News & Comment
Trade Secret No 1
(October 09, 2016)Publishers Criterion No 1
Is it clear whose story this is and what journey they take over the course of the play? Do we see his/her problem from the beginning?
All good plays have a main character who at some time in the plot is faced with making a big decision.
The audience members are with her/him when she/he is faced with this decision and go through the pain of the decision with the character and feel the resultant effects of it - good or bad.
E.G. "Shall I kill the king?" "Yes" or "No"? (Macbeth) "Shall I try to become a ballet dancer?" (Billy Elliott)
Anyone can tell a story "I did this, then he did this and then I said this" ... but it isnt an involving play because we're just listening to a conversation about someone's past actions and we aren't involved in the moment in the decision-making.
Big decisions in the present here-and-now lead to big "changes" and change means movement in the story and "action."