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Suggestions for Using The Anger Solution Scriptbook
The Anger Solution Scriptbook was designed to be used with counselor and child seated face-to-face across a
table. The book should be “tented” so that both people can read the script responsively. It has been printed so
that each person will have the same text visible simultaneously.
The child should always take the role of the angry child in the script, and the counselor should play the other
roles. Stage directions in italics have been included to set the scene. It may be useful for the adult or child to
read them aloud so that each player understands what is happening.
It is important to achieve a realistic portrayal of anger. Lines should be read clearly, and the actors should try to
convey the proper voice volume and inflection so that both the words and the underlying messages are
understood. When people talk about their anger, they tend to stiffen and turn inward; therefore, portraying proper
body language is important, too.
The discussion questions following each scenario focus on the skills the script is designed to teach. There are
no right or wrong answers, and counselors or facilitators can add their own questions. Children should be
encouraged to discuss aspects of the script that they feel are unrealistic or might have a different outcome. The
goals are to get children to think about how they personally react when angry, to devise alternative ways to
express anger constructively, and to ultimately apply the techniques they’ve learned to real-life situations.
The scripts can also be acted out before an audience, allowing children to watch other children (and/or adults)
perform the scenarios. If the script is performed, actors can rotate performing the scenarios to give everyone a
chance to be on stage. Some scenes involve chairs and/or tables, but special props are not needed.
Children can be encouraged to develop their own scripts, using personal experiences. They may wish to write
a different ending to actual incidents, using the anger-control skills they’ve learned. This opportunity to “revisit”
the scene can help them see how they could have worked out their differences and resolved the conflict.