Theatre

Exploring the skills : Understanding the importance of: Character arc. Dialogue, Themes/ message, conflict, subtext and structure. Plus Theatre scripts.

Why are they important to storytelling?

Find answers too –

• Why do we tell stories?

People have told stories for thousands of years in order to pass along information and entertain others. They can be the focal point of social gathering or interesting conversations between 2 people.

• What is a story?

A story is the sharing of an experience or made-up scenario between people. They can be told verbally or written down for others to see.

• What’s the purpose of a story?

The purpose of a story is to pass along information, entertain, or re-live past experiences.

Aims – 

• How does dialogue help us understand the characters
• How does the dialogue help move the story on
• Could you show more than tell through the dialogue e.g. a person’s deeper feelings towards another?

Methodology – How to write

• Structure
• Development of a character
• Development of a situation
• Crisis
• Denouement – Everything gets explained
• The meat of the play

Video – 

• Character study
• Make everything unique
• Every line of dialogue must have a purpose
• Not about what they say, its what they don’t say
• Everybody has a verbal quirk
• The rhythm of how people say things
• Listen to the music of your dialogue
• No one speaks the same as they do in a play

Dialogue-

• Accents e.g. a scouse accent
• Gender
• Relationships
• Feelings
• Emotions
• Speech can challenge or contradict
• It involves well timed interactions between characters
• Can reveal conflicting motives

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My Play – 

A run-down park that is surrounded by trees. Two figures approach a solitary bench in the centre of the park.

As the figures get closer their faces are revealed by a flickering street lamp. It is a middle age man and a teenage girl.

Exchanging a quick glance, they sit next to one-another on the bench and stare directly forward into the trees.

 

Mike : You bring it?

Penelope (quietly) : “I’m not sure we should be…”

Mike (interrupting) : “Just give it to me!

{Penelope stares down at her feet}

Mike (angrily) : “You got us into this and now you’re gonna help get us out of it!”

Penelope (sobbing) : “I know, it’s just….. it’s just what if he finds out it’s gone.”

 

Penelope hands over a small bottle of green liquid, which Mike quickly tucks into his coat pocket.

 

Mike : “I’ll deal with him, don’t worry! You’ve done your part, now i’ll do mine.”

 

Mike gets up to leave, staring into the moon lit forest. He stops and slowly turns to face Penelope.

 

Mike (whispering firmly) : “Do not look into the trees.”

Penelope (shaky voice)  : “Why, what’s wrong?”

Mike : “There’s a guy in the woods. Just get up and leave as quick as you can!”

Penelope : “But we’re safer togeth…”

 

Before she can finish her sentence Mike begins to briskly walk away. However his escape attempt is short lived. 2 men burst out from the trees, knives in hand and begin their savage attack.

 

(Noise of a scuffle)

(Mike whimpering)

 

Penelope watches in horror as Mike falls lifelessly to the ground covered in blood. As he hits the floor, we hear to the breaking of the glass bottle that Penelope had given him.

 

 

My own play – Police stop and search

Opening Scene.

Outside on the upper floor of a tower block. Two characters take centre stage. The older boy is locking the front door of the flat whilst a smaller boy looks down over the railings. The older boy is wearing jeans and a T-shirt, whilst the younger is wearing a green school

Older boy turns to face the other

 

Austin : Moses we’re late

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Subtext and Motivation

Empty street in London. A police officer is standing on the street corner and a young man is walking past him.

Policeman :”Nice day today fella”

Austin (nervously) : “Yeah it is isn’t it”

 

The policeman begins to walk besides Austin as he makes his way down the roads. He even follows as he crosses the street.

 

Policeman:”Rather warm for jacket”

Austin : “Erm yeah I suppose”

Policeman (Forcefully) : “Your pockets are looking rather full”

Austin (Nervous yet polite) : “Just my keys and my phone sir”

Policeman (loudly) : “Hmm.. Well then stay out of trouble son. I know what you look like.”

Austin : “Yes sir”

 

The policeman forcefully pats Austin’s shoulder and walks off in the other direction.

 

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Monologue : Two sides of the story

Ideas- 

• His son is a drug addict
• He deals with these people often
• He is under a lot of stress

 

Policeman – 

“It was fairly nice day when it happened, somewhat warm but still a nip from the breeze. There I stood, counting cars as though they were sheep, just minding my own business. Not the most exciting time I’ve ever had but it was peaceful. Haha, any time where i’m not being kicked or spat at is a good day in my books. So anyway, i’m just stood there keeping an eye on things when I see this lad strutting towards me. Here he comes, full of himself, chest puffed out, arms swinging, making a proper tit of himself. I don’t usually have a problem with the young lads but this one just caught me eye. Don’t ask me why, he just did. So there he was, sauntering by, so I made a remark about the weather and something about his clothes.

 

From this lesson is have learned about how to write in the style of theater and seen some examples of other people’s work. This has allowed me to write some of my own pieces in the theater style which I think are quite good. One of the key aspects I took from this lesson is the use of dialogue. I learned many things I didn’t know, including how to make my dialogue sound more realistic. I have tried to show both sides of the story in my piece in order to give the reader a dilemma, just like the character is going through. You can clearly see why the officer is suspicious of the other character, but it is also full of blatant stereotypes. I also deliberately used informal dialogue to make the speech sound realistic. It is something most people can relate to, so they feel a connection with the character. I feel that my end product is a really effective monologue that portrays the internal conflict of a police officer. I feel that I could easily extend this piece in the future.