The Book of Liz (conclusion) & Plot Structure

Today we will complete the play The Book of Liz in class. Then move to the lab to continue working on our play drafts.

Play drafts (draft one of a new 10-minute play) (or) (draft two of your original 10-minute play, now a one-act play) should be completed by Friday in the lab.

Consider adding one or more of the following plotting techniques:

Conflict: You know this one: person v. person; person v. self; person v. society/God; person v. nature. Drama means conflict. You've got to have this in each scene or you haven't written a play, but a tableau.
Structural Unity: all parts of the plot (exposition, rising action, turning point, climax, resolution, etc.) should work and fit together. 
Inciting Incident: the point of attack, the inciting incident forces the protagonist into the action of the play's plot. 
Major Dramatic Question (MDQ): the hook that keeps an audience interested in a play; a dramatic question that a reader/viewer wants answered. 
Major decision: A decision a character makes in the plot that creates the turning point for their character. 
The three C's: Conflict, crisis, complication: obstacles characters must face for an interesting and dramatic plot. 
Rising action: your 3 c's create this. Increase tension in a play or scene by increasing the stakes.
The dark moment/crisis: the lowest moment of a character's struggle--when all the world seems lost, the fight unbeatable, the "darkest hour before dawn" -- a stunning reversal of fortune and sense of failure. 
Deus ex machina: a contrived ending. Often one in which the characters did not have a hand in solving. (It is more interesting to see a character deal with their own problems rather than an outside force solving it for them.) literally, a "god from a machine" -- Avoid using this at all costs!
Enlightenment: When the protagonist understands how to defeat the antagonist. A revelation that begins the movement toward a climax)
Climax: the point of highest tension in a play. After the climax, the fates of our characters are determined.
Catharsis
The Event: a uniquely significant moment in the character's life.
The Trap: keeping the characters in the setting. Weather works well for this, as does situation. But a dramatic trap doesn't have to be physical. It can be psychological: for example: guilt traps us a lot, as does addiction, alcoholism, the love of another character, etc.
Time lock: setting up a time limit or specific deadline characters have to meet in order to spur them into action (for example having a script project due...)
Sarcey's Principle of Offstage Action: We are less likely to consider the plausibility of an event if it occurs offstage or before the play begins (part of our exposition). Stage what is believable, talk about everything else.

HOMEWORK: None. If you are far behind in your play script (and would not possibly finish in 2 periods next class, please work on your play(s) for homework. Otherwise, none.

Play Work & The Book of Liz (part one)

Today for the first period, please continue to write your scenes/plays. Now that you have designed your plot, consider using the techniques covered in class in your script (check your reading or the blog posts below if you don't know what these terms mean):

1. The Premise
2. The Major Dramatic Question (MDQ)
3. The inciting incident
4. The major decision
5. Conflict, crisis, complication
6. the rising action
7. The dark moment
8. The enlightenment
9. The climax
10. The catharsis

These 10 items constitute the standard formula for playwriting.

During the 2nd half of our class, we will go next door to read Amy and David Sedaris' The Book of Liz as you are reading please identify these 10 standards of playwriting. See handout.

HOMEWORK: If you are far behind us, please work on your play. Additionally, please read the handout which will conclude our analysis of plot and story structure. It is important for you to learn these key terms and concepts, look for them in others writing, so you can see them in your own writing. We will cover these concepts next class.

Plot Structure: Key Terms

Most plays begin with an EVENT: a unique and significant moment in a character's life (or characters lives). In plays all scenes should be thought of as "events".

Events can be almost anything: an unusual incident, a special occasion, a sudden visit, or any kind of crisis.

An event that starts off the play is called the inciting incident: the point of attack, the turning point in the life of one or more of your characters. Some playwrights call this moment the "disturbance". Whatever term you choose, you want to start off your story with a strong reason for the events in the play to occur. As the play continues (particularly in plays with more than one scene) more events may occur in a story. The inciting incident is the first one.

A protagonist usually confronts the inciting incident from a position of weaker power or disadvantage. Starting with a protagonist who has all his stuff together, who can easily defeat or solve a problem, makes for a boring play.

The beginning of a play ends when the protagonist(s) make(s) a major decision. This major decision should set him or her or them on a collision course with forces that will oppose and perhaps destroy him/her (aka: antagonist). This should be a decision. A decision to act, a decision that causes the antagonist to confront the protagonist, etc. A major decision makes a protagonist active in the plot.

The inciting incident and the major decision help to create the MAJOR DRAMATIC QUESTION: MDQ. The MDQ is, as stated earlier, the question that keeps an audience interested in the plot of your play. The MDQ is also attached to your overall theme. For example: MDQ: will action (and therefore revenge) be possible for Hamlet? Will Brick disclose his true feelings for Skipper & will Maggie find a man to truly love her? Will Willy Loman go mad or succeed in committing suicide? Will Blanche DuBois depend on the kindness of strangers? Will Romeo & Juliet be able to be together despite their families' feuding?

The middle of a play is fraught with a series of obstacles (rising action). During the middle, you need to pay attention to the 3 C's: conflict, crisis, and complication. These 3 C's will lead to the dark moment of your play (more on that later).

Conflict can be person vs. person (often true in plays), person vs. self (also common), person vs. society (common as well if done correctly), and person vs. nature (God, etc.) (not as great, but some plays do this one perfectly.) The more interesting the conflict the more interesting the play. Crises and complications cause the conflict to be more interesting. The crisis is a critical moment--a place in time for the protagonist to act, make a decision--that usually has consequences. Complications are problems (usually unforeseen) that arise to thwart or challenge the protagonist.

Writing: Today in the lab, please work on your plotting. Add scenes to your original draft, try to include an inciting incident, various events, a major decision for your protagonist, and consider your major dramatic question. Introduce conflict, crisis, and, of course, complications. No one likes to guess the ending at the beginning of a story.

If you rebooted your scene or 10-minute play (you are working on a new idea) keep writing, but also keep the same concepts in mind as you build your play. Please turn in your plot chart(s) or graphic organizer(s) as participation credit.

HOMEWORK: None.

Play Scene/Project #2

Take a few minutes today to respond to The Nerd on the forum. Please answer the question there. Some of you have not yet completed your analysis of Talking With or Death of a Salesman. These assignments are past due and should be done asap for minimal credit. Don't forget to complete your forum homework! It's important that you analyze and work with concepts we cover in class.

While you are completing your write-up on The Nerd, I will be passing back your first scripts. These are not written up and workshopped yet. As we talk about the construction of a play, we need to consider the major elements of effective drama. They are:

Plot and Character.

While we have begun a variety of character exercises, we haven't really talked much about plot during this course. So: today let's talk a little about plot.

What to do?
1. Using your previous scripts, consider whether your story is completely told, or whether you can flesh out the story by adding scenes before or after the action you originally wrote.
2. Consider the placement of potential scenes.
3. Use one (or more) of the graphic organizers to plan a larger story than the one you originally wrote in draft one. Complete the graphic organizer with your play's plot in mind.
4. You may use additional character graphic organizers, if you wish for other characters.
5. Use your graphic organizers to continue your scene. If you decide to start from scratch again (you have a better idea or want to work on a different story), complete steps 2-5.

Use the remaining time in class to write. If you are continuing your story, change the draft # to draft #2, but keep a separate file for your draft one. If it's a new play, then it's draft one.

HOMEWORK: Please read the article and take notes on key concepts. You should note and identify: the event, the inciting incident, plot elements, the major decision, the major dramatic question, the point of attack, and the 3 C's: conflict, crisis, and complication.

Larry Shue: Part Two!

Today we will read quite a bit (if not all) of Shue's play: The Nerd. As you read, please consider Aristotle's basic elements of a play. Let's critique poor Larry Shue's play with ancient Aristotelian criticism! (Getting you ready for AP Lit).

Does Shue's play have:

1. An effective plot?
2. Interesting or compelling characters who are risking something?
3. A message or theme about the human condition (love, life, nature, death, etc.)?
4. Diction (dialogue) or effective language use?
5. Spectacle?
6. Music or melody?

Does it also adhere to the unity of:
Time?
Place?
Action?

Let's read and find out!

HOMEWORK: If we do not finish the play today in class, please complete reading for homework.

Play Structure

Ever wonder about the spelling of playwright? Why not playwrite? Well, it's because a "wright" is someone who builds. The idea is that a playWRIGHT carefully constructs and builds a play. We craft plays, not just write them.

Way back in antiquity, Aristotle (that famous Greek philosopher) wrote a book called The Poetics about how to write a play. He said that every play needs the following elements:

1. Plot
2. Character
3. Thought (by which he meant theme)
4. Spectacle (special effects, props, costumes, scenery, etc.)
5. Diction (effective dialogue)
6. Song (music)

Apart from #6, all plays usually include these things. Musicals, film, and opera incorporate all of the elements rather effectively. Most contemporary plays include non diegetic sound between scenes or before an act to set a tone. Dialogue can be beautifully written (and with enough imagery and detail) can come close to song.

Not that Aristotle said this directly, but somewhere along the line, particularly in the Renaissance and Neoclassical periods, critics began to update Aristotle. They came up with the concept of the 3 Unities: 1). The Unity of Time, 2). The Unity of Place, and 3). The Unity of Action.

Unities:
TIME: plays should only cover a small amount of time (usually within 24 hours)
PLACE: plays should be set in locations that could easily be reached within a short amount of time (no traveling halfway around the world!); usually one setting was preferred
ACTION: Thou shalt not mingle comedy with tragedy. Also, only one plot line. KISS (keep it simple, stupid!)

Add to this the concept of verisimilitude (the semblance or appearance of truth), and characters should act according to their economic station, i.e., a prince should act like a prince, not like a pauper.

Without structural unity, a play falls apart when performed for an audience.

We know that a play needs conflict because all plays involve human struggle. That's what they are written to examine. A playwright is like a philosopher in that all effective plays (even the funny ones) deal with human struggle and use human themes to communicate the human condition. Plays are an attempt to understand some truth about humans and our world. Make sure your play speaks to this tradition.

Today, make a mind-map or web of human struggles or themes.

Larry Shue's The Nerd

Please turn in your homework notes: Structure: Part One: Story & Plot 

This morning, let's start with a little character design exercise.

Afterward, please read a little about the playwright Larry Shue. We will be going down to the library to pick up the play The Nerd.

Here is the first few pages of the Nerd in a high school performance. Note the staging and acting in the play as you read along with your scripts. What changes or what details does the producer/director/actors keep true to the script. What details do they change? Why do you think there is a change?

After viewing and discussing we will gather in small groups to continue reading the play.

HOMEWORK: Please complete your reading of The Nerd.