play synopsis, one-act play

• One-act plays make use of devices such as symbolism, irony, and paradox to convey deeper ideas in a short amount of time.
• A synopsis focuses on the main characters and what they go through in the entire plot. It is written to attract the attention of the audience to come and watch the play or it helps persuade producers to fund or support a production.
• Gist - the main point or essence of a story
• Gustav Freytag’s plot pyramid
• ) exposition - introduces the main characters and the setting
• rising action - shows the conflict or conflicts that affect/s the lives of the characters and their relationship with each otherv
• climax - the turning point of the story which signals a change in the course of the events in the story
• ) falling action - shows the response of the characters towards the climax
• denouement - reveals the result of the decisions and solutions thought of the character/s to face the conflict/s.
• When writing a play synopsis:

  • Write a clear storytelling that highlights the characters' actions and motivations
  • Use active voice to focus on the characters as the movers of the plot
  • Use the third person point of view without personal comments or reviews
• Choose a unique angle from the story to avoid predictability

  • Highlight plot elements that make the play unique or fresh to watch
• A synopsis may include characters' feelings briefly to help the audience understand the story's realism
• The challenge is to compress a lengthy play into a few sentences without losing the plot's attractiveness and value
• Steps to follow in writing a synopsis:

  • Write a one or two-sentence summary of each element of the plot, paraphrasing events in your own words
  • Let go of unimportant details
  • Put the summaries together in paragraph form using literary present tense
  • Use transition words to smoothly move from one event to another
  • Ensure all necessary details are included
  • Paraphrase all words correctly to avoid plagiarism
  • Have a classmate read your work to check if they understood the play's plot based on your synopsis
• Plagiarism is the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving proper credit

  • Forbidden means not permitted or allowed
• Allegory:

  • Type of drama with symbolic characters representing abstract concepts
  • Example: The Crucible by Arthur Miller
• Burlesque:

  • Type of drama that ridicules or satirizes a well-known play or dramatic style
  • Example: Travesties by Tom Stoppard
• Farce:

  • Type of drama that exaggerates comic and highly improbable situations
  • Example: The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
• Melodrama:

  • Type of drama filled with pathetic situations
  • Example: Pygmalion by Jean Jacques Rousseau
• Naturalistic play:

  • Drama that presents the dark sides of life
  • Example: Miss Julie by August Strindberg
• Problem play:

  • Drama that presents a current social problem and provides a solution or course of action
• Realistic play:

  • Drama that presents an image of what is really happening in society
  • Example: A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• Romantic play:

  • Type of drama that magnifies and embellishes reality
  • Example: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
• Travesty:

  • Satirical drama that pokes fun on manners, a way of life, or old beliefs
• Aside:

  • Words directed to the audience but not "heard" by other characters on stage during a performance
• Chorus:

  • A group of characters in Greek tragedy led by a choragos, who comment on the action of a play from an outsider's perspective
• Comic relief:

  • Use of a humorous scene to interrupt a series of intensely tragic dramatic moments
• Deus ex machina:

  • Refers to the use of artificial, sometimes supernatural, means to resolve the conflict of a play
• Dramatis personae:

  • Refers to the characters or persons in a play
• Monologue:

  • A speech by a single character without another character's response
• Pathos:

  • Quality of a play's action that moves the audience to feel pity for a character
• Recognition:

  • Point at which a character fully understands the consequences of his actions or the truth about who he is
• Reversal:

  • Surprising turning point in the life of the protagonist
• Soliloquy:

  • A speech in a play meant to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on the stage
• Verbal strategies for effective storytelling:
• Volume:

  • Change the volume of your voice (loud, moderate, or soft) to emphasize the shift of mood in the story
• Pitch:

  • Adjust the pitch (high and low) of your voice to indicate the character's emotions, like high pitch for joy and low pitch for gloom
• Pacing:

  • Deliver lines with the right pacing, slowing down in gloomy or mysterious parts and hastening during action scenes
• Pauses:

  • Use effective pauses, especially for cliffhanger moments, to capture the audience's attention and emphasize important words or phrases
• Tone:

  • Use appropriate tones (firm, nasal, screechy, somber, high-pitched, whispery) to reflect the character's attitude or emotions