Part Three…AN EXAMPLE OF SCRIPTMAKING
The technique used by Open Book Players when scripting a literary piece is one where the “characters” share the narration, therefore using “Narrators” assigned to each major character in the story. There are more complicated scripting techniques, but this style works well with most literary pieces. I have chosen an Aesop Fable to demonstrate how this can work. First, the fable:
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse…an Aesop Fable
A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the country. For lunch the Country Mouse served wheat stalks, roots, and acorns, with a dash of cold water for drink. The Town Mouse ate very sparingly, nibbling a little of this and a little of that, and by her manner making it very plain that she ate the simple food only to be polite.
After the meal the friends had a long talk, or rather the Town Mouse talked about her life in the city while the Country Mouse listened. They then went to bed in a cozy nest in the hedgerow and slept in quiet and comfort until morning. In her sleep the Country Mouse dreamed she was a Town Mouse with all the luxuries and delights of city life that her friend had described for her. So the next day when the Town Mouse asked the Country Mouse to go home with her to the city, she gladly said yes.
When they reached the mansion in which the Town Mouse lived, they found on the table in the dining room the leavings of a very fine banquet. There were sweetmeats and jellies, pastries, delicious cheeses, indeed, the most tempting foods that a Mouse can imagine. But just as the Country Mouse was about to nibble a dainty bit of pastry, she heard a Cat mew loudly and scratch at the door. In great fear the Mice scurried to a hiding place, where they lay quite still for a long time, hardly daring to breathe. When at last they ventured back to the feast, the door opened suddenly and in came the servants to clear the table, followed by the House Dog.
The Country Mouse stopped in the Town Mouse’s den only long enough to pick up her carpet bag and umbrella.
“You may have luxuries and dainties that I have not,” she said as she hurried away, “but I prefer my plain food and simple life in the country with the peace and security that go with it.”
Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst of fear and uncertainty.
AND NOW THE SCRIPTED VERSION…Please note that not a word of the text has been changed and that the point of view has been totally preserved.
THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE
By Aesop
Scripted for Readers Theatre by Lucy Rioux
Reader 1…Narrator for Town Mouse (N1)
Reader 2…Town Mouse (TM)
Reader 3…Country Mouse (CM)
Reader 4…Narrator for Country Mouse (N2)
TM & CM: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
N1 & N2: an Aesop Fable
N1: A Town Mouse once visited a relative
TM: who lived in the country.
N2: For lunch the Country Mouse served
CM: wheat stalks, roots, and acorns, with a dash of cold water for drink.
N1: The Town Mouse ate very sparingly,
TM: nibbling a little of this and a little of that,
N1: and by her manner making it very plain that she ate the simple food
TM: only to be polite.
N1 & N2: After the meal the friends had a long talk,
N1: or rather the Town Mouse talked about her life
TM: in the city
N2: while the Country Mouse
CM; listened.
Page 2
N1 & N2: They then went to bed
TM: in a cozy nest in the hedgerow
CM: and slept in quiet and comfort until morning.
N2: In her sleep the Country Mouse dreamed she was
CM: a Town Mouse with all the luxuries and delights of city life
N2: that her friend had described for her.
CM: So the next day
N1: when the Town Mouse asked the Country Mouse to go home with her
TM: to the city,
N2: she gladly said
CM: yes.
N1 & N2: When they reached the mansion in which the Town Mouse lived,
N1: they found on the table in the dining room
N2: the leavings of a very fine banquet.
CM: There were sweetmeats and jellies,
TM: pastries, delicious cheeses,
ALL: indeed,
CM: the most tempting foods that a Mouse can imagine.
N2: But just as the Country Mouse was about to nibble
Page 3
CM: a dainty bit of pastry,
N2: she heard a Cat mew loudly
CM: and scratch at the door.
CM & TM: In great fear
N1 & N2: the Mice scurried
CM & TM: to a hiding place,
N1 & N2: where they lay quite still for a long time
CM & TM: hardly daring to breathe.
N1 & N2: When at last they ventured back to the feast,
CM & TM: the door opened suddenly
TM: and in came the servants to clear the table,
ALL: followed by the House Dog.
N2: The Country Mouse stopped in the Town Mouse’s den only long enough
TM: to pick up her carpet bag and umbrella.
CM: “You may have luxuries and dainties that I have not,”
N2: she said as she hurried away,
CM: “but I prefer my plain food and simple life in the country with the peace and security that go with it.”
ALL: Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst of fear and uncertainty.
THE NEXT POST WILL FOCUS ON STAGING OF DIFFERENT STYLES OF READERS THEATRE…hopefully posted by May 19th.
Open Book Players 