Scribes On Stage: Reader’s Theater Showcases Imagination and Hilarity

A talented cast of community theater volunteers performed An Evening of One-Act Plays on April 15 for patrons of the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville, North Carolina. The event was part of the Scribes on Stage series, which features area writers, poets, actors, and other local talent.

Reader’s theater is a style of theater in which the actors present dramatic readings of narrative material without costumes, props, scenery, or special lighting. Actors use only scripts and vocal expression to help the audience understand the story. We added a painted flat, sound effects, and a handful of props. Readers theater is also known as “theater of the mind,” “interpreters theater,” and “story theater” and performances can be called “reading hours” or “play readings.”

Local friends and mentors convinced me to try my hand as a playwright, and they helped me turn one of my short stories, Old Faithful, into a one-act play. The original story happened years before I was born, so my cohort and I employed some literary license and made up the dialogue and added some gags. Our combination of youthful and seasoned actors did a wonderful job. It was hilarious! We had a great turnout and I learned a lot. What a fun and inspiring experience! To view the original story and the play, click the links below.