{"id":7653,"date":"2013-08-20T02:49:09","date_gmt":"2013-08-20T02:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=7653"},"modified":"2026-04-16T10:03:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T15:03:30","slug":"action-and-stage-directions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/action-and-stage-directions\/","title":{"rendered":"Benefits of Understanding Action and Stage Directions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_aUeVNx1pemk\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_aUeVNx1pemk\" data-source-videoID=\"aUeVNx1pemk\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Benefits of Understanding Action and Stage Directions Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Benefits of Understanding Action and Stage Directions\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_aUeVNx1pemk:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_aUeVNx1pemk {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/updated-benefits-of-understanding-action-and-stage-directions-64becbd45ec2f-2.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_aUeVNx1pemk\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_aUeVNx1pemk\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Benefits of Understanding Action and Stage Directions\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_aUeVNx1pemk\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_aUeVNx1pemk\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_aUeVNx1pemk\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Hi! Welcome to this video on stage directions and how to read a play!<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll be explaining how to read, rather than watch, a play. I\u2019ll give you a handful of tips that will help you understand a play without the context of a director\u2019s performance. <\/p>\n<p>It can be difficult to read a play; after all, the script isn\u2019t intended for you to read, but rather it\u2019s intended to be performed. So the playwright, unlike an author of a novel, doesn\u2019t spend a lot of time world building.<\/p>\n<p>But there are a handful of things you can do that will help you understand a play as you read it.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"><strong>Approach the play with an open mind.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"><strong>Read with pencil in hand, and use it!<\/strong> <br \/>\nJot down notes on characters, themes, elements, anything you notice. This will help you to not only stay engaged, but it will help you to organize the play and follow along as you read.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Make a note of all the stage directions.<\/strong><br \/>\nThere will be a few (and likely only a few). Get as much out of them as you can. As a reader, you have the advantage of being able to imagine anything and everything, a luxury a director does not have.<\/p>\n<p>Stage directions are given from the perspective of actors on the stage. Stage right is on the audience\u2019s left. Upstage is the back of the stage, farthest from the audience, and downstage is nearest the audience.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a list of a few major directions you may encounter:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-left: 40px;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">Act:<\/span> This is a subsection of a play. There are often three acts in a play.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">Aside:<\/span> When an actor breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the audience, and not other characters on stage.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">Fourth wall:<\/span> The invisible \u201cwall\u201d between the stage and the characters. Generally, nothing is supposed to cross this wall.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 1.5em;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">Chorus:<\/span> In Greek theatre, the chorus is a group of people who comment on or advance the plot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"><strong>Visualize.<\/strong><br \/>\nAdd voices and costumes to the characters as best as you can. You may not have too much to go on, but a good play will resonate with you in some way &#8211; can you empathize with the situation a character is in? Do you have a similar story? This may help you to convey what the character is communicating.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"><strong>Direct the play in your head.<\/strong><br \/>\nWhat costumes would you have the characters wear? What\u2019s the mood &#8211; is it dark, happy, mysterious? What are the people like? Tall, short, fat, haughty, timid, loud? These considerations will help flesh out the story line.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 1em;\"><strong>Research the setting and historical context.<\/strong><br \/>\nThe playwright may have intended the play to be set in a certain time and place, such as Ancient Greece, Victorian England, the back alleys of New York City. Oftentimes, art is meant to criticize or instruct. What is the playwright suggesting about people or a particular place in time? The copy or translation you\u2019re reading may include notes &#8211; be sure to read those as well.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Go watch the play performed!<\/strong><br \/>\nI know that\u2019s not necessarily helpful when you\u2019re trying to learn how to READ a play, but plays were meant to entertain and be performed. The more plays you can watch, even if it\u2019s your local community theatre, will help you understand theatre better as a whole. <\/p>\n<p>If you can, do all of the above steps first so that you walk into the performance with as much information as possible. Or don\u2019t\u2014it\u2019s performance art after all, so try doing this process in the opposite order. Watch the play first, then do all of your research. The more exposure you give yourself, the better.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you find yourself getting frustrated or not enjoying theatre, that\u2019s okay. Try different <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/literary-genre\/\">genres<\/a> to see if there\u2019s something you enjoy more. So don\u2019t let anyone judge you if you don\u2019t love the Bard.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for watching! We hope this video on stage directions and how to read a play leaves you feeling prepped and empowered!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/reading-comprehension\/\">Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":185978,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-7653","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-reading-comprehension-videos","7":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7653"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":290918,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7653\/revisions\/290918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}