A Midsummer Night's Dream Adapted Readers Theater Script | Shakespeare

This version of A Midsummer Night's Dream Readers Theater Script is an adapted version based on Shakespeare's original play. It targets high school language levels and opens up an opportunity for students to engage with Shakespeare's timeless play in a language they can understand. Throughout the script, direct quotes from Shakespeare are used to give students a taste of his writing style and the language used back in the 17th century.

Script Summary:

Hermia rejects her father’s command to marry Demetrius, fleeing Athens with Lysander. Helena, in love with Demetrius, reveals their escape, hoping to win his gratitude. Demetrius follows them, pursued by a desperate Helena. In the forest, Fairy King Oberon and Queen Titania feud over a changeling boy. Oberon instructs Puck to use a magic flower’s juice to make Demetrius love Helena, but Puck mistakenly anoints Lysander. Both men chase Helena, angering Hermia. Titania, enchanted by Oberon, falls in love with Bottom, an overconfident weaver transformed to have a donkey’s head. The tradesmen rehearse a play, adding comedic confusion. At last, Oberon relents, releasing Titania and restoring the proper couples: Hermia with Lysander, Helena with Demetrius. They all return to Athens, where the mechanicals perform a hilariously flawed “Pyramus and Thisbe.” Fairies bless the palace, and Puck closes the play, asking the audience’s pardon if they were offended, reminding them it was all like a dream.

This product includes a zip file consisting of:

1) Readers Theater Script

• ~17 Characters, 3600 words in editable DOCX & PDF Formats (13 pages)
• Following the structure of Shakespeare's original acts and scenes
• Includes direct quotes throughout the script from Shakespeare
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts
• A student introduction that gives contextual background information about the play

2) Comprehensive Script Worksheet

• Includes Student Copy and Answer Key in PDF & Google Slides Formats (4 Pages | 22 Slides)
• 10 Vocabulary Words: Definitions based on the context of the script to build historical literacy
• 10 Short-Answer Questions: Comprehension and recall questions based solely on the script, ensuring students can analyze the content without requiring additional research.
• 4 Original Language & Today’s English
• 3 Question focusing on Shakespeare's Original vs Adapted Text & Analysis

3) The Full Original Shakespeare Text of the Play

• Full Text, DOCX Format (58 pages)
• NOTE: For the last 3 questions, teachers may want to print only the sections of each scene required for students to analyze to save paper ;)

Teaching Tips for Using the Script:

• For digital classrooms, upload the DOCX Script and convert to Google docs
• Use the Google Slides version of the worksheet
• For More Students: Main character can be read by multiple students.
• For Less Students: Minor characters can be read by just one student.
• This script should take about ~50 minutes and depending on your classroom's level it may be suitable for other grade levels.
• An extra ~50 minutes for prep, discussion, vocabulary or short answer comprehension questions should also be planned.

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