It's vital to think outside the box and find material that can serve as a powerful dramatic catalyst without being a known quantity. The power of a concealed source text lies in its ability to strip away students' preconceived notions and force them to build a world from the ground up.
Here are five other story sources, each with a rich tapestry of themes and character dynamics, perfect for an unrevealed source unit.
1. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
This novel is a brilliant choice for a mystery-driven unit focused on ensemble work and puzzle-solving. It's a closed-room mystery with a large cast of eccentric characters, making it ideal for a unit that requires every student to have a distinct personality and role. The book follows 16 heirs who are invited to a will reading and discover that to inherit a vast fortune, they must solve a game.
Why it works as an unrevealed source: The core premise is a game, which is a perfect dramatic device. The students wouldn't be solving the book's mystery; they would be creating their own. You could give them a series of cryptic clues or an eccentric "will" and have them, as their assigned characters, devise their own scenes as they try to solve the puzzle. The themes of greed, identity, and the surprising connections between strangers are rich ground for improvisation and character work.
2. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
This is a fantastic option for a dystopian-themed unit that explores a world with a hidden past. The story is set in an underground city that is slowly running out of power. Two teenagers, Lina and Doon, discover a cryptic message that may hold the key to saving their city. The narrative explores themes of hope, despair, and the courage to challenge authority.
Why it works as an unrevealed source: The mystery of the "found object" (the cryptic message) would be the central focus of the unit. Students could start with a fragmented message and, as a collective, devise a world that explains it. They would create their own city, their own oppressive leaders, and their own version of the impending crisis. This unit would be a powerful exercise in world-building, soundscape creation, and ensemble work, as the entire group is trying to solve the puzzle of their own existence.
3. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
This is a magical and myth-driven novel with a focus on powerful emotions and character archetypes. The story is a series of interconnected narratives: a gentle witch, a kind monster, a lost mother, and a young girl named Luna who has been accidentally "enmagicked" by moonlight. The novel explores themes of love, sacrifice, memory, and the power of storytelling.
Why it works as an unrevealed source: The unit could be framed as an exploration of archetypes: a witch, a hero, a monster. You could give students a prompt like "What happens in a town that sacrifices a baby to a witch once a year?" and let them devise the story from there. The unrevealed source would allow them to explore the concepts of good and evil as fluid and subjective, and to create their own mythos around the "witch" who is not what she seems and the "monster" who is full of love. The non-linear structure of the book would also be a great inspiration for non-traditional staging.
4. Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi
This graphic novel series is a thrilling journey into a complex and visually stunning world, perfect for a high school class. It follows a brother and sister who move into an old house and discover a magical amulet that transports them to a fantastical land of talking animals, ancient elves, and powerful evil. The themes of family, destiny, and the search for courage are at the heart of the story.
Why it works as an unrevealed source: The visual nature of a graphic novel provides a strong foundation for a devised physical theatre unit. Students could be given a single, symbolic object—the amulet—and a brief description of a magical land they have to create. The unit could focus on puppetry to create the talking animals, physical comedy to explore the relationships, and stage combat to choreograph the climactic battles. The students would create their own versions of the family's journey, the magical world they encounter, and the ultimate fate of the amulet.
5. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
This novel is a compelling retelling of a classic fairy tale, ideal for exploring themes of identity, betrayal, and finding one's true voice. A princess, Anidori-Kiladra, is on her way to a neighboring kingdom to be married when she is betrayed by her lady-in-waiting. Forced to take on the identity of a goose girl, she must learn to navigate her new life while trying to reclaim her true position without revealing her identity.
Why it works as an unrevealed source: The core dramatic conflict of the story is the tension between a character's true self and their outward identity. Students could be given a simple prompt: "You are a princess who has been betrayed and forced to become a servant. What is your plan to reclaim your identity without revealing your secret?" This would be a powerful exercise in character work and subtext, as every scene would be driven by the character's hidden truth. The fantastical elements of the story—a horse that speaks to the wind, a magical servant—provide great opportunities for devising unique stage magic.
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