Books come alive at Reader's Theater

St. Gregory’s School third-graders hosted parents and friends for a Reader's Theater on Thursday.

The class split into two groups to give a live-action performance of some of the books they have been reading in class.

First up was "Rafunzel," a spoof on the classic fairy tale "Rapunzel," where a young princess who is locked in a tower grows out her hair to allow a handsome prince to climb to her rescue.

In this spin-off, the Prince encounters some difficulties on the way up, including stains and dog slobber on his cape and a bee sting on his eye.

When he finally reaches the top, Rafunzel wants nothing to do with him due to his unruly appearance.

But when he points out that she is in need of a haircut, the two decide they are perfect for each other.

The second half of the performance featured "The Emperor's Hair," a story about a vain emperor who happened to be bald.

The emperor was sold a miracle hair growth treatment, and his trusted advisors lied to make him believe it worked.

That is, until a brutally honest youngster wasn't willing to play along. He told the emperor the truth, and in turn became his new friend and new advisor.

Students in Erica Buck's class will host several Reader's Theaters throughout the course of the school year. Parents and other students filled the room for the performance.

After reading these last books, the students spent several weeks preparing for the show.

"It's always a lot of fun," Buck said. "They work really hard, and they enjoy it."