How to Write Lines For Actors in Plays

Video Transcript

STEVE CAVERNO: Steve Caverno on behalf of Expert Village, here to talk to you today about dialogue. Let's look at some examples of dialogue and how that might play into an actor's performance. Now, one thing is which--you want to focus on when you're writing dialogue is that someone's going to have to remember all that stuff. And there are things you can put in a dialogue that can make it easier for an actor to remember. Let's look at two examples. This is an example of some hard-to-remember dialogue. Let's read through it. "So, well, um, I'm just trying to say here...um...I'm trying to say, see, you know, I'm trying to say something that I want you to understand, but it's hard for...I'm just trying to say, you know, see, and I want you to understand." You might record someone who's very nervous, who's flustered. They might say something word for word like that, but theater dialogue, dialogue in theater, is not going to be actual speech. It's going to be a representation of speech. You're taking what's someone is saying and you're transcribing it in a way where an actor can actually interpret that speech that they're saying. This is an example of some easier to remember dialogue. We're going to say it based on the same thing but we're going to say it in a more easy to remember format. "What I'm trying to say here is...what I desperately want to say to you is that I want you to understand, but it's hard for.... What I want is for you to look at me and me to look at you and to know that you get me." So, basically, they're saying the same thing but they're using some different words. It's always good to add some word because if you're constantly saying the same thing, then it's going to be hard for the actor to remember their lines. "What I'm trying to say here is...what I desperately want to say." So, first you're using "trying" then you're saying "What I desperately want." You're using two different ways to say the same thing, and then you say, "What I want is that you understand" but then at the end you're saying, "I want you to get me." So, you're not using the same word to say the same thing, you're baring the words. And then you say things where it's easier to remember; it has a flow to it. "For you to look at me and me to look at you." Well, you can remember "For you to look at me." And then the logical thing to say after that is, "For me to look at you," so now we're both looking at each other, whereas if you say, "Then we'll look at each other and then we'll look at each other and we'll look at each other a lot longer." That's going to be three things for the actor to remember. They're going to get confused, they're not going to be able to remember that one when they'll remember a hundred other lines. So, you want to make it as easy for the actors as possible. You want to give them those guide post. Give them those stop signs in the script to where they can remember from this point to that point to this point and then they'll have a better understanding of how to memorize things. It'll actually help your words be conveyed better.

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