April Assignment

Hello Playwrights,

1. We will have a brief discussion about the Script-in-Hand experience. We then open the floor to any comments or observations about OUR TOWN, WALLACE, and other shows.

2. We will read and discuss the scenes you write (see below). I want to try something new on this one: DON'T bring copies for everyone unless you need to. Let's see what it's like if you (or a friend) just reads the scene to the rest of the class.

APRIL ASSIGNMENT
A. Read BEYOND THE DIALOGUE page in the group site.

B. If necessary, review NOTES ON SPECTACLE, BEGINNINGS & ENDINGS or any storytelling articles we have previously discussed.

C. Write a scene without dialogue. Use the Aristotelian and Hero Journey elements you have been studying for the last year and a half to tell as clear a story as possible.

D. Seriously try to avoid "movie" writing: "Jane stops. She thinks about her father and sees in her mind's eye the time he held her after her puppy died." (gag) Try to focus exclusively on playable action or technical direction: "Music starts. It is the adagio from Swan Lake. Jane enters and crosses to the kitchen. She is obviously upset. She gets a hold of herself, wipes away her tears and straightens her blouse. With confindence and conviction, she opens a drawer and extracts a large butcher knife and holds it up, revealing it to the audience. She slowly closes the drawer and looks offstage, the knife still held aloft. Carefully, almost in a trance, Jane crosses out. The music swells."

E. I don't know how long these should be. All I know is you should tell a clear, concise, and as powerful a story as possible--without words.

F. And yes, you CAN use words if you absolutely need to, this is an exercise to see if you can have characters tell a story sans dialogue.

Write with questions, comments or concerns.