PART TWO A…Principles of Scriptmaking
Here are some fundamentals to be considered:
1. Literary Merit (A script should be based on material of literary value.)
2. Text Responsibility (The scriptmaker must respect the text and preserve the author’s intentions as fully as possible.)
PART TWO B…Procedures For Scriptmaking
Choose a selection for which you have a strong affinity, and that meets the needs of your performance event. Here is a checklist you can follow:
1. Is the selection appropriate for cast and audience. Consider:
a. Subject appeal
b. Level of sophistication
c. Difficulty. Is it within the range of an available cast in vocabulary, composition, style, etc.?
d. Literary value
e. Content value: relevancy to total group.
2. Is the selection suitable for Readers Theatre arrangement? Consider:
a. Since Readers Theatre is a form of theatre, is there drama (conflict of characters, of ideas) inherent in the piece? Is there a strong basic situation with progressive action? Are the characters vivid?
b. Point of View:
Third Person Omniscient narration offers the greatest flexibility for division of lines in order to achieve script variety and multiple narrators who reflect various characters’ points of view.
First Person point of view presents special difficulties in achieving script proportions since one character’s narration and dialogue usually comprise the bulk of the selection.
Any material can potentially be made into a satisfactory script by the application of techniques that will be provided in our next post, but it is recommended, however, that the novice start with a Third Person Omniscient selection.
Be sure to analyze the material. As arranger, you are responsible for insuring that the script faithfully preserves the author’s intentions. Study the selection until you understand it as thoroughly as possible. Below is a checklist for elements which need to be investigated:
1. Point of View…Who is the storyteller? Is the narration given in first or third person?
2. Journalistic Questions…Discover the Who, Where, When, What, Why and How of the story to make the external plot concrete in your thinking.
3. Characters…Study the active characters through their dialogue, actions, and what the author tells and implies about them.
4. Themes…What is the driving force of the story?
5. Climaxes…Good writing is progressive with a pattern of climaxes (emotional high points) ending with a major one which usually marks the turning point of the action leading to final resolution.
6. Style…Is it meant to be realistic or artificial? Is it rapid and straightforward or elaborate and circuitous?
7. Emotive Response…Define the desired reader-audience response the authors seeks to evoke: laughter, serious contemplation, terror, intellectual stimulation, or some other emotion.
(Reference: Institute Book of Readers Theatre)
In PART THREE, examples of scriptmaking will be provided…hopefully posted by May 12th!!
