Consider a painting. It is a complete work of art. So is a sculpture. A novel is a self-contained work of art. But a play script by itself is incomplete. The art occurs only when the actors, director, crew, set, and audience come together.
Playwriting is a set of detailed instructions for others to create the production, the living work of art. Playwriting must be clear, concise, detailed, precise, and very descriptive directions of what the actors say and do, in order to achieve the playwright's intent.
A play script can be likened to a recipe. The details are all there, the ingredients, and the specific instructions. But the recipe is not meant to be read and then set aside. The recipe is there so the chef can create the intent of what is printed on the paper. And all the descriptions of the final dish mean nothing toward creating the dish unless the instructions are clear. Occasionally, those who write recipe books may include humor or analogies about the cooking, but it is ultimately how the dish turns out that determines success or failure.
Likewise, a script may be likened to sheet music. By itself, the sheet music is incomplete. Until a conductor and orchestra are added, the musical notes are impotent; only a half-completed artistic creation.
People rarely read recipe books; rather, they scan them, or pick out only such dishes as they desire to make. Few people read sheet music for pleasure. Plays have some advantage here, as they are more frequently read for pleasure. But the real purpose of plays is to be worked through by a cast and crew in order to create the living work of art.
The components listed above that comprise a completed work of art include the audience. Without the audience, the work is incomplete. Unless someone tastes the dish, the chef has no response. Even though an orchestra may record in a studio, the recording will still find an audience. So, too, with a play. Many productions I have worked on where the cast and crew were ready and all that was lacking was the audience.
Therefore, the playwright must be careful to make sure that what is necessary will play on the stage. Stage directions, italics, and character descriptions generally do not make it to the stage. Such instructions may be underplayed, ignored, or misinterpreted. But the dialogue and blocking are not. If a character is supposed to say or do a specific thing, then clear playwriting will ensure that those occur.
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