241/Ritt
Playwriting Exercise
Write a script for a one-act play (or screenplay). Your script should be a complete story—with
a beginning, middle, and end—that takes place inside of 5 minutes. It takes actors
approximately one minute to perform a page; therefore, your finished script must be 5 pages
long (within ½ page under or over).
As our goal is tell a complete story, you are advised to keep things relatively simple, with
approx. 1-3 characters and a simple setting (ie a living room, a café with table and chairs, etc).
Your story can be fiction, non-fiction, or some combination thereof. Start with a conflict between
interesting characters, and let their conversation develop from there. In such a short story, you
won’t be able to cover a character’s entire biography, so focus in on a small part of the story that
would help you exemplify something larger. (Ie one fight that shows us a lot of about the main
characters’ relationship). You may also wish to consider the use of elements such as lighting,
props, and stage presentation to enhance your story, though this is not required.
Structure your play approximately as follows:
Page 1: Set up the world we’re in, introduce central character(s), and show the audience what
they want/need in the journey of the story (Love? Acceptance? Lunch?)
Page 2: Illuminate the central conflict—the dramatic question, or central concern of the play—
which will be answered by play’s end.
Page 3-4: Complicated the story once or twice (don’t make it too easy for your characters!)
Page 5: Resolve the conflict (even if the ending is unhappy or uncertain).
(Adapted from Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief by David Starkey)
Assignment lengths:
SFD: 2-3 pages (3 page MAX, double-spaced)
o Submitted for feedback; graded for completion and creativity (+10)
Small workshop draft: 2-4 revised pages (4 pages MAX, double-spaced)
o Used in class during small workshop (+5 participation points).
2nd draft: 4-6 revised pages (6 pages MAX, double-spaced)
o Submitted for feedback and a grade (+30).
Formatting Scripts:
Play script (for stage): Begin with the following info:
A brief description of the setting and any props that characters will use. (You may wish
to mention time/place if they’re not obvious from the play).
List characters’ names, along with any essential characteristics for casting.
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The rest of your script should be dialogue between the characters and actions. Format as
follows:
CHARACTER NAMES are in all caps and either centered or left aligned.
Do not use quotation marks around dialogue.
Start a new line whenever the speaker changes (if the same character keeps speaking,
then keep writing across the page, like a regular document).
Actions in a play script should be enclosed in brackets.
PLAY SCRIPT: “The Cheese”
Setting: A living room, sofa and coffee table.
Characters: Kevin, Randy (young men, ea.
241Ritt Playwriting Exercise Write a script for a one.docx
1. 241/Ritt
Playwriting Exercise
Write a script for a one-act play (or screenplay). Your script
should be a complete story—with
a beginning, middle, and end—that takes place inside of 5
minutes. It takes actors
approximately one minute to perform a page; therefore, your
finished script must be 5 pages
long (within ½ page under or over).
As our goal is tell a complete story, you are advised to keep
things relatively simple, with
approx. 1-3 characters and a simple setting (ie a living room, a
café with table and chairs, etc).
Your story can be fiction, non-fiction, or some combination
thereof. Start with a conflict between
interesting characters, and let their conversation develop from
there. In such a short story, you
won’t be able to cover a character’s entire biography, so focus
in on a small part of the story that
would help you exemplify something larger. (Ie one fight that
shows us a lot of about the main
2. characters’ relationship). You may also wish to consider the use
of elements such as lighting,
props, and stage presentation to enhance your story, though this
is not required.
Structure your play approximately as follows:
Page 1: Set up the world we’re in, introduce central
character(s), and show the audience what
they want/need in the journey of the story (Love? Acceptance?
Lunch?)
Page 2: Illuminate the central conflict—the dramatic question,
or central concern of the play—
which will be answered by play’s end.
Page 3-4: Complicated the story once or twice (don’t make it
too easy for your characters!)
Page 5: Resolve the conflict (even if the ending is unhappy or
uncertain).
(Adapted from Creative Writing: Four Genres in Brief by David
Starkey)
Assignment lengths:
-3 pages (3 page MAX, double-spaced)
o Submitted for feedback; graded for completion and creativity
(+10)
3. -4 revised pages (4 pages MAX,
double-spaced)
o Used in class during small workshop (+5 participation points).
draft: 4-6 revised pages (6 pages MAX, double-spaced)
o Submitted for feedback and a grade (+30).
Formatting Scripts:
Play script (for stage): Begin with the following info:
characters will use. (You may wish
to mention time/place if they’re not obvious from the play).
characteristics for casting.
241/Ritt
The rest of your script should be dialogue between the
characters and actions. Format as
follows:
left aligned.
4. character keeps speaking,
then keep writing across the page, like a regular document).
PLAY SCRIPT: “The Cheese”
Setting: A living room, sofa and coffee table.
Characters: Kevin, Randy (young men, early 20s)
RANDY: I told you to bring the cheese!
KEVIN: …What, man? What did you say?
RANDY: The cheese! Do you even listen to me? [gets up as if
to leave]
KEVIN: Hold on a minute. What cheese?
Screenplay script (for short film): Skip the set-up paragraph,
though you may begin with a
brief description of the scene as needed. Like a play script, your
screenplay script will be
dialogue between the characters and actions. Format as follows:
and in actions (first time
character is introduced).
5. clearly from actions. Start a new
line whenever the speaker changes (if the same character keeps
speaking, then keep
writing across the page, like a regular document).
and may include more info
that play actions, including characters’ thoughts or emotions,
scene descriptions, etc.
SCREENPLAY: “The Cheese”
INT: Living room, daytime.
RANDY is agitated. He paces the room, sighing.
RANDY: I told you to bring the cheese!
KEVIN looks surprised. He doesn’t answer immediately.
KEVIN: …What, man? What did you say?
RANDY: The cheese! Do you even listen to me?
KEVIN: Hold on a minute. What cheese?
