Pre-AP English II: The One Act Play

Group Members:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________

Deadlines:
Due Monday, April 10: A completed rough draft of your one-act plays (20 pts.)
Thursday, April 13: Rehearsals
Due Monday, April 17: Final gradable version (printed) ready to be staged. (80 pts.)
Monday, April 17: Your group’s performance in our class competition. (5 EC points for the group that wins)

Requirements:

Your one act play should be about eight pages, about 8 minutes in duration when performed. Your script should be in
standard play format. There are several acceptable formats out there. If you want, use this one:
http://www.indstate.edu/theater/mhspc_files/Sample%20Playwriting%20Format.pdf

Your script should be free of all errors in grammar and spelling. I will use the Winter One-Acts rubric, below, to grade
your play.

Score: 3 Score: 2 Score: 1

Thought-provoking and Has potential but requires Unclear, or implies a

1. Theme relevant, development. harmful message.
substantially explored.

2. Plot Just complicated enough, Intriguing and fully Too simple, or too
and paced well to reach a realized. complicated,
dramatic climax. or just doesn’t make sense.

3. Characters Features intriguing Original, sympathetic Flat, vague or cliché

relatable characters. The characters need more
protagonist confronts development.
a conflict and as a result is
changed in some small or
large way.

4. Dialogue Economic. Witty. Each Serviceable. Gets the point Unintentionally stiff and
character’s voice is across with occasional contrived. Sounds like the
distinctive. flashes of humor or TV.
cleverness.

5. Staging Staging, though Mostly practical and Staging is not described, or

minimalist, creatively effective, but may need too difficult to stage.
enhances the drama. simplification or
clarification.

6. Entertainment Thumbs up! (Explain why.) The playwright’s intended All in all the play, though
Value for a Family effect is achieved. skillful in ways, doesn’t
Show work.
I. PREWRITE
A. What kind of characters does your group wish to write about? _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. As a result of reading/seeing your play, what do you want the audience to

1. Think? ____________________________________________
2. Feel?______________________________________________
3. Know? ____________________________________________

C. What are three or four scenes you NEED to write to tell your story?
1. To introduce main characters and conflict: ____________________________________________________________
2. To develop characters and heighten/complicate the conflict?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. To bring the conflict to a climax?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. To resolve the conflict in a believable way?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meet with your group to determine a story line that will contain the following:
A. Introduction of characters and situation (setting and conflict)
B. Triggering action, where main character has decided that s/he wants something
and goes after it. The main conflict should be clear from this point on.
C. Obstacles the main character must overcome to reach goal. Three complications
that lead to a crisis from which there is no turning back.
D. Climax where the main character succeeds or fails.
E. Falling action or denouement (French word meaning “unraveling”)
F. Resolution – problem is solved. Play ends.
 Rubric for evaluating one-act plays
Circle the appropriate number (1 – 5, low to high)

Content:
1 2 3 4 5 Plot is focused on a single problem to be solved within brief period of time
1 2 3 4 5 Personality of characters is revealed primarily in dialogue; secondarily in action
1 2 3 4 5 Dialogue introduces conflict early in the play
1 2 3 4 5 Dialogue sounds like real conversation – brief, overlapping speeches and some fragments
1 2 3 4 5 Play has an identifiable beginning, middle and end.
1 2 3 4 5 Action includes three increasingly more challenging obstacles in solving the problem
1 2 3 4 5 Climax is realistic, but not given away too soon
1 2 3 4 5 Resolution makes sense based on the personality of characters
1 2 3 4 5 Avoids use of narrator – lets characters reveal themselves
1 2 3 4 5 Minor characters serve as foils or help reveal personalities of major characters
1 2 3 4 5 Suggests lighting, sets, and props, but lets dialogue guide the director in his/her choices

Delivery:
1 2 3 4 5 The group members give a dramatic interpretation of their script.
1 2 3 4 5 The group members speak so that words are clearly understood.
1 2 3 4 5 The group members’ actions seem appropriate for the characters.
1 2 3 4 5 The group members use props effectively.