Level 5 NYC: The Christmas Truce Performance

In addition to their audio stories, Level 5 students also spent much of the semester planning performances.  In this post, there are links to materials for performances, some historical background, and the video and audio from this performance.  I recommend playing the audio of the students' performance, while reading along with the script.

Reader's Theater
The students chose from a list of folktales from around the world, retold by Aaron Shepard.  These folktales are formated as scripts, and are intended to be performed.  You can find all 40 of Aaron Shepard's Reader's Theater Editions here.  Many of the stories have additional videos and other content.  The stories are free to print and share, but require permission from the author to post anywhere on the Internet.  You can find more links to content at the bottom.

The Christmas Truce: Some Historical Background
Shepard's story, The Christmas Truce, dramatizes events that occurred in 1914, during World War I.

Shepard writes about the event:

The Christmas Truce of 1914 was described by Arthur Conan Doyle as “one human episode amid all the atrocities.” It is certainly one of the most remarkable incidents of World War I and perhaps of all military history. Inspiring popular songs, theater, and movies, it has endured as an almost archetypal image of peace.

Starting in some places on Christmas Eve and in others on Christmas Day, the truce covered as much as two-thirds of the British-German front, with French and Belgians involved as well. Thousands of soldiers took part. In most places it lasted at least through Boxing Day (December 26), and in some through mid-January. Perhaps most remarkably, it grew out of no single initiative but sprang up in each place spontaneously and independently.

The Performance
Karina, Madjid, Maria M, and Camila choose to perform The Christmas Truce.  They planned and rehearsed for many weeks.  They planned costumes and makeup, backgrounds, and props.  They handmade guns from cardboard, and even delivered Christmas cards to the class after their performance.  They also created a recording using music and their dramatic readings of the script (The recording was assembled and edited in Audacity).

In the story, four British soldiers write home to their families. The group decided that because the soldiers are writing letters, it would be better if they didn't speak during the performance.  Instead, they played the audio while they acted, as if we were able to listen to the soldiers' thoughts!

The Audio Recording (with slide show)
The audio recording has better quality sound, and plays with photos taken during the performance.

Text: The script for The Christmas Truce

The Performance (Video)

Additional materials:
Text: More background about The Christmas Truce story from Aaron Shepard
Video: A performance of The Christmas Truce by the Chamber Readers
Audio: A radio play of The Christmas Truce by the Lakes Area Theater

Eric, NYC