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Writing Plays
You can play all kinds of things: music, games, sports, and even characters (in theater). All of these ways to play carry a theme of fun. In fact, the Middle Dutch root of play is pleien, which means, “Leap and dance for joy.” So, whether you are acting in skits with your friends or watching a serious sword fight in Romeo and Juliet, remember to have fun!
This chapter shows you how to write your own play. When you finish, you can publish your work by gathering friends to put on a show!
What’s Ahead
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Play
Jon Roberts turned his story “Opposite Day” (see pages 266–267) into a play. Part of the play follows.
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Writing Guidelines
Prewriting ■ Selecting a Topic and Gathering Details
Dramatize an existing story or create a new one. One student filled out the following plot chart to develop a new play. (Download a plot chart.)
Plot Chart
A Closer Look at Stage Direction
You can use the following terms in your stage direction.
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Writing ■ Developing Your Play
Beginning ■ Introduce your characters, establish the setting (time and place), and begin the conflict. Note how the play on page 274 does all of this by the time Mr. Cross speaks his first line. Remember your tools:
- Dialogue and action reveal your characters’ personalities and desires.
- Costumes, props, and sets help establish the setting.
- Conflict is a problem the character faces and must overcome.
Middle ■ Develop the conflict through a series of actions. Each action should intensify the problem or, at least, create greater risk for the character. Build the tension to a climactic point when the main character either succeeds or fails.
Ending ■ Show what happens after the climax, indicating how the main character has changed in one way or another. End with a surprising or thoughtful resolution.
Revising ■ and Editing ■ Improving Your Play
Use the following checklist to revise and edit your play.
_____ Ideas
- Do I have interesting characters and a strong conflict?
- Do I use dialogue and action to move the play along?
_____ Organization
- Does my beginning introduce the characters, setting, and conflict?
- Does my middle build the conflict toward the climax?
- Does my ending show how the character has changed?
_____ Voice
- Does my dialogue fit the characters’ personalities?
_____ Word Choice
- Does my stage direction use the appropriate terms?
_____ Sentences
- Does my dialogue sound natural and conversational?
_____ Conventions
- Does my play follow the proper format? (See page 274.)
- Have I checked my capitalization, punctuation, and spelling?
- Does my grammar reflect the way people actually talk?
