NCERT Textbook: Bringing Words Alive—Play Reading | Arts (Kriti) Class 8 - New NCERT PDF Download

 Page 1


???? “??????????? ?? ??????????? ? ????? ? ??? 
?? ? ?? ?????????? ???” ???????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?????????? ?? ?
yatha "ve?h?itamathita gumpha 
sa?hatairatataishcha kusumaissapaddhabai?" 
ityadau. vidya da??anityadi
—?Abhinava Gupta’s Abhinava Bharati, Ch 1
When all parts of a performance like script, 
acting, music and others are connected, and 
churned together in a nicely composed and well-
knit manner , it will seem like a beautiful garland 
of ??owers. This teaches all the four di??erent 
types of knowledge to the audience.
Abhinava Gupta lived in Kashmir between the 10th and 11th century CE. He wrote a commentary on Na?yashastra and was 
instrumental in adding shanta rasa as the 9th rasa in the Navarasas.
ch-1_theater.indd   1 ch-1_theater.indd   1 27-06-2025   11:16:24 27-06-2025   11:16:24
Page 2


???? “??????????? ?? ??????????? ? ????? ? ??? 
?? ? ?? ?????????? ???” ???????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?????????? ?? ?
yatha "ve?h?itamathita gumpha 
sa?hatairatataishcha kusumaissapaddhabai?" 
ityadau. vidya da??anityadi
—?Abhinava Gupta’s Abhinava Bharati, Ch 1
When all parts of a performance like script, 
acting, music and others are connected, and 
churned together in a nicely composed and well-
knit manner , it will seem like a beautiful garland 
of ??owers. This teaches all the four di??erent 
types of knowledge to the audience.
Abhinava Gupta lived in Kashmir between the 10th and 11th century CE. He wrote a commentary on Na?yashastra and was 
instrumental in adding shanta rasa as the 9th rasa in the Navarasas.
ch-1_theater.indd   1 ch-1_theater.indd   1 27-06-2025   11:16:24 27-06-2025   11:16:24
NOTE TO THE TEACHERS
Dear Theatre Teacher,
As the students of Grade 8 are crossing a milestone 
by completing the middle stage of their creative and 
dramatic journey, this is the time for consolidation 
and con??dence-building.
At this stage, the young learners are not just 
performers in the making, but also thoughtful 
collaborators and re??ective individuals. This book has 
been designed to assimilate all they have explored in 
the previous years — from movement, and expression 
to storytelling and stagecraft. The activities and 
exercises in these pages will help the students ??ne-tune 
their theatrical skills, sharpen their communication, 
and cultivate a sense of responsibility — not only as 
artists, but also as teammates, problem-solvers, and 
critical thinkers.
This book encourages students to step up as 
powerful performers and capable backstage crew, 
giving them tools to plan, rehearse, review, and 
re??ect. It honours the craft of performance while also 
emphasising discipline and ownership — values that 
will serve them far beyond the stage.
Let this be a year of exploration, expression and 
excellence, where the rehearsal room becomes a 
mirror, a stage, and a stepping stone. The curtains 
are ready to rise. Along with you, the show will go 
on — with purpose and pride.
Assessment
This is one of the crucial parts of the entire process of 
studying theatre in school as a mainstream subject. 
Though it is important to have marks or grades like 
in every subject, it is also essential to keep the spirit 
of theatre intact, and not reduce it to a pen and paper 
exam with a question paper. The ??nal outcome or 
presentation is not the only benchmark. The thought 
and process behind the activities also need to be 
considered with —
 ? Knowledge application
 ? E??ort and participation
 ? Creativity and presentation
 ? Teamwork and collaboration
Read the section on time allocation and 
assessments at the beginning of the book for better 
clarity. Assessment for Theatre has been planned at 
di??erent levels.
ch-1_theater.indd   2 ch-1_theater.indd   2 27-06-2025   11:16:25 27-06-2025   11:16:25
Page 3


???? “??????????? ?? ??????????? ? ????? ? ??? 
?? ? ?? ?????????? ???” ???????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?????????? ?? ?
yatha "ve?h?itamathita gumpha 
sa?hatairatataishcha kusumaissapaddhabai?" 
ityadau. vidya da??anityadi
—?Abhinava Gupta’s Abhinava Bharati, Ch 1
When all parts of a performance like script, 
acting, music and others are connected, and 
churned together in a nicely composed and well-
knit manner , it will seem like a beautiful garland 
of ??owers. This teaches all the four di??erent 
types of knowledge to the audience.
Abhinava Gupta lived in Kashmir between the 10th and 11th century CE. He wrote a commentary on Na?yashastra and was 
instrumental in adding shanta rasa as the 9th rasa in the Navarasas.
ch-1_theater.indd   1 ch-1_theater.indd   1 27-06-2025   11:16:24 27-06-2025   11:16:24
NOTE TO THE TEACHERS
Dear Theatre Teacher,
As the students of Grade 8 are crossing a milestone 
by completing the middle stage of their creative and 
dramatic journey, this is the time for consolidation 
and con??dence-building.
At this stage, the young learners are not just 
performers in the making, but also thoughtful 
collaborators and re??ective individuals. This book has 
been designed to assimilate all they have explored in 
the previous years — from movement, and expression 
to storytelling and stagecraft. The activities and 
exercises in these pages will help the students ??ne-tune 
their theatrical skills, sharpen their communication, 
and cultivate a sense of responsibility — not only as 
artists, but also as teammates, problem-solvers, and 
critical thinkers.
This book encourages students to step up as 
powerful performers and capable backstage crew, 
giving them tools to plan, rehearse, review, and 
re??ect. It honours the craft of performance while also 
emphasising discipline and ownership — values that 
will serve them far beyond the stage.
Let this be a year of exploration, expression and 
excellence, where the rehearsal room becomes a 
mirror, a stage, and a stepping stone. The curtains 
are ready to rise. Along with you, the show will go 
on — with purpose and pride.
Assessment
This is one of the crucial parts of the entire process of 
studying theatre in school as a mainstream subject. 
Though it is important to have marks or grades like 
in every subject, it is also essential to keep the spirit 
of theatre intact, and not reduce it to a pen and paper 
exam with a question paper. The ??nal outcome or 
presentation is not the only benchmark. The thought 
and process behind the activities also need to be 
considered with —
 ? Knowledge application
 ? E??ort and participation
 ? Creativity and presentation
 ? Teamwork and collaboration
Read the section on time allocation and 
assessments at the beginning of the book for better 
clarity. Assessment for Theatre has been planned at 
di??erent levels.
ch-1_theater.indd   2 ch-1_theater.indd   2 27-06-2025   11:16:25 27-06-2025   11:16:25
Formative Assessment: This is to be done in class 
after completing the activities and chapters, at two 
levels —
 ? Circle time?— A process followed after every 
class and every activity. The teacher sits with 
the students in an informal setting (to get honest 
responses from students) to ask questions about 
what they did. They share their thoughts and 
experiences, based on which the teacher makes 
notes about each student. Some questions are 
given in the textbook. The teacher can explore 
more questions based on the class’s response.
 ? Rubrics?— Upon completion of every chapter, a 
rubric has been shared with the desired learning 
outcomes that the teacher can mark. The student 
is also asked to grade themself based on their 
perception of their performance in that chapter. 
This self-analysis is also a feedback for the teacher.
Summative Assessment: This will be an 
activity-based test conducted at the end of the year. 
The activities need to be a combination of the lessons 
learnt during the year. The assessment is conducted 
at an individual and group level to assess di??erent 
skills and competencies. A set of sample activities has 
been given at the end of the section. 
ch-1_theater.indd   3 ch-1_theater.indd   3 27-06-2025   11:16:26 27-06-2025   11:16:26
Page 4


???? “??????????? ?? ??????????? ? ????? ? ??? 
?? ? ?? ?????????? ???” ???????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?????????? ?? ?
yatha "ve?h?itamathita gumpha 
sa?hatairatataishcha kusumaissapaddhabai?" 
ityadau. vidya da??anityadi
—?Abhinava Gupta’s Abhinava Bharati, Ch 1
When all parts of a performance like script, 
acting, music and others are connected, and 
churned together in a nicely composed and well-
knit manner , it will seem like a beautiful garland 
of ??owers. This teaches all the four di??erent 
types of knowledge to the audience.
Abhinava Gupta lived in Kashmir between the 10th and 11th century CE. He wrote a commentary on Na?yashastra and was 
instrumental in adding shanta rasa as the 9th rasa in the Navarasas.
ch-1_theater.indd   1 ch-1_theater.indd   1 27-06-2025   11:16:24 27-06-2025   11:16:24
NOTE TO THE TEACHERS
Dear Theatre Teacher,
As the students of Grade 8 are crossing a milestone 
by completing the middle stage of their creative and 
dramatic journey, this is the time for consolidation 
and con??dence-building.
At this stage, the young learners are not just 
performers in the making, but also thoughtful 
collaborators and re??ective individuals. This book has 
been designed to assimilate all they have explored in 
the previous years — from movement, and expression 
to storytelling and stagecraft. The activities and 
exercises in these pages will help the students ??ne-tune 
their theatrical skills, sharpen their communication, 
and cultivate a sense of responsibility — not only as 
artists, but also as teammates, problem-solvers, and 
critical thinkers.
This book encourages students to step up as 
powerful performers and capable backstage crew, 
giving them tools to plan, rehearse, review, and 
re??ect. It honours the craft of performance while also 
emphasising discipline and ownership — values that 
will serve them far beyond the stage.
Let this be a year of exploration, expression and 
excellence, where the rehearsal room becomes a 
mirror, a stage, and a stepping stone. The curtains 
are ready to rise. Along with you, the show will go 
on — with purpose and pride.
Assessment
This is one of the crucial parts of the entire process of 
studying theatre in school as a mainstream subject. 
Though it is important to have marks or grades like 
in every subject, it is also essential to keep the spirit 
of theatre intact, and not reduce it to a pen and paper 
exam with a question paper. The ??nal outcome or 
presentation is not the only benchmark. The thought 
and process behind the activities also need to be 
considered with —
 ? Knowledge application
 ? E??ort and participation
 ? Creativity and presentation
 ? Teamwork and collaboration
Read the section on time allocation and 
assessments at the beginning of the book for better 
clarity. Assessment for Theatre has been planned at 
di??erent levels.
ch-1_theater.indd   2 ch-1_theater.indd   2 27-06-2025   11:16:25 27-06-2025   11:16:25
Formative Assessment: This is to be done in class 
after completing the activities and chapters, at two 
levels —
 ? Circle time?— A process followed after every 
class and every activity. The teacher sits with 
the students in an informal setting (to get honest 
responses from students) to ask questions about 
what they did. They share their thoughts and 
experiences, based on which the teacher makes 
notes about each student. Some questions are 
given in the textbook. The teacher can explore 
more questions based on the class’s response.
 ? Rubrics?— Upon completion of every chapter, a 
rubric has been shared with the desired learning 
outcomes that the teacher can mark. The student 
is also asked to grade themself based on their 
perception of their performance in that chapter. 
This self-analysis is also a feedback for the teacher.
Summative Assessment: This will be an 
activity-based test conducted at the end of the year. 
The activities need to be a combination of the lessons 
learnt during the year. The assessment is conducted 
at an individual and group level to assess di??erent 
skills and competencies. A set of sample activities has 
been given at the end of the section. 
ch-1_theater.indd   3 ch-1_theater.indd   3 27-06-2025   11:16:26 27-06-2025   11:16:26
1
Bringing Words Alive 
Play reading
Reading the script of a play is the 
??rst step towards creating a full-
??edged production. But did you 
know that this ??rst step itself can 
become the ??nal performance? 
Rehearsed reading or stage reading is a form 
of theatre.
REHEARSED READING
Rehearsed reading is performed without any set, 
props, costumes or make-up. The actors, dressed 
in regular clothes, sit on chairs on the stage and 
read the lines of their character aloud.
However, it is much more than just reading 
aloud. It is an art that brings characters, emotions, 
and stories to life. To make this happen, every 
word, pause and expression has to be given equal 
importance. Then, each dialogue becomes an 
engaging experience.
This experience not only sharpens the 
imagination but also connects the text directly 
to the audience, without the need of any visual 
enhancements like set or costumes.
You will learn
 ? Play reading as a performing art
 ? Voice training
 ? Impactful speaking
You may say it sounds simple — “That’s so easy … 
I can do it.”
Of course, you can do it! But this also requires a lot 
of hard work, practise and e??ort. The only di??erence 
is — all the e??ort goes towards perfecting your voice, 
ch-1_theater.indd   4 ch-1_theater.indd   4 27-06-2025   11:16:28 27-06-2025   11:16:28
Page 5


???? “??????????? ?? ??????????? ? ????? ? ??? 
?? ? ?? ?????????? ???” ???????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?????????? ?? ?
yatha "ve?h?itamathita gumpha 
sa?hatairatataishcha kusumaissapaddhabai?" 
ityadau. vidya da??anityadi
—?Abhinava Gupta’s Abhinava Bharati, Ch 1
When all parts of a performance like script, 
acting, music and others are connected, and 
churned together in a nicely composed and well-
knit manner , it will seem like a beautiful garland 
of ??owers. This teaches all the four di??erent 
types of knowledge to the audience.
Abhinava Gupta lived in Kashmir between the 10th and 11th century CE. He wrote a commentary on Na?yashastra and was 
instrumental in adding shanta rasa as the 9th rasa in the Navarasas.
ch-1_theater.indd   1 ch-1_theater.indd   1 27-06-2025   11:16:24 27-06-2025   11:16:24
NOTE TO THE TEACHERS
Dear Theatre Teacher,
As the students of Grade 8 are crossing a milestone 
by completing the middle stage of their creative and 
dramatic journey, this is the time for consolidation 
and con??dence-building.
At this stage, the young learners are not just 
performers in the making, but also thoughtful 
collaborators and re??ective individuals. This book has 
been designed to assimilate all they have explored in 
the previous years — from movement, and expression 
to storytelling and stagecraft. The activities and 
exercises in these pages will help the students ??ne-tune 
their theatrical skills, sharpen their communication, 
and cultivate a sense of responsibility — not only as 
artists, but also as teammates, problem-solvers, and 
critical thinkers.
This book encourages students to step up as 
powerful performers and capable backstage crew, 
giving them tools to plan, rehearse, review, and 
re??ect. It honours the craft of performance while also 
emphasising discipline and ownership — values that 
will serve them far beyond the stage.
Let this be a year of exploration, expression and 
excellence, where the rehearsal room becomes a 
mirror, a stage, and a stepping stone. The curtains 
are ready to rise. Along with you, the show will go 
on — with purpose and pride.
Assessment
This is one of the crucial parts of the entire process of 
studying theatre in school as a mainstream subject. 
Though it is important to have marks or grades like 
in every subject, it is also essential to keep the spirit 
of theatre intact, and not reduce it to a pen and paper 
exam with a question paper. The ??nal outcome or 
presentation is not the only benchmark. The thought 
and process behind the activities also need to be 
considered with —
 ? Knowledge application
 ? E??ort and participation
 ? Creativity and presentation
 ? Teamwork and collaboration
Read the section on time allocation and 
assessments at the beginning of the book for better 
clarity. Assessment for Theatre has been planned at 
di??erent levels.
ch-1_theater.indd   2 ch-1_theater.indd   2 27-06-2025   11:16:25 27-06-2025   11:16:25
Formative Assessment: This is to be done in class 
after completing the activities and chapters, at two 
levels —
 ? Circle time?— A process followed after every 
class and every activity. The teacher sits with 
the students in an informal setting (to get honest 
responses from students) to ask questions about 
what they did. They share their thoughts and 
experiences, based on which the teacher makes 
notes about each student. Some questions are 
given in the textbook. The teacher can explore 
more questions based on the class’s response.
 ? Rubrics?— Upon completion of every chapter, a 
rubric has been shared with the desired learning 
outcomes that the teacher can mark. The student 
is also asked to grade themself based on their 
perception of their performance in that chapter. 
This self-analysis is also a feedback for the teacher.
Summative Assessment: This will be an 
activity-based test conducted at the end of the year. 
The activities need to be a combination of the lessons 
learnt during the year. The assessment is conducted 
at an individual and group level to assess di??erent 
skills and competencies. A set of sample activities has 
been given at the end of the section. 
ch-1_theater.indd   3 ch-1_theater.indd   3 27-06-2025   11:16:26 27-06-2025   11:16:26
1
Bringing Words Alive 
Play reading
Reading the script of a play is the 
??rst step towards creating a full-
??edged production. But did you 
know that this ??rst step itself can 
become the ??nal performance? 
Rehearsed reading or stage reading is a form 
of theatre.
REHEARSED READING
Rehearsed reading is performed without any set, 
props, costumes or make-up. The actors, dressed 
in regular clothes, sit on chairs on the stage and 
read the lines of their character aloud.
However, it is much more than just reading 
aloud. It is an art that brings characters, emotions, 
and stories to life. To make this happen, every 
word, pause and expression has to be given equal 
importance. Then, each dialogue becomes an 
engaging experience.
This experience not only sharpens the 
imagination but also connects the text directly 
to the audience, without the need of any visual 
enhancements like set or costumes.
You will learn
 ? Play reading as a performing art
 ? Voice training
 ? Impactful speaking
You may say it sounds simple — “That’s so easy … 
I can do it.”
Of course, you can do it! But this also requires a lot 
of hard work, practise and e??ort. The only di??erence 
is — all the e??ort goes towards perfecting your voice, 
ch-1_theater.indd   4 ch-1_theater.indd   4 27-06-2025   11:16:28 27-06-2025   11:16:28
This process is similar to a singing practice. 
Both work on your vocal cords, pitch, volume, 
and the emotion it evokes!
interpretation of characters and emotions. The 
actors remain in character throughout the reading 
and use all energy to emote through their voice. 
Sounds interesting? Let us try a few activities and 
exercises that can make you a voice actor!
Since this style of acting focuses primarily on 
speech and dialogue delivery, the areas that we 
work on are related to the same. We will work on 
improving —
 ? Clarity in speech
 ? Voice and diction
Slightly di??erent forms of this are — radio plays, 
voice acting and dubbing. The concept is the 
same, but it does not happen on stage.
 ? Emoting through speech
All these aspects are completely dependent on 
your physical body. You cannot take support of any 
equipment or instrument to enhance the e??ect. So, 
let us ??rst understand how voice is produced in our 
body. 
While most of us assume it is from the vocal 
cords, you will be surprised to know that vocal 
cords are among the varied parts of our body that 
help us produce a wide range of sounds, speech 
and voices.
5  | Bringing Words Alive — Play reading
ch-1_theater.indd   5 ch-1_theater.indd   5 27-06-2025   11:16:30 27-06-2025   11:16:30