Formatting question

» Delor22 - How many scenes are too many for one act?

The first act of my play has no set changes, but I've manged to break it into six scenes. Too many? I'm using the scene breaks to jump to different times of day. For formatting purposes, do I have to start a new scene every time the stage goes to blackout?

Thanks!

-- posted by Delor22

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» filvayer - Re: How many scenes are too many for one act?

In response to How many scenes are too many for one act? posted by Delor22:

There really is no set answer, but what you, as the playwright, want to keep in mind is the production aspect. Frequently, I read scripts that are like movies, jumping from scene to scene, with no thought to how those set changes are made, or if the cast has to change costumes, both of which can take considerable time. If a set change takes more than 45 seconds or so, it may be too long.

In your case, if the actors don't change clothes, and the set doesn't change (except maybe for placement of a few props), then six changes is not a burden.

As for the scene changes, you should start a new scene, on a new page, after a blackout (or curtain), for clarity to the actors that a certain time chunk has ended. I have run into situations, though, where although a scene changes, one actor from that scene may narrate to the audience while the next scene is beginning. But even so, I prefer to note the scene change by starting on a new page with the next scene.

Remember that a script is a set of detailed instructions for how a group of people will repeatedly bring a show to life, and those instructions should be clear, concise, and complete.

-- posted by filvayer

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