Arts @the core
Student Artists Discover the Power Behind Human Art Making
  • Artodynamics
  • High School Theatre Arts
    • Thespian Troupe 7444
    • Freshman Introduction to Theatre >
      • Theatre basics >
        • Who's who in the theatre
      • Why do we make theatre? >
        • Roman Theatre - Comedy and Stereotypes
      • How to read a play >
        • Basic memorization tips and techniques
      • Children's Theatre (Folklore)
    • Freshman Theatre and Society >
      • Rumors of Polar Bears
      • Politics and Theatre
    • Sophomore Tech Theatre >
      • Concentration Research >
        • Set Design
        • Lighting and Sound Design
        • Costume Design
        • Stage Make Up
        • Properties
        • PR and Marketing
      • Final Design for Tech
    • Sophomore Movement and Voice >
      • The body and space
      • The voice and sound >
        • Radio Plays
      • Expression without words
      • Be Seen, Be Heard
    • Junior Contemporary Theatre >
      • The What, The Why, and the Wherefore?
      • Scenes
      • Laramie Project - 10 Years later
      • God of Carnage
    • Junior Classical Theatre >
      • Greek Theatre
      • Shakespeare
    • Senior Directing/Playwriting >
      • Senior Summer Assignment
      • The Silent Seven
      • Understanding the Collaborative Process
      • Structuring a Script >
        • Creating Convincing Characters
        • Thirty/One/Ten Creating Short Works
    • Senior Project Option 1
    • Senior Project Option 2
  • High School Visual Arts
    • Art Theory >
      • 20/20 project
      • Artistic Risk Unit >
        • Risky Business >
          • E-Zine
          • Discussion and Questions
        • Risk on the Street >
          • Virtual Stickers
          • Discussion and Questions
        • Uncovering Risk >
          • Models
          • Discussion and Questions
        • Nature of Risk >
          • Installation Presentations
          • Discussion and Questions
        • Redefining the "Box" >
          • Presentations
        • Unit Wrap Up
        • Resources for This Unit
        • Lectures
      • Visual Storytelling
      • Space Unit >
        • Building our World
        • Getting Some Perspective
        • Spatial Relations
      • 2D Art Final - Book Transformation
    • Anatomy Final - Transformation
    • Color Theory >
      • Transparent Color Study
      • Inverse Landscape Diptych Project
      • Fairy Tale Icons
      • Research/Master Study Project
      • Sophomore to Junior Summer Assignment
    • Painting Master Study >
      • The "Ists"
      • 20th Century Revolutionaries
      • Painting:Master Study Final
  • Educational Art
    • Capstone Project - Meeting in the Middle
    • Research and Methods
    • Globalization and Me >
      • St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center
    • The Creative Paradox - Contemporary Issues Final >
      • Annotated Bibliography - Creativity
  • Teacher Bio
Every character has a story. As a playwright, you task is to tell that story in a convincing manner without directly telling the story. What do I mean by that? Well, think of it this way, you have to describe your character's past and future goals by only allowing them to speak in the present. Flashbacks or flash forwards are not common and every time they happen it seems the audience draws a direct correlation to It's a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Carol. Holiday films/plays aside, it is advisable to stick to the present for your dialog. Also remember that the two works previously mentioned were works of literature before they were works of theatre.

Your characters need a life. You have the ability to provide them with one. Here are the three elements to create for every character:
  1. A back story. Create a plausible life for your character that defines their present circumstances, mannerisms, language, and world view.
  2. A future goal. This is normally defined by the back story. The character want what they want because of what the have done/seen/heard/lived up to the moment we see them in the play. This is the driving force of the actions they take toward the goal. It gives you fodder for conflicts and obstacles which lead to the climaxes.
  3. Their present. The characters must live and speak in the present for us. Even in the aforementioned works, we only are allowed to see the past and future through the eyes of the characters.  The character's actions and dialog are defined by the actions of the past and the future goals of the character.  Your writing is reflective of this. The formation of the character only happens for the audience in what the character says or what is said about the character by other characters.
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