Tag Archives: Brothers Grimm

A Christmas Play Doesn’t Have to be a Christmas Play

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We all know it. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, it can be a challenge to keep the kids engaged. My remedy has always been to stage some classroom plays or readers theater, which leads me to our awesome collection of Christmas themed titles that’ll keep even your grinchiest elf content.

But Santa isn’t going to throw coal at you if your Christmas plays aren’t Christmas plays. Take a look at what my 5th graders did with Hans in Luck, a Brothers Grimm tale that hasn’t a thing to do with wassailing or bread pudding. They used the 1906 illustrations to create a “digital comic book” while simultaneously practicing for a live stage presentation just ahead of the winter break. I can tell you the actors themselves don’t care that the play isn’t about St. Nick. They’re thrilled to be donning costumes regardless whether or not anyone gets to wear a fat suit and a beard.  And you can bet my colleagues are happy to commit some otherwise giddy class time to come watch— whether the Ghost of Christmas Present will be there or not.

Ah, but who has time to throw together an entire show now? If that’s the case, grab some scripts and just do some classroom readings! Try splitting the class into two to four groups and give each one a play. Use class time to have the kids practice them until they can read them with fluency and character, and then have them present them to the class as traditional reader’s theater—merely standing up front and reading aloud.

Ready to streamline your holiday surge? Try my Goldilocks, Pied Piper, Peter Rabbit, and Winnie the Pooh plays. If you still want to stick with the holiday theme, check out A Christmas Carol, The Gift of the Magi, The Shoemaker and the Elves, and Gabriel Grub.  

Whatever the case, make your December memorable—and easy—with ReadAloudPlays.

Happy directing!

Mouse Drowns in Soup, is Saved by Bird!

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New Plays for Back to School

You probably know the Brothers Grimm for stories like Rapunzel and the Frog Prince, but there are scores of others that Disney hasn’t yet sanitized and “princessified.” We’ve adapted two of them as readers theater plays—and we think they’re perfect for Back-to-School.

The first is The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage. In typical Brothers Grimm fashion, it’s a cringe-worthy story about contentment, cooperation, and friendship. In the original, the three “roommates” ruin their happy life together when they’re cajoled into altering their routine. The result is Sausage gets eaten, Mouse gets boiled, and Bird drowns. It may be Grimm, but it’s also a bit too gruesome for the classroom!

While our version is no less cringey, we’ve managed to save all their lives while having a blast doing it! All five animal roles demand students willing to sell out on stage: Sausage’s Italian bravado, Mouse’s “death” scene, Bird’s over-baked remorse, Crow’s creepiness, and Dog’s indifference.  We’ve tossed in optional “walk-up” music for each of the characters, too, which will help make this play an even bigger hit with your kids!

The second play has none of the gore the Grimm Brothers are known for. Instead, Hans in Luck is a cautionary tale about financial wisdom and good judgment . . . Hans has neither. After having worked seven years as an indentured servant, he’s given a lump of silver “as big as his head,” which he takes and then travels home. He soon tires of lugging it around, so he trades it for a horse, which he eventually trades for a cow, and then a pig, and so on until he has nothing left. All the while, Hans sees himself as incredibly fortunate, which perhaps he is. From his simplistic perspective, arriving home to find his grandmother still living proves he’s the luckiest man alive! Your students will enjoy uncovering the story’s numerous morals about trust, innocence, luck, foolishness, positivity, and money. We’ve added a few other surprises, too, making it another great character-building play to start your school year.

And, if Grimm tales don’t float your boat, at ReadAloudPlays.com we have many other plays to choose from. All come with a comprehension activity, key, teacher notes, and public school performance rights.

Thank you, Felicia A., Annette H., Sarah D., Lynn S., Shawn L., and Janet T. for your recent positive reviews!

Welcome back to school . . .and happy directing!

You Say It’s a Merry Christmas? Be Forewarned!

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Christmas can be terrifying . . . especially if you don’t believe. That’s the theme-defining line from Gabriel Grub, Charles Dickens’ Gothic Christmas tale. It’s the story of a gravedigger whose disdain for the holidays results in his being put on trial by the Goblin King. It is a splendid story—and a splendid play–one of five holiday themed scripts available from ReadAloudPlays.com. (Click here to listen to what my fifth graders did with Gabriel Grub a few years ago.) Here are the others:

A Christmas Carol, adapted to be an ideal length for middle grade kids, comes with two versions—both the traditional one and a second in which Scrooge is a woman. Years ago, my students turned it into a movie. You can watch it here and use it as a preview for your own class play.

Escape from the Blacking House borrows from Oliver Twist and the Pickwick Papers to artfully tell the story of Dickens’ troubled childhood. It’s probably my most overlooked play, and it pairs perfectly with Christmas Carol. They can be downloaded as a package here.

We also have O’ Henry’s classic, The Gift of the Magi. It’s the story of an impoverished young couple who sell their most precious possessions in order to buy one another needless gifts.

Finally, we’re excited to add The Shoemaker and the Christmas Elves to our catalogue. The Brothers Grimm are known for dark, often violent stories, yet here is a delightful story with a Christmas theme. I think your students will thoroughly enjoy speaking elfin gibberish.   

Whatever the case, don’t let your December become terrifying. Whether you’re planning a full production or just need some scripts to make your in-class reading a bit merrier, now is the time to get started! Preview and download your holiday plays at my TpT storefront.

Happy directing!