Read the Prereading information on page 716, paying particular attention to the Applied English Connection. This will help you to understand how In the Fog is organized. Look through the play and notice that the stage directions are in italics. You will use them to help you understand the setting, or when and where the play takes place. They will also help you learn about characters and other parts of the story.
1. Listen as your teacher reads aloud the stage directions on the first page. Make notes about terms such as “fade out” and “dolly in.”
2. When your teacher finishes reading the stage directions, work with a group of classmates to read the play aloud. Assign each person in your group a role. Use the stage directions to help you read the lines the way the characters would say them.
If the stage directions are not helping you understand the play, use the Guided Reading Questions. When you come to a Guided Reading Question, stop and read the question. Then reread the section of the play around the question to find the answer. Write each question and answer in your notebook.
With your group, discuss the following questions: How did the stage directions enhance the play? How would the story have been different without the stage directions? How did knowing the setting, described in the stage directions on the first page, enhance the play? How did knowing the stage directions described throughout the play enhance your feelings toward the characters?