10-Minute Play Project

Today in class, please continue writing your script. Hand in your Streetcar Named Desire notes. See the blog post above for details and discussion on A Streetcar Named Desire.

Here are some tips to consider:

• All plays should have a beginning, middle, and end. They can begin or end just like a poem or story (i.e., ending with a circular, surprise, summary, or open-ending, etc.)
• All plays are written for the stage (not to just be read); they are meant to be performed live by live actors. To get good at this reading and watching plays is essential. Acting in them is even better!
• All plays are written in present tense (not past); all plays use a specific and distinct format (check your format with the handout from last class or on the link page to the side of this blog)
• All plays are more powerful if they are tightly written. To be "tightly written" you should avoid using broad-sweeping plots, with many cinematic scene changes. 
• Don't forget that details, diction, literary devices like imagery, allusion, and figurative language enhance a script and its language. 
• The action of your script should start just before the climax of the story because we are condensing a long plot into something that will take about 10 minutes to perform (this is not a full-length script...)

Our short plays should adhere to what are called the unities:

1. The unity of time (plays should not span many years)
2. The unity of place (plays should concentrate action in one or few settings)
3. The unity of action (plays should limit their plots so they are not confusing)

All plays require conflict
Conflict should be balanced (in other words the struggle between protagonist and antagonist should be a fair fight); it is often better to have an antagonist who is slightly more powerful.

Characters often are antagonists to each other in plays.

Meaning (theme) in a play is tied to the action and conflict being presented on stage. As a playwright, consider what you want to SAY to the world!

• All plays should be entertaining (and written to be performed). If you're bored with the idea or the idea for the premise of your play is overdone, it is not fresh, new, exciting, or even creative. Avoid boring plots, characters, settings, etc. Be creative in your thinking!
• All plays should communicate an idea (or belief about the human condition). There are only four themes in writing: nature, love, life, death. What do you want to say about one of these?
• All plays are REPRESENTATIVE of real life. They are NOT real life.
• Plays are NOT movies. Avoid cinematic writing. The best way to learn how to write scripts is to read them and see play productions whenever possible.