PAP - Reading Plays (Lesson)

Reading Plays

Introduction

In this lesson, you will read and critique a variety of selections from theatrical literature from distinctly different plays from a variety of styles and playwrights. The goal of this lesson is to analyze existing theatrical literature as well as to expand student exposure to the near-infinite diverse styles and traditions found in theatrical literature. You will also learn a format for sharing important contextual information about the author and style of the play selected to read in class.

Analyzing Theatrical Literature

Please review the presentation below to learn more about strategies for writing about theatrical theatre.

Click HERE Links to an external site. to download the presentation guide for Analyzing Literature. 

Reading Scripts & Recording Impressions

Creating a habit of reading scripts and recording your impressions is one of the best ways to expand your knowledge about theatrical literature in general, but also about how plays function on the page. The following provides a format for recording information about new plays for the purpose of cataloging information about theatrical scripts you have read and for sharing that with others.

Selecting a new play to read can be as easy as searching recommended lists on the internet. Two of the most prominent companies for plays are Dramatist Play Service, and Samuel French, though there are countless other ways to search for and purchase scripts.

If you are interested in a particular type of play, you may search by category. The categorization of plays can be done by region, time period, length, genre, or style. It is nearly impossible to list all varieties of categories. You have already been introduced to a series of genres with play titles in the last microlesson. For a brief overview of titles and descriptions, the Wikipedia page for Theatrical Genres is a good starting place. Find a link to these resources in the Module Standards Alignment and Resources Document.

Once you have selected your play, you can use the short outline below to create a digital play card for cataloging your experience with the script. This catalog will become invaluable as time goes by as it will serve as a short and easy way to sift through all of the plays you read.

Click HERE Links to an external site. to download a copy of the Script Report Outline that can be used to analyze each of the scripts you read.

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION