Format your stageplays according to industry standards. A stageplay consists of action, dialogue, and stage direction. Theater is less rigid than the movie industry regarding script format, but many of the screenwriting programs on the market have templates for the most used play formats, allowing you to focus on the story while the software handles formatting automatically. The basic elements are act headings, character cues (who speaks), dialogue (what the character says) and stage direction (what characters do). Write stage direction in present tense. A title page and a cast page (listing character names) should be placed at the beginning of the play, with the title centered and underlined.
Write strong dialogue. Typically stageplays are less action oriented than movies. In many plays, dialogue is the key element. Use dialogue to reveal information to the audience.
Keep your storyline linear. There's no room for flashbacks in a stageplay. The action should be in the moment.
Write a stageplay to limited locations. Changing scenes is a dramatic break in the story. The fewer scene changes your play requires, the more effective your storytelling will be.
Keep your production budget in mind. Plays are often written for specific types of theaters. If you're writing a play for a small community theater with a limited budget, you will want to limit the number of characters and stage props necessary to execute your script. If you have a contract to write a Broadway play, you'll have more freedom with the scope of your story.