Reading dialogue and stage directions in a play

Grade 6 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   The Quiet Entrance (drama)

   [1] [A school performance room has a narrow door beside the stage.] [2] PIA: The next class will arrive while the first group is still performing. [3] REN: We could ring the bell and ask everyone to make space. [4] [Pia glances toward the stage, where a reader is speaking softly.] [5] PIA: A bell would interrupt the reader halfway through the poem. [6] REN: Then I will hold the door and point toward the empty back row. [7] [Ren opens the door a little and waits for the class in the hall.] [8] PIA: I will guide the new class along the wall behind the seats. [9] [The class enters quietly, and the reader finishes the final line.] [10] REN: They found seats without stopping the performance. [11] [Pia lowers a hand and smiles toward the stage.] [12] PIA: Next time, let us leave a sign outside with the same quiet route.

2. 1.

   Pia reads the scene. How does the action in [4] respond to words or action in [3]?

   • It shows Pia cannot hear the reader.
   • It shows why the bell could disturb the performance.
   • It mentions Pia looking toward a softly speaking reader.
   • It suggests Pia wants the reader to stop the poem.
3. 2.

   Ren reads the scene. How does the action in [7] respond to words or action in [6]?

   • It signals the class with a loud noise.
   • It suggests Ren plans to keep the class in the hall until the show ends.
   • It points to Ren opening the door a little for the class.
   • It tests a quiet entrance instead of the bell plan.
4. 3.

   Zee reads the scene. How do the words and actions in [3] and [6] change the scene?

   • Together they name Ren’s bell idea and a quieter response.
   • Together they show Ren insisting on the loud signal.
   • Together they suggest Ren thinks the bell is broken.
   • Together they show Ren changing a plan after considering the reader.
5. 4.

   Bo reads the scene. How do the words and actions in [8] and [12] change the scene?

   • Together they show Pia decides to use a bell later.
   • Together they mention Pia’s wall route and a future sign idea.
   • Together they turn one successful entrance into a future plan.
   • Together they suggest the next class will arrive after the performance ends.

6. The Blue Thread (drama)

   [1] [A costume table holds a blue shirt with one loose thread at the hem.] [2] TALA: This costume shirt may unravel if we wear it before fixing this hem. [3] ZEE: We can cut off the loose thread and hide that corner, hoping the rest of the hem will remain strong. [4] [Tala gently pulls the edge, and another stitch begins to separate.] [5] TALA: The problem goes farther than the one thread we can see. [6] ZEE: Then we need to sew the edge again before the show. [7] [Zee puts the scissors down and picks up a needle and blue thread.] [8] TALA: I will hold the shirt flat while you make the new stitches, keeping the fabric steady for each careful stitch. [9] [They work slowly; the corner stays smooth when Tala lifts it.] [10] ZEE: Now the shirt can be worn without that hem opening. [11] [Tala places the shirt beside the stage door, ready for the show.] [12] TALA: A small test saved us from a loose corner during the show.

7. 5.

   Tala reads the scene. How does the action in [4] respond to words or action in [3]?

   • It shows that the visible thread is part of a wider problem.
   • It shows the hem holding firm.
   • It points to Tala pulling the edge of the shirt hem.
   • It suggests the entire costume must be replaced before the show.
8. 6.

   Zee reads the scene. How does the action in [7] respond to words or action in [6]?

   • It points to Zee picking up a needle and blue thread.
   • It shows Zee still plans to cut the thread.
   • It makes Zee’s changed plan visible without a long speech.
   • It suggests Zee will sew a new costume shirt.
9. 7.

   Ari reads the scene. How does the action in [9] respond to words or action in [6]?

   • It mentions Tala lifting a smooth corner of the shirt.
   • It shows the repair failed immediately.
   • It suggests Tala will wear the shirt in the show.
   • It tests the repair before the shirt is worn.
10. 8.

    Bo reads the scene. How do the words and actions in [3] and [6] change the scene?

    • Together they show Zee responding to Tala’s small test.
    • Together they suggest Zee will repair the other costumes before the show.
    • Together they show Zee ignoring the test result.
    • Together they name Zee’s first thread idea and a later repair plan.
11. 9.

    Esme reads the scene. How do the words and actions in [4] and [9] change the scene?

    • Together they point to a separating stitch and a smooth repaired corner.
    • Together they show that the edge keeps unraveling.
    • Together they compare the problem with a visible test of the solution.
    • Together they suggest Tala sewed the new stitches.
12. 10.

    Jun reads the scene. How do the words and actions in [7] and [12] change the scene?

    • Together they link an onstage choice to the reason for making it.
    • Together they show that no plan changed.
    • Together they suggest Zee sewed a new shirt.
    • Together they mention Zee’s changed tools and Tala’s final lesson.