Count Dracula's Cat & Doctor Frankenstein's Dog Reader's Theatre Scripts

Mina

MEOW! Master! Wait! I want to go with you!

Mina jumps into the carriage and onto her master’s lap.

Mina

It is cold out here. It’s time to snuggle with my master, and keep warm.

Count Dracula

So, you have come to join me, Mina? Good!

Count Dracula’s carriage is being pulled by horses that are as black as coal. Owls hoot in the night, and dry leaves whistle in the wind.

Count Dracula

Do not be scared, my pet Mina. It is only the children of the night. What beautiful music they make for us.

Included in the Count Dracula's Cat and Doctor Frankenstein's Dog Reader's Theatre Unit:

2 scripts:

Count Dracula's Cat

8 page script

3 characters + the narrator

Student Reader's Theatre Evaluations based on 4 levels and 5 criteria.

Student Success Criteria

Student Friendly Goals

Reader's Theatre Checklist

32 questions about the story that range from easy to challenging.

and

Doctor Frankenstein's Dog

10 page script

3 characters + the narrator

Student Reader's Theatre Evaluations based on 4 levels and 5 criteria.

Student Success Criteria

Student Friendly Goals

Reader's Theatre Checklist

34 questions about the story that range from easy to challenging.

Don't forget the visual aid to have displayed as your students read the story.

Count Dracula's Cat synopsis:

Count Dracula wants to scare Agatha the Witch. Mina the cat goes along with her master, and makes sure that Count Dracula doesn't get into too much trouble tonight. When Count Dracula gets caught in a trap, will Mina the cat be able to save him?

Doctor Frankenstein's Dog synopsis:

Iggy the laboratory dog, watches his master, Doctor Frankenstein, teach his latest experiment, the Monster, how to walk. Iggy wants to be friends with Doctor Frankenstein's latest creation, but the Monster is afraid. Will Iggy be able to convince the Monster that he is a friendly dog?

Do not fear the reader's theater format. Students love 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 theatre to add to my drama marks.

If the reader's theatre 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 entertainment.

I use shorter stories with minimal characters in literature circles.

When can one make time for a reader's theatre story in class?

When I am not reading a reader's theatre unit with my class, I usually reserve Friday's for the reading of a one-off story. It is an event that the class looks forward to, since they do not know which story I will choose. Great for Librarians. I project the stories on the screen and assign characters in class. Some characters only have 1 line. A character like that is perfect for a reluctant reader.

I have read these stories remotely/online and in class/in-person.

I hope you, and your students have a fun time reading Count Dracula's Cat and Doctor Frankenstein's Dog.

Happy Halloween and Excelsior!

Mr. Marvel: The King of Reader's Theatre