Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region I
Division of Ilocos Sur

One-Act Play

Name of Teacher –Writer: ANGELBERT D. RABUYA

School: TAGUDIN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
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3

Conceptualize a character/setting/plot for a one-act play.

HUMSS_CW/MPIj-IIc-17
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Define one-act play.
2. Conceptualize a character, setting, plot for a one-act play.

During the previous lessons, we have tackled the different

elements of drama. Before we are going to start our new lesson, let
us check what you can recall about these elements.
You are going to watch a short video clip. But before
watching, please take note of the following as your guide to
understanding the message of the video clip. You are going to
identify the elements that are present, then give short details about
them.
ELEMENTS DETAILS
Setting

Characters

Plot (Using the pyramid pattern)

Theme
 You have been taught about the different elements of drama the previous
days. You were able to identify them in a literary piece, but now it is time
for you to be able to conceptualize and make your own examples of the
different elements of drama (one-act play) specifically: setting,
characters, and plot. However, you have to define one-act play first.

As you go further with this topic, consider the following about One-
act play:
It similar to a short story in its limitations. There is a complete drama
within one act.
It is brief, condensed, and single in effect.
One situation or episode is presented, permitting no minor plots or
side actions that may distract attention for the single purpose and
effect being developed.
Characters are few in number, quickly introduced, and very limited in
character development.
Dialogue and Plot must carry the action forward smoothly and
quickly.

One-Act Play

https://www.sdhsaa.com/Fine-Arts/Speech/One-Act-Play

 A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as

distinct from plays that occur over several acts.
ELEMENTS OF ONE-ACT PLAY One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes.
 In recent years the 10- minute play known as
"flash drama" has emerged as a popular sub-
genre of the one- act play, especially in writing
1. CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION
competitions.
 The origin of the one-act play may be traced to
Characters in a play are portrayed by actors
the very whoofspeak
beginning theindialogue
drama: ancient and carry out
Greece,
the action of the play. Sometimes characters may be merely instruments in the plot;
Cyclops, a satyr play by Euripides, is an early at other
times, they have control of the action. example.

Character Descriptions: How To Write Them (in 3 Steps)

 Writing strong character descriptions actually requires quite a bit of finesse. If you
skimp on descriptive passages, you run the risk of leaving your readers with forgettable
characters. But if you get too descriptive, you wind up leaving no room for the reader’s own
imagination.
So what does it take to strike the right balance? I’ll tell you! Here are three cardinal
rules on how to write character descriptions without falling off that tightrope.

1. Choose your words carefully

 Be descriptive in your language
When describing a character that you see clearly in your mind, it’s easy to simply
give a laundry list of attributes: she had black hair, brown eyes, and freckles. But that
tells us nothing about the character and is frankly a waste of words.

Sure, your protagonist might have brown eyes. But so does half the world’s
population! And characterization is all about showing what makes a character unique.

Sometimes, this can be done through word choice alone. Take this example from
Huckleberry Finn:
“There warn’t no color in his face, where his face showed; it was white; not like
another man’s white, but a white to make a body sick, a white to make a body’s
flesh crawl – a tree-toad white, a fish-belly white.”

From this passage, you clearly understand how Huck’s father looks, as surely
as if Twain had simply written, “He was white.” But through the use of figurative
language and excellent word choice, another image sticks in our head: that of a
sickly, grotesque drunk. Bonus points for the use of “tree-toad” and “fish-belly” —
descriptors that match the tone of the adventure novel.

2. Be specific
Good descriptions tend to be brief but evocative. So choose two or three
distinct, specific attributes to describe and leave the rest to the reader’s imagination.
Here are some ideas on what those attributes might be:
 Facial expressions- Facial attributes are one thing: anyone can have a big nose, so
that tells us nothing substantial about a character. On the other hand, facial
expressions speak volumes. Like this example from Lord of the Flies:
“His face was crumpled and freckled, and ugly without silliness.”

 The way they carry themselves- Body language is key to understanding other
people, so it stands to reason that it’s key to understanding characters, too. Take this
description from Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, which describes a
character through posture and mannerisms alone:

“Mama BekwaTataba stood watching us — a little jet-black woman. Her

elbows stuck out like wings, and a huge white enameled tub occupied the space
above her head, somewhat miraculously holding steady while her head moved in
quick jerks to the right and left.”

3. Don’t always be specific

The irony here isn’t lost on us. But while giving distinct details is important to
character descriptions, so is knowing when concrete descriptions aren’t needed. Words,
after all, are not limited to describing physical things. So don’t limit your prose, either.
 Show, don’t tell
The golden rule of writing applies here as well. At the end of the day, no
matter what you decide to reveal to your audience, the most important aspect of
 character descriptions is how you reveal it. Regardless of how special, unique, or
honest-to-god awesome your protagonist is, a reader forced to trudge through page
after page of intensive description will find any character boring.
Instead, think of how we learn things about other people in real life. Very
rarely does the color of our eyes or the shape of our nose describe who we are. We
don’t tell everything there is to know about each other — we show it, through our
expressions, perceptions, actions, preferences, and even our stuff. Apply that same
rule to your character descriptions, and your characters (and readers) will thank you
for it.

2. SETTING

How to Write a Setting?

There are endless combinations of descriptive words and specific details that
can contribute to your descriptions of setting, creating a clear vision of where your
story takes place:
 Use sensory details. Use all five senses to describe the immediate
surroundings to the reader to quickly immerse them in the environment of
your story.
 Show, don’t tell. Your setting descriptions should be more than just listed off
for the reader. If you have an active or hostile environment, show how the
setting changes or interacts with characters. If there’s a factory nearby, don’t
just tell the reader that—describe what it smells like or how it changes the way
the sky looks. You can also indicate the time of day or time of year it is in your
story by including how the sunlight looks or discussing weather changes.
 Use real-life locations. If you need inspiration, look at the setting around
you. The old church down the road may not be what the religious center in
your drama looks like, but using real locations as a basis for the ones you
create can help outline the setting you’re going for.
 Incorporate figurative language. Your descriptions can be literal, but
sometimes you can create a stronger image in the reader’s mind when using
metaphors or similes to compare it to something else visual. For instance,
comparing the volcanic eruption in your novel to a fiery, vengeful dragon can
create intense imagery that will have more of an impact on your readers’
imaginations.
 Keep it simple. Focus on the details that really matter. The importance of
setting should not be overlooked, however, it is also important not to go
overboard.

3. PLOT

The plot of the drama, although limited in its physical actions and changes of location or
scene, is similar to that of the novel or short story. It must have the same characteristics of
development and structuring, and depend on conflict, suspense and mood to carry the action
forward.

Technical Divisions –
 Acts and scenes are the divisions of a play. Shakespeare’s plays are mainly five acts
in length, with many changes of scene within each act. However, the modern theatre
audience is accustomed to sitting for only two to three hours to watch a play. This means the
average modern play must be limited to three acts, which also has the benefit of keeping set
changes minimum. A few modern plays run longer and have five or six acts.

Structure of the Play

The technical development or structuring of the action in a drama is similar to that of
a novel.
 A preliminary exposition opens up the play, presenting background information and
any necessary explanation of the situation. It introduces the characters.
 The inciting moment follows the preliminary exposition in which the conflict is
presented and the main action begins.
 The rising action then develops through a series of incidents and minor crises which
lead up to the climax or the turning point of the struggle when the action turns against
the protagonist.
 The falling action follows the climax as the conflict works itself out either for or
against the protagonist.
 The denouement (ending) presents the final outcomes of the struggle, sometimes
referred to as the catastrophe which is the end of the struggle, but it is necessarily a
tragic ending.

In the Fallen Star (One-Act Play), this is how the story went on.

Climax:
Its climax is when they talked about the
dead mom, and the child saw a falling star.

ising Action: Falling Action:

s rising action is when the When the child saw the falling star,
haracters were talking about the there came a moment of silence,
eaning of stars. The child and that made her realize that her
orries about the cough of her father is gone.
ther.

xposition: Denouement:
he story started when the When the child accepted the
ther called his daughter to go death of her dad, and said her
ar gazing. The father is sorrowful goodbye. She even
roduced with an unknown To have a fully grasp ofasked
the lesson,
her dadyou haveher
to hug to mom
do these activities.
ness. for her.

1
 Picture Analysis. Study each picture below. Based on the picture, you
are going to conceptualize a CHARACTER by giving a characterization of
each person.

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Covid-19 Victim

Image Sources:https://blog.amopportunities.org/2020/04/08/face-masks-in-the-time-of-covid-19/
https://www.dreamstime.com/success-victory-achievement-concept-happy-woman-winner-clenching-her-fists-yelling-
yes-excitement-achieving-goals-image148714049

2
https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.genengnews.com%2Fnews%2Fgenetics-of-
depression-linked-with-hundreds-of-genes-and-different-behavioural-traits
Based on the first activity, choose ONE character. Then, conceptualize
a SETTING that could be appropriate for the character you have chosen.
NOTE: The details of the setting should be anchored on the emotion of the
picture.

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 3 Plotting the Plot. Based on the character and setting you have
conceptualized on the first and second activities, write a short script about it.

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In this learning kit, you are taught some important

information on how to conceptualize a one-act play specifically on
three elements namely: characters, setting, and the plot.
On the character you have

In not more than 150 words, write what you have learned in this
lesson.

Evaluate the story you wrote. Next, research on a stage play that has
similarity to the material you wrote. Both material can be similar regarding genre,
theme, and other elements. In order to arrive at a certain comparison, answer the
following:
1. How did you find a similar stage play to the one you wrote?
2. How are these two stories similar?
3. What makes both stories effective regarding how the elements of drama
interact?
4. What are the things that your story needs to improve upon?

Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

2020. Svsd.Net. 2020.
http://www.svsd.net/cms/lib5/PA01001234/Centricity/Domain/997/OneACTPl
ays1.docx#:~:text=Like%20all%20drama%2C

“Character Descriptions: How To Write Them (in 3 Steps).” 2018. Reedsy. December
21, 2018. https://blog.reedsy.com/character-descriptions/#:~:text=Character
%20descriptions%20%E2%80%94%20those%20key%20passages.

Buhisan, Arnold Jarn Ford G. Sayseng, Ayesha H. Script Writing. “Creative

Writing:K-12 Compliant Worktext for the Senior High School”. (2016): p.114
 ELEMENTS DETAILS
Setting Rose, can you come over here? We’re
The story happened during a beautiful gonna go star gazing! (coughs)
starry night.
Characters Rose- a strong and independent daughter
Rose Father- a loving one who taught his
Father daughter to be independent.
Plot Exposition:
The story started when the father called his
daughter to go star gazing. The father is
introduced with an unknown illness
Rising Action:
Its rising action is when the characters were
talking about the meaning of stars. The child
worries about the cough of her father.
Climax:
Its climax is when they talked about the dead
mom, and the child saw a falling star.
Falling Action:
When the child saw the falling star, there came
a moment of silence, and that made her realize
that her father is gone.
Denouement:
When the child accepted the death of her dad,
and said her sorrowful goodbye. She even
asked her dad to hug her mom for her.
Theme The story is telling us to value our parents
Valuing our parents while we have time. while we have time because unlike Rose,
she didn’t have enough time with her
parents. She was not able to enjoy her
parents’ company.
 Plot Writing Rubric

Poor Fair Good Excellent

1 pts 2 pts 3 pts 4 pts

Grammar & Poor Fair Good Excellent

Spelling
Writer makes more Writer makes 5-6 Writer makes 3-4 Writer makes 1-2
than 6 errors in errors in grammar or errors in grammar or errors in grammar or
grammar or spelling. spelling. spelling. spelling.

Written in Poor Fair Good Excellent

Script Format
The script is NOT The script is slightly The script is mostly The script is written in
written in script correct. Both margins correct. Either the the correct format. All
format. and the punctuation margin OR punctuation lines have the correct
are not correct. is incorrect. margin and
punctuation.

Creativity Poor Fair Good Excellent

There is little The story contains a The story contains a The story contains
evidence of few creative details few creative details many creative details
creativity in the and/or descriptions, and/or descriptions and/or descriptions
story. The author but they distract from that contribute to the that contribute to the
does not seem to the story. The author reader's enjoyment. reader's enjoyment.
have used much has tried to use his The author has used The author has really
imagination. imagination. his imagination. used his imagination.

Easy to Poor Fair Good Excellent

Understand
and Follow Script does NOT Script is difficult to Script has parts that Script is easy to
make sense. read and understand. are confusing but the understand and follow.
Reader CANNOT It does not flow. An overall intention is It flows and makes
understand the attempt has been clear. sense.
intention or where made.
the script is going.