Charles Dickens was not only a master novelist but was also a master in the art of performance. His distinctive reading style was in marked contrast to the standard practices of mid-nineteenth century elocution, but his unique readings and performance philosophy closely resemble the text-centered approach of modern oral interpretation. Considered…

Presents the script of a Readers Theater production to complement a previous article on Bertholt Brecht in theory and practice (EJ 225 131). (JMF)

Clarifies the principles behind preparing a piece of literature for a Readers Theatre production. Uses Sylvia Plath's autobiographical novel, "The Bell Jar," as an example. (PD)

Draws information from documents in the ERIC system to define oral interpretation, demonstrate its benefits for students, and describe classroom approaches to oral interpretation, including readers' theatre. (DD)

Explores the extent to which the scholarship of interpretation-in-performance parallels the knowledge of written literary criticism and contends that solo and group performance is a form of "published scholarship". (MH)

Successful approaches to a more theatrical classroom performance of literature initially depend on a student performer's critical ability to analyze literature and the creative ability to ultimately give voice and body to a literary character. An imaginative Reader's Theater classroom exercises blueprint is also an essential ingredient in…

This article describes Readers Theater (a form of group storytelling in which two or more readers present a piece of literature by reading aloud from hand-held scripts) and advocates its use in the classroom. The paper's seven sections are as follows: (1) What is Readers Theater; (2) Readers Theater and Its Conventions (discussing scripts,…

This curriculum guide describes an advanced course for speech classes in the oral interpretation of literature. It is meant to follow the first course, which introduced the subject and gave some fundamentals and practice in oral reading. The student is expected to meet the following objectives in the course: (1) demonstrate ability in using his…

The interrelationship of performers, text, and audience in reader's theater may be better understood through philosopher Martin Buber's key concepts of polarity, dialogue, and inclusion. These concepts operate within four polar tensions identified by Buber: that between the performer and the character represented; that between the performer and…

Defines metaphorical staging as group interpretation that gives a ritual or symbolic stage form to literature and illustrates this concept by describing the staging of D. H. Lawrence's story "The Horse Dealer's Daughter". (MH)

Describes Friendly Street, an Australian self-help community of writers existing outside schools that offers writers a chance to read or publish their written works. (HOD)

Defines interpretation as the act and art of becoming, and correlates this concept with studies in the humanities which have as their concern the refining, civilizing and freeing of the human spirit. (MH)

Readers' theater has much to offer at all levels of student development. When incorporating readers' theater into the curriculum, definite principles of learning from educational psychology need to be emphasized, including: meaningful experiences for students; provision for individual differences among students; and appropriate sequence in…