The Thanksgiving Visitor Reader's Theater Script with Questions -Truman Capote

Sook Faulk

Please, Buddy—invite that boy here for Thanksgiving dinner.

“I thought you were my friend.”

Sook Faulk

I am, Buddy. Truly.

“If you were, you couldn’t think up a thing like that. Odd Henderson hates me. He’s my enemy.”

Sook Faulk

He can’t hate you. He doesn’t know you.

“Well, I hate him.”

Sook Faulk

Because you don’t know him. That’s all I ask. The chance for you to know each other a little. Then I think this trouble will stop. And maybe you’re right, Buddy, maybe you boys won’t ever be friends. But I doubt that he’d pick on you any more.

“You don’t understand. You’ve never hated anybody.”

Sook Faulk

No, I never have. We’re allotted just so much time on earth, and I wouldn’t want the Lord to see me wasting mine in any such manner.

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Included in The Thanksgiving Visitor Reader's Theater Unit:

30 page script.

11 characters. 2 major characters and 9 minor characters.

13 questions. 12 questions have answers. The final question asks the readers to put themselves in Buddy's predicament, so that answer will vary upon each student's perspective.

The Thanksgiving Visitor Synopsis:

Buddy and his best friend, his eccentric elderly cousin, Miss Sook begin preparing their old country house for Thanksgiving. But this year, there's trouble in the fall air when Sook asks Buddy to invite a bully who has been tormenting him. How will Buddy enjoy Thanksgiving dinner sitting next to a bully? Will Buddy be able to get out of this situation, or will the experience help Buddy and the bully become friends as Sook intended?

Do not fear the reader's theater format.

Students love these reading these adapted stories because they are listening to the story and they are a part of the story by playing a character within the story.

Reader's theatre inspires reluctant readers to join in the fun. The strongest and most advanced readers in your class will encourage other students to raise their hand and participate in the story. I also use reader's theater to add to my drama marks.

If the reader's theater format did not work for my students and I, then I would have stopped creating and adapting them years ago.

Reluctant readers sometimes feel anxious looking at pages of text, whereas a reader's theater script is broken up into narration and different characters speaking, thus making the story more accessible to those students who have not discovered the incredibly fun activity of reading for pleasure.

I hope your class enjoys acting out and reading The Thanksgiving Visitor.

Happy Thanksgiving and excelsior!

Mr. Marvel: The King of Reader's Theater.