Chapter 16 Writing a Play

Writing a Play Lesson 151

Introduction What is a cast list? What information does this list give about each character?

Introduction In what way is each scene unique?

Writing a Play A play can be a powerful tool to teach truth. Most plays—even humorous ones—have some message to communicate.

Writing a Play Many people who will not listen to truth when it is presented openly will hear it when it is woven into a story with dialogue, action, and visual effects.

Writing a Play A play, like a short story, has a plot, a setting, and characters who work toward a solution to a problem. But a play is different from a short story in several ways:

Writing a Play 1.A play is written to be a live performance on a stage. 2.A play uses only dialogue and action to tell its story. 3.A play uses performers, props, and scenery to represent the story for an audience.

Writing a Play An adaptation is when changes are made to a story so that it will be suitable to be performed as a play. Script format Script format Stage directions Stage directions Changing some of the dialogue Changing some of the dialogue

Writing a Play Which story will you choose to adapt? Here are some questions to ask yourself about the story you are considering:

Writing a Play 1.Does the story communicate a good message? 2.How many characters does the story include? 3.Does the story include dialogue? If it doesn’t, could you invent dialogue to tell the story?

Writing a Play 4.Is there any action in the story that would be difficult to show on a stage? 5.How many different scene changes would the story require?