Lesson 4 - Experience
Reader’s Theatre
The Grown-Up Scoop
Books Alive! Student Entertainment (BASE) Reader’s Theatre is designed to engage participants in social emotional learning and apply lessons taught through reading and stories.
Creating Your Production
Together create your own version of Owl Moon in its entirety or part. To help you through this process, follow these five steps:
1. Think about a journey you will take. Use VOICE/WORDS, to describe a plan, divided into three parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Just a sentence or two will do!
Which moments from the father and daughter’s walk do you want to highlight (dogs howling, walking through the snow, calling for owls, owl flying by?)
How can you recreate the setting of Owl Moon in your space? (trees, snow, moon, etc.
2. Next, think about the BODY and the movement /music for the journey:
What kind of sounds can you incorporate into your performance? (noises of other animals, feet crunching in snow, wind whistling through the trees, etc.)
How can you use movement or facial expressions to convey the feelings of the main character?
Would your kids want to learn different owl calls?
3. Use your IMAGINATION, creating/collecting some props/costumes from around the house/classroom. Go back to your plan, the middle of your journey:
Can you access certain items seen in the book (coat, hat, scarf, flashlight)? Could you design them with materials around the house/classroom?
Are you able to create a costume to represent the owl, as well as costumes for other animals found in the woods?
Using a paper roll and markers, think about the amazing wintery forest backdrop you can create for your production!
4. Now FOCUS:
How are the child(ren) feeling about this endeavor? Why? Are they able to verbalize their favorite thing about this process? What feels easy? Are there problems?
5. PRACTICE: run through your production in full costumes and using all your props.
COOPERATION for your own dress rehearsals: Not all children may want to perform, solo or in a group. All members of a family, classroom, or community can contribute to a performance. Cooperating comes in many forms: gathering props; drawing artwork for scenery, invitations, programs; creating outfits; singing/dancing; providing background sounds; adjusting lighting; distributing flyers; and LISTENING!
Perform!
You’ve created your play, now it’s time to perform it! When your group feels ready, invite an audience. Your audience could be family members, friends, other students/classes, or community members!
