Writing a scene for a

play1. Parts of a script2. Deeper Understanding3. Rationale Writing4. An ‘A’ grade example

Part One: Parts of a Script

• Acts vs. Scenes• Character List• Setting• Stage Directions• Dialogue• Interruptions• Simultaneous Action• Pause (or beat)

Acts• Plays are comprised of Acts (like an author splitting a novel into parts) • Each Act generally serves a different purpose. For example (in a three act play): • Act 1 may be about introducing the characters, setting and the incident

that sets the story into motion. • Act 2 may be about the main character's efforts to achieve their goal,

and their failure to do so. This is when things will appear most dark for the character, usually, and comprises about half of the story time.

• Act 3 could be where where things change up, and the story moves its way to the dramatic climax and the resolution of the conflict, with usually some sign about how things are going to be normally now that the conflict has taken place.

• You are NOT writing an Act. You are writing a scene (or two or three)

Scenes

• Each Act is comprised of a scene or scenes (like how an author would separate their novel into smaller chapters)

• A scene usually sees a single plot point or action occurring in a particular single setting.

• You’ve got approximately 1000 words to use. This is not enough for an Act, but it should be enough for a scene or two (or three) depending on the length of your scenes.

Character List

• List each speaking role with a brief (half line) description.

– DIANE KIRBY, 39– JARED KIRBY, Her son, 17

• List each non-speaking role separately

Setting

• A description of where the action takes place, usually at the start of each scene

– Alone above Blackrock Beach JARED looks out to sea. He’s in a wetsuit. CHERIE approaches.

– The play opens in a small inner suburban police station built fairly recently but already having an air of decrepit inefficiency. SERGEANT DAN SIMMONDS, fat and fiftyish, lounges at a battered old desk from which he surveys CONSTABLE NEVILLE ROSS as if he were auditioning him for a crucial role in some play. ROSS is twenty. There is a long pause.

Stage directions

• Always placed within brackets, typeset in italic– (Jeremy hangs his head from exhaustion)

• Used sparingly, stage directions tell the director and actor what action should match the dialogue

• Used too much, stage directions remove flexibility and originality

• A good playwright can imply action & emotion through the dialogue, therefore stage direction should be minimal

DialogueDialogue layout:

Names on left (in capitals), dialogue on right. Information is separated by a colon ( : ) MAISIE: But that’s on my birthday! Why do you always do that?

• All dialogue should imply some form of action.• All dialogue should cause some reaction from the next speaker,

otherwise, what is the point in speaking?• Think organic. Dialogue should be natural. Read it aloud (this is, after

all, how scripts are supposed to be read) to check for authentic sounding speech.

• If you are using characters from the play you’re reading in class then you’ll need to mimic diction (word choice), and accent.

Dialogue exampleTAXIMAN: Where to?

LIZA: Bucknam Pellis [Buckingham Palace]

TAXIMAN: What d’ye mean – Bucknam Pellis?

LIZA: Don’t you know where it is? In the Green Park, where the King lives. Goodbye, Freddy. Don’t let me keep you standing there. Goodbye.

FREDDY : Goodbye. [He goes]

TAXIMAN : Here? What’s this about Bucknam Pellis? What business have you at Bucknam Pellis?

LIZA: Of course I havnt none. But I wasn’t going to let him know that. You drive me home.

TAXIMAN: And where’s home?

LIZA: Angel Court. Drury Lane, next Meiklejohn’s oil shop.

TAXIMAN: That sounds more like it, Judy. [He drives off]

Interruptions

• An ellipsis (…) or a dash (-) can be used to note the next line should interrupt the current line.

BOZANA: Did you know that it was possible to –GEETA: Oh my god, yes!

• Use sparingly – good dialogue will allow the actors to identify interruptions.

Simultaneous Action

• Used to portray chaos/reality.• Can be written with two streams in columns,

or denoted with a stage direction prior to the section.

Pause (or beat)

• Used to demonstrate the need for…pause. Can represent thought or silent reaction, showing a character coming to terms with an event.

BRIANA: Oh Peter, that’s so sweet.PETER: Thanks (pause) Wait, that wasn’t a complement, was it?

Part Two: Deeper Understanding

• Character/Characterisation• Setting• Going Beyond the Play – Research• A play is NOT a movie

Character

• Know your characters. Interrogate them. • Copy the way they speak, visualise how they move –

these are things that make them unique and therefore more believable.

• What drives or motivates them?• What makes them happy? Worried? Hopeful? • Are they hiding something? • Who or what do they long for? • Draw up a character map for each person in your scene/s

Character

• Figure out the inner story. The "inner" story refers to the psychological conflicts happening within the characters.

• This is largely hidden throughout the story, but it's important for you to have some sense of this as you're writing your scene/s.

• The inner story will guide the characters throughout their decisions throughout the plot.

Setting and Props• Choose a setting that is appropriate to

your play• Inside (a room) vs outside (weather) • Are there other people around? • Sitting or standing?• Music or silence?• Consider the type of technology

present, furniture and type of props that may help add meaning to your scene and/or make it more believable etc.

Example from Pygmalion

ACT ONELondon at 11.15 p.m. Torrents of heavy summer rain. Cab whistles blowing frantically in all directions. Pedestrians running for shelter into the portico of St Paul’s church, among them a lady and her daughter in evening dress. All are peering out gloomily at the rain, except one man with his back turned to the rest, wholly preoccupied with a notebook in which he is writing. The church clock strikes the first quarter.

Setting and Props• PICKERING: Excuse the straight question, Higgins. Are you a man of good

character where women are concerned?• HIGGINS: [moodily] Have you ever met a man of good character where

women are concerned? • PICKERING: Yes: Very frequently• HIGGINS: [dogmatically, lifting himself on his hands to the level of the piano,

and sitting on it with a bounce] Well, I haven’t. I find that the moment I let a woman make friends with me, she becomes jealous, exacting, suspicious, and a damned nuisance. I find that the moment I let myself make friends with a woman, I become selfish and tyrannical. Women upset everything. When you let them into your life, you find that the woman is driving at one thing and you're driving at another.

• PICKERING: At what, for example?• HIGGINS: [coming off the piano restlessly] Oh, Lord knows!

What does this prop reveal about social status (class), and the education level of Higgins? What does Higgins’ body language and movement around the piano suggest about his feelings toward the topic being discussed?

Going Beyond the Play (Research)

• You need to know what the play you are studying is about.

• Why did the author write their play? What comment was the author trying to make about society? Humanity?

• The answer may lie in the themes of the play. Know these. Pick one or two and explore them in your scene/s

• You may find that you get some good ideas for your scene by reading about your play (themes and character).

A play IS NOT a movie

Understand the limitations of the stage. • Remember: you're not writing a movie. • A play is basically an ongoing series of conversations

between people. Therefore so is an act or a scene.• The focus needs to be on the tension between the

characters, the language, and on developing your characters into believable people.

• It isn't a great medium for flying ninjas, gun fights and car chases.

Part Three: The Rationale• Use your assessment sheet to assist you• Begin by clearly stating what you did for your creative response and

what aspect of the play you were enhancing or deepening through your own writing.

• Discuss characterisation and how you captured it in your own writing. Support your understanding of character with a quote from the play

• Discuss any symbolism in your scenes (does the setting or the characters, represent something bigger?) - your understanding of theme may be useful here

• Focus directly on the scene itself – discuss and justify your choice of setting and action within each scene. Dedicate a paragraph to each scene. Use quotes from the play to support your reasoning.

Part Four: An ‘A’ grade example

• Gungahlin College ‘ShowGun’ – a website where we place ‘A’ grade examples of assessment from English and History.

• Under ‘Language and Literature’ you’ll find a prequel scene to David Williamson's 'The Removalists' : http://showgun.squarespace.com/creative-responses-by-unit/

An ‘A’ grade exampleThe Task or ‘Creative Piece’http://static.squarespace.com/static/507bb9ede4b066c1cdd8dbba/t/51d62daee4b033e178d9cc5b/1372990894590/Removalists_Creative_S12013.pdf

Read the two scenes of the ‘prequel’ and note the:• Professional layout • Distinct lack of grammatical, punctuation and spelling mistakes• Careful formatting (spacing) or their work. • Tactful use of italics and capitals • Tactful inclusion of stage direction• An actor should be able to pick up your scene/s and know what to

do immediately.

An ‘A’ grade exampleThe Rationale http://static.squarespace.com/static/507bb9ede4b066c1cdd8dbba/t/51d62e7ae4b03fbe9da6ece1/1372991098717/Removalists_Rationale_S12013.pdf

Read the rationale for the ‘prequel’ and note the:• Clear layout (each paragraph has a purpose). Try to figure out what the purpose

is as you look it over. • This student clearly discusses, characterisation, symbolism (and themes),

setting and action. You should do this too. • Precise language. This student is straight to the point and doesn’t waste words• Use of evidence (quotes) to support their decisions• The reference list/ bibliography at the end.• The inclusion of a word count• This student cares about their work and it shows in their attention to detail