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How Characters in Plays Should Speak

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Part of the video series: How to Write & Develop Dialogue for Plays

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Summary: Learn how to decide how characters in a play should speak with expert playwriting advice in this free play production and theater video clip.

Views: 565 | Tags: art, theater, acting, write, producing, plays, dialogue

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About the Expert

Steve Caverno Steve Caverno attended the University of Southern Mississippi where he received a BA in theatre. Since graduating he has had several plays produced across the... read more

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Video Transcript

How Characters in Plays Should Speak

STEVE CAVERNO: Steve Caverno on behalf of Expert Village, here to talk to you today about dialogue. Okay, we'll do an exercise. Someone asks Rob, "Hey Rob! Were you at the theater the other night?" Rob can reply in many ways. Rob can say, "No! I wasn't in the theater the other night," or Rob can say, "No. I don't believe I was. I was at home watching TV." So this way, we have a short response and a long response. Also Rob could say, "No! That's preposterous! I would never go to the theater. I don't like the theater. I find it not to be my cup of tea," and then he uses cliches to influence and to add a little embellishment to his line and he says big words like "preposterous." This can give us clues into a character. This character might be shy. This character might just be--likes to explain things and he might be more of an extrovert. A character who would say a word like "preposterous" might just be--might be someone who's kind of pompous. These give us clues, clues into who the characters are. How they talk gives us clues.

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