The Nutcracker and the Mouse King Script

Included in the Nutcracker and the Mouse King Reader’s Theater Unit:

65 page script of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s Christmas story.

Divided among 14 chapters

Chapter One: Christmas Eve = 4 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Two: The Presents = 4 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Three: The Favorite = 4 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Four: Marvels = 8 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Five: The Battle = 4 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Six: Laid Up = 6 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Seven: The Story of the Hard Nut = 7 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Eight: = 3 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Nine = 9 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Ten: Uncle and Nephew = 6 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Eleven: The Victory = 7 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Twelve: The Puppet Kingdom = 2 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Thirteen: The Capital of Toyland = 3 characters + The Narrator

Chapter Fourteen: The Conclusion = 4 characters + The Narrator

75 speaking roles for your class that feature such characters as: Lady Mouseykins, Princess Pirlipat, the Mouse King, Mr. Burgermaster, Godfather Drosselmeier, Mary, Fred, and the Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King synopsis:

Written by E. T. A. Hoffmann in 1816, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is about a young girl named Marie Stahlbaum. One evening, she finds that her favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, has come to life to battle an army of rats, that live under her family’s floorboards. After defeating the evil Mouse King in battle, the Nutcracker whisks Mary away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls.

Do not fear the reader’s theatre 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 hope your class has fun reading The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Heri za Kwanzaa!

Excelsior!

Mr. Marvel: The King of Reader’s Theater