to be made about any idea • accept all ideas

• encourage creativity

• do not analyze a suggestion

• do not rate or evaluate comments • try to have everyone contributing

• encourage the participants to bring forth as many ideas as possible In a manner similar to individual brainstorming, page 26, have students organize the ideas into categories as a basis for creating a script.

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Chapter 4 — Script Writing

Practice exercise You might, for example, introduce the topic “High School Band” to students and ask them for their ideas. Then, when they have finished writing them on a flip chart or whiteboard, ask them to organize the ideas into categories. In the case of band, this might include such categories as instruments, sounds, or the emotions evoked. Next, have them express their categories in the form of a topic phrase, sentence, or question. With the relevant ideas listed under each topic, the result is a simple script.

Building Connections: Learning With Readers Theatre

High School Band All:

High School Band

Reader 3:

Band class!

Reader 1:

Many instruments.

Reader 2:

Bassoons booming!

Reader 3:

Long trombones sliding.

Reader 4:

Split valves, split reeds.

All:

Baritones bellowing!

Reader 1:

It produces a feast of sound.

Reader 3:

The cacophony of tuning instruments.

Reader 4:

Squeaking and squawking.

Reader 2:

Booming.

Reader1:

Bellowing.

Reader 4:

Agitato.

Reader 3:

Deep vibrations.

All:

Symphonic?

Reader 1:

Feelings are evoked –

Reader 2:

Soothing, stirring.

Reader 4:

Grating, terrifying.

Reader 3:

Electrifying, unifying.

All:

Melodious, surprising.

Reader1:

We are moved.

Reader 3:

Batons waving.

Reader 4:

Rhythm and beat.

Reader 2:

Fingers flying.

Reader 1:

Tapping toes.

All:

High School Band

A High School Band script based on the results of group 70 brainstorming, above. ReadersTheatre_AppendixSamples.indd 70

ReadersTheatre.indd 29

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Scripts From Scratch: Nominal Group Technique More structured than individual brainstorming and an effective alternative to group brainstorming is nominal group technique (NGT). This practice prevents more vocal individuals from dominating the group, allowing quieter members the chance to participate without feeling intimidated. NGT may take the following steps: • Introduce the topic.

• Divide the large group into small groups of five or six members and seat them in a circle or around a table. • Allow each participant in the group several minutes to silently jot down his or her ideas.

• Have each member of the group share one idea as they go around the circle, with one person recording each idea on a flip chart. Allow no criticisms, but permit clarifications. • Share each group’s list with all participants.

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Chapter 4 — Script Writing

Scripts From Scratch: Folded Paper Brainstorming This is often one of the most enjoyable forms of creating scripts. Round tables are excellent for this activity. • Give each student a blank sheet of paper, preferably lined.

• Have each turn the sheet upside down so the large space at the top is at the bottom.

• Have each choose a topic, write it in the centre of the bottom of the paper, then add his or her first name and initial alongside on the right. • Ask each to pass the sheet to the next person in a designated direction, left or right.

• Ask the next person to silently read the topic and write down what the topic suggests on the line above. It may be a single word, a phrase, or a sentence.

• Have each fold the paper back and underneath so that the next participant cannot see what he or she has written, then pass it to the next person to record his or her own thought. • Have students repeat the process until there are about twelve folds with twelve ideas, then instruct them to return the folded sheet to the person whose name is at the bottom.

• Randomly select a participant and ask him or her to bring the folded paper to the front of the room. Together, you and the participant read the topic aloud, then unfold the paper and take turns reading the responses, ending by repeating the topic together. In doing so, look for different ways to express the responses, imagining the sorts of punctuation (exclamation points and question marks, for example) that would add pitch or tone. Once the exercise is completed, have the students share their papers with the other students, inviting additions or elaborations. Then have them return to their own papers to punctuate the text and make their own improvements. For instance, in the spaces where the folds used to be, they might jot down more ideas and enhance the script’s content.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Folded paper brainstorming

Folded paper brainstorming, enhanced

As a final exercise in script writing, the teacher can decide if further elaboration would be useful. For instance, students might be asked to incorporate lessons learned in earlier brainstorming exercises, such as categorizing and reorganizing thoughts, to make their scripts richer and more complex.

Have students write a draft script based on all the ideas and information they have assembled. This will let them see what a script can look like. At the same time, writing a draft will give them a chance to make changes and improvements, with the goal being a final draft that can be used for staging (see chapter 5). As with many of the script-writing activities, students are hindered only by their imaginations.

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Chapter 4 — Script Writing

Scripts from Scratch: Folded Paper Brainstorming/ Paired Conversation Another use for folded paper brainstorming is to develop conversations between two characters.

• Divide the participants into pairs and have each pair think of a scene that would include two people in conflict. They might be arguing, for instance, while shopping, choosing a movie, making dinner, sitting in a restaurant, suffering a car accident, selling a personal item, or discussing curfew or the mark on a term paper.

• Ask students to choose a topic, such as “At the Mall,” write it in the centre of the top of the paper, add their first name and initial to the right, then pass it to their partner.

• Have the partner silently read the topic, write down the opening line of the conversation, which might, in this instance, be a greeting from a store clerk or one of the shoppers, then return the paper.

• Have the pairs of students pass the paper back and forth, working from the top of the page down, each adding a new line in response to the previous line, until the debate or argument is exhausted and the scene completed. (Include contributions from others if a pair of participants needs help.) • Have the originator of the topic draft the script — and redraft it, if necessary — into a piece suitable for per­formance.

Example of a two-person conversation developed by two students.

Scripts from Scratch: Folded Paper Brainstorming/ Group Conversation The same activity as the one above, this invites groups, rather than pairs, to participate in the creation of a script.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Scripts From Literature “There is no material that cannot be arranged into an effective script if proper Readers Theatre approaches and techniques are applied.” William Adams, Institute Book of Readers Theatre, 2003.

Because fiction usually contains direct speech and clearly defined characters, it is most often chosen to be adapted into a script. However, this doesn’t exclude poetry, history, or biography, which can often be more easily understood by students after scripting. Different forms of literature have different challenges, but anything is possible.

What to look for in potential material When selecting a piece for students to turn into a script, consider the following: • literary merit and subject appeal of direct speech • length • what can be omitted • suitability for potential audience; level of sophistication • how character parts may be distributed among readers Type of material • poem • short story • chapter of a novel or nonfiction work • newspaper article • stage play

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Chapter 4 — Script Writing

Steps for arranging material into a script: 1. Make two copies of the text and give a set to each student. 2. Ask students to read the text and list the characters, both those who are obvious (having direct speech in the text) and those who are potential (characters referenced, but without direct speech). 3. On one copy of the material, using three different coloured pens, have students highlight • dialogue • narration that could be adapted for dialogue • unadaptable narration. 4. Together with students, decide how many different narrators are needed. 5. Then decide how the narration will be apportioned. Should one narrator be assigned to certain characters or should multiple narrators be assigned to speak in various sequences? 6. On a second copy of the script, have students number the parts for narrators 1, 2, 3, and so on. 7. On the second copy, using highlighter colours different than those used for step 3, have students highlight each character’s dialogue. 8. Have students read the marked-up script through and look again at the narration and the character parts to see if they’re essential and balanced, then adjust where necessary. 9. Have students examine the tags 1 in the story to determine if they are necessary. When readers present the material before an audience, tags initially help establish character identity, but once the reader is clearly defined as a character then tag lines may be redundant. Have students use a black felt pen or marker to cross out unnecessary tags. (Some tags indicate the character’s action and should be kept as part of the narrative. For example, “he said as he stooped and picked up the ball.” Tags that indicate a facial expression or a gesture may be omitted as the character can make the expression or gesture accordingly.) 10. Finally, have students rewrite the material into a script format. Selections for scripting should not be too long. The resulting presentation should perhaps be no more than twenty minutes. Shorter scripts may be grouped and presented as a themed unit either with a narrator supplying the transitions or without interruption.

1 Tags are an author’s means of identifying who is speaking. In the following exchange, the tags are in bold face. “Not now,” she commanded. “Then when?” he asked.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

A short story may be turned into scripts of varying complexity for greater numbers of readers, as indicated on pages 37 and 38. First, the story as written by the author:

The Moth and the Star *

A

by James Thurber

young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star. He told his mother about this and she counseled him to set his heart on a bridge lamp instead. “Stars aren’t the thing to hang around,” she said. “Lamps are the thing to hang around.” “You get somewhere that way,” said the moth’s father. “You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.” But the young moth would not heed the words of either parent. Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start flying towards it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out with his vain endeavor. One day his father said to him, “You haven’t burned a wing in months, boy, and it looks to me as if you are never going to. All your brothers have been badly burned flying around street lamps and all your sisters have been terribly singed flying around house lamps. Come on, now, get out of here and get yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you without a mark on him!” The moth left his father’s house, but he would not fly around street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps. He went right on trying to reach the star, which was four and one-third light years, or twenty-five trillion miles away. The moth thought it was just caught in the top branches of the elm. He never did reach the star, but he went right on trying, night after night, and when he was a very, very old moth he began to think that he really had reached the star and he went around saying so. This gave him a deep and lasting pleasure, and he lived to a great old age. His parents and his brothers and his sisters had all burned to death when they were quite young. Moral: Who flies afar from the sphere of our sorrow is here today and here tomorrow.

* Reproducible master on page 63.

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Chapter 4 — Script Writing

A simple scripting, consisting of one narrator and the two characters who have the direct speaking parts:

Except for the text assignment to the three readers, no modifications were made to the text. For performance, however, the proportions are unequal, and teachers need to decide if this story can be adapted for Readers Theatre by making subtle alterations and increasing the number of readers. The Moth and the Star

Divided narration for five readers: There are three narrators, one each assigned to the characters of the mother and father. The third narrates the story of the young moth.

In this version, some of the father’s lines in the original have been assigned to the mother, which is permissible and sometimes a useful way to add balance to speaking roles. However, this version may not be ideal for performance, because Narrator 3, who relates the young moth’s story, predominates over the other roles.

by James Thurber Roles for Readers

Student Names

The Moth and the Star

Mother

___________________________________

by James Thurber

Father

___________________________________

Roles for Readers

Student Names

Narrator

___________________________________

Mother

___________________________________

A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star. He told his mother about this and she counseled him to set his heart on a bridge lamp instead.

Father

___________________________________

Narrator 1

___________________________________

Mother:

Stars aren’t the thing to hang around,

Narrator 2

___________________________________

Narrator:

she said.

Mother:

Lamps are the thing to hang around.

Father:

You get somewhere that way,

Narrator:

Narrator:

said the moth’s father.

Father:

You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.

Narrator:

But the moth would not heed the words of either parent. Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start flying toward it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out with his vain endeavor. One day his father said to him,

Father:

You haven’t burned a wing in months, boy, and it looks to me as if you are never going to. All your brothers have been badly burned flying around street lamps and all your sisters have been terribly singed flying around house lamps. Come on, now, get out of here and get yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you without a mark on him!

Narrator:

The moth left his father’s house, but he would not fly around street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps. He went right on trying to reach the star, which was four and one-third light years, or twenty-five trillion miles, away. The moth thought it was just caught in the top branches of the elm. He never did reach the star, but he went right on trying, night after night, and when he was a very, very old moth he began to think that he really had reached the star and he went around saying so. This gave him a deep and lasting pleasure, and he lived to a great old age. His parents and his brothers and sisters had all burned to death when they were quite young.

All:

64

The Moth and the Star, simple script for three readers

___________________________________

Narrator 3:

A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star.

Narrator 2:

He told his mother about this and she counseled him to set his heart on a bridge lamp instead. She said,

Mother:

Stars aren’t the thing to hang around, lamps are the thing to hang around.

Narrator 1:

And the young moth’s father said,

Father:

You get somewhere that way. You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.

Narrator 3:

But the moth would not heed the words of either parent. Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start flying toward it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out with his vain endeavor.

Narrator 1:

One day his father said to him,

Father:

You haven’t burned a wing in months, boy, and it looks to me as if you are never going to.

Narrator 2:

And his mother continued,

Mother:

All your brothers have been badly burned flying around street lamps and all your sisters have been terribly singed flying around house lamps.

Father:

Come on, now, get out of here and get yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you without a mark on him! Not good, oh no!

Narrator 1:

his father said in exasperation.

Narrator 3:

The moth left his home, but he would not fly around street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps. He went right on trying to reach the star, which was four and one-third light years, or twenty-five trillion miles, away. The moth thought it was just caught in the top branches of the elm. He never did reach the star, but he went right on trying, night after night, and when he was a very, very old moth he began to think that he really had reached the star and he went around saying so.

Narrator 2:

This gave him a deep and lasting pleasure.

Narrator 1:

And he lived to a great old age.

Moral: Who flies afar from the sphere of our sorrow is here today and here tomorrow.

Simple script for three readers. Reproducible master on page 64.

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Narrator 3

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The Moth and the Star, simple script for five readers, page 1

65

Simple script for five readers. Reproducible master on pages 65–66.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Divided narration for six readers: In this version, the Young Moth is introduced as a character with his own speaking part. The narration is further divided among the characters.

Text arranged for eight or more readers: In this version, interpolations have been added, including exclamations, extraneous chatter, crowd noises, and first lines of appropriate songs. While the previous version may be sufficient, this version is somewhat more elaborate than the others and could be a lot of fun!

The Moth and the Star by James Thurber Roles for Readers

Student Names

Mother

___________________________________

Father

___________________________________

The Moth and the Star

Young Moth

___________________________________

by James Thurber

Narrator 1

___________________________________

Roles for Readers

Student Names

Narrator 2

___________________________________

Mother

___________________________________

Narrator 3

___________________________________

Father

___________________________________

Narrator 3:

A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star.

Young Moth

___________________________________

Narrator 2:

He told his mother about his desire and pointed as he said,

Brother 1

___________________________________

Brother 2

___________________________________

Brother 3

___________________________________

Sister 1

___________________________________

Sister 2

___________________________________

Young Moth: You know, Mom, I’ve set my heart on that star … that one … right there. Narrator 2:

But she counseled him,

Mother:

Oh son, don’t set your heart on a star, set your heart on a bridge lamp instead.

Narrator 2:

And she continued in her counsel,

Mother:

Stars aren’t the thing to hang around, lamps are the thing to hang around.

Narrator 1:

The young moth’s father supported the advice his mother had given and said,

Sister 3

___________________________________

Father:

You get somewhere that way. You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.

Narrator 1

___________________________________

Narrator 1:

But the moth would not heed the words of his father

Narrator 2:

Or his mother.

Narrator 2

___________________________________

Narrator 3:

Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start flying toward it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out with his vain endeavor.

Narrator 3

Young Moth: Whew, this is tough … and tiring. Narrator 1:

One day his father said to him,

Father:

You haven’t burned a wing in months, boy, and it looks to me as if you were never going to. All your brothers have been badly burned flying around street lamps and all your sisters have been terribly singed flying around house lamps. Come on, now, get out of here and get yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you without a mark on him! Oh no! Tsk, tsk!

Narrator 1:

The young moth left his father’s house,

Narrator 3:

but he would not fly around street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps. The Moth and the Star, simple script for six readers, page 1

A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star.

Narrator 2:

He told his mother about his desire and pointed as he said,

Young Moth: (Singing) When you wish about a star, makes a difference to what you are … lah de dah da ta ta … (spoken) You know, Mom, I’ve set my heart on that star … that one … right there.

67

Reproducible master on pages 67–68. ReadersTheatre_Appendix.indd 67

___________________________________

Narrator 3:

Narrator 2:

She hugged him and counseled him wisely,

Mother:

(Singing) If you want to hitch to a star, carry good luck home from afar … (spoken) Oh son, don’t hitch your love on a star, set your heart on a bridge lamp instead.

Narrator 2:

And she continued in her counsel,

Mother:

Stars aren’t the thing to hang around, lamps are the thing to hang around.

Narrator 1:

The young moth’s father supported the advice his mother had given and said,

Father:

You get somewhere that way. You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.

Narrator 1:

But the moth would not heed the words of his father

Narrator 2:

Or his mother.

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The Moth and the Star, simple script for eight or more readers, page 1

69

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Chapter 5

Staging

O

ne of the most exciting aspects of Readers Theatre is presenting a piece to an audience. Though doing so isn’t always necessary (an instructor may want participants to simply enjoy reading with each other), presentation allows oral interpreters to showcase their skills, which boosts confidence and builds morale. This chapter focuses on three styles of staging: • Simple • Staged

• Chamber Each style has distinct characteristics, which any group of performers can adapt for any material. However, depending on the material and the scripting, specific styles have certain advantages.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Simple Readers Theatre Performers either stand or sit on chairs or on lab stools (for greater height) in a straight line or in an arc so that all are visible to the audience. During the reading, performers whose characters are not in the scene lower their heads and follow the script. When they enter the scene, they raise their heads and raise their scripts to a readable height (but not in front of the face). Performers keep their bodies turned toward the audience, but they turn their heads toward other performers when addressing them. This is called “onstage focus.”

Setting Up Simple Readers Theatre Depending upon the layout of the facility, cast members enter from either stage left or stage right, led by the narrator, and stand in front of their seats. Taking their cue from the narrator, they sit down, as one, and open their scripts. When the piece is concluded, at a signal from the narrator, they close their scripts in unison, stand, and leave in the direction from which they entered. With spaces that hold larger audiences, having the performers stand, rather than sit, is more effective. As above, the narrator leads cast members into the performing area and gives them their cues to open their scripts. Performers may stand either in a straight line or in an arc.

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Chapter 5 — Staging

For any type of staging, the appearance of the scripts and of the performers is important. Scripts should be printed single-sided to avoid confusion when pages are turned and placed inside a firm cover, such as a Duotang folder or a slim binder. All covers should be the same colour. If possible, each performer should highlight his or her own dialogue. To keep the audience focused on the characters and content of the script, performers should dress simply and uniformly. All, for instance, might wear white shirts or blouses with dark pants or skirts or wear T-shirts that match the covers of their folders. In summary, performers of Simple Readers Theatre:

• sit on stools or chairs or stand in a straight line or arc

• lower their heads when leaving a scene and raise them when entering • print scripts on one side of the page only

• place scripts inside firm covers of uniform design • highlight their individual parts in their scripts • follow the narrators on and off stage • use onstage focus (see page 42)

• wear unobtrusive, coordinated clothing

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Staged Readers Theatre Perhaps the most satisfying form of Readers Theatre is the staged presentation, which takes all the elements of Simple Readers Theatre and adds aspects of conventional theatre. More advanced and complex than Simple Readers Theatre, Staged Readers Theatre challenges performers and gives them some leeway in presentation and interpretation. Instructors may, for instance, assign performers to do character studies so that they will “feel” their characters more deeply and authentically. Staged Readers Theatre takes less rehearsal time than Chamber Theatre (see page 45), but performers typically find it appealing, and audiences find it entertaining. In Staged Readers Theatre, performers are placed in a performing area according to character definition and interaction. Narrators are usually situated slightly apart from the action and may use music stands for their scripts.

Onstage Focus 2 readers R1

Staged Readers Theatre presentations may use onstage focus, but as students grow more comfortable performing before an audience, you may want to introduce them to the technique of “offstage focus.” A more sophisticated form of presentation, offstage focus asks performers to focus their eyes as if they were looking into a mirror behind the audience and speak to one another as if R2 speaking to each other’s mirror images. Using offstage focus makes greater demands on the concentration and imagination of performers who must persuade the audience that they are witnessing the action taking place off stage.

3 readers R3 would be required to turn towards the reader he or she is addressing

R1

R3

Offstage Focus 2 readers

R1

R2

R2

With onstage focus, performers address one another by looking directly at one another.

Audience

With offstage focus, performers address one another as if they were looking at the mirror image of the other performer just above and behind the audience.

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Chapter 5 — Staging

Setting Up Staged Readers Theatre Using stools, chairs, benches, choral risers, or any combination of the same, arrange the performers in positions that indicate their relationships to one another. Varied furniture heights and positioning keeps the staging simple but effective. Performers may exit a scene in one of two ways: by turning their backs to the audience (BTA) or by lowering their heads. (The latter method is best if the script requires many exits and entrances.) It is best to choose one form of exit and entrance for a presentation, rather than switching back and forth. Narrators are usually placed somewhat apart from the characters and remain focused on the audience throughout the performance. Occasionally, for effect, they may glance towards the performers to indicate to the audience that some new action is about to take place. All readers use scripts on stage, even if they choose to memorize their lines. Scripts should be printed on one side of each page; performers should highlight their own parts; and the pages should be placed inside a hard cover, such as a Duotang folder or a slim binder. Most often scripts are held with both hands. Occasionally, they are held in one hand if a performer needs to make a gesture with the other. Props are permitted, as long as they are used with restraint, but scripts may replace props. For example, scripts may be used to indicate a hat, a plate, or a newspaper. Performers should dress uniformly and in a way that does not distract the audience from the performance. White shirts or blouses with dark pants or skirts or plain white or pastel T-shirts are recommended. Because the challenge for performers is to convince audiences verbally that their characters are genuine, clothing or costumes should not have to be used to define a role. In summary, performers of Staged Readers Theatre: • use stools, chairs, benches, or anything that creates multiple levels • print scripts on one side of the page only • place scripts inside firm covers of uniform design • highlight their individual parts in their scripts • use head and hand gestures with restraint • use props with restraint or use their scripts as props • wear unobtrusive, coordinated clothing • use onstage or offstage focus (as decided by the director or instructor)

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Practice exercise James Thurber’s “The Macbeth Murder Mystery” may be scripted for either simple or staged presentations. Although the script for each is the same (see page 72), the director’s decisions about character placement will determine the visual differences. The Macbeth Murder Mystery By James Thurber “It was a stupid mistake to make,” said the American woman I had met at my hotel in the English lake country, “but it was on the counter with the other Penguin books — the little sixpenny ones, you know, with the paper covers — and I supposed of course it was a detective story. All the others were detective stories. I’d read all the others, so I bought this one without really looking at it carefully. You can imagine how mad I was when I found it was Shakespeare.” I murmured something sympathetically. “I don’t see why the Penguin-books people had to get out Shakespeare’s plays in the same size and everything as the detective stories,” went on my companion. “I think they have different-colored jackets,” I said. “Well, I didn’t notice that,” she said. “Anyway, I got real comfy in bed that night and all ready to read a good mystery story and here I had ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ — a book for high-school students. Like ‘Ivanhoe,’” “Or ‘Lorna Doone,’” I said. “Exactly,” said the American lady. “And I was just crazy for a good Agatha Christie, or something. Hercule Poirot is my favorite detective.” “Is he the rabbity one?” I asked. “Oh, no,” said my crime-fiction expert. “He’s the Belgian one. You’re thinking of Mr. Pinkerton, the one that helps Inspector Bull. He’s good, too.”

The Macbeth Murder Mystery by James Thurber

Over her second cup of tea my companion began to tell the plot of a detective story that had fooled her completely — it seems it was the old family doctor all the time. But I cut in on her. “Tell me,” I said. “Did you read ‘Macbeth’?” “I had to read it,” she said. “There wasn’t a scrap of anything else to read in the whole room.” “Did you like it?” I asked. “No, I did not,” she said, decisively. “In the first place, I don’t think for a moment that Macbeth did it.” I looked at her blankly. “Did what?” I asked. “I don’t think for a moment that he killed the King,” she said. “I don’t think the Macbeth woman was mixed up in it, either. You suspect them the most, of course, but those are the ones that are never guilty — or shouldn’t be, anyway.” “I’m afraid,” I began, “that I — ” “But don’t you see?” said the American lady. “It would spoil everything if you could figure out right away who did it. Shakespeare was too smart for that. I’ve read that people never have figured out ‘Hamlet,’ so it isn’t likely Shakespeare would have made ‘Macbeth’ as simple as it seems.” I thought this over while I filled my pipe. “Who do you suspect?” I asked, suddenly. “Macduff,” she said, promptly. “Good God!” I whispered, softly.

Original text. Reproducible master on pages 72–74.

___________________________________

Narrator 2

___________________________________

Woman

___________________________________

Man

___________________________________

N1

N2 W

The Macbeth Murder Mystery, original text, page 1

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Student Names

Narrator 1

Suggested Staging

“Oh, Macduff did it, all right,” said the murder specialist. “Hercule Poirot would have got him easily.” “How did you figure it out?” I demanded. “Well,” she said, “I didn’t right away. At first I suspected Banquo. And then, of course, he was the second person killed. That was good right in there, that part. The person you suspect of the first 72

Roles for Readers

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M

Man or woman could also be seated on chairs or stools

Woman:

It was a stupid mistake to make,

Narrator 1:

said the American woman whom he had met at his hotel in the English lake country,

Woman:

but it was on the counter with the other Penguin books — the little sixpenny ones, you know, with the paper covers — and I supposed of course it was a detective story. All the others were detective stories. I’d read all the others, so I bought this one without really looking at it carefully. You can imagine how mad I was when I found it was Shakespeare.

Narrator 2:

He murmured something sympathetically.

Woman:

I don’t see why the Penguin books people had to get out Shakespeare’s plays in the same size and everything as the detective stories.

Man:

I think they have different-coloured jackets.

Woman:

Well, I didn’t notice that. Anyway, I got real comfy in bed that night and all ready to read a good mystery story and here I had The Tragedy of Macbeth — a book for high school students. Like Ivanhoe,

Man:

Or Lorna Doone,

Narrator 2:

he added.

Woman:

Exactly, and I was just crazy for a good Agatha Christie, or something. Hercule Poirot is my favourite detective.

The Macbeth Murder Mystery, script for simple or staged presentation, page 1

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Script form for simple or staged presentations. Reproducible master on pages 75–80.

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Chapter 5 — Staging

Chamber Theatre Chamber Theatre is a technique for presenting literary works on stage that takes advantage of established theatrical conventions. Props, costumes, scenery, and formal entrances and exits are used in Chamber Theatre, and presenters memorize their lines, rather than read them from a script. However, staging is kept relatively simple. The text and performance remain paramount. While a literary work may be edited for presentation in Simple and Staged Readers Theatre, it is usually presented intact in Chamber Theatre.

In Chamber Theatre there are often fewer performers than characters, which means some performers may take multiple roles. This challenges scriptwriters to clearly differentiate characters, directors to judiciously position performers on stage, and The Macbeth Murder Mystery performers to conscientiously exercise their by James Thurber voices to distinguish one assigned character Roles for Actors Student Names from another. Reader 1 ___________________________________ Narrators and the narration are a very important part of Chamber Theatre. The narrator keeps a close association with the audience, explaining events, actions, and the characters’ relationships to one another. Unlike the narrators in Simple and Staged Readers Theatre, however, narrators in Chamber Theatre may take other roles in the performance. Although Chamber Theatre incorporates such elements of theatre structure as props, sets, and costumes, directors should ensure that the words do the work of stimulating the audience’s imaginations. Sets, then, are best kept relatively simple. Similarly, clothing is best kept simple. Performers should let their costumes suggest their roles rather than embody them. As well, performers playing multiple roles must be able to make quick costume changes without going offstage. Chamber Theatre demands excellence in acting. For students who have had many experiences with Readers Theatre, chamber style can be the culmination of their learning.

Reader 2

___________________________________

Reader 3

___________________________________

Suggested Staging SceNe 1

SceNe 2 R3

R3 R1

R2

R2 R1

Scene 1: The Tearoom. Downstage centre is a small square coffee table set between two chairs that are angled slightly towards each other. Reader 2 is seated in the chair stage left of the coffee table. Reader 1 is seated in the other chair. Reader 3, the narrator, stands upstage of the coffee table. Reader 3 also takes the waiter’s role. Reader 3:

He had met the American woman during teatime at the hotel in the English lake country where he was staying.

Reader 1:

She admitted, It was a stupid mistake to make, but it was on the counter with the other Penguin books — the little sixpenny ones, you know, with the paper covers — and I supposed of course it was a detective story. All the others were detective stories. I’d read all the others, so I bought this one without really looking at it carefully. You can imagine how mad I was when I found it was Shakespeare.

Reader 3:

He murmured something sympathetically.

Reader 1:

I don’t see why the Penguin-books people had to get out Shakespeare plays in the same size and everything as the detective stories.

Reader 2:

I think they have different-coloured jackets.

Reader 1:

Well, I didn’t notice that. Anyway, I got real comfy in bed that night and all ready to read a good mystery story and here I had The Tragedy of Macbeth — a book for high school students. Like Ivanhoe —

Reader 2:

Or Lorna Doone.

The Macbeth Murder Mystery, script for chamber presentation, page 1

81

“The Macbeth Murder Mystery” scripted for Chamber Theatre. Reproducible master on pages 81–85. Please note that in this scripting Readers 1 and 2 are characters with narrative sections as part of their roles. The narrative sections have been indicated in italics and may be read into the dialogue (in a storytelling voice) or omitted entirely. Reader 3, who is the main narrator during the entire performance, is very much the butler in both poise and voice.

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Chapter 6

Connecting Readers Theatre

R

eaders Theatre is most commonly associated with the instruction of English, creative writing, or drama, but the methods of Readers Theatre can be adapted to other areas of the curriculum, too.

Brainstorming Brainstorming techniques, described in chapter 4, can be used effectively in all subjects and are often a constructive way to introduce students to the content of a new unit of study, be it science, history, geography, shop, or a second language. Textbooks or printouts from the Internet, for instance, are handy source materials for simple scripts. You could have students read a section of a textbook, then tell them to close the book and brainstorm and record everything they can recall about the subject matter, either individually on paper or in a group using a flip chart or whiteboard. Then have them categorize their ideas, assign statements to each category, and create simple scripts that can be presented to the rest of the class. Brainstorming may also be used at the end of a unit to answer questions such as “what have you learned?” or “what do you now know that you did not know before the unit?” Students should brainstorm on their own first, and then share their ideas in a group as a prelude to developing a script.

Practice exercise: The answers to the test! One form of brainstorming that students at the middle and secondary level find enjoyable is the pop quiz. However, this pop quiz is different. Instead of asking the students a question, the teacher gives an answer and asks the students to brainstorm and supply the question. Ask the students to write three to five questions for each answer. Once they have had sufficient time to write their questions, have them form into groups and share, in sequence, their responses. For example, if the teacher’s answer is 24, then some of the students’ answers might be: How many eggs in two dozen? What is 50 minus 26? How many hours in a day? What is a popular TV drama starring Kiefer Sutherland? What is 3 times 4 times 2? What is the date of my birthday in July?

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

This can be turned into a choral speaking presentation by having the students say “24” in unison after each response. Other answers teachers might supply are: The answer is Captain James Cook. The answer is Mexico.

The answer is global warming. The answer is neon.

The answer is the moon.

Depending upon the subject, there are numerous answers and questions that would provide bases for scripts. Teachers and students are only inhibited by their imaginations.

Connecting Readers Theatre With Environmental Studies Scripting is also a good way to make science- and nature-related concepts more accessible and enjoyable for students. Students may have gone on a field trip to a woods, forest, or arboretum and studied, for instance, the importance of trees to environmental well-being, or they may have read stories about deforestation and global warming. As a concluding exercise, they might prepare a script to amalgamate everything they’ve learned on the subject, first brainstorming, then organizing their thoughts into categories.

A brainstorming session on the importance of trees

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Building Connections: Learning With Readers Theatre

Chapter 6 — Connecting Readers Theatre

Trees

Trees

Importance: Garden of Eden Cleaner air and water Home for wildlife Shade and shelter Absorbs massive amounts of CO2 Give off oxygen Help to disperse rainfall Absorb carbon monoxide Help to mitigate the effects of global warming and the greenhouse effect Uses:

Species: Benefits:

Provide nourishment Source of medicines Source of vitamins Inspire myths and stories Provide beauty

Roles for Readers

Student Names

Reader 1

___________________________________

Reader 2

___________________________________

Reader 3

___________________________________

Reader 4

___________________________________

Reader 5

___________________________________

Reader 6

___________________________________

Suggested Staging

R3

Coniferous (evergreens/needle-leaved) – softwoods Deciduous – hardwoods

Communal Are accepted as part of the community Enhance properties Often serve architectural and engineering functions Reduce glare and reflection Direct pedestrian traffic Provide background to and soften, complement, or enhance architecture Environmental Moderate climate (effects of sun, wind, rain) Improve air quality Conserve water Shelter wildlife Reduce erosion Economic Direct: energy costs, landscaped homes, Indirect: lower electricity costs, use reduced amounts of fossil fuels; fewer measures needed to control air pollution Diversify the rural economy by providing income (or savings) from harvesting forest products such as firewood, fence posts, maple syrup, pulpwood, and lumber.

R4

R5

R1

Social Trees make life more pleasant Beautiful and peaceful Stature, strength, and endurance Encourage healthy open-air activities

R6

R2

Reader 1:

Trees affect us daily.

Reader 2:

How?

Reader 1:

They provide shade and shelter

Reader 3:

and absorb carbon dioxide.

Reader 4:

They give off oxygen

Reader 5:

and disperse rainfall.

Reader 6:

They also aid us in our fight against global warning.

Reader 2:

What do they provide shade and shelter for?

Reader 5:

Wildlife

Reader 1:

such as birds and animals,

Reader 3:

and they provide lumber for all types of buildings.

Reader 4:

Trees are renewable.

Reader 2:

What other uses do they have?

Reader 6:

They provide food.

Reader 4:

Fruit, nuts, leaves, and berries

Reader 1:

are all sources of nourishment.

Reader 3:

Various trees give us medicines,

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Trees, simple script for six readers, page 1

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Categorizing the brainstorming results ReadersTheatre_BLM_inserts.indd 52

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Connecting Readers Theatre With History By scripting stories from history, students can bring the past to life. For example, they could represent the Industrial Revolution in scripts about factory workers, child labour, women, agricultural changes, textile mills, coal mines, transportation, or inventions. For source material, they could look to the novels of Charles Dickens, who put the transformations of the nineteenth century at the heart of his writing. Or they could use the short stories of O. Henry, which give a flavour of the late nineteenth century in the United States. Another topic that students might script is the evolution of sport during the last century from amateur to professional status.

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The Industrial Revolution and the Steam Engine Roles for Readers

Student Names

Reader 1

___________________________________

Reader 2

___________________________________

Reader 3

___________________________________

Reader 4

___________________________________

Suggested Staging

R2

R3

R1

R4

Reader 1:

The spinning jenny may have been the first major technological innovation of the Industrial Revolution.

Reader 2:

However, the invention that really drove the revolution in the eighteenth century was invented decades earlier.

Reader 3:

That was the steam engine.

Reader 2:

The cotton and steel industries were growing quickly.

Reader 1:

Reliable sources of energy were required to maintain and increase production.

Reader 4:

England sat on vast quantities of coal. Coal burns better and more efficiently than wood.

Reader 3:

If you have lots of coal it is much cheaper to burn.

Reader 4:

Coal, then, was used in the melting of metals, including iron, and the miners were happy to extract coal from the ground.

Reader 1:

Mining coal was not an easy task.

Reader 2:

The more coal the miners withdrew from the ground the deeper they had to dig.

Reader 3:

The deeper the mine, the more it fills with water.

Reader 1:

This created problems for the miners and the water had to be removed for them to continue mining.

Reader 3:

By the middle of the next century, the steam engine replaced water as the major source of power in England and Europe.

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The Industrial Revolution and the Steam Engine, simple script for four readers, page 1

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Connecting Readers Theatre With Art

Connecting Readers Theatre With Great Literature

Scenes or figures in great works of art lend themselves to scripting. Students might, for example, create a story about the movements and conversation of the central figures in a painting before and after they arrived in the scene depicted. They might also script a story about a painting’s origin, perhaps through the device of imagined conversation between two gallery viewers. The same exercise may be used for photographs and illustrations. For example, to help students understand Renaissance painting, two readers could represent Leonardo da Vinci talking with the subject of his famous painting, Mona Lisa, with a third reader acting as narrator.

For many students, understanding what some of the great poets, authors, and playwrights are trying to convey in their works can be difficult. Readers Theatre methods provide one possible solution. A difficult passage may be divided into sections based on its punctuation with students taking turns reading the sections sequentially. For example, to help students understand William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, Portia’s speech to Shylock in Act IV could be shared among six readers. The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I by William Shakespeare

A Conversation Between Lisa Giocondo and Leonardo da Vinci Roles for Readers

Student Names

Leonardo da Vinci (LDV) ___________________________________ Lisa Giocondo

___________________________________

Narrator

___________________________________

Roles for Readers

Student Names

Portia

___________________________________

Shylock

___________________________________

Reader 1

___________________________________

Reader 2

___________________________________

Reader 3

___________________________________

Reader 4

___________________________________

Suggested Staging

The part of the narrator is optional. To use as a two-person script, the narrator’s lines may be blacked out.

PoRtiA

Suggested Staging

R2

With narrator (using offstage focus)

ShYlock

R3

R4

R1

the same reader may perform the roles of Shylock and Reader 4.

liSA ldv

Narrator:

Portia:

Then must the Jew be merciful.

Shylock:

On what compulsion must I? Tell me that.

Portia:

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,

Reader 1:

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath:

Reader 2:

it is twice blessed;

Reader 3:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes;

Reader 4:

’Tis mightiest in the mightiest:

Reader 2:

it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown;

Reader 3:

His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,

Reader 1:

The attribute to awe and majesty,

Portia:

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

Welcome to my studio, Signora Giocondo. I am pleased that your husband has commissioned me to paint your portrait.

Reader 4:

But mercy is above this sceptred sway;

Reader 3:

It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,

Lisa and Leonardo bow towards each other. Lisa’s hair, shoulder length, is wrapped in a translucent veil. She wears a sober, dark dress and a thickly pleated mantle adorns her left shoulder. She wears no jewels. She smiles as she acknowledges Leonardo’s greeting.

Portia:

It is an attribute to God himself;

Readers 2:

And earthly power doth then show likest God’s when mercy seasons justice.

The year is 1503. It is the Renaissance period, in fact the High Renaissance period, when painting in Italy was reaching the peak of technical mastery and artistic expression. We are in Signor Leonardo da Vinci’s home in the small Tuscan village of Vinci near Florence, Italy. This particular room is small and crowded with diagrams, plans, and strange-looking models of unfamiliar objects scattered on the floor and shelves. There is a small raised platform in one corner of this small cluttered room and on it is a chair with a fairly high back. It appears to be a comfortable piece upon which to sit. Leonardo is setting up his easel a short distance from the platform when Lisa enters.

LDV: Narrator:

Lisa:

Thank you, Signor da Vinci. I’m honored to pose for you. As you asked, I am wearing a simple gown and no jewellery.

LDV:

Excellent, Signora Giocondo. This means that nothing will detract from the focus of the portrait, which is of your face. I am going to put you in front of relatively plain background. This will allow me to capture your mystery without having the background impose itself over you as the subject.

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The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I, simple script for six readers, page 1

95

Reproducible master on pages 95–96. ReadersTheatre_Appendix.indd 95

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A Conversation Between Lisa Giocondo and Leonardo da Vinci, script for simple, staged, or chamber presentation, page 1

Reproducible master on pages 90–94.

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50

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Chapter 6 — Connecting Readers Theatre

Connecting Readers Theatre With Current Events Television news anchor roles are ideal for everyday Readers Theatre. This form uses mostly an offstage focus, with two students reading into an imaginary camera lens, occasionally cueing each other or a third, “on location,” reporter with a glance or gesture.

Divide the students into pairs and provide each with a brief summary (about six to eight sentences) of a current news item from the newspaper. Give each pair a few minutes to divide the narrative into two roles (News Anchor 1 and News Anchor 2). Let them practise reading their lines back and forth, emphasizing the need for News Brief prompt cueing to eliminate anything but the Roles for Readers Student Names slightest pause. Here, a third “on location” reNews Anchor 1 ___________________________________ News Anchor 2 ___________________________________ porter may be added to enhance the script. Encourage the students to observe evening news programs that have multiple anchors and see what techniques are employed to make these programs flow smoothly.

Reporter

___________________________________

Suggested Staging

NA 1

NA 2 R

desk

News Anchors 1 and 2 may be seated (perhaps behind a desk or table) with their focus toward the audience, as if they were looking into a tv camera. occasionally they may use onstage focus to cue each other. Reporter starts with back-to-audience (BtA) and enters the scene when News Anchor 2 says "near the Battersea location."

News Anchor 1: This is Channel XYZ with the evening news of [day and date]. News Anchor 2: Bemused Londoners watched as a northern bottle-nosed whale swam up the River Thames past the Houses of Parliament, the first sighting of the endangered species there since records began nearly a century ago. News Anchor 1: The large mammal, which could be injured, swam upstream into the historic heart of the British capital on Friday as amazed onlookers crowded the riverbanks to witness the extraordinary sight. News Anchor 2: A second whale, believed to be of the same species, was spotted at Southend, near the end of the Thames estuary, said the British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity. News Anchor 1: The whale, which normally lives in deep water, became briefly stranded in the shallows near the disused Battersea Power Station, and people waded into the river to try to refloat it. News Anchor 2: We have a report from our cameraman who is near the Battersea location. Reporter:

Thank you, [News Anchor 2]. I am standing near the power station and can see the whale, which has been followed by a flock of intrigued gulls, a helicopter, and four boats making sure it did not get into bother with any river traffic. Onlookers cheered when it surfaced to spout News Brief, simple script for three readers, page 1

97

Reproducible master on pages 97–98. ReadersTheatre_Appendix.indd 97

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Chapter 7

Evaluation

R

eaders Theatre presentations may be evaluated by participating individuals, by their peers, by their teachers, or by an audience. Evaluation is appropriate at any stage of the process, from scripting through rehearsal to performance. Whoever the evaluators are, they are encouraged to be positive and helpful in their evaluations, whether written or oral. The evaluation processes in this chapter are designed to encourage improvement in reading, fluency, and understanding. They are suggestions, which teachers or other evaluators are welcome to modify to their own purposes. (See Appendix B for evaluation forms and checklists that teachers and students may use for assistance in improving performance.)

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Self-Evaluation Encourage students to be critical of their own performances. Provide them with a checklist to measure their progress. The checklist should include such items as: • Do I have a good understanding of the story?

• Have I highlighted the “action” words in the script where I should add expression to my performance? • Have I practised my part sufficiently?

• Am I certain that my facial expressions show that I understand my character and my character’s role in the story? • Am I projecting my voice so that audience members can hear me?

• Do I enunciate clearly? Am I emphasizing the consonants to clip the words and make myself more easily understood? • Do I sound natural or do I sound expressionless and forced?

• How is my pacing? Is it varied? Are my pauses suitable? Am I reading without tripping over words or phrases? Am I paying attention to other readers’ reactions?

Readers Theatre Student Self-Evaluation Student Name:

_________________________________________

Student Role:

_________________________________________

Script Title:

_________________________________________

Date:

_________________________________________

Area

Numerical Rating and/or Comments

Description

Preparation

• Am I prompt with my cues?

Comments

Understanding of the story

• Am I using any props carefully and effectively? The above suggestions may be put into a table, such as the one to the left, that students receive at the end of the presentation.

Use of highlighter

Practice

knowledge

Peer Evaluation

Of my character

Encourage students to evaluate each other’s work. By sharing their work with one another, students learn to cooperate, to seek advice from others in making decisions about their work, to appreciate the value of a response to their efforts, and to rank the comments of others against their own standards.

Of character’s role within story

Fluency

Attention to the words and phrasing

Naturalness of my reading

Correct/necessary pauses

Pace

Varied as necessary

100

Students’ self-evaluation form, page 1

Readers Theatre self-evaluation form for students. Reproducible master on pages 100–101.

ReadersTheatre_Appendix.indd 100

For instance, a checklist for students to evaluate their peers’ scripts might include such items as:

• Is the script interesting? Did you enjoy reading it?

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Chapter 7 — Evaluation

• Is the message clear to the audience? Are clear images created in the minds of the listeners? • Is there a pleasing balance between readers and narration? • Does the dialogue flow smoothly?

• Is the pace even? Is there variety in the characters?

• Is the script of reasonable length — not too long or too short to hold the attention of the audience?

• Does the script accurately reflect the original story?

• If directions are included, are they helpful to the readers, or are they unnecessary? • Is there humour where appropriate? Is it obvious to the reader and to the audience?

• If rhyme, repetition, and word patterns are included, do they add to the interest of the piece? • Will the characters appeal to a listening audience? Can you tell what kind of person each is? • Does the script have a surprise ending? Does it work? • Is the ending predictable? Does it make the story interesting, or less than interesting?

The above suggestions may be put into a form, such as the one to the right, that students receive when they have completed their scripts. They may use the forms to evaluate their own scripts or the scripts of their colleagues and they should use them to promote the idea that all material can be improved. As well as simple yes/no responses, students may wish to add helpful comments.

Students’ Script Evaluation Is the script interesting? ______________________________________________________ Did you enjoy reading it? ____________________________________________________ Is the message clear to the audience? Are clear images created in the minds of the listeners? ___________________________________________________________________________ Is there a pleasing balance between readers and narration? ________________________ Does the dialogue flow smoothly? _____________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Is the pace even? Is there variety in the characters? _______________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Is the script of reasonable length — not too long or too short to hold the attention of the audience? ___________________________________________________________________________ Does the script accurately reflect the original story? ______________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ If directions are included, are they helpful to the readers, or are they unnecessary? ___________________________________________________________________________ Is there humour where appropriate? Is it obvious to the reader and to the audience? ___________________________________________________________________________ If rhyme, repetition, and word patterns are included, do they add to the interest of the piece? ___________________________________________________________________________ Will the characters appeal to a listening audience? Can you tell what kind of person each is? ___________________________________________________________________________ Does the script have a surprise ending? Does it work? ____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Is the ending predictable? Does it make the story interesting, or less than interesting? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

102

Students’ script evaluation form

Form for students to evaluate scripts. Reproducible master on page 102.

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

The Importance of Being Tactful Peer evaluation requires tact. Thoughtless responses, whether written or oral, may discourage students and spoil an otherwise good rehearsal. Students should be encouraged to pay positive attention to the work of their colleagues. They might include such phrasings as: • In my opinion …

• I really felt your anger when …

• You certainly sounded kind and considerate when you said … • Your reaction to George was exactly right when he said … • I understood your happiness when you responded to …

Where students feel the need to be critical, they should be encouraged to empathize and voice their criticisms in positive terms. Their responses could take the following forms: • Perhaps you could try the emphasis on [a particular word or phrase] in that sentence.

• What about taking a deep breath before you say [a particular word or phrase]. • If I try saying this line with more emphasis, would that help you respond more [angrily, happily, eagerly, carefully, etc.]?

• I thought the way you said [a particular word or phrase] was great, and if you said [a particular word or phrase] in a more [frustrated, annoyed, measured, etc.] manner that might be a good contrast. Try to discourage students from saying such things as:

• If I were you, I’d say that like this …

• Why not say [a particular word or phrase] this way?

• That’s not right. You should be [angrier, sadder, meaner, more annoyed, etc.]

56

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Chapter 7 — Evaluation

Teacher Evaluation Teacher evaluation is a continual process. From the introduction of Readers Theatre to a group of students to fully rehearsed pieces presented to an audience, opportunities for teachers to evaluate progress and assess performances are frequent. The goal is to help students improve their performances, not to rank or rate them. The following are some criteria for teacher evaluations, which can be applied to individuals or groups, during rehearsals or after the presentation is complete: Attitude

• Worked cooperatively

• Heeded the director’s suggestions • Focused on the part

• Brought the character alive

• Was well prepared

• Contributed fully to the entire production

Vocalization

• Pronounced words correctly • Enunciated well for clarity • Varied volume

• Exhibited good projection • Maintained pacing

• Responded well to cues

• Varied volume, pace, and pitch successfully to indicate mood changes Physical Presence

• Gestured usefully and effectively

• Used props effectively where required • Showed poise

• Used body language and facial expression effectively • Maintained focus, both onstage and offstage

• Established character relationships successfully Audience Response

• Expressed involvement and engagement • Understood the performance • Showed enthusiasm

The above suggestions may be put into forms, such as the ones on page 58, which include one for evaluating scripts, one for evaluating oral presentations, and one for assessing performance. 57

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Readers Theatre: A Secondary Approach

Evaluating Oral Presentations Date: _________________________________ Title of play: ___________________________ Rehearsal  Performance  Name: _____________________________ Role: __________________________________ 1. Student speaks clearly. _____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Student speaks at appropriate pace. _________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3. Student speaks fluently, using appropriate intonation, expression, and emphasis. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4. Student enlivens reading with gestures and facial expression. ___________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 5. Student has prepared and uses appropriate props. _____________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 6. Student has participated actively in rehearsals. ________________________________

Teachers’ Script Evaluation

________________________________________________________________________ 7. Student has contributed appropriately to this production. _______________________

Is the script/story interesting? _________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Conflict — is it apparent? _____________________________________________________

Other comments: ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Does the language evoke images for the listening audience? _______________________

___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Form for evaluating oral presentations. Reproducible Teachers’ oral presentation evaluation form 103 master on page 103.

Is there a balance between dialogue and narration? ______________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Does the dialogue flow smoothly? _____________________________________________

ReadersTheatre_Appendix.indd 103

How is the pace? Is there enough variety to hold the audience’s attention? ___________

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___________________________________________________________________________

Readers Theatre Teacher Evaluation

Is the material age-appropriate? _______________________________________________

Student Name:

_________________________________________

Are the abilities of the readers considered? ______________________________________

Student Role:

_________________________________________

Is the script of reasonable length, considering the listening abilities of the audience?

Script Title:

_________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Date:

_________________________________________

Does the script reflect the intent of the original story? ____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Area

If directions are included, do they help with the story and assist the readers? _________

Preparation

___________________________________________________________________________

Description

Numerical Rating and/or Comments

Comments

Understanding of the story

Is the humour apparent and able to be appreciated? ______________________________ Use of highlighter

___________________________________________________________________________ If rhyme, repetition and word patterns are included, do they add to the interest of the piece? _______________________________________________________________________________

Practice

Do the characters appeal to the listening audience? Are they well defined? ___________________________________________________________________________ knowledge

If it has a surprise ending, does it work? ________________________________________

Of the character

___________________________________________________________________________ 104

Of character’s role within story

Teachers’ script evaluation form

Script evaluation form for teachers. Although a simple yes/ no response is sufficient, teachers are encouraged to add notes that may be used to provide students will helpful suggestions for improve their work. Reproducible master on page 104.

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Fluency

Attention to the words and phrasing

Naturalness of the reading

Correct/necessary pauses

Pace

Varied as necessary

Teachers’ evaluation form, page 1

58

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Readers Theatre evaluation form for teachers. Reproducible master on pages 105–106.

ReadersTheatre_Appendix.indd 105

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Chapter 7 — Evaluation

Audience Evaluation Because listening critically is as important as reading in Readers Theatre, audience reaction is vital to a good performance, particularly during rehearsal.

Forms such as the one below can be handed out to audience members at the conclusion of a rehearsal or performance. As well as simple yes or no responses, audience members may wish to add helpful comments. As with peer evaluation, comments should be framed in a positive and non-threatening manner, such as, “John, you made me feel your anger when you and Bill were having the argument.” Try to have audience members avoid such comments as, “It was good” or “You were really nice as Judy.” Have them elaborate on words such as “nice” and “good” by asking them to say more fully what they mean. For example, instead of “good” someone might say, “I enjoyed it because you helped me to understand the story and how the characters felt.” Or, instead of “nice,” someone might say, “I saw your character as being kind and understanding, which is what I felt she should have been.”

Audience Evaluation Criteria for a Readers Theatre Presentation Audience Contact and Communication Poise, physical presence, body language Was there a strong physical presence? _________________________________________ Did the body language reflect the character? ____________________________________ eye contact (onstage/offstage or with audience) Did you feel engaged in the performance? ______________________________________ Was eye contact obvious and effective? ________________________________________ confidence and comfort within the role Did the performer appear relaxed and comfortable in the role? ____________________ Did the performer vocally “become” the character? ______________________________ Attentiveness to the performance Was the performer fully involved in the performance? ____________________________ Did the performer attend to the script and performance when not verbally involved? ___________________________________________________________________________ dramatization Were gestures applicable and sensitive to the performance? _______________________ Was movement in tune with the voice? _________________________________________ knowledge of the role Was it obvious? ____________________________________________________________ Was it consistent? ___________________________________________________________ interpretation of the script to the audience Was the meaning clear? _____________________________________________________ Were messages, implied or obvious, communicated effectively? ___________________ Were any allusions clear? ____________________________________________________ Was irony recognizable? _____________________________________________________ Were the tones of voice effective and useful? ____________________________________

Audience evaluation form, page 1

107

Evaluation form for audiences. Reproducible master on pages 107–108.

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59

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Appendix A

Reproducible Scripts Note: The scripts in this section can be reproduced, or changed and adapted by readers for their own situations.

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Legend/Symbols

reader (with script) level above the floor (usually 8"-10")

2 levels above the floor (8" + 8")

music stand/podium for script (usually used by narrator—but not necessarily)

chair

stool

table/desk

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

up stage stage right

performance area stage left

down stage

62

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The Moth and the Star by James Thurber A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star. He told his mother about this and she counseled him to set his heart on a bridge lamp instead. “Stars aren’t the thing to hang around,” she said. “Lamps are the thing to hang around.” “You get somewhere that way,” said the moth’s father. “You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.” But the young moth would not heed the words of either parent. Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start flying towards it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out with his vain endeavor. One day his father said to him, “You haven’t burned a wing in months, boy, and it looks to me as if you are never going to. All your brothers have been badly burned flying around street lamps and all your sisters have been terribly singed flying around house lamps. Come on, now, get out of here and get yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you without a mark on him!” The moth left his father’s house, but he would not fly around street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps. He went right on trying to reach the star, which was four and one-third light years, or twenty-five trillion miles away. The moth thought it was just caught in the top branches of the elm. He never did reach the star, but he went right on trying, night after night, and when he was a very, very old moth he began to think that he really had reached the star and he went around saying so. This gave him a deep and lasting pleasure, and he lived to a great old age. His parents and his brothers and his sisters had all burned to death when they were quite young.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Moral: Who flies afar from the sphere of our sorrow is here today and here tomorrow.

The Moth and the Star, original text   63

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The Moth and the Star

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

by James Thurber Roles for Readers

Student Names

Mother

____________________________________

Father

____________________________________

Narrator

____________________________________

Narrator:

A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star. He told his mother about this and she counseled him to set his heart on a bridge lamp instead.

Mother:

Stars aren’t the thing to hang around,

Narrator:

she said.

Mother:

Lamps are the thing to hang around.

Father:

You get somewhere that way,

Narrator:

said the moth’s father.

Father:

You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.

Narrator:

But the moth would not heed the words of either parent. Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start flying toward it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out with his vain endeavor. One day his father said to him,

Father:

You haven’t burned a wing in months, boy, and it looks to me as if you are never going to. All your brothers have been badly burned flying around street lamps and all your sisters have been terribly singed flying around house lamps. Come on, now, get out of here and get yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you without a mark on him!

Narrator:

The moth left his father’s house, but he would not fly around street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps. He went right on trying to reach the star, which was four and one-third light years, or twenty-five trillion miles, away. The moth thought it was just caught in the top branches of the elm. He never did reach the star, but he went right on trying, night after night, and when he was a very, very old moth he began to think that he really had reached the star and he went around saying so. This gave him a deep and lasting pleasure, and he lived to a great old age. His parents and his brothers and sisters had all burned to death when they were quite young.

All:

Moral: Who flies afar from the sphere of our sorrow is here today and here tomorrow.

64   The Moth and the Star, simple script for three readers

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The Moth and the Star Roles for Readers

Student Names

Mother

____________________________________

Father

____________________________________

Narrator 1

____________________________________

Narrator 2

____________________________________

Narrator 3

____________________________________

Narrator 3:

A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star.

Narrator 2:

He told his mother about this and she counseled him to set his heart on a bridge lamp instead. She said,

Mother:

Stars aren’t the thing to hang around, lamps are the thing to hang around.

Narrator 1:

And the young moth’s father said,

Father:

You get somewhere that way. You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.

Narrator 3:

But the moth would not heed the words of either parent. Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start flying toward it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out with his vain endeavor.

Narrator 1:

One day his father said to him,

Father:

You haven’t burned a wing in months, boy, and it looks to me as if you are never going to.

Narrator 2:

And his mother continued,

Mother:

All your brothers have been badly burned flying around street lamps and all your sisters have been terribly singed flying around house lamps.

Father:

Come on, now, get out of here and get yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you without a mark on him! Not good, oh no!

Narrator 1:

his father said in exasperation.

Narrator 3:

The moth left his home, but he would not fly around street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps. He went right on trying to reach the star, which was four and one-third light years, or twenty-five trillion miles, away. The moth thought it was just caught in the top branches of the elm. He never did reach the star, but he went right on trying, night after night, and when he was a very, very old moth he began to think that he really had reached the star and he went around saying so.

Narrator 2:

This gave him a deep and lasting pleasure.

Narrator 1:

And he lived to a great old age.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

by James Thurber

The Moth and the Star, simple script for five readers, page 1   65

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His parents and his brothers and sisters had all burned to death

Narrator 1:

When they were young

Narrator 3:

Moral: Who flies afar from the sphere of our sorrow is here today and here tomorrow.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 2:

66   The Moth and the Star, simple script for five readers, page 2 66

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The Moth and the Star by James Thurber Roles for Readers

Student Names

Mother

____________________________________

Father

____________________________________

Young Moth

____________________________________

Narrator 1

____________________________________

Narrator 2

____________________________________

Narrator 3

____________________________________

Narrator 3:

A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star.

Narrator 2:

He told his mother about his desire and pointed as he said,

Narrator 2:

But she counseled him,

Mother:

Oh son, don’t set your heart on a star, set your heart on a bridge lamp instead.

Narrator 2:

And she continued in her counsel,

Mother:

Stars aren’t the thing to hang around, lamps are the thing to hang around.

Narrator 1:

The young moth’s father supported the advice his mother had given and said,

Father:

You get somewhere that way. You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.

Narrator 1:

But the moth would not heed the words of his father

Narrator 2:

Or his mother.

Narrator 3:

Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start flying toward it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out with his vain endeavor.

Young Moth: Whew, this is tough … and tiring. Narrator 1:

One day his father said to him,

Father:

You haven’t burned a wing in months, boy, and it looks to me as if you were never going to. All your brothers have been badly burned flying around street lamps and all your sisters have been terribly singed flying around house lamps. Come on, now, get out of here and get yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you without a mark on him! Oh no! Tsk, tsk!

Narrator 1:

The young moth left his father’s house,

Narrator 3:

but he would not fly around street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Young Moth: You know, Mom, I’ve set my heart on that star … that one … right there.

The Moth and the Star, simple script for six readers, page 1   67

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Young Moth: I’m going to try and reach that star! Narrator 3:

He went on trying.

Narrator 2:

But his concerned mother said,

Mother:

He doesn’t realize that the star is four and one-third light years, or twentyfive million miles, away!

Young Moth: I’m almost there. I think it’s just caught in the top branches of the elm tree. Mother:

Oh dear, he never will reach that star, but it’s no use trying to talk him out of it.

Narrator 3:

He went right on trying, night after night, and when he was a very, very old moth he began to think that he really had reached the star and he went around saying so.

Young Moth: I do get a great deal of pleasure from my achievements. I am really very happy! Narrator 3:

He lived to great old age but unfortunately his parents and his brothers and sisters had all burned to death when they were quite young.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

All Narrators: Moral: Who flies afar from the sphere of our sorrow is here today and here tomorrow.

68   The Moth and the Star, simple script for six readers, page 2

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The Moth and the Star by James Thurber Roles for Readers

Student Names

Mother

____________________________________

Father

____________________________________

Young Moth

____________________________________

Brother 1

____________________________________

Brother 2

____________________________________

Brother 3

____________________________________

Sister 1

____________________________________

Sister 2

____________________________________

Sister 3

____________________________________

Narrator 1

____________________________________

Narrator 2

____________________________________

Narrator 3

____________________________________

Narrator 3:

A young and impressionable moth once set his heart on a certain star.

Narrator 2:

He told his mother about his desire and pointed as he said,

Narrator 2:

She hugged him and counseled him wisely,

Mother:

(Singing) If you want to hitch to a star, carry good luck home from afar … (spoken) Oh son, don’t hitch your love on a star, set your heart on a bridge lamp instead.

Narrator 2:

And she continued in her counsel,

Mother:

Stars aren’t the thing to hang around, lamps are the thing to hang around.

Narrator 1:

The young moth’s father supported the advice his mother had given and said,

Father:

You get somewhere that way. You don’t get anywhere chasing stars.

Narrator 1:

But the moth would not heed the words of his father

Narrator 2:

Or his mother.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Young Moth: (Singing) When you wish about a star, makes a difference to what you are … lah de dah da ta ta … (spoken) You know, Mom, I’ve set my heart on that star … that one … right there.

The Moth and the Star, simple script for eight or more readers, page 1   69

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Narrator 3:

Every evening at dusk when the star came out he would start flying toward it and every morning at dawn he would crawl back home worn out with his vain endeavor.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Young Moth: (Singing) Good morning sunshine … (spoken) Whew, this is tough … and tiring. Narrator 1:

One day his father said to him,

Father:

You haven’t burned a wing in months, boy, and it looks to me as if you are never going to.

Narrator 1:

His brothers chimed in,

Brother 1:

Look how badly burned our wings are!

Brother 2:

Check out our scars.

Brother 3:

Come with us and fly around street lamps.

Brother 2:

It’s fun!

Brother 1:

Yeah, baby!

Brother 3:

And enlightening!

Narrator 2:

His sisters added, enthusiastically,

Sister 1:

Helloo, I’ve been terribly singed flying around lamps in houses

Sister 2:

And around candles!

Sister 3:

Look at the scorch marks!

Sister 2:

You could fly with us if you like.

Sister 1:

We have so much fun.

Sister 3:

It’s so good for us … we feel so much lighter afterwards!

Father:

Come on, now, get out of here and get yourself scorched! A big strapping moth like you without a mark on him! That’ll never do!

Narrator 1:

The young moth left his father’s house,

Narrator 3:

but he would not fly around street lamps and he would not fly around house lamps.

Young Moth: (Singing) I’m not flying around the corner watchin’ all the bugs go by … (spoken) I’m going to carry on and try to reach that star! Narrator 3:

He went right on trying.

Narrator 2:

However, his concerned mother said,

Mother:

(Singing) Somewhere way beyond here … (spoken) He doesn’t realize that the star is four and one-third light years, or twenty-five million miles, away!

Narrator 3:

The young moth kept right on, saying,

Young Moth: I’m almost there. I think it’s just caught in the top branches of the elm tree. Mother:

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Brothers & Sisters: (Cheering wildly at random) Reach for the stars, baby! Go for it! Oh man! Yeah, baby! Go to the top! Yeah, right on! Love you, man. You shine for us, kid! You’re the star! Cool, big guy! He went right on trying, night after night, and when he was a very, very old moth he began to think that he really had reached the star and he went around saying so.

Young Moth:

You know I reached that star. I knew I could do it. I kept right on trying until I reached it. It was tough but I did it. I do get a great deal of pleasure from my achievements. I am really very happy!

Narrator 3:

He lived to great old age but unfortunately his parents and his brothers and sisters had all burned to death when they were quite young.

All Narrators:

Moral: Who flies afar from the sphere of our sorrow is here today and here tomorrow.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 3:

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The Macbeth Murder Mystery By James Thurber

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

“It was a stupid mistake to make,” said the American woman I had met at my hotel in the English lake country, “but it was on the counter with the other Penguin books — the little sixpenny ones, you know, with the paper covers — and I supposed of course it was a detective story. All the others were detective stories. I’d read all the others, so I bought this one without really looking at it carefully. You can imagine how mad I was when I found it was Shakespeare.” I murmured something sympathetically. “I don’t see why the Penguin-books people had to get out Shakespeare’s plays in the same size and everything as the detective stories,” went on my companion. “I think they have different-colored jackets,” I said. “Well, I didn’t notice that,” she said. “Anyway, I got real comfy in bed that night and all ready to read a good mystery story and here I had ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ — a book for high-school students. Like ‘Ivanhoe,’” “Or ‘Lorna Doone,’” I said. “Exactly,” said the American lady. “And I was just crazy for a good Agatha Christie, or something. Hercule Poirot is my favorite detective.” “Is he the rabbity one?” I asked. “Oh, no,” said my crime-fiction expert. “He’s the Belgian one. You’re thinking of Mr. Pinkerton, the one that helps Inspector Bull. He’s good, too.” Over her second cup of tea my companion began to tell the plot of a detective story that had fooled her completely — it seems it was the old family doctor all the time. But I cut in on her. “Tell me,” I said. “Did you read ‘Macbeth’?” “I had to read it,” she said. “There wasn’t a scrap of anything else to read in the whole room.” “Did you like it?” I asked. “No, I did not,” she said, decisively. “In the first place, I don’t think for a moment that Macbeth did it.” I looked at her blankly. “Did what?” I asked. “I don’t think for a moment that he killed the King,” she said. “I don’t think the Macbeth woman was mixed up in it, either. You suspect them the most, of course, but those are the ones that are never guilty — or shouldn’t be, anyway.” “I’m afraid,” I began, “that I — ” “But don’t you see?” said the American lady. “It would spoil everything if you could figure out right away who did it. Shakespeare was too smart for that. I’ve read that people never have figured out ‘Hamlet,’ so it isn’t likely Shakespeare would have made ‘Macbeth’ as simple as it seems.” I thought this over while I filled my pipe. “Who do you suspect?” I asked, suddenly. “Macduff,” she said, promptly. “Good God!” I whispered, softly. “Oh, Macduff did it, all right,” said the murder specialist. “Hercule Poirot would have got him easily.” “How did you figure it out?” I demanded. “Well,” she said, “I didn’t right away. At first I suspected Banquo. And then, of course, he was the second person killed. That was good right in there, that part. The person you suspect of the first 72   The Macbeth Murder Mystery, original text, page 1

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I thought for a while. “But what do you make of the Third Murderer?” I asked. “You know, the Third Murderer has puzzled ‘Macbeth’ scholars for three hundred years.” “That’s because they never thought of Macduff,” said the American lady. “It was Macduff, I’m certain. You couldn’t have one of the victims murdered by two ordinary thugs — the murderer always has to be somebody important.” “But what about the banquet scene?” I asked, after a moment. “How do you account for Macbeth’s guilty actions there, when Banquo’s ghost came in and sat in his chair?” The lady leaned forward and tapped me on the knee again. “There wasn’t any ghost,” she said. “A big, strong man like that doesn’t go around seeing ghosts — especially in a brightly lighted banquet hall with dozens of people around. Macbeth was shielding somebody!” “Who was he shielding?” I asked. “Mrs. Macbeth, of course,” she said. “He thought she did it and he was going to take the rap himself. The husband always does that when the wife is suspected.” “But what,” I demanded, “about the sleepwalking scene, then?” “The same thing, only the other way round,” said my companion. “That time she was shielding him. She wasn’t asleep at all. Do you remember where it says, ‘Enter Lady Macbeth with a taper’? “Yes,” I said. “Well people who walk in their sleep never carry lights!” said my fellow-traveler. “They have second sight. Did you ever hear of a sleepwalker carrying a light?” “No,” I said, “I never did.” “Well, then, she wasn’t asleep. She was acting guilty to shield Macbeth.” “I think,” I said, “I’ll have another brandy,” and I called the waiter. When he brought it, I drank it rapidly and rose to go. “I believe,” I said, “that you have got hold of

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

murder should always be the second victim.” “Is that so?” I murmured. “Oh, yes,” said my informant. “They have to keep surprising you. Well, after the second murder I didn’t know who the killer was for a while.” “How about Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s sons?” I asked. “As I remember it, they fled right after the first murder. That looks suspicious.” “Too suspicious,” said the American lady. “Much too suspicious. When they flee, they’re never guilty. You can count on that.” “I believe,” I said, “I’ll have a brandy,” and I summoned the waiter. My companion leaned toward me, her eyes bright, her teacup quivering. “Do you know who discovered Duncan’s body?” she demanded. I said I was sorry, but I had forgotten. “Macduff discovers it,” she said, slipping into the historical present. “Then he comes running downstairs and shouts, ‘Confusion has broke open the Lord’s anointed temple’ and ‘Sacrilegious murder has made his masterpiece’ and on and on like that.” The good lady tapped me on the knee. “All that stuff was rehearsed,” she said. “You wouldn’t say a lot of stuff like that, offhand, would you — if you had found a body?” She fixed me with a glittering eye. “I — ” I began. “You’re right!” she said. “You wouldn’t! Unless you had practiced it in advance. ‘My God, there’s a body in here!’ is what an innocent man would say.” She sat back with a confident glare.

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Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

something. Would you lend me that ‘Macbeth’? I’d like to look it over tonight. I don’t feel, somehow, as if I’d ever really read it.” “I’ll get it for you,” she said. “But you’ll find out that I am right.” I read the play over carefully that night, and the next morning, after breakfast, I sought out the American woman. She was on the putting green, and I came up behind her silently and took her arm. She gave an exclamation. “Could I see you alone?” I asked, in a low voice. She nodded cautiously and followed me to a secluded spot. “You’ve found out something?” she breathed. “I’ve found out,” I said, triumphantly, “the name of the murderer!” “You mean it wasn’t Macduff?” she said. “Macduff is as innocent of those murders,” I said, “as Macbeth and the Macbeth woman.” I opened the copy of the play, which I had with me, and turned to Act II, Scene 2. “Here,” I said, “you will see where Lady Macbeth says, ‘I laid their daggers ready. He could not miss ’em. Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it.’ Do you see?” “No,” said the American woman, bluntly, “I don’t.” “But it’s simple!” I exclaimed. “I wonder I didn’t see it years ago. The reason Duncan resembled Lady Macbeth’s father as he slept is that it actually was her father!” “Good God!” breathed my companion, softly. “Lady Macbeth’s father killed the King,” I said, “and, hearing someone coming, thrust the body under the bed and crawled into the bed himself.” “But,” said the lady, “you can’t have a murderer who only appears in the story once. You can’t have that.” “I know that,” I said, and I turned to Act II, Scene 4. “It says here, ‘Enter Ross with an old man.’ Now, that old man is never identified and it is my contention he was Mrs. Macbeth’s father, whose ambition it was to make his daughter Queen. There you have your motive.” “But even then,” cried the American lady, “he’s still a minor character!” “Not,” I said gleefully, “when you realize that he was also one of the weird sisters in disguise!” “You mean one of the three witches?” “Precisely,” I said, “Listen to this speech of the old man’s. ‘On Tuesday last, a falcon towering in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d.’ Who does that sound like?” “It sounds like the way the three witches talk,” said my companion, reluctantly. “Precisely!” I said again. “Well,” said the American woman, “maybe you’re right, but — ” “I’m sure I am,” I said. “And do you know what I’m going to do now?” “No,” she said, “what?” “Buy a copy of ‘Hamlet,’” I said, “and solve that!” My companion’s eyes brightened. “Then,” she said, “you don’t think Hamlet did it?” “I am,” I said, “absolutely positive he didn’t.” “But who,” she demanded, “do you suspect?” I looked at her cryptically. “Everybody,” I said, and disappeared into a small grove of trees as silently as I had come.

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The Macbeth Murder Mystery by James Thurber Roles for Readers

Student Names

Narrator 1

____________________________________

Narrator 2

____________________________________

Woman

____________________________________

Man

____________________________________

Suggested Staging

N1

N2 M

Man or woman could also be seated on chairs or stools

Woman:

It was a stupid mistake to make,

Narrator 1:

said the American woman whom he had met at his hotel in the English lake country,

Woman:

but it was on the counter with the other Penguin books — the little sixpenny ones, you know, with the paper covers — and I supposed of course it was a detective story. All the others were detective stories. I’d read all the others, so I bought this one without really looking at it carefully. You can imagine how mad I was when I found it was Shakespeare.

Narrator 2:

He murmured something sympathetically.

Woman:

I don’t see why the Penguin books people had to get out Shakespeare’s plays in the same size and everything as the detective stories.

Man:

I think they have different-coloured jackets.

Woman:

Well, I didn’t notice that. Anyway, I got real comfy in bed that night and all ready to read a good mystery story and here I had The Tragedy of Macbeth — a book for high school students. Like Ivanhoe,

Man:

Or Lorna Doone,

Narrator 2:

he added.

Woman:

Exactly, and I was just crazy for a good Agatha Christie, or something. Hercule Poirot is my favourite detective.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

W

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Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Man:

Is he the the rabbity one?

Woman:

Oh, no,

Narrator 1:

said the crime-fiction expert.

Woman:

He’s the Belgian one. You’re thinking of Mr. Pinkerton, the one that helps Inspector Bull. He’s good, too.

Narrator 2:

Over her second cup of tea his companion began to tell the plot of a detective story that had fooled her completely.

Woman:

… it seems it was the old family doctor all the time.

Narrator 2:

But he cut in on her.

Man:

Tell me, did you read Macbeth?

Woman:

I had to read it, there wasn’t a scrap of anything else to read in the whole room.

Man:

Did you like it?

Woman:

No, I did not,

Narrator 1:

she said, decisively.

Woman:

In the first place, I don’t think for a moment that Macbeth did it.

Narrator 2:

He looked at her blankly.

Man:

Did what?

Woman:

I don’t think for a moment that he killed the King. I don’t think the Macbeth woman was mixed up in it, either. You suspect them the most, of course, but those are the ones that are never guilty — or shouldn’t be, anyway.

Man:

I’m afraid,

Narrator 2:

the man began,

Man:

that I — 

Woman:

But don’t you see?

Narrator 1:

interrupted the American lady.

Woman:

It would spoil everything if you could figure out right away who did it. Shakespeare was too smart for that. I’ve read that people never have figured out Hamlet, so it isn’t likely Shakespeare would have made Macbeth as simple as it seems.

Narrator 2:

He thought this over while he filled his pipe and then said, suddenly,

Man:

Who do you suspect?

Woman:

Macduff,

Narrator 1:

she said, promptly.

Man:

Good God!

Narrator 2:

he whispered, softly.

Woman:

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said the murder specialist.

Woman:

Hercule Poirot would have got him easily.

Man:

How did you figure it out?

Woman:

Well, I didn’t right away. At first I suspected Banquo. And then, of course, he was the second person killed. That was good right in there, that part. The person you suspect of the first murder should always be the second victim.

Narrator 2:

Is that so?

Narrator 2:

murmured the man.

Woman:

Oh, yes, they have to keep surprising you. Well, after the second murder I didn’t know who the killer was for a while.

Man:

How about Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s sons? As I remember it, they fled right after the first murder. That looks suspicious.

Woman:

Too suspicious. Much too suspicious. When they flee, they’re never guilty. You can count on that.

Narrator 2:

The man summoned the waiter.

Man:

I believe I’ll have a brandy.

Narrator 1:

His companion leaned toward him, her eyes bright, her teacup quivering.

Woman:

Do you know who discovered Duncan’s body?

Narrator 2:

He said he was sorry, but he had forgotten.

Woman:

Macduff discovers it,

Narrator 1:

she said, slipping into the historical present.

Woman:

Then he comes running downstairs and shouts, “Confusion has broke open the Lord’s anointed temple” and “Sacrilegious murder has made his masterpiece” and on and on like that.

Narrator 1:

The good lady tapped the man on the knee.

Woman:

All that stuff was rehearsed. You wouldn’t say a lot of stuff like that, offhand, would you — if you had found a body?

Narrator 1:

She fixed the man with a glittering eye.

Man:

I — 

Woman:

You’re right! You wouldn’t! Unless you had practiced it in advance. “My God, there’s a body in here!” is what an innocent man would say.

Narrator 1:

She sat back with a confident glare.

Narrator 2:

The man thought for a while.

Man:

But what do you make of the Third Murderer? You know, the Third Murderer has puzzled Macbeth scholars for three hundred years.

Woman:

That’s because they never thought of Macduff. It was Macduff, I’m certain. You couldn’t have one of the victims murdered by two ordinary thugs — the murderer always has to be somebody important.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 1:

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Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Man:

But what about the banquet scene? How do you account for Macbeth’s guilty actions there? When Banquo’s ghost came in and sat in his chair?

Narrator 1:

The lady leaned forward and tapped him on the knee again.

Woman:

There wasn’t any ghost. A big strong man like that doesn’t go around seeing ghosts — especially in a brightly lighted banquet hall with dozens of people around. Macbeth was shielding somebody!

Man:

Who was he shielding?

Woman:

Mrs. Macbeth, of course. He thought she did it and he was going to take the rap himself. The husband always does that when the wife is suspected.

Man:

But what about the sleepwalking scene, then?

Woman:

The same thing, only the other way round. That time she was shielding him. She wasn’t asleep at all. Do you remember where it says, “Enter Lady Macbeth with a taper”?

Man:

Yes.

Woman:

Well people who walk in their sleep never carry lights! They have second sight. Did you ever hear of a sleepwalker carrying a light?

Man:

No, I never did.

Woman:

Well then she wasn’t asleep. She was acting guilty to shield Macbeth.

Man:

I think I’ll have another brandy,

Narrator 2:

and he called the waiter. When he brought it, the man drank it rapidly and rose to go.

Man:

I believe that you have got hold of something. Would you lend me that Macbeth? I’d like to look it over tonight. I don’t feel, somehow, as if I’d ever really read it.

Woman:

I’ll get it for you. But you’ll find out that I am right.

Narrator 2:

He read the play over carefully that night, and the next morning, after breakfast, he sought out the American woman. She was on the putting green, and he came up behind her silently and took her arm. She gave an exclamation.

Man:

Could I see you alone?

Narrator 2:

he asked, in a low voice.

Narrator 1:

She nodded cautiously and followed him to a secluded spot.

Woman:

You’ve found out something?

Man:

I’ve found out the name of the murderer!

Woman:

You mean it wasn’t Macduff?

Man:

Macduff is innocent of those murders as Macbeth and the Macbeth woman.

Narrator 2:

He opened a copy of the play, which he had with him, and turned to Act II, Scene 2.

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Here you will see where Lady Macbeth says, “I laid their daggers ready. He could not miss ’em. Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it.” Do you see?

Woman:

No, I don’t,

Narrator 1:

said the American woman, bluntly.

Man:

But it’s simple! I wonder I didn’t see it years ago. The reason Duncan resembled Lady Macbeth’s father as he slept is that it actually was her father!

Woman:

Good God!

Narrator 1:

breathed his companion, softly.

Man:

Lady Macbeth’s father killed the King and, hearing someone coming, thrust the body under the bed and crawled into the bed himself.

Woman:

But you can’t have a murderer who only appears in the story once. You can’t have that.

Man:

I know that,

Narrator 2:

the man said, and he turned to Act II, Scene 4.

Man:

It says here, “Enter Ross with an old man.” Now that old man is never identified and it’s my contention he was old Mr. Macbeth, whose ambition it was to make his daughter Queen. There you have your motive.

Woman:

But even then he’s still a minor character!

Narrator 2:

Not when you realize that he was also one of the weird sisters in disguise!

Narrator 2:

The man responded gleefully.

Woman:

You mean one of the three witches?

Man:

Precisely. Listen to this speech of the old man’s. “On Tuesday last, a falcon towering in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d.” Who does that sound like?

Woman:

It sounds like the way the three witches talk,

Narrator 1:

said his companion, reluctantly.

Man:

Precisely!

Narrator 2:

He said again.

Woman:

Well, maybe you’re right, but — 

Man:

I’m sure I am, and do you know what I’m going to do now?

Woman:

No, what?

Man:

Buy a copy of Hamlet, and solve that!”

Narrator 1:

The woman’s eyes brightened.

Woman:

Then, you don’t think Hamlet did it?

Man:

I am absolutely positive he didn’t.

Woman:

But who do you suspect?

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Man:

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He looked at her cryptically,

Man:

Everybody,

Narrator 2:

he said, and disappeared into a small grove of trees as silently as he had come.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 2:

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The Macbeth Murder Mystery by James Thurber Roles for Actors

Student Names

Reader 1

____________________________________

Reader 2

____________________________________

Reader 3

____________________________________

Suggested Staging Scene 1

Scene 2 R3

R3 R1

R2

R2 R1

Reader 3:

He had met the American woman during teatime at the hotel in the English lake country where he was staying.

Reader 1:

She admitted, It was a stupid mistake to make, but it was on the counter with the other Penguin books — the little sixpenny ones, you know, with the paper covers — and I supposed of course it was a detective story. All the others were detective stories. I’d read all the others, so I bought this one without really looking at it carefully. You can imagine how mad I was when I found it was Shakespeare.

Reader 3:

He murmured something sympathetically.

Reader 1:

I don’t see why the Penguin-books people had to get out Shakespeare plays in the same size and everything as the detective stories.

Reader 2:

I think they have different-coloured jackets.

Reader 1:

Well, I didn’t notice that. Anyway, I got real comfy in bed that night and all ready to read a good mystery story and here I had The Tragedy of Macbeth — a book for high school students. Like Ivanhoe — 

Reader 2:

Or Lorna Doone.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Scene 1: The Tearoom. Downstage centre is a small square coffee table set between two chairs that are angled slightly towards each other. Reader 2 is seated in the chair stage left of the coffee table. Reader 1 is seated in the other chair. Reader 3, the narrator, stands upstage of the coffee table. Reader 3 also takes the waiter’s role.

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Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Reader 1:

Exactly, and I was just crazy for a good Agatha Christie, or something. Hercule Poirot is my favourite detective.

Reader 2:

Being unsure which mystery detective Hercule Poirot was he asked, Is he the rabbity one?

Reader 3:

But she, the crime-fiction expert, responded,

Reader 1:

Oh, no, he’s the Belgian one. You’re thinking of Mr. Pinkerton, the one that helps Inspector Bull. He’s good, too.

Reader 3:

Over her second cup of tea the American woman began to tell the plot of a detective story that had fooled her completely.

Reader 1:

… it seems it was the old family doctor all the time.

Reader 2:

But he interrupted her, Tell me, did you read Macbeth?

Reader 1:

I had to read it, there wasn’t a scrap of anything else to read in the whole room.

Reader 2:

Did you like it?

Reader 1:

No, I did not. In the first place, I don’t think for a moment that Macbeth did it.

Reader 3:

The gentleman looked at her blankly.

Reader 2:

Did what?

Reader 1:

I don’t think for a moment that he killed the King. I don’t think the Macbeth woman was mixed up in it, either. You suspect them the most, of course, but those are the ones that are never guilty — or shouldn’t be, anyway.

Reader 2:

I’m afraid that I — 

Reader 1:

But don’t you see? It would spoil everything if you could figure out right away who did it. Shakespeare was too smart for that. I’ve read that people never have figured out Hamlet, so it isn’t likely Shakespeare would have made Macbeth as simple as it seems.

Reader 3:

He thought this over while he filled his pipe.

Reader 2:

Then he suddenly asked, So, who do you suspect?

Reader 3

To which she promptly replied,

Reader 1:

Macduff,

Reader 2:

Good God!

Reader 1:

Oh Macduff did it, all right. Hercule Poirot would have got him easily.

Reader 2:

He then demanded of the murder specialist, How did you figure it out?

Reader 1:

Well, I didn’t right away. At first I suspected Banquo. And then, of course, he was the second person killed. That was good right in there, that part. The person you suspect of the first murder should always be the second victim.

Reader 2:

Is that so?

Reader 1:

Oh, yes, they have to keep surprising you. Well, after the second murder I didn’t know who the killer was for a while.

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How about Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s sons? As I remember it, they fled right after the first murder. That looks suspicious.

Reader 1:

Too suspicious, much too suspicious. When they flee, they’re never guilty. You can count on that.

Reader 2:

I believe I’ll have a brandy.

Reader 3:

He summoned the waiter. His companion leaned toward him, her eyes bright, her teacup quivering.

Reader 1:

Do you know who discovered Duncan’s body?

Reader 3:

He said he was sorry, but he had forgotten.

Reader 1:

Macduff discovers it. Then he comes running downstairs and shouts, “Confusion has broken open the Lord’s anointed temple” and “Sacrilegious murder has made his masterpiece” and on and on like that.

Reader 3:

The good lady tapped the gentleman’s knee.

Reader 1:

All that stuff was rehearsed. You wouldn’t say a lot of stuff like that, offhand, would you — if you had found a body?

Reader 3:

She fixed him with a glittering eye.

Reader 2:

I —

Reader 1:

You’re right! You wouldn’t! Unless you had practised it in advance. “My God, there’s a body in here!” is what an innocent man would say.

Reader 3:

The American woman sat back with a confident glare.

Reader 2:

He thought for a while and then asked, But what do you make of the Third Murderer? You know, the Third Murderer has puzzled Macbeth scholars for three hundred years.

Reader 1:

That’s because they never thought of Macduff. It was Macduff, I’m certain. You couldn’t have one of the victims murdered by two ordinary thugs — the murderer always has to be somebody important.

Reader 2:

But what about the banquet scene? How do you account for Macbeth’s guilty actions there when Banquo’s ghost came in and sat in his chair?

Reader 3:

The lady leaned forward and tapped him on the knee again.

Reader 2:

There wasn’t any ghost. A big strong man like that doesn’t go around seeing ghosts — especially in a brightly lighted banquet hall with dozens of people around. Macbeth was shielding somebody!

Reader 2:

Who was he shielding?

Reader 1:

Mrs. Macbeth, of course. He thought she did it and he was going to take the rap himself. The husband always does that when the wife is suspected.

Reader 2:

But what about the sleepwalking scene, then?

Reader 1:

The same thing, only the other way round. That time she was shielding him. She wasn’t asleep at all. Do you remember where it says, “Enter Lady Macbeth with a taper”?

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Reader 2:

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Reader 2:

Yes.

Reader 1:

Well, people who walk in their sleep never carry lights! They have second sight. Did you ever hear of a sleepwalker carrying a light?

Reader 2:

No, I never did.

Reader 1:

Well then she wasn’t asleep. She was acting guilty to shield Macbeth.

Reader 2:

He called the waiter. I think I’ll have another brandy.

Reader 3:

When the waiter brought it, he drank it rapidly and rose to go.

Reader 2:

I believe that you have got hold of something. Would you lend me that Macbeth? I’d like to look it over tonight. I don’t feel, somehow, as if I’d ever really read it.

Reader 1:

I’ll get it for you, but you’ll find out that I am right.

Reader 1 leaves the room stage right taking with her, offstage, the chair in which she had been seated. Reader 2 moves offstage left taking with him, out of the scene, the coffee table. Reader 3 moves the remaining chairs to stage left, and returns to stand slightly upstage right. Reader 3:

He read the play over carefully that night, and the next morning, after breakfast, he sought out the American woman.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Scene 2: During Reader 3’s narration, Reader 1 enters from stage right. She has picked up the putter from off stage and moves to downstage centre but turns BTA holding the putter. When she hears the narration “… on the putting green …” she turns and bends over the putter and begins to practise her stroke. Reader 2 enters from stage left. Reader 3:

She was on the putting green, and he came up behind her silently and took her arm. She gave an exclamation.

Reader 2:

He asked, in a low voice. Could I see you alone?

Reader 3:

She nodded cautiously and followed him to a secluded spot.



[They both move to stage left. Reader 1 crosses in front of Reader 2 and leans the putter on the chair.]

Reader 1:

You’ve found out something?

Reader 2:

Triumphantly he said, I’ve found out the name of the murderer!

Reader 1:

You mean it wasn’t Macduff?

Reader 2:

Macduff is as innocent of those murders as Macbeth and the Macbeth woman.

Reader 3:

He opened a copy of the play, which he had with him, and turned to Act II, Scene 2.

Reader 2:

Here. You will see where Lady Macbeth says, “I laid their daggers ready. He could not miss ’em. Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it.” Do you see?

Reader 1:

No, I don’t.

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But it’s simple! I wonder I didn’t see it years ago. The reason Duncan resembled Lady Macbeth’s father as he slept is that it actually was her father!

Reader 1:

Good God!

Reader 2:

Lady Macbeth’s father killed the King, and, hearing someone coming, thrust the body under the bed and crawled into the bed himself.

Reader 1:

But you can’t have a murderer who only appears in the story once. You can’t have that.

Reader 2:

I know that.

Reader 3:

And the gentleman turned to Act II, Scene 4.

Reader 2:

It says here, “Enter Ross with an old man.” Now that old man is never identified and it is my contention he was her father, whose ambition it was to make his daughter Queen. There you have your motive.

Reader 1:

But even then he’s still a minor character!

Reader 2:

Not when you realize that he was also one of the weird sisters in disguise!

Reader 1:

You mean one of the three witches?

Reader 2:

Precisely. Listen to this speech of the old man’s. “On Tuesday last, a falcon towering in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d.” Who does that sound like?

Reader 1:

It sounds like the way the three witches talk. It was a reluctant response.

Reader 2:

Precisely!

Reader 1:

Well, maybe you’re right, but — 

Reader 2:

I’m sure I am, and do you know what I’m going to do now?

Reader 1:

No. What?

Reader 2:

Buy a copy of “Hamlet,” and solve that!

Reader 3:

His companion’s eyes brightened.

Reader 1:

Then you don’t think Hamlet did it?

Reader 2:

I am absolutely positive he didn’t.

Reader 1

But who do you suspect?

Reader 2:

Looking at her cryptically he said, Everybody.

Reader 3:

Then he disappeared into a small grove of trees as silently as he had come.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Reader 2:

The Macbeth Murder Mystery, script for chamber presentation, page 5   85

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Trees Roles for Readers

Student Names

Reader 1

____________________________________

Reader 2

____________________________________

Reader 3

____________________________________

Reader 4

____________________________________

Reader 5

____________________________________

Reader 6

____________________________________

Suggested Staging

r3

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

R1

r6

r5

r4

r2

Reader 1:

Trees affect us daily.

Reader 2:

How?

Reader 1:

They provide shade and shelter

Reader 3:

and absorb carbon dioxide.

Reader 4:

They give off oxygen

Reader 5:

and disperse rainfall.

Reader 6:

They also aid us in our fight against global warning.

Reader 2:

What do they provide shade and shelter for?

Reader 5:

Wildlife

Reader 1:

such as birds and animals,

Reader 3:

and they provide lumber for all types of buildings.

Reader 4:

Trees are renewable.

Reader 2:

What other uses do they have?

Reader 6:

They provide food.

Reader 4:

Fruit, nuts, leaves, and berries

Reader 1:

are all sources of nourishment.

Reader 3:

Various trees give us medicines,

86   Trees, simple script for six readers, page 1

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vitamins,

Reader 3:

and syrup (aah, yes, maple syrup!)

Reader 2:

I’ve always thought of trees as being beautiful.

Reader 5:

Seasonal changes show the leaves in different colours.

Reader 1:

Trees can be strong, statuesque, enduring,

Reader 4:

and can encourage open-air activities

Reader 3:

thereby making life more pleasant.

Reader 2:

Can trees protect us?

Reader 6:

Yes, they can reduce glare and reflection

Reader 1:

and direct pedestrian traffic.

Reader 5:

They may be used as windbreaks,

Reader 3:

fences and property dividers.

Reader 4:

They also prevent erosion,

Reader 1:

help to conserve water,

Reader 6:

and lessen the effects of the sun, the wind, and the rain.

Reader 2:

Trees have often been related to myths and stories.

Reader 3:

Woodcutters, woodsmen, whispering trees,

Reader 4:

The Giving Tree and the Garden of Eden.

Reader 5:

The secrets of the forest,

Reader 6:

the eeriness and dampness of the spooky trees.

Reader 1:

The shapes and movement of the branches

Reader 3:

and the sounds of the wind in the leaves.

Reader 2:

Imagine a world without trees … and what do you see?

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Reader 6:

Trees, simple script for six readers, page 2   87

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The Industrial Revolution and the Steam Engine Roles for Readers

Student Names

Reader 1

____________________________________

Reader 2

____________________________________

Reader 3

____________________________________

Reader 4

____________________________________

Suggested Staging

r2

r3

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

r1

r4

Reader 1:

The spinning jenny may have been the first major technological innovation of the Industrial Revolution.

Reader 2:

However, the invention that really drove the revolution in the eighteenth century was invented decades earlier.

Reader 3:

That was the steam engine.

Reader 2:

The cotton and steel industries were growing quickly.

Reader 1:

Reliable sources of energy were required to maintain and increase production.

Reader 4:

England sat on vast quantities of coal. Coal burns better and more efficiently than wood.

Reader 3:

If you have lots of coal it is much cheaper to burn.

Reader 4:

Coal, then, was used in the melting of metals, including iron, and the miners were happy to extract coal from the ground.

Reader 1:

Mining coal was not an easy task.

Reader 2:

The more coal the miners withdrew from the ground the deeper they had to dig.

Reader 3:

The deeper the mine, the more it fills with water.

Reader 1:

This created problems for the miners and the water had to be removed for them to continue mining.

Reader 3:

By the middle of the next century, the steam engine replaced water as the major source of power in England and Europe.

88   The Industrial Revolution and the Steam Engine, simple script for four readers, page 1

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In 1712, Thomas Newcomen built a simple steam engine that pumped water from the mines.

Reader 2:

This was a single piston engine and it used vast amounts of energy.

Reader 1:

The only use that it was seen to have was to pump water from the mines.

Reader 3:

Then a Scotsman named James Watt modified Newcomen’s engine, making it more efficient.

Reader 2:

Patented in 1769, Watt’s steam engine could be applied to all kinds of industries.

Reader 4:

When Watt teamed up with Matthew Boulton, the steam engine began to change the face of English manufacturing.

Reader 3:

By the middle of the next century, the steam engine replaced water as the major source of power in England and Europe.

Reader 1:

This was just the beginning of the changes that were brought about by the invention of the steam engine.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Reader 4:

The Industrial Revolution and the Steam Engine, simple script for four readers, page 2   89

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A Conversation Between Lisa Giocondo and Leonardo da Vinci Roles for Readers

Student Names

Leonardo da Vinci (LDV) ____________________________________ Lisa Giocondo

____________________________________

Narrator

____________________________________

The part of the narrator is optional. To use as a two-person script, the narrator’s lines may be blacked out. Suggested Staging with narrator (using offstage focus)

lisa

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

ldv

Narrator:

The year is 1503. It is the Renaissance period, in fact the High Renaissance period, when painting in Italy was reaching the peak of technical mastery and artistic expression. We are in Signor Leonardo da Vinci’s home in the small Tuscan village of Vinci near Florence, Italy. This particular room is small and crowded with diagrams, plans, and strange-looking models of unfamiliar objects scattered on the floor and shelves. There is a small raised platform in one corner of this small cluttered room and on it is a chair with a fairly high back. It appears to be a comfortable piece upon which to sit. Leonardo is setting up his easel a short distance from the platform when Lisa enters.

LDV:

Welcome to my studio, Signora Giocondo. I am pleased that your husband has commissioned me to paint your portrait.

Narrator:

Lisa and Leonardo bow towards each other. Lisa’s hair, shoulder length, is wrapped in a translucent veil. She wears a sober, dark dress and a thickly pleated mantle adorns her left shoulder. She wears no jewels. She smiles as she acknowledges Leonardo’s greeting.

Lisa:

Thank you, Signor da Vinci. I’m honored to pose for you. As you asked, I am wearing a simple gown and no jewellery.

LDV:

Excellent, Signora Giocondo. This means that nothing will detract from the focus of the portrait, which is of your face. I am going to put you in front of relatively plain background. This will allow me to capture your mystery without having the background impose itself over you as the subject.

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Is this gown simple enough? I do have others that are quite plain and of different hues.

Narrator:

Lisa indicates her gown with a slight turn to the left and then to the right.

LDV:

At later sittings we may wish to try other garments but this one is just right for the moment.

Lisa:

I get the impression that you are not trying to paint me as more than what I am. That by having me simply attired in the finished portrait my husband will not be looking anywhere but at my face.

LDV:

Quite right, Signora Giocondo. Look, may I call you Lisa? We are going to be meeting frequently while I complete your portrait. You can call me Leonardo.

Lisa:

Of course, Leonardo. This may help to relax me somewhat as I can foresee sitting in this same position every day I am here becoming quite tiresome.

LDV:

We will try and keep you relatively comfortable during the hour or two each time you are sitting. Perhaps a few breaks spread throughout the sittings.

Narrator:

Leonardo then proceeds to outline the process. He gestures back and forth as he describes perspective and vanishing point.

LDV:

Now, as for the background, I envision you in front of a pyramidal composition of mountain peaks, a winding road, and rivers converging behind you. You see, I have been experimenting with creating the illusion of depth in landscapes and I have this idea of a vanishing point right behind where your head is in the portrait. The mountain peaks, rivers and road will converge at that point. This technique is known as perspective and the vanishing point is called the linear perspective.

Lisa:

Is the background that important? My husband is commissioning a portrait; it seems like you are fixed on the landscape.

LDV:

Not at all, Lisa. The details of the background only serve to emphasize the subject. I hope you will see what I mean as we progress.

Lisa:

Do you have an idea as to how long this will take?

LDV:

That is a good question, Lisa. You see I do not spend every waking moment on one project. I have many different projects on the go at one time, so I’m back and forth between them. I’ll start by having you sit for me a couple of hours every week. However, if I become inspired more often, then I may need you here more than that. So, to answer your question, how long — I would say I’ll have it finished inside of four years.

Lisa:

That does seem like a long time but I see I won’t have to be here too frequently.

LDV:

Yes, that’s right. Now I’d like to get started by doing some sketches.

Narrator:

Leonardo stands and indicates for Lisa to step up onto the raised platform where there is a high-backed chair. He arranges her in the required pose as he speaks to her, explaining the reasons for his care in setting her in position.

A Conversation Between Lisa Giocondo and Leonardo da Vinci, script for simple, staged, or chamber presentation, page 2

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Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Lisa :

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Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

LDV:

Could you sit on this high-backed chair up here on the platform? Good. Now look towards that shelf, tilt your head up slightly — yes, that’s right — and turn the trunk of your body to face front. This is a new position for portraits. I call it the three-quarter pose. Put your left hand just there on the left side of your lap and lay the right hand gently on it. I’m going to make two sketches of you in that position. One is the actual beginning of the portrait; the other is for you so you will remember the position to sit in each time you are posing.

Lisa:

That will certainly help me.

LDV:

This pose, I believe, will give life and movement to the portrait and allow eye contact with the viewer. It will also help to explore the interior as well as the exterior of you as the subject. The Flemish introduced the threequarter pose in the 1430s, but in Florence our portraits have been done in profile and this, I feel, has done little to reveal anything about the sitter.

Narrator:

Leonardo smiles at Lisa as he continues.

LDV:

While you are posing and I am working, I will ask you questions about your background as your responses will, I hope, give me a look into you as a person and I will try to bring that knowledge to the portrait.

Narrator:

Leonardo moves to his easel and arranges his sketching materials.

Lisa:

I’ll be happy to answer your questions. May I also ask you questions about your life, as we all know you have a diverse and interesting history?

LDV:

Yes, of course, but let’s begin with you. Tell me where and when you were born.

Lisa:

I was born on Tuesday, June 15, 1479 in Florence, Italy. My father was a Florentine noble, Antonio Maria di Noldo Gherardini. My name at birth was Lisa Gherardini.

LDV:

And you are married to Francesco di Bartolomeo di Zanobi del Giocondo?

Lisa:

Yes, my married name is Mia Donna Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo. I was married at sixteen. Signor del Giocondo was twice a widower. He is nineteen years older than me.

Narrator:

Although Lenonardo is aware of the origin, Lisa goes on to explain to him the source of the title “Mia Donna.”

Lisa:

As I would assume you already know, Mia Donna means “Madam” or “My Lady.” Monna is a contraction for Madonna and Monna Lisa is how I have been addressed since being married. As happens with many names and titles I am sure that will evolve, too, in later years!

LDV:

Yes, you are probably right. Many things like names, titles, and inventions change as time goes by. I understand that your husband is involved in the silk trade.

Lisa:

Yes, that is where he acquired his wealth.

LDV:

What about children … how many do you have?

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I have two sons.

LDV:

I certainly do hope you and your family enjoy the portrait once it is finished.

Lisa:

With your reputation and genius I don’t see how that is not possible.

LDV:

I appreciate your confidence in my ability, Lisa. I will be trying different techniques in the portrait, techniques that I have been working with on a number of pieces over the past.

Lisa:

I will be most interested to learn about these techniques and to see the evidence in the finished portrait.

Narrator:

Leonardo becomes very animated as he speaks about his techniques. His enthusiasm for his subject and artistry is apparent.

LDV:

I earlier mentioned the technique of perspective. To enhance perspective I have developed another technique called chiaroscuro. This is the contrast between pronounced light and dark areas in the painting used to create an illusion of depth and space. As the painting evolves, you will see the effect of chiaroscuro.

Lisa:

You are not only a painter, are you, Leonardo? I understand you are also a sculptor, a scientist, and an inventor.

Narrator:

As he talks about his other talents and abilities, Leonardo’s modesty is obvious.

LDV:

Yes, Lisa, I have other areas in which I work. As an architect, I occasionally get asked by governments to design state buildings and churches — and weapons for the armies.

Lisa:

I did hear that you have completed a lot of scientific experiments and they have been recorded in your sketches.

LDV:

Yes, that is true. I have studied the skeleton, organs, and muscle structures of the human body and sketched them. I am fascinated with the composition and form of the body.

Lisa:

May I see some of the sketches when there is time?

Narrator:

Again, Leonardo becomes quite animated as he works. He is obviously enraptured with his latest technique and quite anxious to see the results.

LDV:

Yes, of course. Now I want to tell you about another technique that I will be using in your portrait. I am going to delicately blur and blend the colours that will fuse one tone on to another. This will give parts of the portrait a hazy or smoky quality. This technique is called sfumato [sfooMAH-toh] and I’ll use it instead of lines to define the corner of the eyes and mouth. You will get the illusion of the corners but viewers should be able to use their imaginations in different ways.

Lisa:

Sounds fascinating. So different viewers might interpret my look in different ways because of this technique?

LDV:

Exactly.

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Lisa:

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Because a lot of portrait art is about the human body and you said you were fascinated by it, how were you able to sketch the skeletal, muscle, and organ systems? Did you have bodies to examine?

Narrator:

Although somewhat reluctant to talk too much about where and how he was able to obtain bodies for his studies and sketches, Leonardo appears quite proud of the fact that he was able to achieve his scientific goals with these “found” corpses.

LDV:

Another very good question. Not too many people know about this, but in the name of science I was able to have bodies supplied from a nearby morgue. This was not officially approved, but I was able to sketch from the real thing! Now another technique I will be using is called glazing. This comes right near the completion of the portrait. It is a thin film of transparent color laid over the dried paint. When several layers are applied, as they will be, even to the pupils of the eyes, it creates the effect of luminosity. Light penetrates through the transparent layer and reflects from the under layer through the glaze. The various techniques will, I hope, bring your portrait to life and give viewers a look into who you are. Now I think for the first sitting we have done enough. I will see you next week, same day, same time.

Narrator:

Lisa stands and makes her way towards the door, pausing before leaving, to give a slight nod of respectful acknowledgement.

Lisa:

Thank you, Leonardo. This has been most interesting and certainly not tedious. Now that I know a little about what you do and what you have done perhaps I’ll have more questions next time for you. Goodbye.

LDV:

Goodbye, Lisa.

Narrator:

Leonardo steps back from his easel and takes a final critical look at the first day’s efforts of his latest project. He leans in towards the easel and adds a couple of strokes with his thumb to the portrait. He steps away again, smiles at the image he has so far created, and prepares to leave the studio.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Lisa:

94

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The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I by William Shakespeare Roles for Readers

Student Names

Portia

____________________________________

Shylock

____________________________________

Reader 1

____________________________________

Reader 2

____________________________________

Reader 3

____________________________________

Reader 4

____________________________________

Suggested Staging

portia

shylock

R3 R1

The same reader may perform the roles of Shylock and Reader 4.

Portia:

Then must the Jew be merciful.

Shylock:

On what compulsion must I? Tell me that.

Portia:

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,

Reader 1:

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath:

Reader 2:

it is twice blessed;

Reader 3:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes;

Reader 4:

’Tis mightiest in the mightiest:

Reader 2:

it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown;

Reader 3:

His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,

Reader 1:

The attribute to awe and majesty,

Portia:

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

Reader 4:

But mercy is above this sceptred sway;

Reader 3:

It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,

Portia:

It is an attribute to God himself;

Readers 2:

And earthly power doth then show likest God’s when mercy seasons justice.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

R2 R4

The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I, simple script for six readers, page 1   95

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Therefore, Jew, though justice be thy plea, consider this,

Reader 1:

That in the course of justice none of us should see salvation:

Reader 4:

we do pray for mercy;

Portia:

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render the deeds of mercy.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Portia:

96   The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I, simple script for six readers, page 2

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News Brief Roles for Readers

Student Names

News Anchor 1

____________________________________

News Anchor 2

____________________________________

Reporter

____________________________________

Suggested Staging

Na 1

na 2 r

desk

News Anchors 1 and 2 may be seated (perhaps behind a desk or table) with their focus toward the audience, as if they were looking into a TV camera. Occasionally they may use onstage focus to cue each other. Reporter starts with back-to-audience (BTA) and enters the scene when News Anchor 2 says "near the Battersea location."

News Anchor 1: This is Channel XYZ with the evening news of [day and date].

News Anchor 1: The large mammal, which could be injured, swam upstream into the historic heart of the British capital on Friday as amazed onlookers crowded the riverbanks to witness the extraordinary sight. News Anchor 2: A second whale, believed to be of the same species, was spotted at Southend, near the end of the Thames estuary, said the British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity. News Anchor 1: The whale, which normally lives in deep water, became briefly stranded in the shallows near the disused Battersea Power Station, and people waded into the river to try to refloat it. News Anchor 2: We have a report from our cameraman who is near the Battersea location. Reporter:

Thank you, [News Anchor 2]. I am standing near the power station and can see the whale, which has been followed by a flock of intrigued gulls, a helicopter, and four boats making sure it did not get into bother with any river traffic. Onlookers cheered when it surfaced to spout

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

News Anchor 2: Bemused Londoners watched as a northern bottle-nosed whale swam up the River Thames past the Houses of Parliament, the first sighting of the endangered species there since records began nearly a century ago.

News Brief, simple script for three readers, page 1   97

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water from its blowhole. Representatives of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have told me the whale was tiring, and police said they thought it might be injured. The group’s members were ready to help if the mammal beached again. However, they would not intervene as long as the animal was swimming freely. [Reporter] XYZ Channel News reporting from Battersea.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

News Anchor 1: Thank you, [Reporter]. The whale will be tracked and we will keep you informed of any further developments.

98   News Brief, simple script for three readers, page 2

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Appendix B

Reproducible Masters

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Readers Theatre Student Self-Evaluation Student Name: __________________________________________ Student Role:

__________________________________________

Script Title:

__________________________________________

Date:

__________________________________________

Area Preparation

Description

Numerical Rating and/or Comments

Comments

Understanding of the story

Use of highlighter

Practice

Knowledge

Of my character

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Of character’s role within story

Fluency

Attention to the words and phrasing

Naturalness of my reading

Correct/necessary pauses

Pace

Varied as necessary

100   Students’ self-evaluation form, page 1

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Area

Description

Numerical Rating and/or Comments

Comments

Matching the character

Respectful of other characters

Careful & measured

Accurate & prompt cueing

Clarity

Projection

Enunciation

Accuracy

Error free

Visual

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

No unnecessary pauses

Gestures

Stance/poise/body language

Physical use of script/props

Students’ self-evaluation form, page 2   101

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Students’ Script Evaluation Is the script interesting? _______________________________________________________ Did you enjoy reading it? _____________________________________________________ Is the message clear to the audience? Are clear images created in the minds of the listeners? ___________________________________________________________________________ Is there a pleasing balance between readers and narration? _________________________ Does the dialogue flow smoothly? ______________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Is the pace even? Is there variety in the characters? ________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Is the script of reasonable length — not too long or too short to hold the attention of the audience? ___________________________________________________________________________ Does the script accurately reflect the original story? _______________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ If directions are included, are they helpful to the readers, or are they unnecessary? ___________________________________________________________________________ Is there humour where appropriate? Is it obvious to the reader and to the audience? ___________________________________________________________________________ Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

If rhyme, repetition, and word patterns are included, do they add to the interest of the piece? ___________________________________________________________________________ Will the characters appeal to a listening audience? Can you tell what kind of person each is? ___________________________________________________________________________ Does the script have a surprise ending? Does it work? _____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Is the ending predictable? Does it make the story interesting, or less than interesting? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

102   Students’ script evaluation form

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Evaluating Oral Presentations Date: _ _________________________________ Title of play: _ ___________________________ Rehearsal   Performance   Name:______________________________ Role:_ __________________________________ 1. Student speaks clearly.______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 2. Student speaks at appropriate pace. __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 3. Student speaks fluently, using appropriate intonation, expression, and emphasis. _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 4. Student enlivens reading with gestures and facial expression. _ ___________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ 6. Student has participated actively in rehearsals. _________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 7. Student has contributed appropriately to this production. ________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Other comments: ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

5. Student has prepared and uses appropriate props. ______________________________

Teachers’ oral presentation evaluation form   103

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Teachers’ Script Evaluation Is the script/story interesting? _ _________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Conflict — is it apparent? ______________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Does the language evoke images for the listening audience? ________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Is there a balance between dialogue and narration? _______________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Does the dialogue flow smoothly? ______________________________________________ How is the pace? Is there enough variety to hold the audience’s attention? ____________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Is the material age-appropriate? ________________________________________________ Are the abilities of the readers considered? ______________________________________ Is the script of reasonable length, considering the listening abilities of the audience? ___________________________________________________________________________ Does the script reflect the intent of the original story? _ ____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

If directions are included, do they help with the story and assist the readers? __________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Is the humour apparent and able to be appreciated? _______________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ If rhyme, repetition and word patterns are included, do they add to the interest of the piece? _______________________________________________________________________________ Do the characters appeal to the listening audience? Are they well defined? ___________________________________________________________________________ If it has a surprise ending, does it work? _________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 104   Teachers’ script evaluation form

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Readers Theatre Teacher Evaluation Student Name: __________________________________________ Student Role:

__________________________________________

Script Title:

__________________________________________

Date:

__________________________________________

Area Preparation

Description

Numerical Rating and/or Comments

Comments

Understanding of the story

Use of highlighter

Practice

Knowledge

Of the character

Of character’s role within story

Attention to the words and phrasing

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Fluency

Naturalness of the reading

Correct/necessary pauses

Pace

Varied as necessary

Teachers’ evaluation form, page 1   105

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Area

Description

Numerical Rating and/or Comments

Comments

Matching the character

Respectful of other characters

Careful & measured

Accurate & prompt cueing

Clarity

Projection

Enunciation

Accuracy

Error-free

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

No unnecessary pauses

Visual

Gestures

Stance/poise/body language

Physical use of script/props

106   Teachers’ assessment form, page 2

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Audience Evaluation Criteria for a Readers Theatre Presentation Audience Contact and Communication Poise, physical presence, body language Was there a strong physical presence? _ _________________________________________ Did the body language reflect the character? _____________________________________ Eye contact (onstage/offstage or with audience) Did you feel engaged in the performance? _______________________________________ Was eye contact obvious and effective? _________________________________________ Confidence and comfort within the role Did the performer appear relaxed and comfortable in the role? _ ____________________ Did the performer vocally “become” the character? _______________________________ Attentiveness to the performance Was the performer fully involved in the performance? _____________________________ Did the performer attend to the script and performance when not verbally involved? ___________________________________________________________________________ Dramatization Were gestures applicable and sensitive to the performance? ________________________ Was movement in tune with the voice? __________________________________________

Was it obvious? _ ____________________________________________________________ Was it consistent? ____________________________________________________________ Interpretation of the script to the audience Was the meaning clear? _ _____________________________________________________ Were messages, implied or obvious, communicated effectively? _ ___________________ Were any allusions clear? _____________________________________________________ Was irony recognizable? ______________________________________________________ Were the tones of voice effective and useful? _____________________________________

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Knowledge of the role

Audience evaluation form, page 1   107

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Voice and Articulation Volume Could you hear the performers clearly? __________________________________________ Was the speech varied and controlled? __________________________________________ Speed, pace, phrasing Was there good variation in delivery? ___________________________________________ Did the performers communicate their knowledge of the script or story effectively? ___________________________________________________________________________ Inflection Did performers know when and where modulation was required? ___________________ Did performers appear to appreciates the rhythm of the text? _______________________ Pronunciation, articulation Was the text clearly and properly spoken? _______________________________________ Were consonants emphasized to define syllables? _ _______________________________ Projection Was the voice strong, but not forced? ___________________________________________ Did performers indicate good breath control? ____________________________________ Storytelling or narrating voice

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Was it natural and authentic? __________________________________________________ Was it conversational and relaxed? _____________________________________________

108   Audience evaluation form, page 2

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Appendix C

Bonus Scripts From Classic Authors

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The scripts in this appendix are based on the work of classic authors. The following background information provides context and may suggest further teaching ideas.

Page 111 Katherine Mansfield (1888–1923) is regarded as one of New Zealand’s preeminent writers. Her creative years, many of them spent in Europe, were burdened with loneliness, illness, jealousy, and alienation — all of which is reflected in the marital and family relationships of her middle-class characters. Mansfield was greatly influenced by Anton Chekhov and, like him, gave great attention to small details of human behaviour.

In “The Young Girl,” set on the French Riviera, Mansfield presents the contradictory temperament of a young English girl on the cusp of adulthood, who must endure her mother’s gambling habit and her little brother’s immaturity, while entertaining the possibility of a new and attractive relationship outside the bounds of her family.

Page 118 H.H. Munro (1870–1916), who wrote under the pen name Saki, was a prolific British writer best known for his satirical depictions of Edwardian society. His recurring characters include Reginald and Clovis, two young men who delight in discomforting their conventional elders. In “The Match-Maker,” Clovis discusses with his host how he used wit and guile to lure a man into his mother’s life.

Page 121 Jack London (1876–1916) was an American adventurer and prolific writer of novels and short stories, whose work, including The Call of the Wild, often exposed the fine line between civility and the violence of nature and the at-times harsh and cruel world created by men greedy for fame and fortune. “A Nose For The King” tells of a public servant in prison and slated for the chopping block for embezzling more than is normally tolerated. Outrageous and cunning, he concocts a scheme that lets him repay the public purse and become a court favourite. This is one of Jack London’s best black humor tales. Page 126 Russian-born Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) is regarded as one of the world’s greatest short-story writers as well as one of its greatest dramatists. Many of his short stories and one-act plays involve characters in proposals, weddings, and various matrimonial situations.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

In “A Happy Ending,” Chekhov introduces us to a matchmaker and a client who has decided that he at last needs a partner for life. As they discuss his marital requirements, they find that the potential bride may be nearer to hand than they first thought. Page 130 Irish-born Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was a poet, short-story writer, and one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian period, celebrated in his day for his style and wit, exhibited in such works as The Importance of Being Earnest.

In “The Model Millionaire,” a young couple is able to become engaged thanks to the generosity of a benefactor who reacts to a kindness bestowed upon him.

Page 136 Stephen Leacock (1869–1944) was a Canadian economist and writer who found fame through his humorous short stories, the best-known collection of which is Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, in which he affectionately skewers the mores of the inhabitants of the small fictional Canadian town of Mariposa. In “The Two Sexes in Fives and Sixes,” female guests at a dinner party entertain their illusions about their husbands’ support for women’s suffrage. (Leacock, a social conservative, opposed women’s right to vote.)

110

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The Young Girl by Katherine Mansfield Roles for Readers

Student Names

Narrator 1

____________________________________

Narrator 2

____________________________________

Narrator 3

____________________________________

Mrs. Raddick

____________________________________

Hennie

____________________________________

He

____________________________________

She

____________________________________

Suggested Staging N2

N1

She

N3

He

Narrator 1:

In her blue dress, with her cheeks lightly flushed, her blue, blue eyes, and her gold curls pinned up as though for the first time — pinned up to be out of the way for her flight — Mrs. Raddick’s daughter might have just dropped from this radiant heaven.

Narrator 2:

Mrs. Raddick’s timid, faintly astonished, but deeply admiring glance looked as if she believed it, too; but the daughter didn’t appear any too pleased — why should she? — to have alighted on the steps of the casino.

Narrator 3:

Indeed, she was bored — bored as though heaven had been full of casinos with snuffy old saints for croupiers and crowns to play with.

Mrs. Raddick: You don’t mind taking Hennie? Sure you don’t? There’s the car, and you’ll have tea and we’ll be back here on this step — right here — in an hour. You see, I want her to go in. She’s not been before, and it’s worth seeing. I feel it wouldn’t be fair to her. She:

Oh, shut up, mother. Come along. Don’t talk so much. And your bag’s open; you’ll be losing all your money again.

Mrs. Raddick: I’m sorry, darling.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Hennie

Mrs R

The Young Girl by Katherine Mansfield, page 1   111

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She:

Oh, do come in! I want to make money. It’s all jolly well for you — but I’m broke!

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Mrs. Raddick: Here — take fifty francs, darling, take a hundred! Narrator 1:

Mrs. Raddick pressed notes into her hand as they passed through the swing doors.

Narrator 2:

Hennie and he stood on the steps a minute, watching the people.

Narrator 1:

Hennie had a very broad, delighted smile.

Hennie:

I say, there’s an English bulldog. Are they allowed to take dogs in there?

He:

No, they’re not.

Hennie:

He’s a ripping chap, isn’t he? I wish I had one. They’re such fun. They frighten people so, and they’re never fierce with their … the people they belong to.

Narrator 3:

Suddenly Hennie squeezed his companion’s arm.

Hennie:

I say, do look at that old woman. Who is she? Why does she look like that? Is she a gambler?

Narrator 1:

The ancient, withered creature, wearing a green satin dress, a black velvet cloak, and a white hat with purple feathers, jerked slowly, slowly up the steps as though she were being drawn up on wires.

Narrator 2:

She stared in front of her. She was laughing and nodding and cackling to herself; her claws clutched round what looked like a dirty boot bag.

Narrator 1:

But just at that moment there was Mrs. Raddick again with another lady hovering in the background.

Narrator 3:

Mrs. Raddick rushed toward Hennie and his companion. She was brightly flushed, happy, a different creature.

Narrator 2:

She was like a woman who is saying good-bye to her friends on the station platform, with not a minute to spare before the train starts.

Mrs. Raddick: Oh, you’re here, still. Isn’t that lucky! You’ve not gone. Isn’t that fine! I’ve had the most dreadful time with … her, Narrator 1:

and she waved to her daughter, who stood absolutely still, disdainful, looking down, twiddling her foot on the step, miles away.

Mrs. Raddick: They won’t let her in. I swore she was twenty-one. But they won’t believe me. I showed the man my purse; I didn’t dare to do more. But it was no use. He simply scoffed, and now I’ve just met Mrs. MacEwen from New York, and she just won thirteen thousand in the Salle Privée — and she wants me to go back with her while the luck lasts. Of course I can’t leave … her. But if you’d —  Narrator 3:

At that she looked her mother up and down and muttered furiously,

She:

Why can’t you leave me? What utter rot! How dare you make a scene like this? This is the last time I’ll come out with you. You really are too awful for words. Calm yourself. 112   The Young Girl by Katherine Mansfield, page 2

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Narrator 1:

Mrs. Raddick was desperate, just desperate. She was wild to go back with Mrs. MacEwen, but at the same time …

Narrator 2:

He seized his courage.

He:

Would you … do you care to come to tea with … us?

Narrator 1:

Mrs. Raddick dashed up the steps. Her bag was open again.

Narrator 3:

So there were the three of them left. But really it wasn’t anyone’s fault.

Narrator 2:

Hennie looked crushed to the earth, too.

Narrator 3:

When the car was there she wrapped her dark coat round her — to escape contamination. Even her little feet looked as though they scorned to carry her down the steps to us.

He:

I am so awfully sorry,

Narrator 2:

he murmured to her as the car started.

She:

Oh, I don’t mind. I don’t want to look twenty-one. Who would — if they were seventeen! It’s the stupidity I loathe, and being stared at by old fat men. Beasts!

Narrator 3:

Hennie gave her a quick look and then peered out of the window.

Narrator 1:

The car drew up before an immense palace of pink and white marble with orange trees outside the doors in gold and black tubs.

He:

Would you care to go in?

Narrator 2:

She hesitated, glanced, bit her lip, and resigned herself.

She:

Oh well, there seems nowhere else. Get out, Hennie.

He:

I’ll go first — to find a table, of course.

Narrator 1:

But the worst of it was having her little brother, who was only twelve, with them. That was the last, final straw — having that child, trailing at her heels.

Narrator 2:

There was one table. It had pink carnations and pink plates with little blue tea napkins for sails.

He:

Shall we sit here?

Narrator 3:

She put her hand wearily on the back of a white wicker chair.

She:

We may as well. Why not?

Narrator 2:

Hennie squeezed past her and wriggled on to a stool at the end. He felt awfully out of it.

Narrator 1:

She didn’t even take her gloves off. She lowered her eyes and drummed on the table. When a faint violin sounded she winced and bit her lip again. Silence.

Narrator 3:

The waitress appeared.

He:

Tea? Coffee? China tea? Or iced tea with lemon?

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Mrs. Raddick Yes, yes, she’ll be delighted. That’s just what I wanted, isn’t it, darling? Mrs. MacEwen … I’ll be back here in an hour … or less … I’ll — 

The Young Girl by Katherine Mansfield, page 3   113

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Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

She:

I really don’t mind. It’s all the same to me. I don’t really want anything.

Narrator 1:

But Hennie whispered,

Hennie:

Chocolate!

Narrator 2:

However, just as the waitress turned away, she cried out carelessly,

She:

Oh, you may as well bring me a chocolate, too.

Narrator 3:

While they waited she took out a little gold powder box with a mirror in the lid, shook the poor little puff as though she loathed it, and dabbed her lovely nose.

She:

Hennie, take those flowers away.

Narrator 2:

She pointed with her puff to the carnations, and murmured,

She:

I can’t bear flowers on a table.

Narrator 1:

They had evidently been giving her intense pain, for she positively closed her eyes as he moved them away.

Narrator 2:

The waitress came back with the chocolate and the tea. She put the big, frothing cups before them and pushed across a clear glass.

Narrator 1:

Hennie buried his nose, emerged with, for one dreadful moment, a little trembling blob of cream on the tip. But he hastily wiped it off like a little gentleman.

Narrator 3:

He wondered if he should dare draw her attention to her cup. She didn’t notice it — didn’t see it — until suddenly, quite by chance, she took a sip. He watched anxiously; she faintly shuddered.

She:

Dreadfully sweet!

Narrator 2:

A tiny boy with a head like a raisin and a chocolate body came round with a tray of pastries — row upon row of little freaks, little inspirations, little melting dreams. He offered them to her.

She:

Oh, I’m not at all hungry. Take them away.

Narrator 1:

He offered them to Hennie.

Narrator 2:

Hennie gave them all a swift look. They must have been satisfactory.

Hennie:

I’ll have one of each, please.

Narrator 1:

He took a chocolate cream, a coffee éclair, a meringue stuffed with chestnut, and a tiny horn filled with fresh strawberries.

Narrator 3:

She could hardly bear to watch him. But just as the boy swerved away she held up her plate.

She:

Oh well, give me one.

Narrator 2:

The silver tongs dropped one, two, three — and a cherry tartlet. She nearly smiled and said,

She:

I don’t know why you’re giving me all these. I shan’t eat them. I couldn’t!

Narrator 3:

He felt much more comfortable, sipped his tea, leaned back, and said,

114   The Young Girl by Katherine Mansfield, page 4

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Do you mind if I smoke?

Narrator 1:

At that she paused, the fork in her hand, opened her eyes, and really did smile.

She:

Of course, I always expect people to.

Narrator 2:

But at that moment a tragedy happened to Hennie. He speared his pastry horn too hard, and it flew in two, and one half spilled on the table. A ghastly affair!

Narrator 3:

Hennie turned crimson. Even his ears flared, and one ashamed hand crept across the table to take what was left of the body away.

She:

You utter little beast!

Narrator 1:

At that he intervened and came to the rescue of Hennie. He said,

He:

Good heavens! I’ll help. Oh dear … will you be away long?

Narrator 2:

But she had already forgotten Hennie. She was trying to remember something. She was miles away.

She:

I … don’t … know.

He:

I suppose you prefer it to London. It’s more … more — 

Narrator 1:

When he didn’t go on she came back and looked at him, very puzzled.

She:

More — ?

He:

Enfin — gayer,

Narrator 3:

he cried, waving his cigarette.

Narrator 2:

But that took a whole cake to consider. Even then all she could safely say was,

She:

Oh well, that depends!

Narrator 1:

Hennie had finished. He was still very warm.

He:

I say, what about an ice, Hennie? What about tangerine and ginger? No, something cooler. What about a fresh pineapple cream?

Narrator 3:

he said to Hennie.

Narrator 2:

Hennie strongly approved.

Narrator 1:

The waitress had her eye on them. The order was taken when she looked up from her crumbs.

She:

Did you say tangerine and ginger? I like ginger. You can bring me one. I wish that orchestra wouldn’t play things from the year One. We were dancing to that all last Christmas. It’s too sickening!

He:

But it is a charming air. Now that I noticed it, it warmed me. I think this is rather a nice place, don’t you, Hennie?

Hennie:

Ripping!

Narrator 2:

He meant to say it very low, but it came out very high in a kind of squeak.

She:

Nice? This place? Nice?

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

He:

The Young Girl by Katherine Mansfield, page 5   115

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Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 3:

For the first time she stared about her, trying to see what there was. She blinked; her lovely eyes wondered.

Narrator 1:

A very good-looking elderly man stared back at her through a monocle on a black ribbon. But him she simply couldn’t see. There was a hole in the air where he was. She looked through and through him.

Narrator 3:

Finally the little flat spoons lay still on the glass plates. Hennie looked rather exhausted.

Narrator 2:

But she pulled on her white gloves again. She had some trouble with her diamond wristwatch; it got in her way. She tugged at it, tried to break the stupid little thing — it wouldn’t break. Finally, he had to drag her glove over.

Narrator 3:

He saw, after that, she couldn’t stand this place a moment longer, and, indeed, she jumped up and turned away while he went through the vulgar act of paying for the tea.

Narrator 1:

And then they were outside again.

Narrator 2:

It had grown dusky. The sky was sprinkled with small stars; the big lamps glowed.

Narrator 3:

While they waited for the car to come up she stood on the step, just as before, twiddling her foot, looking down.

Narrator 1:

Hennie bounded forward to open the door and she got in and sank back with — oh — such a sigh!

She:

Tell him to drive as fast as he can.

Narrator 3:

Hennie grinned at his friend the chauffeur. He composed himself and sat on the small seat facing the other two and said,

Hennie:

Allie veet!

Narrator 1:

The gold powder box came out again. Again the poor little puff was shaken; again there was that swift, deadly secret glance between her and the mirror.

Narrator 3:

The car tore through the black and gold town like a pair of scissors tearing through brocade.

Narrator 2:

Hennie had great difficulty not to look as though he were hanging on to something.

Narrator 3:

When they reached the casino, of course Mrs. Raddick wasn’t there. There wasn’t a sign of her on the steps — not a sign.

He:

Will you stay in the car while I go and look?

She:

No, I won’t do that. Good heavens, no! Hennie can stay. I can’t bear sitting in a car. I’ll wait on the steps.

He:

But I scarcely like to leave you. I’d very much rather not leave you here.

Narrator 1:

At that she threw back her coat; she turned and faced him; her lips parted.

She:

Good heavens — why! I … I don’t mind it a bit. I … I like waiting.

116   The Young Girl by Katherine Mansfield, page 6

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And suddenly her cheeks crimsoned, her eyes grew dark. For a moment it looked like she was going to cry. But in a warm, eager voice she stammered,

She:

L … let me, please. I like it. I love waiting! Really … really I do! I’m always waiting … in all kinds of places.

Narrator 2:

Her dark coat fell open, and her white throat — all her soft young body in the blue dress — was like a flower that is just emerging from its dark bud.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 1:

The Young Girl by Katherine Mansfield, page 7   117

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The Match-Maker by Saki (H.H. Munro) Roles for Readers

Student Names

Clovis

____________________________________

Host

____________________________________

Narrator 1

____________________________________

Narrator 2

____________________________________

Suggested Staging

N1

N2 Clovis

Host

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Clovis and Host use onstage focus Narrators use offstage/audience focus

Narrator 1:

The grill-room clock struck eleven with the respectful unobtrusiveness of one whose mission in life is to be ignored.

Narrator 2:

When the flight of time should really have rendered abstinence and migration imperative the lighting apparatus would signal the fact in the usual way.

Narrator 1:

Six minutes later Clovis approached the supper-table, in the blessed expectancy of one who has dined sketchily and long ago.

Clovis:

I’m starving,

Narrator 2:

he announced, making an effort to sit down gracefully and read the menu at the same time.

Host:

So I gathered, from the fact that you were nearly punctual. I ought to have told you that I’m a Food Reformer. I’ve ordered two bowls of bread-andmilk and some health biscuits. I hope you don’t mind.

Narrator 1:

Clovis pretended afterwards that he didn’t go white above the collar-line for the fraction of a second.

Clovis:

All the same you ought not to joke about such things. There really are such people. I’ve known people who’ve met them. To think of all the adorable things there are to eat in the world, and then to go through life munching sawdust and being proud of it.

118   The Match-Maker by Saki, page 1

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They’re like the Flagellants of the Middle Ages, who went about mortifying themselves.

Clovis:

They had some excuse. They did it to save their immortal souls,didn’t they? You needn’t tell me that a man who doesn’t love oysters and asparagus and good wines has got a soul, or a stomach either. He’s simply got the instinct for being unhappy highly developed.

Narrator 2:

Clovis relapsed for a few golden moments into tender intimacies with a succession of rapidly disappearing oysters.

Clovis:

I think oysters are more beautiful than any religion,

Narrator 1:

Clovis resumed.

Clovis:

They not only forgive our unkindness to them; they justify it, they incite us to go on being perfectly horrid to them. Once they arrive at the suppertable they seem to enter thoroughly into the spirit of the thing. There’s nothing in Christianity or Buddhism that quite matches the sympathetic unselfishness of an oyster. Do you like my new waistcoat? I’m wearing it for the first time tonight.

Host:

It looks like a great many others you’ve had lately, only worse. New dinner waistcoats are becoming a habit with you.

Clovis:

They say one always pays for the excesses of one’s youth; mercifully that isn’t true about one’s clothes. My mother is thinking of getting married.

Host:

Again!

Clovis:

It’s the first time.

Host:

Of course, you ought to know. I was under the impression that she’d been married once or twice at least.

Clovis:

Three times, to be mathematically exact. I meant that it was the first time she’d thought about getting married; the other times she did it without thinking. As a matter of fact, it’s really I who am doing the thinking for her in this case. You see, it’s quite two years since her last husband died.

Host:

You evidently think that brevity is the soul of widowhood.

Clovis:

Well, it struck me that she was getting moped, and beginning to settle down, which wouldn’t suit her a bit. The first symptom that I noticed was when she began to complain that we were living beyond our income. All decent people live beyond their incomes nowadays, and those who aren’t respectable live beyond other people’s. A few gifted individuals manage to do both.

Host:

It’s hardly so much a gift as an industry.

Clovis:

The crisis came when she suddenly started the theory that late hours were bad for one, and wanted me to be in by one o’clock every night. Imagine that sort of thing for me, who was eighteen on my last birthday.

Host:

On your last two birthdays, to be mathematically exact.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Host:

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Oh, well, that’s not my fault. I’m not going to arrive at nineteen as long as my mother remains at thirty-seven. One must have some regard for appearances.

Host:

Perhaps your mother would age a little in the process of settling down.

Clovis:

That’s the last thing she’d think of. Feminine reformations always start in on the failings of other people. That’s why I was so keen on the husband idea.

Host:

Did you go as far as to select the gentleman, or did you merely throw out a general idea, and trust to the force of suggestion?

Clovis:

If one wants a thing done in a hurry one must see to it oneself. I found a military Johnny hanging round on a loose end at the club, and took him home to lunch once or twice. He’d spent most of his life on the Indian frontier, building roads, and relieving famines and minimizing earthquakes, and all that sort of thing that one does do on frontiers. He could talk sense to a peevish cobra in fifteen native languages, and probably knew what to do if you found a rogue elephant on your croquetlawn; but he was shy and diffident with women. I told my mother privately that he was an absolute woman-hater; so, of course, she laid herself out to flirt all she knew, which isn’t a little.

Host:

And was the gentleman responsive?

Clovis:

I hear he told some one at the club that he was looking out for a Colonial job, with plenty of hard work, for a young friend of his, so I gather that he has some idea of marrying into the family.

Host:

You seem destined to be the victim of the reformation, after all.

Narrator 2:

Clovis wiped the trace of Turkish coffee and the beginnings of a smile from his lips, and slowly lowered his dexter eyelid.

Narrator 1:

Which, being interpreted, probably meant,

Clovis:

I don’t think!

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Clovis:

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A Nose for the King by Jack London Roles for Readers

Student Names

Narrator 1

____________________________________

Narrator 2

____________________________________

Narrator 3

____________________________________

Yi Chin Ho

____________________________________

Jailer

____________________________________

Governor

____________________________________

Pak Chung Chang

____________________________________

Suggested Staging N2

Yi Chin

N3

Pak Chung

Governor

Jailer

Narrator 1:

In the morning calm of Korea, when its peace and tranquility truly merited its ancient name, “Cho-sen,” there lived a politician by name Yi Chin Ho.

Narrator 2:

He was a man of parts, and — who shall say? — perhaps in no wise worse than politicians the world over. But, unlike his brethren in other lands, Yi Chin Ho was in jail.

Narrator 3:

Not that he had inadvertently diverted to himself public moneys, but that he had inadvertently diverted too much.

Narrator 1:

Excess is to be deplored in all things, even in grafting, and Yi Chin Ho’s excess had brought him to most deplorable straits.

Narrator 3:

Ten thousand strings of cash he owed the government, and he lay in prison under sentence of death. There was one advantage to the situation — he had plenty of time in which to think. And he thought well.

Narrator 2:

Then called he the jailer to him.

Yi Chin Ho:

Most worthy man, you see before you one most wretched, yet all will be well with me if you will but let me go free for one short hour this night. And all will be well with you, for I shall see to your advancement

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

N1

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through the years, and you shall come at length to the directorship of all the prisons of Cho-sen. Jailer:

How, now? What foolishness is this? One short hour, and you but waiting for your head to be chopped off! And I, with an aged and much-to-berespected mother, not to say anything of a wife and several children of tender years! Out upon you for the scoundrel that you are!

Yi Chin Ho:

From the Sacred City to the ends of all the Eight Coasts there is no place for me to hide. I am a man of wisdom, but of what worth my wisdom here in prison? Were I free, well I know I could seek out and obtain the money wherewith to repay the government. I know of a nose that will save me from all my difficulties.

Jailer:

A nose!

Yi Chin Ho

A nose, a remarkable nose, if I may say so, a most remarkable nose.

Narrator 1:

The jailer threw up his hands despairingly and laughed as he said,

Jailer:

Ah, what a wag you are, what a wag. To think that that very admirable wit of yours must go the way of the chopping block!

Narrator 3:

And so saying, he turned and went away. But in the end, being a man soft of head and heart, when the night was well along he permitted Yi Chin Ho to go.

Narrator 1:

Straight he went to the Governor, catching him alone and arousing him from his sleep.

Governor:

Yi Chin Ho, or I’m no Governor! What do you here who should be in prison waiting on the chopping block?

Yi Chin Ho:

I pray Your Excellency to listen to me. A dead man is without value. It is true; I am as a dead man, without value to the government, to Your Excellency, or to myself. But if, so to say, Your Excellency were to give me my freedom — 

Narrator 2:

said Yi Chin Ho, squatting on his hams by the bedside and lighting his pipe from the firebox.

Governor:

Impossible. Besides, you are condemned to death.

Yi Chin Ho:

Your Excellency well knows that if I can repay the ten thousand strings of cash, the government will pardon me, so, as I say, if Your Excellency were to give me my freedom for a few days, being a man of understanding, I should then repay the government and be in position to be of service to Your Excellency. I should be in position to be of very great service to Your Excellency.

Governor:

Have you a plan whereby you hope to obtain this money?

Yi Chin Ho:

I have.

Governor:

Then come with it to me tomorrow night; I would now sleep,

Narrator 1:

said the Governor, taking up his snore where it had been interrupted.

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On the following night, having again obtained leave of absence from the jailer, Yi Chin Ho presented himself at the Governor’s bedside.

Governor:

Is it you, Yi Chin Ho? And have you the plan?

Yi Chin Ho:

It is I, Your Excellency, and the plan is here.

Narrator 3:

The Governor commanded Yi Chin to speak.

Governor:

Speak, commanded the Governor.

Yi Chin Ho:

The plan is here, here in my hand.

Narrator 2:

The Governor sat up and opened his eyes.

Narrator 3:

Yi Chin Ho proffered in his hand a sheet of paper. The Governor held it to the light.

Governor:

Nothing but a nose.

Yi Chin Ho:

A bit pinched, so, and so, Your Excellency.

Governor:

Yes, a bit pinched here and there, as you say.

Yi Chin Ho:

Withal it is an exceeding corpulent nose, thus, and so, all in one place, at the end. Your Excellency would seek far and wide and many a day for that nose and find it not.

Governor:

An unusual nose.

Yi Chin Ho:

There is a wart upon it.

Governor:

A most unusual nose, never have I seen the like. But what do you with this nose, Yi Chin Ho?

Yi Chin Ho:

I seek it whereby to repay the money to the government. I seek it to be of service to Your Excellency, and I seek it to save my own worthless head. Further, I seek Your Excellency’s seal upon this picture of the nose.

Narrator 1:

And the Governor laughed and affixed the seal of state, and Yi Chin Ho departed.

Narrator 2:

For a month and a day he travelled the King’s Road, which leads to the shore of the Eastern Sea; and there, one night, at the gate of the largest mansion of a wealthy city, he knocked loudly for admittance.

Yi Chin Ho:

I travel upon the King’s business and none other than the master of the house will I see,

Narrator 3:

said Yi Chin fiercely to the frightened servants.

Narrator 2:

Straightway was he led to an inner room, where the master of the house was roused from his sleep and brought blinking before him. Yi Chin said to him in tones that were all accusing,

Yi Chin Ho:

You are Pak Chung Chang, headman of this city. I am upon the King’s business.

Narrator 3:

Pak Chung Chang trembled. Well he knew the King’s business was ever a terrible business. His knees smote together, and he near fell to the floor.

Pak Chung:

The hour is late. Were it not well to — 

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 2:

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Narrator 1:

but Yi Chin Ho thundered,

Yi Chin Ho:

The King’s business never waits! Come apart with me, and swiftly. I have an affair of moment to discuss with you. It is the King’s affair.

Narrator 3:

He added this with even greater fierceness; so that Pak Chung Chang’s silver pipe dropped from his nerveless fingers and clattered on the floor.

Yi Chin Ho:

Know then that the King is troubled with an affliction, a very terrible affliction. In that he failed to cure, the Court physician has had nothing else than his head chopped off. From all the Eight Provinces have the physicians come to wait upon the King. Wise consultation have they held, and they have decided that for a remedy for the King’s affliction nothing else is required than a nose, a certain kind of nose, a very peculiar certain kind of nose. Then by none other was I summoned than His Excellency the Prime Minister himself. He put a paper into my hand. Upon this paper was the very peculiar kind of nose drawn by the physicians of the Eight Provinces, with the seal of state upon it. “Go,” said His Excellency the Prime Minister. “Seek out this nose, for the King’s affliction is sore. And wheresoever you find this nose upon the face of a man, strike it off forthright and bring it in all haste to the Court, for the King must be cured. Go, and come not back until your search is rewarded.” And so I departed upon my quest. I have sought out the remotest corners of the kingdom. I have travelled the Eight Highways, searched the Eight Provinces, and sailed the seas of the Eight Coasts. And here I am.

Narrator 2:

With a great flourish he drew a paper from his girdle, unrolled it with many snappings and cracklings, and thrust it before the face of Pak Chung Chang.

Narrator 1:

Upon the paper was the picture of the nose.

Narrator 3:

Pak Chung Chang stared upon it with bulging eyes.

Pak Chung:

Never have I beheld such a nose.

Yi Chin Ho:

There is a wart upon it.

Pak Chung:

Never have I beheld — 

Narrator 2:

Yi Chin Ho interrupted sternly,

Yi Chin Ho:

Bring your father before me.

Pak Chung:

My ancient and very-much-to-be-respected ancestor sleeps.

Yi Chin Ho:

Why dissemble? You know it is your father’s nose. Bring him before me that I may strike it off and be gone. Hurry, lest I make bad report of you.

Pak Chung:

Mercy!

Narrator 3:

cried Pak Chung Chang, falling on his knees.

Pak Chung:

It is impossible! It is impossible! You cannot strike off my father’s nose. He cannot go down without his nose to the grave. He will become a laughter and a byword, and all my days and nights will be filled with woe. O reflect! Report that you have seen no such nose in your travels. You, too, have a father.

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Pak Chung Chang clasped Yi Chin Ho’s knees and fell to weeping on his sandals.

Yi Chin Ho:

My heart softens strangely at your tears. I, too, know filial piety and regard. But — it is as much as my head is worth.

Pak Chung:

How much is your head worth?

Narrator 2:

asked Pak Chung Chang in a thin, small voice.

Yi Chin Ho:

A not remarkable head. An absurdly unremarkable head, but such is my great foolishness, I value it at nothing less than one hundred thousand strings of cash.

Pak Chung:

So be it.

Yi Chin Ho:

I shall need horses to carry the treasure and men to guard it well as I journey through the mountains. There are robbers abroad in the land.

Pak Chung:

There are robbers abroad in the land. But it shall be as you wish, so long as my ancient and very-much-to-be-respected ancestor’s nose abides in its appointed place.

Yi Chin Ho:

Say nothing to any man of this occurrence else will other and more loyal servants than I be sent to strike off your father’s nose.

Narrator 1:

And so Yi Chin Ho departed on his way through the mountains, blithe of heart and gay of song as he listened to the jingling bells of his treasureladen ponies.

Narrator 2:

There is little more to tell.

Narrator 3:

Yi Chin Ho prospered through the years.

Narrator 1:

By his efforts the jailer attained at length to the directorship of all the prisons of Cho-sen; the Governor ultimately betook himself to the Sacred City to be prime minister to the King, while Yi Chin Ho became the King’s boon companion and sat at table with him to the end of a round, fat life.

Narrator 2:

But Pak Chung Chang fell into a melancholy, and ever after he shook his head sadly, with tears in his eyes, whenever he regarded the expensive nose of his ancient and very-much-to-be-respected ancestor.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 1:

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A Happy Ending by Anton Chekhov Roles for Readers

Student Names

Narrator 1

____________________________________

Narrator 2

____________________________________

Stytchkin

____________________________________

Lyubov Grigoryevna (LG) ____________________________________ Suggested Staging N1

N2 lg

Stytchkin

Both characters could be seated

Lyubov Grigoryevna, a plump lady of forty who undertook matchmaking and many other matters of which it is usual to speak only in whispers, had come to see Stytchkin, the head guard, on a day when he was off duty.

Narrator 2:

Stytchkin, somewhat embarrassed, but, as always, grave, practical, and severe, was walking up and down the room, smoking a cigar and saying:

Stytchkin:

Very pleased to make your acquaintance. Semyon Ivanovitch recom­ mended you on the ground that you may be able to assist me in a delicate and very important matter affecting the happiness of my life. I have, Lyubov Grigoryevna, reached the age of fifty-two; that is a period of life at which very many have already grown-up children. My position is a secure one. Though my fortune is not large, yet I am in a position to support a beloved being and children at my side. I may tell you between ourselves that apart from my salary I have also money in the bank which my manner of living has enabled me to save. I am a practical and sober man, I lead a sensible and consistent life, so that I may hold myself up as an example to many. But one thing I lack — a domestic hearth of my own and a partner in life, and I live like a wandering Magyar, moving from place to place without any satisfaction. I have no one with whom to take counsel, and when I am ill no one to give me water, and so on. Apart from that, Lyubov Grigoryevna, a married man has always more weight in society than a bachelor. I am a man of the educated class, with money, but if you look at me from a point of view, what am I? A man with no kith and kin, no better than some Polish priest. And therefore I should be very desirous to be united in the bonds of matrimony with some worthy person.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 1:

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An excellent thing,

Narrator 1:

the matchmaker said, with a sigh.

Stytchkin:

I am a solitary man and in this town I know no one. Where can I go, and to whom can I apply, since all the people here are strangers to me? That is why Semyon Ivanovitch advised me to address myself to a person who is a specialist in this line, and makes the arrangement of the happiness of others her profession. And therefore I most earnestly beg you, Lyubov Grigoryevna, to assist me in ordering my future. You know all the marriageable young ladies in the town, and it is easy for you to accommodate me.

LG:

I can.

Stytchkin:

A glass of wine, I beg you.

Narrator 2:

With an habitual gesture the matchmaker raised her glass to her mouth and tossed it off without winking, and continued,

LG:

I can. And what sort of bride would you like, Nikolay Nikolayitch?

Stytchkin:

Should I like? The bride fate sends me.

LG:

Well, of course it depends on your fate, but everyone has his own taste, you know. One likes dark ladies, the other prefers fair ones.

Stytchkin:

You see, Lyubov Grigoryevna,

Narrator 1:

said Stytchkin, sighing sedately,

Stytchkin:

I am a practical man and a man of character; for me beauty and external appearance generally take a secondary place, for, as you know yourself, beauty is neither bowl nor platter, and a pretty wife involves a great deal of anxiety. The way I look at it is, what matters most in a woman is not what is external, but what lies within — that is, that she should have soul and all the qualities. A glass of wine, I beg…. Of course, it would be very agreeable that one’s wife should be rather plump, but for mutual happiness it is not of great consequence; what matters is the mind. Properly speaking, a woman does not need mind either, for if she has brains she will have too high an opinion of herself, and take all sorts of ideas into her head. One cannot do without education nowadays, of course, but education is of different kinds. It would be pleasing for one’s wife to know French and German, to speak various languages, very pleasing; but what’s the use of that if she can’t sew on one’s buttons, perhaps? I am a man of the educated class: I am just as much at home, I may say, with Prince Kanitelin as I am with you here now. But my habits are simple, and I want a girl who is not too much a fine lady. Above all, she must have respect for me and feel that I have made her happiness.

LG:

To be sure.

Stytchkin:

Well, now as regards the essential…. I do not want a wealthy bride; I would never condescend to anything so low as to marry for money. I desire not to be kept by my wife, but to keep her, and that she may be

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

LG:

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sensible of it. But I do not want a poor girl either. Though I am a man of means, and am marrying not from mercenary motives, but from love, yet I cannot take a poor girl, for, as you know yourself, prices have gone up so, and there will be children. LG:

One might find one with a dowry,

Stytchkin:

A glass of wine, I beg.

Narrator 2:

There was a pause of five minutes.

Narrator 1:

The matchmaker heaved a sigh, took a sidelong glance at the railway guard, and asked:

LG:

Well, now, my good sir … do you want anything in the bachelor line? I have some fine bargains. One is a French girl and one is a Greek. Well worth the money.

Narrator 2:

The guard thought a moment and said:

Stytchkin:

No, I thank you. In view of your favourable disposition, allow me to enquire now how much you ask for your exertions in regard to a bride?

LG:

I don’t ask much. Give me twenty-five roubles and the stuff for a dress, as is usual, and I will say thank you … but for the dowry, that’s a different account.

Narrator 2:

Stytchkin folded his arms over his chest and fell to pondering in silence.

Narrator 1:

After some thought he heaved a sigh and said:

Stytchkin:

That’s dear.

LG:

It’s not at all dear, Nikolay Nikolayitch! In old days when there were lots of weddings one did do it cheaper, but nowadays what are our earnings? If you make fifty roubles in a month that is not a fast, you may be thankful. It’s not on weddings we make our money, my good sir.

Narrator 2:

Stytchkin looked at the matchmaker in amazement, shrugged his shoulders and asked,

Stytchkin:

H’m! … Do you call fifty roubles little?

LG:

Of course it is little! In old days we sometimes made more than a hundred.

Stytchkin:

H’m! I should never have thought it was possible to earn such a sum by these jobs. Fifty roubles! It is not every man that earns as much! Pray drink your wine.

Narrator 1:

The matchmaker drained her glass without winking.

Narrator 2:

Stytchkin looked her over from head to foot in silence, then said:

Stytchkin:

Fifty roubles ... why, that is six hundred roubles a year…. Please take some more…. With such dividends, you know, Lyubov Grigoryevna, you would have no difficulty in making a match for yourself.

LG:

For myself? I am an old woman,

Narrator 1:

laughed the matchmaker.

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Not at all. You have such a figure, and your face is plump and fair, and all the rest of it.

Narrator 1:

The matchmaker was embarrassed.

Narrator 2:

Stytchkin was also embarrassed and sat down beside her. He said,

Stytchkin:

You are still very attractive. If you met with a practical, steady, careful husband, with his salary and your earnings you might even attract him very much, and you’d get on very well together.

LG:

Goodness knows what you are saying, Nikolay Nikolayitch.

Stytchkin:

Well, I meant no harm.

Narrator 2:

A silence followed.

Narrator 1:

Stytchkin began loudly blowing his nose, while the matchmaker turned crimson, and looking bashfully at him, asked:

LG:

And how much do you get, Nikolay Nikolayitch?

Stytchkin:

I? Seventy-five roubles, besides tips. Apart from that we make something out of candles and hares.

LG:

You go hunting, then?

Stytchkin:

No. Passengers who travel without tickets are called hares with us.

Narrator 2:

Another minute passed in silence.

Narrator 1:

Stytchkin got up and walked about the room in excitement.

Stytchkin:

I don’t want a young wife. I am a middle-aged man, and I want someone who … as it might be like you … staid and settled and a figure something like yours….

LG:

Goodness knows what you are saying,

Narrator 2:

giggled the matchmaker, hiding her crimson face in her kerchief.

Stytchkin:

There is no need to be long thinking about it. You are after my own heart, and you suit me in your qualities. I am a practical, sober man, and if you like me … what could be better? Allow me to make you a proposal!

Narrator 2:

The matchmaker dropped a tear, laughed, and, in token of her consent, clinked glasses with Stytchkin, who said happily,

Stytchkin:

Well, now allow me to explain to you the behaviour and manner of life I desire from you. I am a strict, respectable, practical man. I take a gentlemanly view of everything. And I desire that my wife should be strict also, and should understand that to her I am a benefactor and the foremost person in the world.

Narrator 1:

He sat down, and, heaving a deep sigh, began expounding to his brideelect his views on domestic life and a wife’s duties.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Stytchkin:

A Happy Ending by Anton Chekhov, page 4   129

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The Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde Roles for Readers

Student Names

Narrator 1

____________________________________

Narrator 2

____________________________________

Narrator 3

____________________________________

Narrator 4

____________________________________

Narrator 5

____________________________________

Trevor

____________________________________

Hughie

____________________________________

Suggested Staging N4

N3

N5 N2

N1

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Hughie

Trevor

Narrator 1:

Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow.

Narrator 2:

Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed.

Narrator 3:

The poor should be practical and prosaic.

Narrator 4:

It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating.

Narrator 5:

These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realized.

Narrator 1:

Poor Hughie!

Narrator 2:

Intellectually, we must admit, he was not of much importance. He never said a brilliant or even an ill-natured thing in his life.

Narrator 4:

But then he was wonderfully good-looking, with his crisp brown hair, his clear-cut profile, and his grey eyes. He was as popular with men as he was with women, and he had every accomplishment except that of making money.

Narrator 5:

His father had bequeathed him his cavalry sword which he hung over his looking-glass, and a History of the Peninsular War in fifteen volumes that he kept on a shelf between Ruff’s Guide and Bailey’s Magazine.

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Hughie lived on two hundred a year that an old aunt allowed him.

Narrator 3:

He had gone on the Stock Exchange for six months, and had been a tea merchant for a little longer, but had soon tired of pekoe and souchong.

Narrator 5:

Then he had tried selling dry sherry.

Narrator 1:

Ultimately he became nothing, a delightful, ineffectual young man with a perfect profile and no profession.

Narrator 2:

To make matters worse, he was in love with Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired colonel from India.

Narrator 3:

Laura adored Hughie, and he was ready to kiss her shoestrings. They were the handsomest couple in London, and had not a penny-piece between them.

Narrator 1:

The colonel was very fond of Hughie, but would not hear of any engagement,

Narrator 5:

He would say, ‘Come to me, my boy, when you have got ten thousand pounds of your own, and we will see about it.’ Hughie looked very glum in those days, and had to go to Laura for consolation.

Narrator 2:

One morning, as he was on his way to Holland Park, where the Mertons lived, Hughie dropped in to see a great friend of his, Alan Trevor.

Narrator 3:

Trevor was a painter and an artist, a strange rough fellow, with a freckled face and a red ragged beard.

Narrator 4:

However, when he took up the brush he was a real master, and his pictures were eagerly sought after.

Trevor:

The only people a painter should know are people who are bête and beautiful, people who are an artistic pleasure to look at and an intellectual repose to talk to. Men who are dandies and women who are darlings rule the world, at least they should do so.

Narrator 5:

After Alan got to know Hughie better, he liked him for his bright buoyant spirits and his generous reckless nature. He gave him permanent entry to his studio.

Narrator 2:

Hughie found Trevor putting the finishing touches to a wonderful life-size picture of a beggar-man. The beggar himself was standing on a raised platform in a corner of the studio.

Narrator 1:

He was a wizened old man, with a face like wrinkled parchment, and a most piteous expression. Over his shoulders was flung a coarse brown cloak, all tears and tatters; his thick boots were patched and cobbled, and with one hand he leant on a rough stick, while with the other he held out his battered hat for alms.

Narrator 3:

Hughie whispered,

Hughie:

What an amazing model!

Narrator 4:

At the top of his voice Trevor shouted,

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Narrator 4:

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Trevor:

An amazing model? I should think so! Such beggars as he are not to be met with every day. A trouvaille, mort cher; a living Velasquez! My stars! What an etching Rembrandt would have made of him!

Narrator 3:

Hughie responded,

Hughie:

Poor old chap! How miserable he looks! But I suppose, to you painters, his face is his fortune?

Trevor:

Certainly, you don’t want a beggar to look happy, do you?

Hughie:

How much does a model get for sitting?

Narrator 2:

asked Hughie, as he found himself a comfortable seat on a divan.

Trevor:

A shilling an hour.

Hughie:

And how much do you get for your picture, Alan?

Trevor:

Oh, for this I get two thousand!

Hughie:

Pounds?

Trevor:

Guineas. Painters, poets, and physicians always get guineas.

Hughie:

Well, I think the model should have a percentage,

Narrator 1:

cried Hughie, laughing;

Hughie:

they work quite as hard as you do.

Trevor:

Nonsense, nonsense! Why, look at the trouble of laying on the paint alone, and standing all day long at one’s easel! It’s all very well, Hughie, for you to talk, but I assure you that there are moments when Art almost attains to the dignity of manual labour. But you mustn’t chatter; I’m very busy.

Narrator 4:

After some time the servant came in and told Trevor that the frame-maker wanted to speak to him.

Trevor:

Don’t run away, Hughie, I will be back in a moment.

Narrator 5:

The old beggar-man took advantage of Trevor’s absence to rest for a moment on a wooden bench that was behind him. He looked so forlorn and wretched that Hughie could not help pitying him, and felt in his pockets to see what money he had. All he could find was a sovereign and some coppers. Hughie thought to himself,

Hughie:

Poor old fellow, he wants it more than I do, but it means no hansom cabs for me for a fortnight.

Narrator 3:

Hughie walked across the studio and slipped the sovereign into the beggar’s hand.

Narrator 1:

The old man started, and a faint smile flitted across his withered lips.

Narrator 5:

Thank you, sir, thank you.

Narrator 2:

Then Trevor arrived, and Hughie took his leave, blushing a little at what he had done. He spent the day with Laura, got a charming scolding for his extravagance, and had to walk home.

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That night he strolled into the Palette Club about eleven o’clock, and found Trevor sitting by himself in the smoking-room drinking hock and seltzer.

Hughie:

Well, Alan, did you get the picture finished all right?

Trevor:

Finished and framed, my boy! And, by-the-bye, you have made a conquest. That old model you saw is quite devoted to you. I had to tell him all about you — who you are, where you live, what your income is, what prospects you have — 

Hughie:

My dear Alan, I shall probably find him waiting for me when I go home. But of course you are only joking. Poor old wretch! I wish I could do something for him. I think it is dreadful that any one should be so miserable. I have got heaps of old clothes at home — do you think he would care for any of them? Why, his rags were falling to bits.

Trevor:

But he looks splendid in them, I wouldn’t paint him in a frock coat for anything. What you call rags I call romance. What seems poverty to you is picturesqueness to me. However, I’ll tell him of your offer.

Hughie:

Alan,

Narrator 1:

said Hughie seriously,

Hughie:

you painters are a heartless lot.

Trevor:

An artist’s heart is his head, and besides, our business is to realize the world as we see it, not to reform it as we know it. A chacun son métier. And now tell me how Laura is. The old model was quite interested in her.

Hughie:

You don’t mean to say you talked to him about her?

Trevor:

Certainly I did. He knows all about the relentless colonel, the lovely Laura, and the £10,000.

Hughie:

You told that old beggar all my private affairs?

Narrator 3:

cried Hughie, looking very red and angry.

Trevor:

My dear boy, that old beggar, as you call him, is one of the richest men in Europe. He could buy all London tomorrow without overdrawing his account. He has a house in every capital, dines off gold plate, and can prevent Russia going to war when he chooses.

Hughie:

What on earth do you mean?

Trevor:

What I say is the old man you saw today in the studio was Baron Hausberg. He is a great friend of mine, buys all my pictures and that sort of thing, and gave me a commission a month ago to paint him as a beggar. Que voulez-vous? La fantaisie d’un millionnaire! And I must say he made a magnificent figure in his rags, or perhaps I should say in my rags; they are an old suit I got in Spain.

Hughie:

Baron Hausberg! Good heavens! I gave him a sovereign!

Narrator 2:

exclaimed Hughie and he sank into an armchair the picture of dismay.

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Narrator 4:

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Trevor:

Gave him a sovereign!

Narrator 5:

shouted Trevor, and he burst into a roar of laughter.

Trevor:

My dear boy, you’ll never see it again. Son affaire c’est l’argent des autres.

Hughie:

I think you might have told me, Alan,

Narrator 4:

said Hughie sulkily,

Hughie:

and not have let me make such a fool of myself.

Trevor:

Well, to begin with, Hughie, it never entered my mind that you went about distributing alms in that reckless way. I can understand your kissing a pretty model, but your giving a sovereign to an ugly one — by Jove, no! Besides, the fact is that I really was not at home today to any one; and when you came in I didn’t know whether Hausberg would like his name mentioned. You know he wasn’t in full dress.

Hughie:

What a duffer he must think me!

Trevor:

Not at all. He was in the highest spirits after you left; kept chuckling to himself and rubbing his old wrinkled hands together. I couldn’t make out why he was so interested to know all about you; but I see it all now. He’ll invest your sovereign for you, Hughie, pay you the interest every six months, and have a capital story to tell after dinner.

Hughie:

I am an unlucky devil. The best thing I can do is to go to bed; and, my dear Alan, you mustn’t tell any one. I shouldn’t dare show my face in the Row.

Trevor:

Nonsense! It reflects the highest credit on your philanthropic spirit, Hughie. And don’t run away. Have another cigarette, and you can talk about Laura as much as you like.

Narrator 3:

However, Hughie wouldn’t stop, but walked home, feeling very unhappy, and leaving Alan Trevor in fits of laughter.

Narrator 1:

The next morning, as he was at breakfast, the servant brought him up a card on which was written, “Monsieur Gustave Naudin, de la part de M. le Baron Hausberg.”

Narrator 5:

Hughie said to himself,

Hughie:

I suppose he has come for an apology,

Narrator 5:

and to the servant he said,

Hughie:

Please show the visitor up.

Narrator 2:

An old gentleman with gold spectacles and grey hair came into the room, and said, in a slight French accent,

Narrator 4:

Have I the honour of addressing Monsieur Erskine?

Narrator 1:

Hughie bowed.

Narrator 4:

I have come from Baron Hausberg. The Baron — 

Hughie:

I beg, sir, that you will offer him my sincerest apologies.

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The Baron has commissioned me to bring you this letter.

Narrator 3:

He extended a sealed envelope. On the outside was written, “A wedding present to Hugh Erskine and Laura Merton, from an old beggar,”

Narrator 5:

and inside was a cheque for £10,000.

Narrator 2:

When they were married Alan Trevor was the best man, and the Baron made a speech at the wedding breakfast.

Trevor:

Millionaire models are rare enough; but, by Jove, model millionaires are rarer still!

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Narrator 4:

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The Two Sexes in Fives or Sixes by Stephen Leacock Roles for Readers

Student Names

Narrator 1

________________________________

Narrator 2

________________________________

Narrator 3

________________________________

Narrator 4

________________________________

Hostess (H)

________________________________

Lady with the Bust (LWTB)

________________________________

Chief Lady Guest (CLG)

________________________________

Heavy Host (HH)

________________________________

Heavy Business Friend (HBF)

________________________________

Half Man with Moon Face (HMMF)

________________________________

Smooth Gentleman (SG)

________________________________

Interesting Man with Long Hair (IMLH) ________________________________ Suggested Staging r1

r2 h clg

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

r3

lwb

r4

im sg hmmf

All characters could be seated throughout the performance

hbf hh

Narrator 1:

There is a dinner party happening.

H:

But, surely,

Narrator 2:

exclaimed the Hostess, looking defiantly and searchingly through the cut flowers of the centrepiece, so that her eye could intimidate in turn all the five men at the table,

H:

one must admit that women are men’s equals in every way?

Narrator 1:

The Lady with the Bust tossed her head a little and echoed,

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Oh, surely!

Narrator 3:

The Debutante lifted her big blue eyes a little towards the ceiling, with the upward glance that stands for innocence. She said nothing, waiting for a cue as to what to appear to be.

Narrator 4:

Meantime, the Chief Lady Guest, known to be in suffrage work, was pinching up her lips and getting her phrases ready, like a harpooner waiting to strike.

Narrator 2:

She knew that the Hostess meant this as an opening for her.

Narrator 1:

But the Soft Lady Whom Men Like toyed with a bit of bread on the tablecloth (she had a beautiful hand) and smiled gently.

Narrator 3:

The other women would have called it a simper.

Narrator 1:

To the men it stood for profound intelligence.

Narrator 2:

The five men who sat amongst and between the ladies received the challenge of the Hostess’s speech and answered it each in his own way.

Narrator 4:

From the Heavy Host at the head of the table there came a kind of deep grunt, nothing more. He had heard this same talk at each of his dinners that season.

Narrator 2:

There was a similar grunt from the Heavy Business Friend of the Host, almost as broad and thick as the Host himself. He knew too what was coming. He proposed to stand by his friend, man for man. He could sympathize. The Lady with the Bust was his wife.

Narrator 3:

But the Half Man with the Moon Face, who was known to work side by side with women on committees and who called them “comrades,” echoed:

HMMF:

Oh, surely!

Narrator 3:

with deep emphasis.

Narrator 4:

The Smooth Gentleman, there for business reasons, exclaimed with great alacrity,

SG:

Women equal! Oh, rather!

Narrator 1:

Last of all, the Interesting Man with Long Hair, known to write for the magazines — all of them — began at once:

IMLH:

I remember once saying to Mrs. Pankhurst — 

Narrator 1:

but was overwhelmed in the general conversation before he could say what it was he remembered saying to Mrs. Pankhurst.

Narrator 2:

In other words, the dinner party, at about course number seven, had reached the inevitable moment of the discussion of the two sexes.

Narrator 3:

It had begun as dinner parties do.

Narrator 4:

Everybody had talked gloomily to his neighbour, over the oysters, on one drink of white wine; more or less brightly to two people, over the fish, on two drinks; quite brilliantly to three people on three drinks; and then the

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LWTB:

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conversation had become general and the European war had been fought through three courses with champagne. Narrator 2:

Everybody had taken an extremely broad point of view.

HBF:

I declare myself absolutely impartial, but I am extremely upset over the cotton industry.

CLG:

I myself am half English on my mother’s side.

LWTB:

A lady friend of mine had a cousin who had travelled in Hungary. It was some years ago. Things might have changed since.

IMLH:

I remember when I was last in Sofia — by the way it is pronounced Sayah-fee-ah — talking with Radovitch — or Radee-ah-vitch, as it should be sounded — the foreign secretary, on what the Sobranje — it is pronounced Soophrangee — would be likely to do — 

Narrator 1:

and by the time he had done with the Sobranje no one dared speak of the war any more.

Narrator 4:

But the Hostess had got out of it the opening she wanted, and she said:

H:

At any rate, it is wonderful what women have done in the war — 

HMMF:

And are doing,

Narrator 3:

echoed the Half Man with the Moon Face.

Narrator 2:

And then it was that the Hostess had said that surely every one must admit women are equal to men and the topic of the sexes was started.

Narrator 4:

All the women had been waiting for it, anyway. It is the only topic that women care about.

Narrator 2:

Even men can stand it, provided that fifty per cent or more of the women present are handsome enough to justify it.

H:

I hardly see how, after all that has happened, any rational person could deny for a moment,

Narrator 1:

continued the Hostess, looking straight at her husband and his Heavy Business Friend,

H:

that women are equal and even superior to men. Surely our brains are just as good?

Narrator 1:

and she gave an almost bitter laugh.

SG:

Don’t you think perhaps — 

Narrator 2:

began the Smooth Gentleman.

H:

No, I don’t. You’re going to say that we are inferior in things like mathematics or in logical reasoning. We are not. But, after all, the only reason why we are is because of training. Think of the thousands of years that men have been trained. Answer me that?

SG:

Well, might it not be — ?

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I don’t think so for a moment. I think if we’d only been trained as men have for the last two or three thousand years our brains would be just as well trained for the things they were trained for as they would have been now for the things we have been trained for and in that case wouldn’t have. Don’t you agree with me,

Narrator 1:

she said, turning to the Chief Lady Guest, whom she suddenly remembered,

H:

that, after all, we think more clearly?

Narrator 3:

Here the Interesting Man, who had been silent longer than an Interesting Man can, without apoplexy, began:

IMLH:

I remember once saying in London to Sir Charles Doosey — 

Narrator 4:

But the Chief Lady Guest refused to be checked.

CLG:

We’ve been gathering some rather interesting statistics,

Narrator 4:

she said, speaking very firmly, syllable by syllable,

CLG:

on that point at our Settlement. We have measured the heads of five hundred factory girls, making a chart of them, you know, and the feet of five hundred domestic servants — 

SG:

And don’t you find,

Narrator 2:

began the Smooth Gentleman.

Narrator 3:

But the Chief Lady Guest interrupted firmly,

CLG:

No, we do not. But I was going to say that when we take our measurements and reduce them to a scale of a hundred — I think you understand me — 

IMLH:

Ah, but come now, there’s nothing really more deceitful than anthropometric measures. I remember once saying (in London) to Sir Robert Bittell — the Sir Robert Bittell, you know — 

Narrator 1:

There were random murmurs of,

All:

Oh, yes!

Narrator 1:

from all the guests except the Heavy Host and his Heavy Friend, who with all their sins were honest men.

Narrator 3:

The Interesting Man continued,

IMLH:

I said, “Sir Robert, I want your frank opinion, your very frank opinion — ”

Narrator 4:

But here there was a slight interruption. The Soft Lady accidentally dropped a bangle from her wrist on to the floor.

Narrator 2:

Now all through the dinner she had hardly said anything, but she had listened for twenty minutes (from the grapefruit to the fish) while the Interesting Man had told her about his life in Honduras (it is pronounced Hondooras), and for another twenty while the Smooth Gentleman, who was a barrister, had discussed himself as a pleader.

Narrator 1:

And when each of the men had begun to speak in the general conversation, she had looked deep into their faces as if hanging on to their words.

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H:

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Narrator 3:

So when she dropped her bangle two of the men leaped from their chairs to get it, and the other three made a sort of struggle as they sat.

Narrator 4:

By the time it was recovered and replaced upon her arm (a very beautiful arm), the Interesting Man was sidetracked and the Chief Lady Guest, who had gone on talking during the bangle hunt, was heard saying:

CLG:

Entirely so. That seems to me the greatest difficulty before us. So few men are willing to deal with the question with perfect sincerity.

Narrator 3:

She laid emphasis on the word and the Half Man with the Moon Face took his cue from it and threw a pose of almost painful sincerity. The Chief Lady Guest continued,

CLG:

Why is it that men always insist on dealing with us just as if we were playthings, just so many dressed-up dolls?

Narrator 2:

Here the Debutante immediately did a doll pose.

CLG:

If a woman is attractive and beautiful so much the better.

Narrator 3:

(She had no intention of letting go of the doll business entirely.)

CLG:

But surely you men ought to value us as something more than mere dolls?

Narrator 1:

She might have pursued the topic, but at this moment the Smooth Gentleman, who made a rule of standing in all round, and had broken into a side conversation with the Host, was overheard to say something about women’s sense of humour.

Narrator 4:

The table was in a turmoil in a moment, three of the ladies speaking at once.

Narrator 2:

To deny a woman’s sense of humour is the last form of social insult.

CLG:

I entirely disagree with you. I know it from my own case, from my own sense of humour and from observation. Last week, for example, we measured no less than seventy-five factory girls — 

Narrator 3:

reacted the Chief Lady Guest, speaking very severely.

LWTB:

Well, I’m sure. I don’t know what men mean by our not having a sense of humour. I’m sure I have. I know I went last week to a vaudeville, and I just laughed all through. Of course I can’t read Mark Twain, or anything like that, but then I don’t call that funny, do you?

Narrator 4:

The Lady with the Bust concluded, turning to the Hostess.

Narrator 2:

But the Hostess, feeling somehow that the ground was dangerous, had already risen, and in a moment more the ladies had floated out of the room and upstairs to the drawing room, where they spread themselves about in easy chairs in billows of pretty coloured silk.

CLG:

How charming it is to find men coming so entirely to our point of view! Do you know it was so delightful tonight. I hardly heard a word of dissent or contradiction.

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Thus they talked; except the Soft Lady, who had slipped into a seat by herself with an album over her knees and with an empty chair on either side of her. There she waited.

Narrator 3:

Meantime, down below, the men had shifted into chairs to one end of the table and the Heavy Host was shoving cigars at them, thick as ropes, and passing the port wine, with his big fist round the neck of the decanter. But for his success in life he could have had a place as a bartender anywhere.

Narrator 2:

None of them spoke till the cigars were well alight.

Narrator 4:

Then the Host said very deliberately, taking each word at his leisure, with smoke in between:

HH:

Of course … this … suffrage business — 

SG:

Tommyrot!

Narrator 1:

exclaimed the Smooth Gentleman, with great alacrity, his mask entirely laid aside.

HBF:

Damn foolishness.

HH:

Of course you can’t really discuss it with women.

Men:

Oh, no!

HH:

You see, if my wife likes to go to meetings and be on committees, why, I don’t stop her.

HBF:

Neither do I mine. It amuses her, so I let her do it.

Narrator 3:

His wife, the Lady with the Bust, was safely out of hearing.

IMLH:

I remember once saying to another man that if women did get the vote they’d never use it, anyway. All they like is being talked about for not getting it.

Narrator 4:

After which, having exhausted the Woman Question, the five men turned to such bigger subjects as the fall in sterling exchange and the President’s seventeenth note to Germany.

Narrator 2:

Then presently they went upstairs. And when they reached the door of the drawing room a keen observer or, indeed, any kind of observer, might have seen that all five of them made an obvious advance towards the two empty seats beside the Soft Lady.

Portage & Main Press, 2010, Black line Master, ISBN 978-1-55379-249-9

Narrator 1:

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Glossary

Analysis  A detailed consideration of a work to discover its essential features or meaning. Articulation  The formation of clear and distinct sounds in speech.

Aside A remark or passage spoken by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but is supposed to be unheard by the other characters in the play.

Audience focus  Used chiefly by the play’s designated narrators, this focus involves looking directly at the audience as lines are delivered. Other performers, too, at the director’s suggestion, may use audience focus. The technique is particularly effective in making aside comments. Back to audience (BTA)  A Readers Theatre technique that allows exits and entrances to be made without the performers leaving or returning to the staging area. When characters exit a scene, they turn 180 degrees and stand with their backs to the audience; the reverse applies when they reenter a scene. Blocking  The physical positioning of actors on a stage.

Chamber Theatre  A technique for presenting literary works on stage that takes advantage of established theatrical conventions such as props, costumes, scenery, and formal entrances and exits. Performers, except for narrators, memorize their lines. Staging remains relatively simple to underscore the importance of the text and the performance.

Conventional theatre  Theatre incorporating a standard number of acts and generally conforming to Aristotle’ s theory of plot structure, with actors presenting dialogue on a thrust or proscenium stage.

Cue  A signal to an actor or performer, made either through speech, action, or music, to begin a performance or a speech.

Dialogue  The conversation between two or more characters in a novel, play, or film.

Director  The person responsible for the creative decisions of a theatrical production. The director interprets scripts, selects cast members, conducts rehearsals, and supervises other staff. Enunciation  Style of speech; diction.

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Building Connections: Learning With Readers Theatre

Force  The emphasis an interpreter places on certain words while speaking a passage of text.

Improvisation  In theatre, acting or speaking spontaneously or without preparation.

Interpolation  The insertion of new material into a previously prepared story or script.

Nominal Group Technique  A brainstorming technique designed for small groups. In NGT, individuals record their own ideas first, and then share them, one at a time, in sequence, within the group before presenting them to others. Offstage focus  Performers address one another as if they were looking at the mirror image of the other character just above and behind the audience. A director’s choice.

Onstage focus  Performers address one another by looking directly at one another, as in conventional theatre or in everyday conversation. A director’ s choice. Oral interpretation  Sharing the written word with an audience through its vocal expression.

Pitch  The degree of highness and lowness of an individual’ s voice. Phrasing  The manner in which words are expressed.

Pregnant pause  A pause that gives the impression that it will be followed by something significant. A technique of comic timing, it is usually used as the end of a comically awkward statement or in the silence after a seemingly noncomic phrase to build up a comeback.

Props  An abbreviation for “stage properties,” props are objects other than scenery, costumes, or fixed furnishings that are necessary to the action of a dramatic work. They may include such items as weapons, documents, cigarettes, books, newspapers, or items of food or drink.

Staging  The process of selecting, designing, modifying, or adapting to a performance space for a production of a play or film.

Subtext  The implicit or underlying theme of a story or the underlying personality of a dramatic character as implied by the script or interpreted by a performer. Subtext can be a way for the creator of a work to relay ideals, principles, controversial relationships, or political statements without alienating viewers or readers.

Tags  Tags are an author’s means of identifying who is speaking or of indicating a character’s action. “He asked,” “she commanded,” or “exclaimed George as he frowned at Ginny,” preceding or following speech, are examples of tags. Tone  The characteristic quality of a voice; tone may vary with feeling or mood.

Volume  The degree of loudness with which an interpreter reads.

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Bibliography

Adams, William. Institute Book of Readers Theatre: A Practical Guide for School, Theater, & Community. Gorham, Maine: University of Southern Maine, 2003. Barton, Robert, David Booth, Agnes Buckles, and William Moore. Nobody in the Cast. Don Mills, Ontario: Longmans Canada Ltd., 1969. Breen, Robert S. Chamber Theatre. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1978. Coger, Leslie Irene, and Melvin R. White. Readers Theatre Handbook: A Dramatic Approach to Literature. 3rd ed. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1982. De Maupassant, Guy. Selected Short Stories. Translated by Roger Colet. New York: Penguin Books, 1971. Dixon, Neill, Anne Davies, and Colleen Politano. Building Connections: Learning With Readers Theatre. Winnipeg: Peguis Publishers, 1996. Gamble, Teri, and Michael Gamble. Literature Alive! The Art of Oral Inter­ pretation. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Publishing Group, 1994. Houston, Kenneth, ed., The American Short Short Story 1932–. New York: The Galleon Press, 1932. Kleinau, Marion L., and Janet Larsen McHughes. Theatres for Literature: A Practical Aesthetics for Group Interpretation. Sherman Oaks, California: Alfred Pub. Co., 1980. Latrobe, Kathy Howard, and Mildred Knight Laughlin. Readers Theatre for Young Adults. Englewood, Colorado: Teacher Ideas Press, 1989. Lee, Charlotte I. and Timothy Gura. Oral Interpretation. 12th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2009 Long, Beverly Whitaker, and Mary Francis Hopkins. Performing Literature. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1982. O. Henry. 100 Selected Stories. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Ltd., 1995. Naegelin, Lanny, and Ron Krikac. Getting Started in Oral Interpretation. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Nation Textbook Co., 1993. Saki [H.H. Munro]. The Complete Works of Saki. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1976.

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Building Connections: Learning With Readers Theatre

Scrivener, Louise M., and Dan Robinette. A Guide to Oral Interpretation: Solo and Group Performance. Indianopolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1981. Spolin, Viola. Theatre Games for the Classroom: A Teacher’s Handbook. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 1986. Tanner, Fran Averett. Creative Communication Projects in Acting, Speaking, Oral Reading. Topeka, Kansas: Clark Publishing Company, 1996. Thurber, James. The Thurber Carnival. New York: Dell Publishing Co. Inc., 1964. _________. Further Fables for Our Time. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1956. Yolen, Jane, ed. Favorite Folktales from Around the World. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986.

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ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS STATEMENT Portage & Main Press saved the following resources by printing the pages of this book on chlorine free paper made with 100% post-consumer waste.

TREES

WATER

SOLID WASTE

GREENHOUSE GASES

10

4,774

290

991

FULLY GROWN

GALLONS

POUNDS

POUNDS

Calculations based on research by Environmental Defense and the Paper Task Force. Manufactured at Friesens Corporation

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