Theatre as Literature

From the early works of Sophocles to the modern plays of Tom Stoppard, we have taught theatre as literature. But as any student of Shakespeare knows, reading a play is not the same as hearing or seeing the play. The spoken word transforms theatrical writing, giving it an immediacy that the printed page lacks.

We introduce some of these concepts on our background wiki page. 

History of Theatre

Long before the printing press, before the written word, humans had "ritual theatre." By acting out the stories gods people were able to pass their traditions from one generation to the next. Almost every culture has a theatrical tradition based on such rituals. A literature class could examine the various theatrical traditions of regions and cultures.

Cultural Differences

Too often we assume the Western theatrical tradition is the only one we need to explore in our classrooms. Students can explore the different traditions, such as Chinese Opera and African Dramatic Dance. Not every culture tells stories in a linear manner, for example. How did these traditions evolve? Why have these narrative techniques not entered the Western tradition?

Introducing Readers' Theatre

Readers' Theatre is a popular way to explore reading with elementary students. Research suggests that readers' theatre is age and ability appropriate for second grade (age 8). By the second grade, the stories we adapt to readers' theatre are familiar to most of our students. Because familiarity with the story is important, it is important to read various versions of the story so all students have equal access to the cultural cues and norms within the story. In classes with immigrant students we cannot assume universal familiarity with Western fairy tales, for example.

We use familiar stories in readers' theatre so the students are more comfortable with the texts.

Students should be encouraged to bring stories from their cultures to the attention of the teacher.

10-Minute Plays

There are a great many one-act / ten-minute plays appropriate for the classroom.  

Learning Dramatic Writing

Teaching dramatic writing can help students appreciate narrative structures.