Active TopicsActive Topics  Display List of Forum MembersMemberlist  CalendarCalendar  Search The ForumSearch  HelpHelp
  RegisterRegister  LoginLogin
Play Suggestions
 Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Play Suggestions
Message Icon Topic: Readers Theatre(Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post Reply Post New Topic
Author Message
Julia
Walk-On
Walk-On


Joined: 9/14/07
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0
bullet Topic: Readers Theatre
    Posted: 11/17/07 at 7:29pm

We are expanding our theatre program to include Readers Theatre, and would appreciate any suggestions, primarily one-acts.

IP IP Logged
StarDiva
Walk-On
Walk-On
Avatar

Joined: 12/29/06
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0
bullet Posted: 1/05/08 at 10:24am

Julia, I'm sure hoping lots of people answer your request, because I'm wracking my brain, too, trying to come up with a good Reader's Theatre for our theatre some time in the next few months!

Last year we did "When Bullfrogs Sing Opera" by Carl Williams. It's a relatively small cast, and being a one-set-show, it lent itself really well for RT.

Good luck!

Beth

IP IP Logged
BeJa
Walk-On
Walk-On


Joined: 5/31/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0
bullet Posted: 1/05/08 at 12:58pm
Not a one act, but Love Letters by A.R. Gurney is great, especially if you have some older actors.
IP IP Logged
Linda S
Celebrity
Celebrity


Joined: 4/16/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 312
bullet Posted: 1/05/08 at 1:51pm

 I have done hundreds of readers theater pieces. I have also taught readers theater. I think where you are limiting yourself is in trying to find scripts. You can make your own scripts. Any form of literature can be adapted to reader's theater. Some of the best that I have seen have been narrative poetry or beautifully written prose. Newspaper and magazine articles juxtapositioned with short poems or song lyrics can be particularly fun. Also, look at children's books. They are full of rich language and defined characters. It means looking at the words in a different way. Deciding what it is you want to say, or better yet what you think the author is trying to say, and then assigning voices. It is a creative process in itself. Do you use one narrator, or two, or three or ten? Do the characters do the narrating? When do you overlap lines? Can an echo add to the piece. Should a line be be repeated? There are countless things that you can do.

There are lots of books about how to create reader's theater pieces from existing literature. A Google search will turn up any number that you can choose from. Find one that suits your needs, and then let your imagination go wild.
 
Linda
 
IP IP Logged
Julia
Walk-On
Walk-On


Joined: 9/14/07
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0
bullet Posted: 1/05/08 at 7:01pm
Thanks for your thoughts.  We did "Love Letters" several years ago for Readers/Dinner Theatre and had to turn people away. We may do that again sometime.
IP IP Logged
Julia
Walk-On
Walk-On


Joined: 9/14/07
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0
bullet Posted: 1/05/08 at 7:04pm
Thank you for your response. I know of another group that has done this, but I'm afraid that I'm not that brave.  However, one never knows if someone in our group might just like to give it a whirl.
IP IP Logged
Julia
Walk-On
Walk-On


Joined: 9/14/07
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0
bullet Posted: 1/05/08 at 7:16pm
As a beginning to our program we have already done "The Red Lamp", by Hilliard Booth, "The Neighbors" by Zona Gale, and next week will  be doing "He Done her Wrong or Wedded But No Wife". by Anita Bell. 
 In the months to follow we plan to do a staged reading of "Spider Island"by Joseph Spalding, and another, "Starstruck" by Judy S. Cook who is a NC playwright.
We are doing these in addition to our mainstage offerings. We feel that this gives more people an opportunity to participate and learn.  We find that our audiences love them, too, as we offer dessert, and are gearing up to do dinner as well.
IP IP Logged
Linda S
Celebrity
Celebrity


Joined: 4/16/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 312
bullet Posted: 1/06/08 at 9:09am
If you want something written, look at Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology.
Linda
IP IP Logged
Post Reply Post New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums version 8.05
Copyright ©2001-2006 Web Wiz Guide
buy generic cialis are in line cialis canada outcome for yourself viagra sales cost saving benefit viagra uk convert your buy phentermine online pay phentermine cod payment Lenders Everything xanax online your existing xanax overnight absolute must free incest stories online The value gay incest advance The key free dog sex pics cash flow dog sex the reduced noise free gay college guys of the period gay guys