Stage directions

PERFORMING

Look at the three pictures below of performances of famous plays. The lighting in each of these photos is telling you something about what might happen next in the play. The lighting is helping to tell the story. Divide into small groups and discuss what you think happens next in each play. Then create a freeze-frame of the action of the next scene. A freeze-frame is like pressing pause on a remote control. You use your bodies to create a scene but then stop all movement. Stage Directions Stage directions are the playwright’s instructions to the actors as to what to do on stage. Some playwrights give detailed instructions and some give very basic ones. They are different to the dialogue, which tells an actor what to say on stage. Look at page 145 and at the examples below to see how stage directions and dialogue are laid out in a play script. 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 area. She has hair in long plaits that stick out from the sides of her head. She advances aggressively towards Billy.] 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 snatches 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.] Not peanut butter again! Can’t your Mother make anything else? Hey, what’s this? [Bridget dips her finger into the peanut butter and digs out a gooey, brown lump.] Err, what is it? It looks like…what’s that word Mrs Jennings uses whenever a dog’s been in the school yard? MRS JENNINGS: [prompting from the side] Droppings! BRIDGET: Yeah, ‘droppings’.

Dialogue Stage directions Setting Characters ©The Educational Company of Ireland

READING

Here are two short scenes from a play about school. The dialogue is exactly the same in both scenes, but the stage directions are different. Read both scenes through carefully.

Cast of characters

SEAN, a student SARAH, a student BRID, another classmate JOEY, another classmate MR MYLOD, the Geography teacher

Setting

A modern Irish secondary school SCENE A SEAN and SARAH are sitting next to one another in their classroom, slouched on their chairs. BRID sits beside JOEY. JOEY is asleep on his desk. MR MYLOD is standing in front of the class. On the whiteboard behind MR MYLOD is written: ‘Rocks Test on Wednesday’. MR MYLOD: Okay, students. Your test will take the full class tomorrow. Are there any questions? (The room is silent. No one raises a hand. SEAN and SARAH glance at one another and roll their eyes.) MR MYLOD: (with enthusiasm, waving a small piece of paper in front of the class) I have a special incentive for you. The student with the highest score will receive this ticket, enabling him or her to skip the next test. So go and study hard, everybody! (The bell rings. Students stand and begin to file out of the classroom quietly.)

SCENE B SEAN and SARAH are sitting next to one another in their classroom. BRID sits beside JOEY. All students have their copybooks and textbooks open. MR MYLOD is standing in front of the class. On the whiteboard behind MR MYLOD is written: ‘Rocks Test on Wednesday’. MR MYLOD: Okay, students. Your test will take the full class tomorrow. Are there any questions? (The room bursts into conversation. Everyone raises their hand. BRID and JOEY can’t wait to ask their questions, so they start talking before they’re called on.) MR MYLOD: (frustrated, holding a small paper in his hand) I have a special incentive for you. The student with the highest score will receive this ticket, enabling him or her to skip the next test. So go and study hard, everybody! (The bell rings. Students gather to try to see the ticket that MR MYLOD is holding.) Think about what the stage directions are aiming to tell you about the characters and complete the table in your activity book (see page 95). ACT IVITY ©The Educational Company of Ireland