Brainstorming: take a minute or two to think about short stories you have read and enjoyed. Write down at least one title or author whose work you liked. Share with the class. You have five minutes to ask other students what their favorite stories are. If you also like that story, note it in your journal/notebook with the name of the person who also liked that story, then return to your seat.
Many playwrights (and filmmakers) rely on short fiction for their material. Short fiction can make excellent stage or film material, as there is not as much to cut as in novel length text. Audiences are more willing to watch a well-known story, as opposed to the new work of an unknown writer. Either way, a writer can learn a lot about story structure and writing by adapting a published or polished piece of writing. Adapting our own short stories or poem cycles can be an excellent and empowering task as well.
The Short Story Library: American Literature
Edgar Allan Poe stories
Short Stories
Example: The Tell Tale Heart (Edgar Allen Poe, starring Vincent Price) (monologue play)
Santaland Diaries (David Sedaris, from the stage production)
The Lottery (Shirley Jackson, part one)
Thank You, Mam (Langston Hughes, clip)
A Perfect Day for Bananafish (J.D. Salinger)
Lamb To the Slaughter (Roald Dahl, from Alfred Hitchcock Presents)
By the end of class today, you should have 1. picked a story and 2. begun to work on the adaptation.
HOMEWORK: Continue working on your play script. Plan on completing by the end of the week.
Many playwrights (and filmmakers) rely on short fiction for their material. Short fiction can make excellent stage or film material, as there is not as much to cut as in novel length text. Audiences are more willing to watch a well-known story, as opposed to the new work of an unknown writer. Either way, a writer can learn a lot about story structure and writing by adapting a published or polished piece of writing. Adapting our own short stories or poem cycles can be an excellent and empowering task as well.
1. Adapt a favorite short story (or poem) into a one-act play. Length is determined by the story you pick but should be at least 5 pages and no more than 20.Here are a few websites with short stories to consider for brainstorming ideas.
2. You may use one of your own short stories, or you may pick any famous or published short story.
3. You are free to change location, consolidate settings, events, and characters to fit the limitations and structure of plays. When adapting, it is customary to cut and edit various details that wouldn't work on stage. Try using plot techniques like the time lock, the trap, Sarcey's Principle of Offstage Action, and the Unities to narrow your focus (otherwise you'll end up with a thousand scenes and a hundred pages of script).
4. You may also dip into film studies and write a film script for your preference. Please check the film script format here and make sure you are writing in proper film script format.
5. Please give credit to the original author. If you are the original author, attach a copy of the original story with the play script.
6. You may work with up to one other writer for this project. You can, of course, work alone as well.
The Short Story Library: American Literature
Edgar Allan Poe stories
Short Stories
Example: The Tell Tale Heart (Edgar Allen Poe, starring Vincent Price) (monologue play)
Santaland Diaries (David Sedaris, from the stage production)
The Lottery (Shirley Jackson, part one)
Thank You, Mam (Langston Hughes, clip)
A Perfect Day for Bananafish (J.D. Salinger)
Lamb To the Slaughter (Roald Dahl, from Alfred Hitchcock Presents)
By the end of class today, you should have 1. picked a story and 2. begun to work on the adaptation.
HOMEWORK: Continue working on your play script. Plan on completing by the end of the week.
No comments:
Post a Comment