Readers' Theater & Production Notes
Introduction
Reader's theater is a performance where actors read a script aloud from a text without memorizing lines, using costumes, or acting with full physical movement.
Readers' theater usually limits the reader's actions to verbal expressions, facial expressions, and hand gestures, and limited turning of body to bring the characters and story to life. If more traditional theatrical elements are used, then it is considered theater.
It is used in classrooms to motivate reading, build reading fluency, support comprehension, and build confidence.
Suggestions for use
Decide on who will participate as readers and the audience. While the actor/reader in readers theater read their lines, not memorize. You should consider the fluency of the readers and plan preparation accordingly.
If you have a small group of readers, then the rest of a class can be the audience.
If you have the whole class as readers, you may want to pair with another classroom teacher, so that each can select a suitable story, prepare their selection, and invite each other to view the others production.
Or prepare a readers’ theater to read it to a younger class, use the production to motivate and model for the younger, so the younger class might later prepare a production to share with the older. I have experience with older classe who plan a production to share for several classes before vacation days. A high school speech class rotates through elementary or middle level classrooms on an afternoon before vacation.
Suggestions
Consideration for the selection of a story
- Motivational, not boring,
- Mostly dialogue, with brief narration, limited actions
- An appropriate amount of characters for the number of participants,
- Appropriate length for the developmental level of the participants and audience,
- Language, vocabulary, composition, style, plot is appropriate for the participants and audience,
- The developmental levels of the all the participants and audience,
- Its educational value,
- Third person stories give more flexibility than first.
- Encourages readers to interpret the characters and vary their voices according to their interpretations.
- Will it be fun?
Scripting
- After selection read it aloud and see if it will work as well as anticipated.
- Photocopy or have a selection that you are able to write on. Or use a digital copy to edit.
- Begin to divide the text into narration and dialogue.
- Use symbols and write lightly so editing is easier.
- Decide if you want to divide the narration into more than one narrator.
- You might want to have a narrator for each point of view, Goldilocks and three bears.
- Select dialogue for characters.
- Add sound effects.
- Add stage setting. Actors are stationary. They are on stage when they face the audience. And off stage by turning their back to the audience. They can do this if they are standing or sitting. I liked using swivel chairs so the readers could swivel forward (on stage) or backward (off stage). If swivel chairs are available you could use stools and if only chairs are available, position chair sideways so the reader can swivel from back to front around on the chair avoiding the chair back.
I prefer sitting when presenting within a class. When taking it on the road, standing is usually preferred. - Decide how the title and author are to be presented.
- Assing parts and make a character list for all assigned parts.
Rehersal
- Decide if the cast is to read the story before selection of parts, if so read.
- Assign parts.
- Have characters highlight their parts.
- Have the cast become familiar with their dialogue as desired.
- Agree on stage arrangements, standing, sitting, how to enter exit, and final curtain call.
- Rehearse as desired or not.
- Work on characterization, projection, diction, timing. Ask readers why they should or shouldn’t do such and such. See how well they understand the story and the characterization. The better they do the better the production.
Have Fun!
Evaluation
- Some things that might be evaluated are: selection, staging, performaance, script use, narration, vocalization and nonverbal actions.
- Evaluation checklist comments sheet.