7 Tips to Take Your Reader's Theater to the Next Level (Without Props or Costumes!)

Has your class or a small group done an amazing job practicing a reader's theater?  Is your performance something that may bring a tear to a parent's eye?  Would another class in your school benefit from seeing their hard work?  Is your script grounded in content so others will learn from it? 

Then here are 5 ways to take a reader's theater performance to the next level: Performing for others!  And if you're anything like me, you'll probably love the first one.

1.  Nix Props or Costumes 

Did we really need a cardboard camel to understand the
gold-salt trade? Probably not.

     I'm all about theater for theater's sake.  But when it comes to reader's theater, my goal is not a Shakespearian performance, but instead to improve my students' fluency and to practice content.  If those two things are happening, I'm a happy director.  

     Because of my goal, I've found costumes and props distract my students.  They take up valuable minutes in a school day that's already too short.  Your class will literally spend hours upon hours perfecting their gear and forget to practice their script.  Not worth it. So forget them.


2.  Big Gestures, Loud Sound Effects
     So then how do you make the performance interesting?  With drama in a raw form-gestures and sound effects.  Add big movements throughout the script that your whole class does or maybe just a few actors.  The bigger the better.  Same with sound effects.  Add them throughout and make them loud.  Make sure your class E-NUN-CI-ATES.  When they go to perform, they'll more than likely have a little stage fright so they'll be quieter and more reserved, so the more you practice BIG in the comfort of your classroom, the stronger they will look and sound.

I promise you they all had faces, and I could see them all.

3.  Think About Staging
     How do you want them to stand on "stage?"  First, consider where your stage is.  I always marked off a performance stage in my classroom.  Don't worry, that's not as much work as it sounds. My "stage" was the area in front of the whiteboard from one side to another. Boom!  Insta-stage.  
      Will you line your class up in rows?  If you do, make sure everyone has a window-a space they can stand and are looking between two people's heads.  Have them practice standing in this same spot over and over again.  Separate kids who can't stand next to each other.   Think though if certain actors should stand away from the rest of the group to give them some spotlight if they have a bigger role (for example, I have a script in an American Idol format so I stage the singers on one side and my three judges across from them).  
     Practice now so that you don't have to argue with kids during the performance about where they go. That will be fun for no one and could lead to a disgruntled actor out to sabotage the performance (not like I've had experience with that or anything :)

4.  Exit, Stage Left
     Have your class line up quietly "backstage."  Maybe that's the hallway or along the wall in your room.  Have them enter slowly, script in hand, with their heads down.  On a cue ("ACTION," for example), they could slowly raise their heads and begin.
     An even more dramatic effect would be have them squatting with their head down on the stage.  Then, on a cue, they slowly raise up into a pose and begin.  Set it to music if you like (hello drama!).
     Think through the same sort of exit.  Do you want them to silently leave how they came in?  Should they lower themselves back to their starting position?  Will they strike a pose and the lights will go down?   
     As with staging, practice, practice, practice. As any veteran teacher knows, it takes about half your year to get your class to walk in a silent line.  The same will happen here.  If you already use line spots in your class, you could use them here to save time.

5.  Repetition, Repetition, Repetition and Other Fluency Tips
     This may be obvious, but practice your script often.  The more practice, the better because students' fluency improves with each reading.  Plus, if it's content based, students are memorizing important standards.
      Some ways to encourage repeated reading would be to give fluency tips as you watch students practice.  I've added a sample anchor chart I've used with my class. 
      One disclaimer, be mindful of who you are giving fluency tips to in front of your whole class or small groups.  For struggling readers, you may want to practice with them individually or give feedback when it won't call them out in front of everyone.  For those students you feel are very secure in their reading, feel free to give tips in front of others.  Just use your good ole' teacher judgement.

6.  Don't Be a Line Stealer
     One thing I make clear from the beginning when we start practicing is that I will fill in lines if other students miss theirs.  It looks bad if throughout the performance, one student is constantly nudging or loudly whispering, "Hey Evan, you missed your line!  It's your turn."  Now the focus is on that kid and not poor Evan who can't get it together.  If he misses his line, the teacher fills in, period.  Let your class know that.  Model for them how silly it'll look if they are talking during the performance.  They'll love it, get the humor, and get your point.

7.  Have Fun
     No matter how good this performance is, you won't win an Oscar (sorry, the truth hurts). Remind yourself that the purpose is to improve fluency and possibly practice content objectives.

And scene!

What tip would you like to try with your class?  Do you have any great pointers to share? We'd love for you to help our reader's theater community learn!  Share below!