ABSTRACT
A playscript is a unique form of literature. Unlike narrative
forms, such as a short story or novel where action, dialogue,
refl ection, and description are used to tell the story and give
the reader a complete picture of what is happening, a play
essentially contains only dialogue . Although a script might also include directions that indicate a certain action should take place,
such as the entrance or exit of a character or a special effect,
these directions are not spoken aloud and are therefore not
communicated to the audience. Instead, these stage directions
are incorporated into the performance and become part of the
experience of the theatrical event. While a book is meant to be
read, a script is meant to be performed, with actors taking on
the roles of the individual characters. The story is told through
the performance and via the interaction of the actors with the
audience. Reading a play requires a designer to synthesize all the
information provided via dialogue, stage directions, character
interaction, and unspoken subtext in order to visualize the action.
