Reader's Theatre: Performing a Script

Learn how to read a script, find your part, and bring a character to life.

Reader's theatre is a performance where readers act out a story using only their voices. There are no costumes or sets, so your expression does all the work. A script looks different from a story. Each line begins with the character's name, followed by a colon, then the words to say. Stage directions in parentheses or brackets tell you how to say a line, but you don't read them aloud.

Example: NARRATOR: The fox crept toward the henhouse. FOX: (softly) Nobody is watching. HEN: (loudly) I see you! Before performing, highlight your lines, read the whole script to understand the story, and practice your lines several times. During the show, listen closely so you come in right on cue and react to what others say.

• 1Each line starts with the character's name.
• 2Stage directions show how to read but aren't spoken aloud.
• 3Highlight, practice, and listen for your cue.