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The Play’s the Thing...  and How to Write It

By Christina Hamlett 

Former actress and director Christina Hamlett is an award-winning author whose credits to date include 52 books, 276 stage plays and squillions of articles on the performing arts.  www.authorhamlett.com. 

When I first began teaching playwriting, I quickly discovered my aspiring dramatists who didn’t already love live theatre fell into two camps:  (1) those who believe plays are just movies performed onstage and (2) those who feel that theatre as a medium is “too limiting.”  This article not only refutes both views but also shares tips on how to make your own script a castable, affordable, and approachable endeavor whether your goal is production, publication, or both!

A finite platform

Films are all about maximalist visions which transcend time and space.  They can effortlessly flip from one location to the next, use squillions of extras (including animals), dazzle the mind with computer-generated imagery, turbo-charge the excitement with car chases, and even blow everything up in the finale.

A school auditorium, community theatre stage, or black box theatre doesn’t have these deep-pocket luxuries.  It’s just a minimalist room in which to conjure magic.  But oh, the things you can do with painted flats, lighting, sound effects, doorways, music, risers, curtains, scrims, and staircases!  Live theatre also taps the most valuable resource of all:  the limitless imagination of its own audience.  If you tell them the action is transpiring in a dark forest, a street corner in 1920s London, or on a distant planet, they will accept this set-up even if your actors are standing on a bare stage devoid of any backdrops.

So what do you need to keep in mind when trying to write your own play?  There are all sorts of books on playwriting (see Pioneer Drama’s book on playwriting here), so let me give you some tips on what not to do.

Are all these people necessary?

I am often sent scripts to read that call for a cast of 40-100 people.  Some of them have only one line, others have no lines at all but are just there for ambiance.  First of all, how many stages are even large enough to accommodate this large a cast?  Secondly, have you considered the costume designer who will actually have to clothe all these extras?  The director is certainly considering this!  Thirdly, actors want to do something if they’re in a show, not just be background players.

Just as every line and scene in your play should advance the plot, escalate the conflict, or work toward resolution, every role should have a purpose.  Consider whether certain roles can be doubled or tripled without adding to the cast size.  One need look no further for inspiration on this than Maury Yeston’s Titanic:  The Musical, in which an ensemble cast of only two dozen was able to successfully represent 2,200 passengers and crew on the ill-fated voyage.

Casting call

Maybe in your mind’s eye you see Janice as a 35-year-old skinny blonde and Jason as a 6-foot-3-inch Asian cab driver.  Writing such specifics into your script, however, can limit a director’s casting abilities.  Unless physical attributes are crucial to the storyline or necessarily referenced in dialogue, keep your descriptions generic.  To broaden casting options further, consider if you want to allow some roles to be played by any gender.

If you are penning a script with your own drama students in mind, that’s great.  Be aware, though, that if your long-term goal is to have others produce your work, then don’t write unnecessary specifics into your character descriptions just because that’s how you envision the character.

Set design

A one-act play which has multiple scene changes within the first 10 minutes is not well thought-out.  In a nutshell, your audience will be watching the tech crew feverishly swap out set pieces more than watching actors in the actual show!  As an alternative, use area staging.  Let’s say your play has three distinct settings — a living room, kitchen, and classroom.  Divide the stage into thirds so each room is stationary but only lit when action is transpiring.  That way there are no set changes, just light shifts.  Another fun tip is to utilize the aisles of the theatre for small, spotlight scenes or to play a short scene on the side or in front of the curtain.  These also make an easy distraction for the audience during scene changes on the full stage.

Quick-change artists

In a movie, a character can go out the door and return 30 seconds later in a different costume and 50 years older.  With live theatre, your actors need time for these kinds of backstage transformations.  Build this into the script by writing scenes to accommodate the time they need to be offstage.

Talking heads

Nothing drags down the pacing of a stage play more than long stretches where characters sit at a kitchen table and talk, talk, talk.  While it’s ultimately the director’s responsibility to get them up and moving around, you can make their job easier by incorporating bits of action in what could otherwise be static scenes.

By the same token, however, refrain from over-directing on paper and leaving no latitude for creative expression.  This especially goes for telling actors how a line should be said.  If the context of the scene is clear, this reduces the need for excessive parentheticals.

Time management

With traditional formatting of a play, one page of text translates to one minute of playing time.  (Some of the easiest rules on script formatting and the correct placement of elements such as action, character names and dialogue can be found at https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats.)  Though Pioneer Drama Service does not require submissions to follow this or any specific format, it is essential that your initial query letter provide an accurate estimate as to your play’s running time. 

Safety first

Does your play carry any physical risks for the performers?  A scene, for instance, in which a character tumbles down a staircase or has an armoire fall on him would certainly be dramatic but would also put the actors in harm’s way.  Likewise, scenes involving gymnastics, fencing, juggling swords, or balancing on furniture should best be saved for another project — or one that has stunt doubles written into the budget.

Final note

The simpler and more cost-conscious your script, the broader appeal it will have.  If directors have the resources to pull out all the stops, that’s definitely gravy and you should invite staging to be as elaborate as a theatre’s resources allow.  Meanwhile, though, a big-ticket production could potentially scare away smaller groups who might otherwise have loved your story.