Stage directions Notes

Stage Directions

1. (or: everything important that isn’t spoken out loud)

2. In drama, what characters do is just as important as what they say.
   Sometimes, it’s even more important.
3. That’s where stage directions come in.

1. What are stage directions?

1. Stage directions are the instructions written into a script that tell us:
   1. how characters move
   2. how they behave
   3. how a scene looks or feels
2. They are usually written in italics or brackets and are not spoken aloud.
3. In simple terms:

   1. Dialogue is what the audience hears. Stage directions are what the audience sees.

2. Why stage directions matter

1. Stage directions:
   1. reveal character emotions and traits
   2. create tension and atmosphere
   3. support subtext
   4. guide actors and directors
2. Without stage directions, a play would be a list of floating conversations with no meaning attached.

3. What stage directions can show

1. Stage directions often show things characters don’t say directly.
2. They can reveal:
   1. emotion (hesitates, turns away, pauses)
   2. power (stands over, interrupts, steps back)
   3. conflict (slams door, avoids eye contact)
   4. relationships (moves closer, keeps distance)
3. Stage directions are a key way writers show, not tell.

4. Types of stage directions (the useful ones)

Movement and gesture

1. These show how characters use their bodies.
2. These often reveal emotion or internal conflict.

Positioning and space

1. These show where characters are in relation to each other.
2. This often shows power or tension.

Pauses and silence

1. Sometimes nothing happening is the most important thing.
2. Silence usually means:
   1. tension
   2. hesitation
   3. something unsaid

Tone and delivery

1. Some stage directions guide how lines are spoken.
2. These change the meaning of dialogue without changing the words.

5. Stage directions and subtext (they're best friends)

1. Stage directions often carry the real meaning of a scene.
   1. Dialogue: “I’m fine.”
   2. Stage direction: (turns away, pauses)
2. The words say one thing. The stage directions say another.
3. That gap is subtext.

6. Stage directions and dramatic structure

1. Stage directions help control tension over time.
   1. small movements build tension in the rising action
   2. dramatic gestures often appear at the climax
   3. stillness or silence often appears in the resolution
2. They help the audience feel where the story is heading.

7. Using PEEL to analyse stage directions

You can analyse stage directions just like dialogue.

P: Point

1. Identify what the stage direction shows.
   1. emotion
   2. power
   3. tension
   4. conflict

E: Evidence

1. Quote or describe the stage direction.
   1. a movement
   2. a pause
   3. a gesture

E: Explain

1. Explain:
   1. what this suggests about the character
   2. what the audience understands without it being said

L: Link

1. Link to:
   1. conflict
   2. character development
   3. theme
   4. dramatic structure

8. Now it's your turn...