Writing and Staging Real-life Plays

By Charlotte Guillain

Which real-life stories would make a good play? How can you write a played based on something that has actually happened? How can you turn an interesting story into an unmissable production?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Aug 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781484666128

Charlotte Guillain

Charlotte Guillain taught English to air traffic controllers and nurses before deciding a career in publishing would endanger fewer lives. Charlotte is a prolific author of children’s fiction, non-fiction and picture books.

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Writing and Staging Plays: Writing and Staging Real-life Plays by Charlotte Guillain

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

What Is a Play?

Plays Based on Real Life

Writing a Play Based on Real-Life

Directing a Play

Acting in a Play Based on Real Life

Behind the Scenes

Collecting Sounds

Finishing Touches

Go for It!

Glossary

Find Out More

Index

Copyright

Back Cover

Cover

Title Page

Contents

Start of Content

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back cover

WHAT IS A PLAY?

There are many ways we tell each other stories. People started out with oral stories, either passing on their version of real-life events or creating imaginary characters and worlds for younger generations. This way of sharing stories and information asked the audience to simply listen. Over time, the idea of drama developed, where groups of people began acting out a story onstage, in a play. Audiences of the play would both listen and watch.

Remembering a story

To help people remember the stories, some storytellers began writing their tales down instead of just passing them on orally. Since these stories were recorded, it means we can know about them even though they may be hundreds or even thousands of years old! Some plays were also written down.

However, there is something very exciting about watching a story being acted out live and shared with lots of people. Many people also enjoy acting in plays, either as professionals or for fun.

A man and a woman on stage. They are wearing nice clothes and stand in a living room, posed as if they are dancing.

These characters are in a real-life setting, in a play by Neil Simon.

Actors are not the only people involved in staging a play. They need a director to take the lead and make sure the actors work well as a team. Other people are needed to organize costumes, design sets, and manage the technical side of things, such as lighting and sound. Most plays start with a playwright, who chooses a story that he or she wants to tell and creates a play. Many playwrights write plays that are based on real