The Monsters Are Due

on Maple Street

Screenplay by

Rod Serling

Screenplay/ Teleplay

• Play written for television. Written to be filmed by a camera and not acted on stage (like IRT).

• Screenplays deliver ideas through dialogue and stage directions.

• Audience hears dialogue (actors speaking to each other).

Stage Directions

• Written for actors, directors, and crew members

• Describe characters, setting, costumes, mood & atmosphere

• Express thoughts that help cast & crew understand what they need to know

• Tells actors, camera crew and other crew members what to do

Stage Direction Terms

• Pan- turn the camera to follow a person or object

• Cut- switch camera from one scene to another

• Close-up – camera moves in for a “zoomed in” shot

• Long shot- camera films from long distance

Rod Serling (1924- 1975)

• Became serious about writing in college

• Loved radio drama and won 2nd place in a national script contest.

• Began his career writing for radio drama.

• Wrote more than 200 television scripts during his career.

• Won 6 Emmy Awards (Highest honor in the television industry.)

Twilight Zone

• Serling was creator of the Twilight Zone television series.

• Science fiction• Twilight Zone ran from 1959 – 1964.• One of the most popular shows in

television history.• His writing became know for surprising

twist endings and thought provoking social commentary

Social Commentary

• Serling wanted to write teleplays about important social issues.

• Television executives thought his topics were too controversial.

• In the 1950’s & 1960’s television censors banned scripts that questioned American Society.

Twilight Zone Settings

• Serling used the science fiction & fantasy genres to deal with social issues such as prejudice and intolerance.

• He had more freedom because his teleplays were not realistic.

• The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street aired March 4th, 1960.

Background

• Monsters was written during the Cold War (1946 – 1989), a period when the U.S. & Soviet Union were engaged in a nuclear arms race.

• Fear led to suspicion and people were often accused of being Communist spies.

• A lot of anti-communist sentiment in the U.S.

HUAC• House Un-American Activities

Committee (special committee of Congress)

• Held hearings in which prominent Hollywood actors & directors (and other Americans) were interrogated about involvement with the Communist party.

• Actors & directors were “blacklisted” for alleged involvement with the Communist Party

Mob Mentality

• People in a crowd often act differently than they do when they are alone.

• People in a group may laugh louder, feel braver, or get angrier.

• Sometimes a crowd can even become dangerous.

• Examples- reactions of sports fans after a championship (after Detroit Pistons’ NBA Title)

Meteors

• Streaks of light that can be seen when debris from a comet or asteroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere

• High speed and friction with molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere usually cause it to burn up producing the light trail.

• If large enough a piece known as a meteoroid survives to lower altitudes and can cause a sonic boom

Setting = 1960’s

• No cordless phones• No cell phones• “Regular” phones do not use electricity.• Phone calls often still went through an

operator.• No Ipods or cd players.• “Portable” radios were battery operated.• No remote starters for cars.