The Hanging Stranger Readers' Theatre Unit

Ed had always been a practical man. When he saw something was wrong he tried to correct it. Then one day he saw it hanging in the town square… a man from a lamp post!

Included in The Hanging Stranger Readers’ Theatre Unit:
27 page script
16 characters + the narrator
Reader’s Theatre Evaluations based on 4 levels and 5 criteria.
Student Success Criteria
Student Friendly Goals
Teacher’s Reader’s Theatre Checklist
27 Metacognitive Questions
Book Report Rubric based on 4 levels
Drawing Conclusions about Characters activity

The Hanging Stranger synopsis:
Ed Loyce is a typical hard-working television salesperson on his way to work. Everything seems normal until he sees a man hanging from a lamp post in the town square. He parks and begins to panic, leading everyones attention to the hanging man. Coworkers and friends gather around Ed, as they try to figure out what has him so bothered and hysterical. Ed continually points at the hanging man, but no one seems to mind the man hanging from the lamp post. Ed retreats onto a bus where he suspects he is being followed. In a series of harrowing events, Ed discovers that an alien force has taken over the town, controlling the minds of its residents. With increasing urgency, he attempts to escape and gather help, ultimately revealing the insidious nature of the invaders as they mimic human forms. When he returns home, one of his family members transforms into a flying alien. Will he survive the encounter? Is Ed onto a vast undercover conspiracy or has he gone insane? Find out in The Hanging Stranger!
The Hanging Stranger explores themes of alien invasion and societal control, centering around a strange incident in a small town where a body is discovered hanging from a lamppost. The Hanging Stranger reflects on human apathy and the transformation of society under an unseen threat. The story examines Ed’s growing realization that his town has been invaded by a malevolent presence, leading to a thrilling quest for survival against an incomprehensible enemy.

I hope you, and your students enjoy reading The Hanging Stranger, and continue to do so for many years.

Excelsior!
Mr. Marvel: The King of Reader’s Theatre