Use Text Structure & Format How is reading a play different from reading other fiction stories?? Here are some special formats plays have: A short play is usually divided into parts called scenes At the beginning of each scene, the author will describe the setting and tell us what the characters are doing Each character’s name is written in capital letters followed by a colon before the words he or she speaks (dialog) Instructions that tell characters what to do are called stage directions. They’re printed in italics