Download Script Writing

Readers Theatre
GRADE 8 LANGUAGE
Why learn about plays/scripts?
 Plays are stories that give us new perspectives on
everyday things.
 Scripts can take various forms: humorous,
suspenseful, dramatic, horrifying, mysterious.
 Likewise, subjects can vary from very serious to light
hearted.
 In grade 9 you will study Shakespeare…
Importance of William Shakespeare
 1) Illumination of the Human Experience
Shakespeare’s ability to summarize the range of human
emotions in simple yet profoundly eloquent verse is
perhaps the greatest reason for his popularity.
 2) Great Stories
William Shakespeare was the most remarkable
storyteller that the world has ever known. Shakespeare
told every kind of story – comedy, tragedy, history,
melodrama, adventure, love stories and fairy tales – and
each of them so well that they have become immortal.
Importance of William Shakespeare
 3) Compelling Characters
Shakespeare invented great characters – particularly
his tragic heroes. Shakespeare’s great characters
have remained popular because of their complexity.
Vocabulary/Terms :








Play: the stage representation of an action or story
Script: the written text of a play or broadcast
Act: one of the main divisions of an act
Scene: where, when, and the surrounding
environmental details where the current action in the
play takes place
Characters: the people in the play
Narrator: a character who tells part of the story line,
but does not act in the play
Dialogue: when characters are speaking
Stage Directions: a description of what needs to be
acted or directions for the crew
Readers Theatre
What is Readers' Theatre ?
 Readers theatre is a joint dramatic reading from a text,
usually with no memorization, no movement and a
minimum of props. It involves children in oral reading
through reading parts in scripts. Unlike traditional
theatre, the emphasis in on oral expression of the part rather than on acting and costumes.
 What does it look like:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq0Ohvo_b1U
Activity
Form a group of 4. Using the script of Frankenstein
create a readers theatre.