PARTS of a PLAY

SCRIPT

The written play is a guide for

actors and directors .

DIRECTOR

The director is the show’s leader. He/she knows

what the final production should look and sound like and instructs everyone to

get to that end.

ACTORS

Actors perform

the author’s words.

STAGE MANAGER

The stage manager takes over when the

play is performed for an audience.

The stage manager makes sure that

everyone is doing what they are supposed to do during the performances.

COSTUMES

The clothes actors wear on stage. Costumes tell the audience a lot about

the character, time period, and location of the play.

MAKE-UP

Make-up on an actor’s face helps the audience see the actor’s features better. Make-up can also help an actor create age, a fantasy character, or an animal.

LIGHTS

Lights create mood on stage. Lighting can make an audience feel

certain ways during a play.

SOUND

Sound equipment helps

the audience hear the actors. Sound can also

mean music, that helps create a certain mood, or sound effects.

SETThe set is the space in which

the play is performed.

The set can be

simple or very

elaborate.

PROPS

Props are the things that

actors use on stage.

Sometimes props help

them create a character.

PUBLICITY

Publicity is how we let everyone know

we are doing a performance.

Newspaper articles, flyers, and “word of mouth” all help publicize the

show.

PRODUCTIONWhen all the parts of the play come

together, you have a

production that an

audience comes to see

and enjoy!

Parts of the Stage

Proscenium

All stage directions are given from the actor’s point of view as

he/she faces the audience.

Center Stage

Center

AUDIENCE

apron

Up Center

C

Up Center

AUDIENCE

apron

Down Center

DownCenter

AUDIENCE

C

UC

apron

Stage Right

Right

AUDIENCE

UC

C

DC

apron

Up RightUp Right

AUDIENCE

UC

C

DC

R

apron

Down Right

Down Right

AUDIENCE

UC

C

DC

R

UR

apron

Stage Left

Left

AUDIENCE

UC

C

DC

R

UR

DR

apron

Up LeftUp Left

AUDIENCE

UC

C

DC

R L

UR

DR

apron

Down Left

Down Left

AUDIENCE

UC

C

DC

R L

UR UL

DR

apron

Up Right

AUDIENCE

apron

Up Right

AUDIENCE

X

apron

Down Center

AUDIENCE

Down Center

AUDIENCE

X

Left

AUDIENCE

Left

AUDIENCE

X

apron

PARTS of a SCRIPT•The script gives the director and actors information about how to create the play. •Actors are given the lines to speak, instructions on how the character looks, sounds, and acts.

•The director is given suggestions for blocking and set design.

CHORUS: School. Billy dreaded school. Although there were some things he liked. The teachers were nice, more or less. And the other kids, were mostly okay. Except for one. And that one was there to meet him as he walked through the

gate.

(Bridget strides on to the stage from L. She has hair in long plaits that stick out from the sides of her head. She advances aggressively towards Billy C)

BRIDGET: Hello, Billy? What’s for lunch? Open your bag.

CHORUS: Her name was Bridget the Bruiser. The school bully. Billy quaked as she walked towards him. Everybody quaked when the burly Bridget approached.

(Bridget snatched Billy’s bag and roughly unzips it. She takes out his sandwiches and empties the rest of the bag onto the ground.)

BRIDGET: You should be more careful, Billy, one day you’ll lose something.

(Bridget next unwraps Billy’s sandwiches and throws the paper on the ground. She then peels the slices of bread away to look at the filling inside.)

(Mrs. Jennings, the teacher, enters from R; she crosses C to Bridget and Billy)

Summons, John. The Shadow Boy. Google Images. 2001. Web. 19 Feb. 2011. http://www.brightstarplayscripts.com/SBdialogue.html

CHORUS: School. Billy dreaded school. Although there were some things he liked. The teachers were nice, more or less. And the other kids, were mostly okay. Except for one. And that one was there to meet him as he walked through the

gate.

(Bridget strides on to the stage from L. She has hair in long plaits that stick out from the sides of her head. She advances aggressively towards Billy C)

BRIDGET: Hello, Billy? What’s for lunch? Open your bag.

CHORUS: Her name was Bridget the Bruiser. The school bully. Billy quaked as she walked towards him. Everybody quaked when the burly Bridget approached.

(Bridget snatched Billy’s bag and roughly unzips it. She takes out his sandwiches and empties the rest of the bag onto the ground.)

BRIDGET: You should be more careful, Billy, one day you’ll lose something.

(Bridget next unwraps Billy’s sandwiches and throws the paper on the ground. She then peels the slices of bread away to look at the filling inside.)

(Mrs. Jennings, the teacher, enters from R; she crosses C to Bridget and Billy)

Summons, John. The Shadow Boy. Google Images. 2001. Web. 19 Feb. 2011. http://www.brightstarplayscripts.com/SBdialogue.html

CHORUS: School. Billy dreaded school. Although there were some things he liked. The teachers were nice, more or less. And the other kids, were mostly okay. Except for one. And that one was there to meet him as he walked through the

gate.

(Bridget strides on to the stage from L. She has hair in long plaits that stick out from the sides of her head. She advances aggressively towards Billy C)

BRIDGET: Hello, Billy? What’s for lunch? Open your bag.

CHORUS: Her name was Bridget the Bruiser. The school bully. Billy quaked as she walked towards him. Everybody quaked when the burly Bridget approached.

(Bridget snatched Billy’s bag and roughly unzips it. She takes out his sandwiches and empties the rest of the bag onto the ground.)

BRIDGET: You should be more careful, Billy, one day you’ll lose something.

(Bridget next unwraps Billy’s sandwiches and throws the paper on the ground. She then peels the slices of bread away to look at the filling inside.)

(Mrs. Jennings, the teacher, enters from R; she crosses C to Bridget and Billy)

Summons, John. The Shadow Boy. Google Images. 2001. Web. 19 Feb. 2011. http://www.brightstarplayscripts.com/SBdialogue.html

CHORUS: School. Billy dreaded school. Although there were some things he liked. The teachers were nice, more or less. And the other kids, were mostly okay. Except for one. And that one was there to meet him as he walked through the

gate.

(Bridget strides on to the stage from L. She has hair in long plaits that stick out from the sides of her head. She advances aggressively towards Billy C)

BRIDGET: Hello, Billy? What’s for lunch? Open your bag.

CHORUS: Her name was Bridget the Bruiser. The school bully. Billy quaked as she walked towards him. Everybody quaked when the burly Bridget approached.

(Bridget snatched Billy’s bag and roughly unzips it. She takes out his sandwiches and empties the rest of the bag onto the ground.)

BRIDGET: You should be more careful, Billy, one day you’ll lose something.

(Bridget next unwraps Billy’s sandwiches and throws the paper on the ground. She then peels the slices of bread away to look at the filling inside.)

(Mrs. Jennings, the teacher, enters from R; she crosses C to Bridget and Billy)

Summons, John. The Shadow Boy. Google Images. 2001. Web. 19 Feb. 2011. http://www.brightstarplayscripts.com/SBdialogue.html

CHORUS: School. Billy dreaded school. Although there were some things he liked. The teachers were nice, more or less. And the other kids, were mostly okay. Except for one. And that one was there to meet him as he walked through the

gate.

(Bridget strides on to the stage from L. She has hair in long plaits that stick out from the sides of her head. She advances aggressively towards Billy C)

BRIDGET: Hello, Billy? What’s for lunch? Open your bag.

CHORUS: Her name was Bridget the Bruiser. The school bully. Billy quaked as she walked towards him. Everybody quaked when the burly Bridget approached.

(Bridget snatched Billy’s bag and roughly unzips it. She takes out his sandwiches and empties the rest of the bag onto the ground.)

BRIDGET: You should be more careful, Billy, one day you’ll lose something.

(Bridget next unwraps Billy’s sandwiches and throws the paper on the ground. She then peels the slices of bread away to look at the filling inside.)

(Mrs. Jennings, the teacher, enters from R; she crosses C to Bridget and Billy)

Summons, John. The Shadow Boy. Google Images. 2001. Web. 19 Feb. 2011. http://www.brightstarplayscripts.com/SBdialogue.html

SHOT: Description of what the audience will see

Blocking / acting

directions for the actor

Theater Vocabulary1. theater 10. sound2. stage 11. set3. proscenium 12. blocking4. actor 13. props5. director 14. costumes6. stage manager 15. make-up7. apron 16. publicity8. lights 17. production9. lines 18. script

Movie Vocabulary1. screenplay 10. sound2. set 11. blocking3. camera 12. props4. actor 13. costumes5. director 14. make-up6. shot 15. publicity7. edit 16. production8. lights 17. script9. lines