Ambjorn writes:

The reason to read a play out loud and in company, I think, is that plays come alive when the dialogue is, well, dialogue. Without people actually talking to each other, the thing that’s special about the theatre gets lost. I’m gathering a group of people this Saturday the 15th December 2012 to play around with a theatre script so that it lives a bit.

The piece is called A Map of the World, an early work by the eminent British playwright David Hare. It’s a drama with big themes, strong relationships, and enjoyable language that should be easy to get our mouths around.

Where and when:
11h to about 16h this Saturday 15 December 2012.
The American University of Paris’ Bosquet building in the 7th arrondissment
Write me (Ambjörn) at playreading@gmx.com to RSVP and for the exact address

Sight-reading a script is a specific skill, so before we dive into David Hare’s writing, I’ll teach those of you without a background in the theatre the technique I learned as a drama student. It should make the reading easier for you to do and clarify the action between characters for easy listening.

Then we’ll pick up the script. I’ll assign roles more or less at random to start with. We can pause at big scene shifts to talk about what’s going on in the play and switch around roles. Eventually, you might get enough of a sense, at least of the main characters, to say that you want to have a go at reading someone or hearing someone else read a role.

I’ll do a bit of baking and maybe bring some other simple snacks.

This should be fun. We already have a small crowd to make a lively event.