Read the Prereading information on page 104, paying particular attention to the Reader’s Toolbox. Then read and discuss information in the first column on page 106. Who are the main characters? How many actors was the play written for? What is the setting, or time and place, of the play? What does the stage look like? Then look at the role assignment sheet. You will be assigned one of the main characters: Sojourner, First Woman, Second Woman, First Man, Second Man, or Third Man. However, before your class performs the play, everyone must read the entire play and spend time practicing their roles. Your teacher will assign each of you a role, and you will practice in groups of six to eight.
Each time the characters The Others speak in the play, the play shifts to another event in the life of Sojouner Truth. On your first reading of the play, read the play in sections. First read each section silently to get the meaning of the section. Then go back and help each other answer all of the Guided Reading Questions. When you have finished a silent reading of the play, go back and reread the section of the play that you have been assigned to read aloud. As you practice reading the play, help members of your group tackle difficult words. Discuss what is happening in the play so everyone understands what their characters are saying and how they would say things. Take your time practicing the section you have been assigned. You may need to practice some sections more than once. Finally, get ready for a whole-class performance.
If a student is having trouble reading his or her part, have the student mark his or her speaking lines with sticky notes. The student should also write down notes about how to pronounce words, how to remember when to speak, and what tone of voice to use when speaking.
Evaluate how the playwright, or author of the play, organized the play. Did you like the way the playwright had one actor speak multiple parts? What did you think of her use of the characters The Others? What did you think of her stage directions?