Writing for the Stage - Janice Thompson, Author

I worked in theater for many years and have written several musical comedies, so I’ve “done my time” in the theater. In fact, I’ve more than done my time! In 2007, while directing a play at a local theater, I fell coming down the stairs from the stage to the house and shattered my right ankle.

Two surgeries later, I was back on my feet and writing/directing again. You can’t keep a real theater lover out of the theater, can you! I will add, however, that the phrase, “Break a leg” is now forbidden when I’m directing!

The Play’s the Thing

We’ve heard this all of our (theatrical) lives. The play’s the thing. If you work in Christian theater, you’ve pretty much acclimated to the fact that the play isn’t the thing—God is the thing. But you still get the idea. It’s all about the play. The idea of putting on a “live” (and that’s the key word here) performance, is nothing new. People have been doing it almost from the very beginning.

The stage is a magical place. Live actors and a live audience make for an immediacy no other art of the written word can duplicate. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the dramatic “poet” (that’s us) had the power and the duty to “teach and to please,” and it’s a tradition that lives on to this day. Sounds great. But how do you do it?

Before your play can teach and please anyone, you have to write it, rewrite it (probably over and over again), submit it to theaters and hope that one of them will want to produce it. It can be a long road, particularly because now more than ever, plays tend to get plenty of development (i.e. readings and workshops) before getting fully produced. Good playwrights typically have patience and perseverance to spare. (http://www.playwriting101.com/chapter01)

To your way of thinking, what sets stage plays apart from movies?
What advantages do stage plays have that movies do now?

Playwriting

Perhaps you are one of those rare folks who can “see” dialogue in your head. Oh, you know what I mean… You’re reading a good book, or thinking of a story, and the dialogue just seems to come naturally to you. Perhaps you rehearse imaginary dialogues in your mind, thinking every detail carefully through.

Sound scary? Nah! Perhaps you’re just a playwright in the making!

Playwrights, like other writers, spend a large amount of time “thinking up” stories to write. It’s just their “format” that’s different. Instead of setting their sights on writing a 300 page book, they set out to tell their story in dialogue form, usually no more than 110 pages in length for a movie, slightly less for a stage play.

(Screenplay length is usually determined by the length of the script – one page of dialogue averaging 1 minute of video time. Most movies you’ve seen were no longer than 2 hours, at most. Only a writer who felt he or she had an exceptionally good script would dare keep the audience in the theatre longer than two hours!)

Consider the following…

The novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott was several hundred pages long. Many people would not have the patience or the inclination to read a book of that length, which is rather sad, since the story is so wonderful. So how would you get that story into the hands of the people without expecting them to read it through?

Simple.

A screenplay or stage play?

Let’s discuss the difference between a book and a play.

A book is a wonderful thing. A good story gives the reader an opportunity to dream, to imagine. It also forces the reader to tap into his/her imagination. The author might describe the characters, but “how they look” is really in the eye of the reader – and each reader might interpret differently. A reader has the opportunity to delve deep into the thoughts and motivations of a character in a book, and can often predict what “might” happen based on this information.

A stage play or screen play is considerably different. It provides visual and auditory stimulation. Background music is real, not imagined. Costumes and set are right there – in full view – not in the imagination. And even though the dialogue might be the very same, the audience member doesn’t have to “wonder” or “imagine” to the same degree. In other words, a movie or play answers many questions, and, in doing so, often slants the story in the audience member’s eyes. Some people prefer these sensory stimulations. Others are happier with a good book.

Truth be told, twenty-first century consumers are more apt to see a movie than buy a book. (A sad fact for authors of books.) In this “rush-about” world, we’ve grown accustomed to “not having to think” when we watch television, and movies and stage plays often offer us an “easy” evening of pure entertainment. And authors have an opportunity to provide that entertainment!

So, what must it be like to write a play/movie? Let’s take a look!

(I acquired the following information online several years ago and the site no longer exists, so I’m unable to give an adequate source. If you locate this piece, please feel free to let me know.)

Playing It Write: A Simple Guide to Writing Your First Play

Young funny man in glasses writing on typewriter

When I set out to write my first full-length musical comedy, I’d never written anything of the sort before. I had an idea: Noah and the ark. I had some musical ability. I am a comedian by nature, so I knew the ark would be filled with singing, dancing animals and I also knew that Noah’s family would be off-beat and quirky. To make my story different from the norm, I set it in the 1940’s and used swing music.

Is there a way you can add a “twist” to your play, placing it in a different time/era/location?
Will you be adding music? If so, do you have a plan of action for that?

I’d spent years in the theater as an actress, so I knew what worked and what didn’t. Likely, you’re in the same position. You’ve been on the stage. You know good laugh lines when you hear them. I set out to write goodlaugh lines, splashing bits of it throughout. I gave Noah’s daughters-in-law (Betty, Bonnie and Barbara) a job at the local radio station, singing jingles. I added several humorous neighbors (including a mailman) to question Noah’s every move. I made Noah’s wife (Gertrude) the embarrassed sort. She spent a lot of time hiding indoors while the ark was being built. In short, I created conflict. And in all stories—book or stage—conflict is key. You’ve got to tighten the notches as much as possible.

Have you given thought to the conflict you will add to your play/sketch?
How can you “up the ante” in your piece?
What response are you hoping for from your audience as the conflict grows?

Because my play was a musical, I laid down the original tracks using my own keyboard. However, a good friend (truly, the most talented musician I know) wanted to get in on the action. I handed off my tracks to her and she turned them into real music. (Honestly, they’re as good as any movie soundtrack you ever heard.) From there, we went on to produce the show multiple things: First at a local school of the arts, second at a summer arts camp, and third, at a local theater. Each performance was different, but wonderful in its own way.

Do you have access to a venue?
More than one?
Are you in a position with a local church or theater to get the funding necessary for your play’s production?

As I sat in my director’s chair at that last performance (which, ironically, just took place a few weeks ago) I thought back to that day in 1996 when I first conceived the idea for this stage play. How far we’d come! But more important still, I could genuinely see how my characters, my dialogue, my music, my story had impacted the lives of thousands of people—the children who’d played the roles over the years, the parents of those kids, the theater folks, and the audience members. All because I had a “little idea” to write a play.

How do you feel about audience reaction?
What do you anticipate from your actors?
What do you anticipate from your audience?

Maybe that’s where you are right now. You’re “pregnant” with an idea and have to get it down on paper. Maybe you even have a venue and/or potential performers. Maybe you just aren’t sure “what” to write. Let’s take a look at a few options:

Where Do I Begin?

Here are some guidelines that might help you see *your* play in action.

* Start with One-Act Plays. It seems too simple a tip, but many beginning writers try to take on more than what they can chew. And they find it hard to swallow the whole bit. So yes, begin with a one-act play. Profile of a One-Act Play: – A few characters (only about 2 to 5) – An examination of only one dramatic event – Stays only in one time frame and place – About half an hour to an hour’s length.

* Write About What You Care About. Yeah, yeah, just another version of the old adage: “write what you know.” But you’ll be surprised at how many beginning writers forget that one’s passion is the surefire way to touch your audience. Write what you believe in. And be sure to follow the next advice that says:

* Audience Reaction is a Must. Yep, it is not just how the play would make you feel as you write. Give your viewers something to laugh about, to cry for, or even to get mad at. Once the play is performed and you see the audience react as you see fit, that’s the first and best payoff you’ll have as a playwright. So make sure to test your play for audience reaction.

* Begin with the Plot. Uh-huh, much like a “hook” in a book, story, or radio. Conflict is the heart of drama(or comedy, or whatever it is you wish to write). You must know what is the force opposing the other force. And remember to immediately show that there are opposing forces right from the start. That’s the reason you give your audience in their “unasked” question why they should stay for the next 30 to 60 minutes without commercial breaks.

* Watch for Character Structures. Your characters, your people are the ones who would tell the story you are going to write. So make sure that you focus on characters that are essential. One-act plays limit the number of characters you’d introduce. Which is good because it helps you focus and write better.

Write a couple of pages of script. Don’t worry about the format – at least not yet. Just put it down in any format that works for you.
Can you “see” this on the stage or screen? Will it be easy to “block” (placement of actors and actresses on the stage/moving them from place to place)?
What would be the advantage of writing this piece in play/screenplay format, as opposed to a book?
Now let’s double-check your characterization. Are there any lines that seem a little “out of character?”
Have you started to actually format the play? Which format will you use? (For a look at various formats, visit the websites mentioned at the end of this lesson.)
If you wrote this play from start to finish, how many pages would it be? How long would the play/movie run?
What type of set/set pieces will you need? (Approximate cost?)
What about costumes? How will the characters be clothed?
Will the script require any “mood music?”
How is marketing a play/movie different from marketing a book?
How will you get the audience in to see your play/movie?