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Unit Three: Playwriting

Wright: A noun which means a maker or a builder. (Playwright, Boatwright, Wheelwright.)

Wrong ways to spell playwright:  Playwriter, Playright, Playwrite

In other words: A Playwright writes (or makes) Plays.  A Playwright's job is Playwriting.

THE FINAL COPY OF YOUR PAPERWORK IS DUE

 ON THE DAY OF THE GRADED PERFORMANCE

 

Story Approval (on-time = 10 points)

Quiz: Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment (15 Points)

 

Worksheets

® Mood (15 points)

® Dialogue (15 points)

® Elaboration (15 points) 

The Script Analysis Outline (50 points)

Rough Draft + Presentation (60 points)

Final Draft (124 points)                                        ________        ________

 

At the end of the unit the following must be turned in:

  • §  A FINAL TYPED COPY OF THE PLAY with character descriptions, a cover page and the pages numbered.

  • §  A SCRIPT ANALYSIS OUTLINE - See your Unit Two Packet for the template.

  • §  A PHOTOCOPY OF THE ORIGINAL STORY.

General Guidelines for Playwriting

Act and Interact

Generating the Text

  1. Planning: Identify who will be involved in the situation (the main characters) and how this situation complicates their lives (the problem).  Then decide how your play will start (who will be doing what and where).  Be open-minded and flexible at this point.

Writing and Revising

2. Prewriting:

       a.      Story Analysis: Using the Analysis outline, break down the original story and characters.

       b.      Mood: What mood do you want to create in your play?  The sensory details that you choose can help convey that mood, while making your scene and                     characters interesting and real.  Complete the Pre-writing worksheet.

3. Writing: 

      Introduce the situation and characters in the opening part of your script.  Then let the rest of the play build naturally listening to and imagining your characters as you write.

4.      Playwriting Tips

         Ø Make sure to pay special attention to each of the following elements as you write your play scripts.

       a.      Dialogue: Conversation is at the core of playwriting.  The characters’ words move the action along.  How they speak reveals something about their                          identity.  (Clues to voice or delivery can be included in stage directions.)

       b.      Conflict: Make sure your play is built around a believable conflict, or problem, one that makes sense in the lives of the main characters.  (The conflict                      should make life increasingly difficult for the main characters until the play reaches a breaking point, or climax.)

       c.       Stage Directions: Indicate the time and place of the action, entrances and exits, and so on through stage directions.  They can also be used to indicate                       what the characters are doing on stage.  (However, try not to complicate a play with too many stage directions.)

       d.       Form: Make sure to follow the accepted format for your play, beginning with the title and following with a list of characters, and an explanation of the                   setting before the first words are spoken.  (See the example play.)

5.      Elaborating: Adding to or expanding characterization, plot, theme, and other details to flesh out the script. Complete the Elaborating  worksheet

6.      Revising: Read your first draft at least two times.  During the reading, pay close attention to the basic story line.  (Are there any missing parts?)  During the            second reading, listen for the sound and flow of the dialogue.  Revise and refine accordingly.  (Add stage directions as needed.)

Evaluating

Ø Does the play (or dialogue) focus on a specific problem?

Ø Does it build in suspense?

Ø Do the characters have distinctive personalities?

Ø Is their conversation realistic?

Ø Does the piece come to an effective conclusion?

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