All Summer in a Day

Reader’s Theater
Script

Adapted from the short story by Ray Bradbury

© Charles Fahlstrom 2018

 Teacher’s Guide
What is Reader’s Theater?
Reader’s theater is readers reading a script from adapted literature. It requires
no memorization of lines, costumes, or props (unless you want to take it to that
level). Instead of acting, the goal is for the readers to read their part
expressively and with tone/emotion. The story is brought alive through the
voices of the readers!

Why should I try Reader’s Theater?

Reader’s theater is an engaging way to motivate students to read. It can also
help deepen their understanding of a story. It’s a fun way to group readers of
all abilities together.

Teaching Tips
Encourage, coach, and model:
 Reading with expression
 Reading clearly
 Projecting your voice to the audience
 Reading at an appropriate pace

Assigning Parts (by who has the most lines/most difficult lines)
 Narrator: Most challenging
 Mrs. Coster, Margot, Margot’s Father: Moderately challenging
 Margot’s Mother: Not very challenging, but not super easy.
 Tomas, Caroline, William: Easy
 Vanessa: Very easy
I like to use YouTube to play the sound of rain during a performance, and
stopping it when the sun comes out.

© 2018 Charles Fahlstrom

 All Summer in a Day
Reader’s Theater
Cast:
Narrator
Margot
Margot’s Father
Margot’s Mother
Mrs. Coster (teacher)
William (student)
Tomas (student)
Caroline (student)
Vanessa (student)

Adapted from the short story by Ray Bradbury

© Charles Fahlstrom 2018
 * * *ACT I* * *

Narrator: Welcome to Mrs. Coster’s 4th grade classroom. As far as 4th grade
classrooms go, it’s pretty ordinary. As a matter of fact, you probably wouldn’t
be able to tell the difference between it and any classroom on the planet
Earth... Okay, I guess I lied when we I said that this is an ordinary classroom. It’s
actually pretty extraordinary, because it’s on the planet Venus, where a colony
of humans live. Let’s see what they’re learning about today.

Mrs. Coster: Alright now class, let’s continue to add some new notes to our
science journals about the sun. The sun accounts for nearly 100% of the total
mass in our solar system, and it generates its energy through nuclear fusion. It is
always producing heat and light. From Venus, it looks like the shape of a lemon.
Margot. You’ve lived on Earth before. Can you share with the class what shape
the sun looks like on Earth?

Margot: Well, the sun is round. It’s like a golden penny in the sky. Here on Venus
it’s always dark and grey, but during the day on Earth the sun lights everything
up. It’s very bright.

William: Yeah, sure it is. I don’t believe you!

Mrs. Coster: William! There is no room for rude behavior in this classroom. Margot
is correct. On Earth, the sun appears much larger than it does here.

Tomas: Mrs. Coster?

Mrs. Coster: What is it, Tomas?

Tomas: What about our sun lamps? Do our sun lamps use nuclear fusion?

Mrs. Coster: No, they do not. They are powered by the same antimatter energy
crystals that scientists discovered centuries ago. Those crystals also power our
space rockets.

Caroline: Mrs. Coster, I don’t understand why we HAVE to use the sun lamps.
What makes them different from regular lamps?

Mrs. Coster: Humans need sunlight to make Vitamin D, which helps us absorb
calcium from our food. The sun-lamps duplicate the sun’s rays to help our
bodies make Vitamin D. Without it, our bones and teeth would weaken.
Vanessa: Oh, so that’s why we always have to visit the sun-lamp room.

Narrator: For those of you listening from Earth, that don’t know what a sun lamp
is, there is a special sun-lamp room at the school that the students are required
to spend time in every day.

William: I bet the sun-lamps feel just like the actual sun.

Mrs. Coster: Well, you will soon find out, won’t you? The weather forecasts are
predicting that it will happen next week.

Narrator: The sun only appears on Venus once every seven years, and only for a
couple of hours. The rest of the time it is always raining. It rains so hard people
are forced to live underground. The rain falls with such force that it crushes
everything. Depressing, huh?

Vanessa: I’m so excited. I can’t wait!

Caroline: Me either! The last time the sun came out, we were all only 2 years
old. I don’t even remember it!

Tomas: Yeah. Now we’re finally old enough to enjoy it. It’s going to be
AWESOME!

Margot: It doesn’t feel like the sun lamps. It feels warmer, and it can actually
burn your skin.

William: No one cares what you think, Margot!

Tomas: Don’t make things up!

Margot: It’s like a fire, in the stove.

William: You’re lying. You don’t remember!

Mrs. Coster: William, I’ve already warned you once. Now you have recess and
lunch detention. Listen up, please! Your homework assignment last night was to
write a poem or essay about the sun. Today you will present your work to the
class.

Caroline, Vanessa, and Tomas: *Groaning and complaining*

Mrs. Coster: Caroline, it’s your turn. Please share.

Caroline: I have always wanted to see the sun.

I’ve heard that it’s fun
To play and run.
I can’t wait for it to come!
Oh sun, the children are asking you
To please come out
So we can play with you.

Mrs. Coster: That was lovely, Caroline. Vanessa, now it’s your turn.

Vanessa: I hope I will like the sun.

Yellow sun,
Warm sun,
Lemon sun.
I’ve waited my whole life for it to come…
I hope I will like the sun.

Mrs. Coster: Thank you very much, Vanessa. Margot, you’re next.

Margot: (meekly)
I think the sun is a flower,
That blooms for just one hour.

William: Aww, you didn’t write that!

Margot: I did.

Mrs. Coster: William! Go to the office. I’ve had enough of your disruptions!

* * *ACT II* * *

Narrator: Ever since her family left their home on Earth to live on Venus, Margot
has had trouble adjusting to living there. Because she’s from Earth, the other
students at school avoid her and are jealous that she has memories of the sun.
Here, we join her family at the dinner table.

Margot’s Father: How was school today, Margot?

Margot’s Mother: Yes dear, how was it? I bet your classmates are VERY excited!
The weather channel is predicting that tomorrow is the big day!

Margot: …they hate me.

Margot’s Mother: Why would they hate you? Did something happen?

Margot: I don’t fit in. I don’t belong. They hate that I’ve been to Earth and they
haven’t.

Margot’s Father: Nonsense! Have you tried making friends? After the last
meeting we had with Mrs. Coster, it sounded like you were doing better with
your classmates.

Margot: No, things are worse. They hate me and I hate it here. I hate the sound
of the rain that never stops. I hate how they dislike me just because I’ve seen
the sun and they haven’t. We wrote poems about the sun and when I shared
mine in class today everyone yelled at me and called me a liar. It’s not fair!
They hate me because I’m different.

Margot’s Mother: It sounds like we need to call the school again. Perhaps we
can transfer you to a new class. It’s only a couple more months until your Father
and I can apply to transfer back to Earth for work.

Margot’s Father: Margot, I need you to stay strong until we can move back to
Earth. Your mother and I didn’t realize how depressing it would be living here
and how it would affect you. We both love you and want you to be happy. I
will call the school tomorrow. I’m sure that your classmates don’t actually hate
you, they’re just jealous that you’ve seen the sun before. Could you imagine
never seeing the sun for your whole life and then meeting someone who has?

Margot’s Mother: Your Father is probably right about your classmates. If the
weather forecast is right, then tomorrow is going to be a BIG deal for many
people.

Margot: ...It’s a big deal for me, too.

 * * *ACT III* * *

Narrator: Today is the big day! According to the weather predictions made by
scientists, today will be the first day in seven years where the rain will stop on
Venus and the sun will come out… but only for a couple of hours. Let’s join
Margot and her fellow classmates as they wait.

Tomas: Is it time? Is the sun here yet?

Vanessa: Soon. It shouldn’t be much longer.

Caroline: Do the scientists really know? Will it really happen today? Will it?

Vanessa: Where’s Mrs. Coster?

Caroline: She’ll be back soon.

Tomas: Let’s go to the window and look for the sun until she returns.

Vanessa: She’d better hurry, or she’s going to miss it!

Margot: Oh, I hope it happens soon.

William: What’re YOU looking at? Speak when you’re spoken to!

Margot: …I was looking for the sun.

William: Get away from the window! Don’t wait around here, because you
won’t see nothing!

Margot: …please…

William: Nothing! This was all a joke, wasn’t it? Nothing’s happening today! Is it?

Tomas: Yes, a joke!

Vanessa: You fooled us!

Caroline: We’ve been tricked!

William: Hey, everyone. Let’s put her in the closet before Mrs. Coster comes
back!

Margot: …No!

Narrator: They surround Margot, and drag her, crying and screaming, into a
closet where they slam and lock the door. Then, smiling, they all walked back
to class just as Mrs. Coster arrived.

Mrs. Coster: Class, are you ready?

William, Tomas, Caroline, Vanessa: Yes!

Mrs. Coster: Are we all here?

William, Tomas, Caroline, Vanessa: Yes!

Narrator: Outside, the constant noise of the rain begins to slow down and stop.
Suddenly, the noise comes to a complete halt. For the first time in their lives, the
students of Mrs. Coster’s 4th grade class experience something that they’ve
never experienced before in their lives- silence. As they crowd around the
window and look at the outside, the sun comes out, and they hurry through the
tunnels to the surface.

Mrs. Coster: Now, don’t go too far! You only have two hours. You wouldn’t want
to get caught outside when the rain starts again!
Caroline: Oh, so this is what sunshine feels like. It’s much better than the sun
lamps, isn’t it?
Vanessa: Much, much better. It’s so lovely!
Tomas: It’s a thousand times better than the way books describe it.
Narrator: The children begin to play tag and hide-and-seek, but most of all they
enjoy the experience of seeing the sun, simply feeling its warmth and touch on
their skin. They squint at it and take off their jackets and feel the sunlight on their
arms. For the next hour they run and run in shouting circles, until…
Vanessa: Oh, look. Look.
Narrator: The other children gather around Vanessa. She is holding up a fist.
Slowly, she opens it, showing a raindrop in the palm of her hand.
Caroline: Oh no.
Narrator: The cold drops begin to fall rapidly from the darkening sky. A cold
wind begins to blow and the sound of thunder can be heard in the distance.
The children quickly run to the underground tunnel entrance that will take them
to their classroom.
Tomas: Will it be seven more years?
William: Yes. Seven.
Vanessa: Margot!
William: What?
Caroline: She’s still in the closet where we locked her… Margot.
Narrator: They all begin to realize what a horrible thing they have done.
Tomas: What are we going to do?
Caroline: We don’t have a choice. We have to let her out.
Narrator: They stand, looking at one another, ashamed. No one makes a move
or says a word.
Vanessa: Well…? Go on. Let’s go.
Narrator: They walked over to the closet door slowly and stood by it. Behind the
closet door was only silence. They unlocked the door, even more slowly, and let
Margot out.

*** END ***