Choral Reading/Illumination Sequence
Twelfth Night Willow Cabin Speech
Choral Reading Introduction: Have the students stand in a circle and read Viola’s Willow Cabin Speech. The
students should read the speech several times and in a variety of ways, each
time with a different focus.
Here is the reading sequence I used during the curriculum session:
Reading #1: Line at a Time
1. Have the students read the speech out loud a line at a time, switching speakers after every line. Ask the students
to circle any words that they don’t know.
2. After they finish the reading, work to define those words together. See if they can arrive at solid definitions via
context clues before consulting glossaries, but have some glossaries on hand.
Reading #2: Punctuation
1. Have the students read the speech out loud again, switching speakers each time the reader reaches a mark of
punctuation.
2. Ask the students what they have been able to figure out about the passage.
Reading #3: Opposite Sides
1. Break the circle into two lines, and have the lines face each other across the room.
2. Give the students the following instructions, and then have the two sides read the speech out loud, alternating
sides back and forth at the end of every line.
a. Ask the first side to speak the first line in a whisper, and have the second side speak the next line, raising the
volume up a notch. The students should alternate lines back and forth, gaining volume with each line.
b. Ask the two sides to join their voices together to read “Cry out ‘Olivia’!” This phrase should be the loudest.
c. Ask them to go back to alternating lines after that, starting with the partial line, “O, you should not rest,”
but ask them to immediately start to drop the volume. “But you should pity me” should be almost a whisper.
3. Ask the students what they noticed about this reading.
Reading #4: Sound Words
1. Have the students return to the circle and count off by 2’s.
2. Ask the 1’s to read the text.
3. Ask the 2’s to follow along, taking the time to echo out loud at least one word in each line. The echo may be a
whisper or a shout. It may be a single repetition, or it may involve multiple repetitions. Encourage the students to
emphasize the sound words.
4. Ask the students what they noticed about this reading.
Once all of these choral readings are finished, move into the Illumination Sequence.
Illumination Sequence Options: Select one or more of the following options for your students
1. Art Option:
a. Place the students in pairs or trios.
b. Give each pair/trio of students two lines from the passage.
c. Have each pair/trio identify one to three significant images in their lines and draw a picture of each image.
d. Have the group decide how they will read the speech as they present their images, one at a time. Each student
should say part of the speech aloud, and all of the students should say at least one part of the speech together.
2. Movement Option:
a. Place the students in pairs or trios.
b. Give each pair/trio of students two lines from the passage.
c. Have each pair/trio identify one to three significant images in their lines and physically create statues that
represent each image.
d. Have the group decide how they will read the speech as they present their physicalized images, one at a time.
Each student should say part of the speech aloud, and all of the students should say at least one part of the
speech together.
3. Technology Option:
a. Place the students in small groups.
b. Have each student illuminate the passage by placing it in a word document and hyper linking words and images
to definitions, pictures, and video clips that deepen their understanding of the text.
c. Have the groups present some or all of their findings to the class.
Once all of the Illumination projects have been presented, bring some closure to the speech and to the
class’s work as a whole.
Closing Discussion:
1. Ask the students a series of questions, and ask them to point to places in the text that support their ideas.
Examples:
If this passage was a musical instrument, what instrument would it be?
…a color?
…a meal?
…a style/piece of clothing?
…a scent?
2. Discuss why this passage is critical to Viola and to the play as a whole.
3. Create a gathered version of the passage by asking each student to select his/her favorite word, phrase, or
line(s) and to read that selection out loud, one at a time. (The students should be in a circle for this
gathered reading.)