Information for Kids who want to write their own plays.

First question might be-why plays? The answer is that people have been putting plays on for 3,000 years. We put ourselves in someone else's shoes for a little while, and realize that while we are all different, in many ways we are much the same.

The second reason is that plays are a lot of fun! You get to dress up and pretend to be someone else, and that's pretty neat.

The third reason is that plays make history more interesting. Everyone loves a story!

Where do you start? First you need an idea. Do you want to tell a story about an actual event that took place (like the plays on this Web site), or do you want to make up your own story? Either way, you need to make notes for yourself to be sure that the story you tell has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The best stories and plays are about people-your characters. The main character needs to be involved in something interesting-he/she may be in danger, in trouble, want to help a cause, or may have to make an important decision.

You have an idea for your play. What next? You need to decide where and when your play takes place-this is the beginning. You have an interesting main character who is in trouble- how do you get him/her out of it? What happens? This is the middle of your play. Finally, how does it all turn out? This is the end.

What exactly is dialogue? Dialogue is speech between your characters. Even with a narrator who explains a few things (that's called exposition), you still need to tell your story with action and speeches. Let your characters tell their own story.

The best dialogue is made up of short speeches that let your characters exchange information the audience needs to know. Here is an example from one of the plays on this Web site. "Emily Geiger, Patriot" is a play about 16-year-old Emily, who lives on a farm with her family in South Carolina, and performs a heroic deed. The opening of the play immediately lets you know that something exciting may happen - through words like spies and burned towns.

Scene I

(A knock on the door of the farmhouse. Emily goes stage left and returns with Amos.)

AMOS
Is your father here?

FATHER
(Rises from the rocker where he was sitting with his back to the door.)
Amos, what's going on?

AMOS
(Looks around to be sure no one else is in the room.)
Is it safe to talk?

FATHER
No one is here except Emily and we can trust her (smiles at her and she smiles back). She is a true Patriot, tired of the burned farms and ruined towns the British leave behind them.

AMOS
Good for you Emily. One can't be too careful; the Tories and their spies are everywhere. We're a divided people. We have to watch what we say in front of our neighbors.

You learned many things from the conversation of Amos and Emily's father - that neighbors don't trust one another, that farms are being burned, and that Amos and Emily's father are Patriots. Amos has come to say something important - he asks, "Is it safe to talk?" You can also tell that Emily and her father get along well, and that he is proud of her, calling her "a true Patriot."

That's a lot of information in a few lines! Plays are all about people talking to one another and moving the story forward. What they say also lets you know what their relationship is to one another - two neighbors and father and daughter - and how they feel about one another - friendliness and trust. Pay attention to how people around you talk. Using conversational language will make your dialogue sound natural.

Stage directions. Plays include directions about where the characters stand and move - such as sitting in a chair or answering a knock at the door. The parts of the stage are based on where the actor is in relationship to the audience. For example, if you stand facing the audience stage right is the right side of the stage, and stage left is the left side. Center stage is in the middle. Upstage is to the back and downstage is to the front, closer to the audience. You want the most important scenes to be played downstage center.

Add sounds. You can add sound effects to your play to help the audience believe they are watching a real event. This could be the sound of a battle or a storm, for example. Your school library or local public library may have a collection of sound effects on CD or audiotape.

Use your imagination . and have a good time!!!