FINAL READING: Narratives

 

Your reading can be a First Person Narrative or a Third Person Omniscient, fiction or nonfiction, geared to a 4th - 6th grade audience for the multiple subjects majors; Jr. High or High School for single subject majors. Look to anthologies of short stories for ideas, or use an excerpt from a longer work. Use stories that have few characters (no more than 3 in dialogue at any time). Keep your selection geared for the appropriate grade audience and within a 5 to 6 minute time frame, including introduction. To do this, editing might be called for.

 

OBJECTIVE
This assignment is both another way to promote literature in the classroom and your final in this class. Be sure you select a piece that allows you to "show off" your dynamic range and demonstrates what you've learned in this class this semester. Remember, I will be looking for how dynamic and communicative your performance is: your use of voice, body and body in space with clear and exploited transitions.

 

SCRIPTING
You do not have to provide me with a copy of your story. If you do a lot of editing, retyping would make your manuscript easier to read in performance. Avoid using the actual book if the type is too small. Enlarging the pages on a copying machine will facilitate your reading.

 

REHEARSING
For a sustained reading of this length, it becomes very important that you read your selection aloud several times before performance. When you become comfortable with a way of reading it, mark on the page where you intend to pause, breathe, accent, subordinate, along with your focus and stage directions. Plan your stage use so that it underscores the build of the story.

 

PERFORMANCE DAYS
You will be assigned a randomly selected day for your performance that will be posted well in advance. You must be prepared to perform on that day. You may trade days with a classmate, provided you both initial the posted schedule. If you do not perform on your assigned day, the highest grade achievable will be a "B." Only substantiated medical excuses will obviate this rule. Be sure to have your evaluation form with you on your performance day with title and author of selection filled in.