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How to Punctuate Action in a Play

Playwrights and play directors use a variety of devices to punctuate the action in a play. These devices are necessary because of the structure of the staged medium. Stage plays are very different from film or television. They are divided into acts or have intermissions that break up the movement of the play. Like movies, however, plays are based on the same general dramatic principles that include character, plot and dialogue. Whereas a movie can weave explosions, thunderstorms and bar brawls into a script, stage plays don't have the time or space to cover sequences as broadly.

Instructions

    • 1

      Use music, song or dance to punctuate the action in a play. Musicals are built on this concept. Whenever a character breaks out in a song or dance, the action of the play is punctuated by the significance of this new musical scene.

    • 2

      Address the audience directly. Have the characters turn to the audience and speak to them. The character could deliver key information that only the audience will be privy to. The character could even recite a poem or haiku that is representative of a non-traditional type of storytelling.

    • 3

      Add special effects, such as sound effects or lighting effects. "Strike" stage lightening across the ceiling or sound a thunderous boom through the room during a key moment in a scene. This is the equivalent of computer-generated imagery (CGI) effects in movies. Lighting and sound provide some of the most dramatic elements available to punctuate the action in a play.

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