How to Host a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Reading Party
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been unleashed on the world. The play has been in previews in London since the end of June, with the official premier on July 30. The show’s rehearsal script is being published for readers worldwide, and it hits shelves on July 31, just in time for Harry’s 36th birthday.
When books from the original series were released, it was not an uncommon thing for fans to get together and have reading parties, silent or otherwise. In many families, reading the stories out loud together was, and continues to be, a beloved tradition. How does this new work fit in to all of that?
Plays are meant to be performed. Short of staging a full production – which I’m sure won’t be a viable option for some time (with production rights and all of that) – your best option may be to host your very own reader’s theater.
If you’re not familiar with the concept of reader’s theater, think of it as a staged reading of a script. They don’t usually make use of costumes. There are minimal props. The readers don’t have to have their lines memorized. It can be as elaborate or as simple as it needs to be. The best part is that you get a sense of what it would be like on stage, fully produced, without having to make your way to London’s West End. You can do it at home, in your (Harry Potter-themed) pajamas, if you like.
If this sounds like something you’d like to try, then take a look below. We’ve got a few suggestions for you.
