'True Wizardry': Readers Theatre in the Classroom. PEN 79.

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, positioning, action, focus, voice, props and costumes, music and sound effects, and lighting); (3) The Process of Script Adaptation (what to look for, where to begin looking, and adaptation); (4) Copyright--A Publisher's Approach; (5) Some Hints for Successful Presentations (blocking, holding the script, audience participation, economy of movement, miscues, props, advertising the source, and intimacy); (6) The Advantages of Readers Theater; and (7) Conclusion. Seventeen references are provided. (SR)