10-minute Play Exercise #2; The One-Act; Vampire Lesbians of Sodom: Day 1

Please turn in your test/open book analysis of The Dutchman by Amiri Baraka. 

Period 1: (until 8:00)

Continue writing the play script you were working on from our writing exercise last class. Add to your story by doing some of the following:

• Add tension or conflict to your scene. Person v. person; person v. self; person v. nature; person v. society; person v. god/fate, etc. Rachet up the tension/conflict by having characters NEED something from the other characters. 
• Trap your characters in a place by giving them a time limit or TIME LOCK. Ex. We only have 10 minutes to save the world--or I must get this done and written now before the deadline in 10 minutes. I have to ask Jenny to the prom today or Jason will take her before I have the courage to do so...
• Give your characters some reason to care. What's at stake for each character you bring on stage? Each character in your play/scene should have some reason to get involved in the action of the play/scene.
• Develop your theme. Love. Life. Death. Nature. What do you want to say about these things? Ex. Love defines who we are. Life is a bowl of olive pits. Death is nothing to fear. Nature doesn't like being ignored. Whatever your message is--find ways for your characters to examine this theme. 
• The most common theme in plays is the fact that as humans, we don't communicate well with each other. Sometimes we don't even know what WE want as individuals. Consider the dramatic potential of a person who cannot communicate what it is they NEED. Start there. 
• Add beats to your scenes that help complicate your plot.
• Add beats to your scenes that provide helpful characterization. 
• Add beats to your scenes that help define and illustrate the sort of people your characters are so that your audience learns more about them.
• Add a monologue that helps define or explain the actions of a character. 
• Like the Dutchman, add a legend or well-known story for characters to discuss. Famous movies, tv shows, literary characters, plays, books, historical events, well-known current events, cultural events or traditions or holidays or politics or religious beliefs...have your characters talk about it (Taco Tuesday...); what we talk about tells the world about who we are....
• Use your setting or a prop like in The Dumb Waiter. Characters can talk about (taco tuesday) where they are, what is in their space or on "stage" with them. If your dialogue is boring, get those characters ACTING....
• Remember:
• The Dramatic Triangle
• The Main Event
• The Major Decision
• The Roots of Action
• Dialogue drives a scene's plot/character

Aim to complete your play scene draft by Thursday.

At 8:00, we'll pick up the collection of plays by Charles Busch: The Tale of the Allergist's Wife & Other Plays from the library. 

Just in time for Halloween: our last contemporary one-act. A one-act play might be a 10-minute play, but it is generally shorter than a full-length play (which usually lasts over an hour). It deals with one main action or dramatic question (main event).  

Let's just delve right into this one-act play, The Vampire Lesbians of Sodom. As we read, we'll stop and discuss how the playwright Charles Busch grabs our attention, writes fine (and funny) dialogue, creates a plot out of character's actions, develops a theme, introduces us to an interesting setting, and communicates a message that is pertinent to any contemporary audience. 

Bring your books back with you next class!

HOMEWORK: Complete your play draft.