In this empirical study which used a mixed-method approach, researchers sought to understand how participation in dramatic oral reading interventions affects both reading fluency and comprehension. The study also investigated how that participation is ultimately limited or promoted by the social context of high schools. Qualitative data are supported by significant quantitative results to identify the many factors at play when adolescents who were identified as struggling with literacy performed oral readings in front of their peers. (Contains 1 table.)