A Creative Genre-Study on One-Act Plays

by Danielle Angie

In the past few decades, the world of English education has evolved tremendously. Starting with the Dartmouth Conference of 1966, Language Arts teachers have been moving away from the traditional preoccupation with grammar and correctness in student writing, and moving towards a more meaningful and creative approach to composition. Teaching using a focus on genre has been an important result of this new wave of instructional thought. Using genre studies in English education not only propels students to delve deeply into a specific form of literature, it allows them to collectively and individually expand on their existing knowledge while understanding the relevance between what they learn in the classroom and the bigger picture of their lives.

Advocates of a genre-study approach, such as Randy Bomer and Lucy McCormick Calkins, stress that genres are based on what we learn in our societies. Bomer writes, “Genres are conventions, and that means they are social –socially defined and socially learned” (Bomer 119). Basically, to be a part of a culture is to be familiar with many different genres, ranging from restaurant menus to Saturday Night Live sketches. Implementing genre study into an English class automatically puts students at ease, as the connection between the classroom task and its place in the real world is identifiable. The use of genre study is also incredibly valuable in the classroom when students create collaborative writing. Playwriting is a form of literature that is collective in many ways. Though professional playwrights rarely work with a co-author, the beginning student dramatist needs teacher and peer collaboration while crafting a play. While many young people are familiar with short stories and novels, the short play may be foreign territory. This chapter will explain the benefits of using the genre-study method to guide students in the exploration of collectively writing one-act plays.

Many teachers may be hesitant to create a genre study focused around one-act plays. After all, how many state exams will ask students to craft a play? With the increasing pressure to have students “perform,” to have them score well on a standardized test, more teachers are focusing their curriculum around techniques that will enable students to meet government-imposed standards. I argue that even in this frenzied wave of testing, there is still a need to provide students with lessons that are not only educational, but creative and fun. A genre-study of one-act plays is just this. When students read and write short plays, their literacy and writing skills, as well as their understanding of literary elements, such as character, plot, conflict, and theme, increase. Besides, later in the chapter is an assignment, based on the New York State Regents Exam, which incorporates an excerpt from a one-act play into essay writing.

As stated earlier, the classroom creation of one-act plays should most always be done collectively, in groups. Stephen and Susan Judy, English professors in Michigan , stress the positive effects of classroom drama study in their text, The English Teacher's Handbook. Writing short drama in groups allows students to expand upon their natural desire to interact with one another in a purposeful manner. They will share and discuss ideas, compromise, and, hopefully, enjoy themselves. Because plays are virtually all dialogue, writing them provides students with an opportunity to find fresh new ways of using language. By experimenting with dialect, students will increase their understanding of how writers create believable characters. Drama can also help students to become more imaginative (Judy and Judy 208-10). In a genre study, before writing, students will read, listen to, and watch several plays, not only to familiarize them with the genre, but to serve as models to guide them in their own writing. Ultimately, though, it will be the students, using their imaginations, who will create the plays.

What is Drama?

According to Ivor Brown, drama is “the writing, acting, and presentation of plays” (Brown 16). In this day and age, the definition of drama would extend to include motion pictures and television, but for the purposes of this chapter, I will exclude them from discussion. Drama is based largely on real life. There are characters faced with challenges they must overcome, decisions they must make. Some plays are incredibly realistic, others are totally fantastical, while others are somewhere in the middle. When we hear the term “drama queen,” a person (usually a female) who over-elaborates her facial expressions, gestures, and speaking comes to mind, and rightfully so. Drama should be somewhat over-the-top: exciting, suspenseful, engaging. Like all fiction, the primary purpose of drama is to entertain, evoke feelings, and teach the audience a lesson about life.

What is a One-Act Play?

The one-act play is to the full-length play what the short story is to the novel. Percival Wilde defines the one-act play as “an orderly representation of life, arousing emotion in an audience” (Wilde 41). Bernard Grebanier provides this definition: “A one-act play is an elaboration of a single, significant incident” (Grebanier 172). Because the playing time of a one-act is about twenty to sixty minutes, the playwright has the challenge of creating an engaging plot, enticing characters, and resolution to the conflict in a relatively short amount of time.

What distinguishes a One-Act Play from a Full-Length Play?

One-act plays are somewhat different from full-length drama. Returning to the analogy of a one-act being like a short story, a full-length play is like a novel; it has more characters, a more complex plot, with perhaps a sub-plot, and is much lengthier. Just as a short story is obviously a good place for a novice writer to begin crafting fiction, a one-act play is a manageable task for high school students, especially while working with peers. The challenge for the one-act playwright is to create a story with interesting characters, action, and meaning in a relatively small amount of space. Recalling Bernard Grebanier's definition, a one-act play is an elaboration of a single, significant incident with a twenty to sixty minute playing time. A play with several acts will almost always include an intermission, a time for the audience to take a break, stretch their legs, and have refreshments. One-act plays do not have midpoint breaks; therefore, the play must be so engaging that the viewers will not want to leave the auditorium.

What Components Define a One-Act Play?

1. As stated previously, the plot, or action, of a one-act play revolves around one main incident. This action will follow the standard plot chart beginning with a “cut to the chase” exposition, followed by intriguing rising action. The conflict the main character encounters will enter the drama early on, and will be resolved by the end of the play. The climax, or turning point, will most likely occur near the end, followed by falling action and resolution. Wilde encourages playwrights to create suspense, which he defines as “the tantalizing pleasure produced by artistically retarding the motion of drama” (Wilde 37). The audience is curious; make your play interesting!

1. In a one-act play, the number of characters will be limited. Grebanier advises anywhere from two to seven figures (Grebanier 173). Obviously, the characters should be believable, in regards to the story line and setting. Avoid stereotyping. The main character, the person who the action will revolve around, should be someone who the audience will have a sincere interest in.

1. Drama needs a clear setting, the time and place where the action happens. A play could take place in a girl's bedroom, in a galaxy 400 light years away, or in a doctor's office waiting room. In a short play, there will usually only be one setting, mainly because of length and the singular nature of the plot.

1. As in all literature, a clear theme (or themes) must be conveyed to the audience. The reader, and in the case of drama, the viewer, must be moved emotionally or learn a lesson about life. Some would argue that the setting, characters, and plot of a story ultimately serve to convey a message, or theme.

1. A one-act play has a unique and specific form. A playwright may begin by listing the characters, sometimes with a short description, though some opt to describe the players as they enter the stage. Characters' names should be capitalized. An italicized paragraph or two will describe the setting and sometimes the introductory situation. The various locations of the scenes may be listed at the beginning, as well. From that point on, the play will mainly consist of dialogue and stage directions, which will be examined below.

1. The dialogue in a play must be believable. Depending on regional location, socioeconomic background, and situation, specific dialects can be incorporated. Some authors prefer to write in a dialectical form: “I ain't see ‘er,” while others leave it up to the actors and directors to create a distinct vocal persona. Likewise, some playwrights will include very specific stage directions, though others do this minimally. Stage directions are italicized and enclosed in parentheses. They tell how a character says something ( angrily ), indicate a break in conversation, dictate how the actors will move on the stage, or describe the use of props.

1. There are several sub-genres of one-act plays. These include comedy, mystery and science-fiction, to name a few. It is valuable to mention these to students, though locating examples of these genres in one-act form may prove to be challenging.

The following excerpt from Michael and Mollie Hardwick's adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's “The Dying Detective” illustrates the format of a one-act play:

MRS. HUDSON. Sir, I don't like to tell you, but...well, Mr. Holmes said he wouldn't even have you to see him.

WATSON. What? This is monstrous! I, his oldest friend, and...

(HOLMES groans and stirs slightly .)

Ssh! He's waking. You go along, Mrs. Hudson, and leave this to me. Whether he likes it or not, I shall ensure that everything possible is done.

MRS. HUDSON. Thank you, sir. You'll ring if I can be of help.

( She exits with WATSON'S things . HOLMES groans again and flings out an arm restlessly . WATSON comes to the audience's side of the bed and sits on it.)

WATSON. Holmes? It's I-Watson.

HOLMES. ( Sighs) Ahh! Well, Watson? We...we seem to have fallen on evil days.

(Prentice-Hall Literature Textbook 330)

How to Create and Implement a Genre Study on One-Act Plays

Various professionals have specific ideas as to how a genre study should be incorporated into the classroom. Charles R. Cooper, a teacher at the University of California-San Diego, is an advocate of using genre studies to maximize students' and teachers' classroom writing experiences. Reflecting on the positive benefits the genre study approach has had on his instruction, Cooper writes, “Knowledge about genres -about written discourse, our primary subject as English teachers- gave me new ways of thinking about my students' struggles with writing” (Cooper 24). Like any good teacher, Cooper outlines the steps he takes to teach writing based on genre study. The one-act play unit described below is partially based on Cooper's model.

It is also important to note that in a genre study, the teacher is an active participant. That means that when I require my students to read and write one-act plays, I will be reading and writing them, too. In a genre study, the teacher's writing should constantly be used as a model, to clearly illustrate what will be expected of her students. Modeling also eases some of the panic and confusion students experience when faced with a new assignment.

1. Because students watch so many movies and television shows, they will already be familiar with the genre of theatre. Ask them about characteristics of TV and film. Do they notice any commonalities between different sit-coms, for example? Explain to students that one-act plays are kind of like TV shows for the stage, (but usually better!). Discuss with students what they already know about drama. Have they been to a play? Seen one on television? Performed in one? Read any? What makes plays unique or special? This discussion will warm students up to the idea of drama and get the creative juices flowing.

1. In any English or writing course, it is crucial that students and teacher keep a writer's notebook. This is a place where writers can list topics, ideas, and details for current or future writing. It can also be used to brainstorm and plan for writing assignments and projects. Nancie Atwell encourages her students to keep a list in their notebooks of “writing territories,” subjects and ideas that they are experts on. Atwell also keeps a writer's notebook and shares pages from it with her students (Atwell 120-32). For the one-act play genre study, the writer's notebook can be used as a springboard for ideas about character, plot, detail, and anything involving the writing of a play. By the time the playwriting unit is taught, students should already have a notebook loaded with ideas waiting to be explored. Following Atwell's model, below is a sample page of topics from my “writing territories” page:

Ms. Angie's Writing Territories

• Pete Angie, my loving, gentle husband
• Peat and Isis, my tiger cats with ocean eyes
• my houseplants and how I communicate with them
• walks through the woods and what I bring back home from them
• bike riding
• my sisters, Molly and Brittany
• sisters or siblings, in general
• being a vegetarian and trying to become vegan
• quilting and sewing
• traveling to Europe
• playing guitar and writing songs
• worrying about my grandmother and her poor health
• my cousin, Abby, and how fast she is growing up
• teenage girls and their insecurities and boldness
• gardening
• people who believe in astrology
• coffee and chocolate
• Heather, my best friend
• female friendships
• being obnoxious with my family

Detailed below, later on in a mini-lesson, this list will be used to brainstorm ideas for the one-act play that I will write along with my students.

1. In a genre study, before a teacher asks her students to write, she must acquaint her students with models or touchstone texts. These will provide learners with a base to spring from. It would be unfair to expect students to write a play without giving them the opportunity to read plays first. For this genre study, ideally, as a class, read at least one one-act play, assigning parts to students. Discuss the characteristics of the play(s), including dialogue and stage directions. Allow students to not only comment on their impressions or opinions of the piece, but ask them how the format of the play differs from, say, a short story. Because drama is auditory and visual, it would be a disservice to students to not listen to and/or watch one-acts in the classroom. Listen to a radio play, while students follow along with the written text. This will enhance their understanding of dialogue, dialect, and stage directions. Finally, watch a short play, either a live performance, or bring in one on video. It would be highly beneficial to schedule this unit during the production of a student-performed play at your school. After acquainting students with several one-act plays, discuss setting, characterization, action, conflict, turning point, theme, dialogue, and stage directions of all. Two one-act plays, “The Governess,” a drama by Neil Simon, and “The Dying Detective,” a mystery based on a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, are found in Appendix A. These plays are entertaining and also carry strong messages about the strength and cunning of human nature.

1. Students should be provided with additional touchstone texts that they will read either during reading workshop or outside of the classroom. It is beneficial to students to read examples of one-act plays not only before they begin writing their own, but during the writing process, as well. Lucy McCormick Calkins writes, “A genre study is a structure we create in order to scaffold and support reading-writing connections. Our students read and evaluate, muse over and analyze, learn from and model themselves after texts that are like those they will write” (Calkins 365). Continuously reading models will aid them in the drafting and revising stages of their play. A list of one-act plays suitable for teenagers is located in Appendix B.

1. After acquainting students with several one-act plays, as a class, create a list of characteristics. I would suggest doing this collectively on the overhead or chalkboard, revising the list, and then writing a final one together. This is mainly a student-generated list, but it is important that the teacher fill in any missing parts before the final list is compiled. Students can write the list in their notebooks, but I would suggest that the teacher type it up and distribute it to her students. This list will be a valuable tool for students as they compose their one-act plays. An example of the characteristics list in found in Appendix C.

1. Students will be assigned to write original short plays in small groups. The assignment directions, including a grading rubric, are located in Appendix D. To obtain a clearer picture of what the assignment is all about, refer to this appendix. For a beginning playwright, it would be somewhat unrealistic to complete an entire play alone. Crafting a one-act collectively not only allows students to interact with peers, but gives them the support network necessary to fuel the creative fires. It is up to the teacher to decide how to divide groups. Students could choose their own, the teacher may group students, or (and this would be ideal), students could be broken into groups depending on interest. The five students who love sci-fi could work together, the four who are crazy about mystery and detective stories could be a group, etc. Unfortunately, when working in groups, there seems to be a tendency for some students to “do all the work,” while others use the class time as an opportunity to escape doing anything productive. It must be made clear to students from the beginning that they all must participate in a meaningful way on this project. Regular teacher monitoring will make sure this happens. Besides, because this assignment is so creative and unique, the vast majority of students will be excited to participate!

1. Students will be given ample class time to work on their plays. Due dates are included in Appendix D in the assignment directions. As this is group work, it would be unfair to expect students to meet with their groups outside of the classroom. Therefore, this unit will take a month or longer, but because of the many benefits of doing a genre-study on one-act plays, it will be time well spent.

1. The writing of one-act plays will follow the traditional writing process method of pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publication (in this case, performance). Peer review and teacher conferences during the revising stages will also be incorporated. During this time, the teacher should conduct mini-lessons to aid students in the drafting, revising, and editing stages of the composition. Because the teacher will be writing her own one-act play, she should use her own work in several of these lessons. Often, teachers will only look at student work after it is completed, the time when a teacher's input is least valuable. It is crucial for the teacher to be there with her students, aiding them in their writing and providing feedback and suggestions, while they are still in the stages of writing. Genre study is about writing process ; multiple drafts are imperative to achieve maximum results from student writers. Appendix E details mini-lessons conducted during the drafting, revising, and editing phases, the peer review worksheet, and points to be discussed during the teacher conference. The placement of these activities is specifically designed to effectively aid students in the creation of their plays. An additional list of mini-lesson ideas for teachers can be found in Appendix F and can easily be incorporated into the genre study.
2. As promised earlier, a sample essay assignment, modeled after the New York State Regents Exam, Task III, is included in Appendix G. If a teacher is conducting the one-act play genre study with middle school students or high school seniors, this assignment will not be of much value. But because New York State students cannot graduate from high school without passing the English Regents Exam, incorporating this assignment into the one-act play unit will greatly benefit them without detracting too much from the enjoyment of crafting drama.

1. When students are finished with their own one-act plays, there are several options for publication or performance. They may assign parts and read their plays to the class. The teacher could propose a contest for the “best play.” Students or fellow teachers could read all the plays and vote for their favorite. This play could be turned into a production to be performed, with scenery or not, for the whole school. It would be ideal to locate student playwriting contests and encourage students to submit their one-acts. After all, your students have poured their creative energy into this assignment; their plays should be celebrated!

1. Reflection is an important part of any substantial assignment or writing project. Reflecting on an accomplished task allows people to assess their performance and think about what they have learned and gained as a result of their work. A mini-lesson on reflection and an evaluation sheet can be found in Appendix H.

FURTHER READING/PROFESSIONAL SOURCES

Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and

Learning . Portsmouth, N.H.: Boynton-Cook, 1998.

Bomer, Randy. Time For Meaning: Crafting Literate Lives in Middle and High School .

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1995.

Brown, Ivor . What is a Play? London: Macdonald, 1964.

Calkins, Lucy McCormick. The Art of Teaching Writing . Portsmouth, NH:

Boynton-Cook, 1998.

Cooper, Charles R. Evaluating Writing: The Role of Teachers' Knowledge about

Text, Learning, and Culture. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of

English, 1999.

Grebanier, Bernard. Playwriting . New York: Thomas Crowell Co., 1961.

Howard, John. Theory and Technique of Playwriting . New York: Lawson, Hill, and

Wang, 1936.

Howes, Alan. Teaching Literature to Adolescents: Plays . Glenview, IL: Scott

Foresman Co., 1968.

Judy, Stephen and Susan Judy. The English Teacher's Handbook. Cambridge, MA:

Winthrop Publishing,1979.

Kline, Peter. The Theatre Student: Playwriting . Rosen Press. (Page torn out.)

Mersand, Joseph. Teaching Drama in Secondary Schools . Metuchen, NJ:

Scarecrow Press, 1969.

Soven, Margot Iris. Teaching Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools: Theory,

Research and Practice . Needham Heights, Mass.: Allyn & Bacon, 1999

Weales, Gerald. A Play and Its Parts . New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1964.

Wilde, Percival. The Craftsmanship of the One-Act Play . London: George

Allen and Unwin, 1924.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FOR ONE-ACT PLAYS

The following books each contain several one-act plays suitable for high school students:

Cerf, Bennet and Van H. Cartmell. 24 Favorite One-Act Plays. Garden City, NY:

Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1958.

Gates, Henry Louis and Jennifer Burton, ed., The Prize Plays and Other One-Acts.

New York: G.K. Hall & Co., 1996.

Inge, William. Summer Brave and Eleven Short Plays. New York: Random House,

1962.

Lane, Eric and Nina Shengold, ed. Take Ten: New 10-Minute Plays. New York:

Vintage Books, 1997.

Leighton, Margaret C. Junior High School Plays. New York: Samuel French, 1938.

Odets, Clifford. Six Plays of Clifford Odets. New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1979.

Prentice-Hall Literature Textbooks. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,

1999.

Appendix A

“The Dying Detective” by Michael and Mollie Hardwick from a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

“The Governess” by Neil Simon, based on a story by Anton Chekov

Appendix B

List of one-act plays, not found in the texts named above, suitable for the classroom:

By Jimmy Brunelle: “The Apple”; “Couch Potato Santa”; “Eggheads”; “The Happy Club”; “Having Your Cake”; “I'm a Good Little Girl”

“Painted Rain” by Janet Malia Allard

“The Happy Journey to Camden and Trenton” by Thorton Wilder

“The Governess” by Neil Simon, adapted from Anton Chekov

“The Dying Detective” by Michael and Mollie Hardwick, from a story by Arthur Conan Doyle

“The Inspector General” by Anton Chekov

“Grandpa and the Statue” by Arthur Miller

“The Dutchman” by Amiri Baraka/Leroi Jones

“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell

Appendix C

The following should be given to students as a hand-out to aid them in their playwriting.

Characteristics of a One-Act Play

Here are some definitions of one-act plays by people who are experts on the subject:

“A one-act play is an orderly representation of life, arousing emotion in an audience.” -Percival Wilde

“A one-act play is the elaboration of a single, significant event.” –Bernard Grebanier

A one-act play must have the following characteristics and components:

• The story must revolve around, or focus on one event.
• The action of the play should move fairly quickly. There is no time to have a lengthy introduction. Introduce characters and conflict fairly early on in the action of the play.
• The conflict should be clear to the audience. It should be resolved by the end of the play.
• The characters should be limited to two to seven, with one clear main character.
• Make your characters believable, but interesting!
• Create a setting that is realistic in regards to the characters and plot. The setting can be very detailed or discussed minimally, always in italics.
• There must be a meaningful theme. The audience must walk away from the play having learned a lesson about life and/or experienced real emotions.
• The playing time or read-through time of the play should be between twenty and sixty minutes.
• The play should be entertaining and engaging, with some element of suspense.
• The play's form should follow the standard design:

CHARACTER'S NAME. Dialogue. ( stage directions. ) Dialogue.

• Dialogue is believable and pertinent to the play.
• Stage directions guide players and enhance the overall effectiveness of the play.

Appendix D

WRITING AN ORIGINAL ONE-ACT PLAY

Now that we have explored several one-act plays, you have the opportunity to create one of your own! Using the knowledge you have gained and referring to our touchstone texts and one-act plays characteristics list, you will write an original one-act play with your group. I will also be drafting a play, and will model my work for you throughout this unit.

The subject of your play is up to you. As a group, you need to come to a consensus. This will require compromise. It's okay if the direction of the play is not exactly what you want. This is a group assignment, and you will have ample space to include your ideas, input, and writing.

We will brainstorm a list of possible ideas in class. With the ideas in your writer's notebook to help you, your group will be given a few days to decide upon your topic. Meanwhile, I will share my “writing territories” with you, and begin brainstorming ideas for my one-act play. This will help you see what you need to do to get started.

As a group, before you begin drafting, you need to decide :

•  what the play will be about

•  who the characters will be, including one main character

•  where the play takes place

•  the basic action and conflict of the play

Your one-act play should:

•  have a playing time (read-through time) of anywhere from twenty to sixty minutes

•  be engaging and original

•  contain the characteristics on the list we generated in class (everyone should refer frequently to the typed copy I distributed)

•  be appropriate for the classroom

You will need to decide who will do the actual writing down of the draft. I would prefer for everyone to take turns, but it is up to the group to figure that out. However, even if you are not “scribing” for the group, everyone should have a notebook open and pen in hand to jot down ideas as they come to mind.

While you are drafting your play, I will be conducting mini-lessons to help you in the drafting, revising, and editing phases. You will exchange drafts with another group and peer review each other's work, following the guidelines and questions on the worksheet I will give you. You will also conference with me as a group after your play has been peer reviewed. When the final draft of your one-act is complete, you will be given an opportunity to have it performed. Finally, you will be asked to reflect on your work.

Please note that we will be spending the majority of class time writing the plays, but you will be required to read at least two additional one-act plays during our reading days, which we will have one or two days a week during this genre study.

Due Dates :

Draft 1 is due: _________

Peer Review is due:_______

Draft 2, including revisions is due:________

Final Draft, including final revisions and editing is due:_________

Writing Reflection is due:_________

**Please note: You will hand in all drafts, peer review, final copy, and writing reflection!

The following rubric is based on the one used on the New York State Regents and will be used to grade your final product. You should use it to guide you in the creation of your one-act play. Strive for a 6!

•  Outstanding Work

1. The play revolves around one single, significant event that in interesting and meaningful to the audience.
2. The play contains an engaging plot, including a clear conflict that is resolved. The action moves fairly quickly after the conflict is introduced early on.
3. The play has 2-7 characters that are believable, yet unique in their own right, including a main character that provokes interest in the audience.
4. The playwright uses dialogue effectively, including complete, coherent stage directions.
5. The action of the play takes place in a credible setting. The setting is believable pertaining to the characters and plot. The setting is at least minimally described in italics.
6. The playing time /reading time is between twenty and sixty minutes.
7. There is a meaningful theme which provokes the audience to feel or think about life. The audience will take something valuable away from the play.
8. The play is entertaining and engaging with elements of suspense.
9. The form is totally correct.

5 Admirable Work

1. The play revolves around a single incident that is interesting and meaningful to the audience.
2. The play contains an engaging plot, including a conflict that is resolved. The action moves fairly quickly after the conflict in introduced early on.
3. The play has 2-7 believable characters, including an interesting main character.
4. The playwright uses dialogue well, including coherent stage directions.
5. The action of the play takes place in a credible setting, which is believable and relevant to the characters and plot. The setting is at least minimally described in italics.
6. The playing time is around twenty to sixty minutes.
7. There is a meaningful theme which provokes the audience to feel or think about life.
8. The play is entertaining and engaging.
9. The form is mostly correct.

•  Very Good Work

1. The play revolves mainly around one incident that is fairly interesting to the audience.
2. The play has a somewhat engaging plot, including some conflict that is resolved. The action moves quickly at times.
3. The play contains 2-7 fairly believable and interesting characters, including a main character.
4. The playwrights make use of dialogue and stage directions well.
5. The action of the play takes place in a clear setting, which is at least minimally described in italics.
6. The playing time is roughly between twenty and sixty minutes.
7. The theme, or message, is clear and provokes some thoughts or feelings about life in the audience.
8. The play is mostly engaging and entertaining.
9. The form is mostly correct.

•  Good Work in Need of Some Revision

1. The play attempts to revolve around one significant incident that is, at times, interesting to the audience.
2. The play has a plot that is engaging at times. There is some conflict, but conflict resolution may be unclear. The action moves too quickly or too slowly.
3. There are 2-7 characters, but they may not engage the audience. There is a main character.
4. The playwrights make fairly effective use of dialogue and stage directions.
5. The setting is somewhat clear, though it may not be described at all.
6. The playing time is much shorter than twenty minutes or over an hour long.
7. The theme, or message, is vague or not complete.
8. The play is only sporadically engaging or entertaining.
9. The form is incorrect at times.

•  Fair Work in Need of Revision

1. The play may attempt to revolve around one event. The play is only minimally interesting.
2. The plot of the play is not engaging. There may be conflict, but it is not resolved. The action moves too quickly or too slowly.
3. There are characters, but they are not engaging. It is unclear who the main character is.
4. The playwrights have difficulty with dialogue and stage directions.
5. The setting is unclear, with little to no description.
6. The playing time is much shorter than twenty minutes or much longer than an hour.
7. The theme is vague or may be missing altogether.
8. The play fails to entertain.
9. The form is mostly incorrect.

•  Poor Work in Need of Major Revision

1. The play does not revolve around one event. The play is not interesting.
2. The plot of the play is not engaging. The conflict is absent or unclear. The action moves at a pace which confuses or bores the audience.
3. There are characters, but they are not engaging. It is unclear who the main character is.
4. There is completely incorrect use of dialogue and stage directions, if any at all.
5. The setting is unclear, with no description.
6. The playing time is shorter than ten minutes or much longer than an hour.
7. There is not an apparent theme.
8. The play is not entertaining.
9. The form is totally incorrect.

Appendix E

Found here are the recommended steps for teaching the writing part of the genre study on one-act plays. The mini-lessons incorporate teacher modeling along with the use of additional activities. Detailed are the where, why, and how the lessons, along with peer reviewing and teacher conferencing, should be implemented into the unit.

Step One: Pre-writing/Brainstorming Ideas

Students have read several one-act plays, created and discussed a list of their characteristics, received the assignment, including a 6-point grading rubric, and formed groups to begin the pre-writing stage, using their writer's notebooks for ideas. At this point, the teacher will share the list of “writing territories” she has created over time with her class, via the overhead projector. In front of her students, she will muse over possible topics. She needs to decide what direction her play will take. I would recommend ruminating over this ahead of time; who wants to have serious writer's block in front of twenty teenagers? Once a basic idea is formed, she will brainstorm some ideas for characters, setting and plot, writing possibilities down on an overhead transparency as they come to mind. Finally, she will choose a basic storyline (plot), some character ideas, and a setting. This will give the teacher a good start on her drafting, while giving her students an excellent model to get them started on their brainstorming.

There is a fairly good possibility that many of the students have written some form of short fiction before; however, the chances that they have written drama are slim. Therefore, it is extremely important that students have an opportunity to experience writing dialogue before they begin drafting their plays.

Below is a mini-lesson on writing dialogue and stage directions that should be taught after a few class periods of pre-writing and right before the beginning of the drafting process.

Mini-lesson #1: A lesson on the creation of dialogue and stage directions

This lesson will benefit your students by allowing them to try their hands at writing dialogue and stage directions. Before assigning it, the teacher would be wise to model a few lines to remind students of the format to be used. Also, encourage students to review their touchstone texts. Another technique to get ideas rolling is to have students think about conversations they've heard on TV or in movies.

Assignment :

Everyone's imagination works in different ways. Twenty writers could be given the same characters and situation to write about, but every piece of writing produced would be unique. That is what will happen in this assignment. You will be given two characters and a situation. Your task is to create a dialogue between the two characters, using the standard one-act play dialogue form that we have read and discussed in class. Include stage directions (italicized, in parentheses) to describe the facial expressions, reactions, moods, and movements of your characters.

Situation and characters : A woman and a man are strolling through a city park. The woman is reading a book as she walks. The man is carrying several loaves of bread. The woman, with her eyes on her book, runs into the man, causing him to drop his bread.

Write about a page or so of dialogue between the woman and man about this situation. Be creative!

You will be given about twenty minutes. When the time is up, be prepared to share your writing with a partner, and, if you wish, with the class.

As students are working on this task, the teacher should be circulating around the room, helping students who are stuck and checking to see if everyone understands the assignment. Having students share their dialogue with each other will help to open them up to the idea of participating in group writing.

Step Two: Begin Drafting

Once the student writers have a basic outline for their plays, they will begin drafting.

Students will be given approximately two to three weeks to complete their first drafts. During this time, the teacher should circulate around the room, working with groups to give them aid and help with ideas and structure. After a few class periods of drafting, if the teacher feels like students are having difficulty and need a cooperative lesson, the following mini-lesson can be taught.

Mini-lesson #2: A lesson on creating characters, conflict, dialogue and stage directions .

This lesson should be conducted using whole-class instruction.

1. Develop two to three characters. What do the characters look like? How old are they? Where do they live? What are their hobbies and interests? What are their favorite foods? After discussing these, the teacher and students will create the characters together on the overhead.

1. Create a situation/conflict between the characters. Brainstorm a few ideas together as a class. Some examples are: one man is bit by another man's dog; two best friends are trying out for the lead role of their high school play; a woman receives a visit from her long-lost brother.

1. Referring to touchstone texts as models, write the dialogue and action that takes place between the characters, including stage directions when needed.

1. Revise and discuss.

Strive to use dialogue that is realistic in regards to the situation and characters. This activity can be used to show students how much they already know about people, conflict, and dialogue. Hopefully, with this cooperative, teacher-led practice, students will more clearly understand how to write a one-act play.

Step Three: Peer Review

Once students have completed their first drafts, they will exchange plays with another group to conduct a peer review. Peer reviewing not only helps writers assess the progress of their work, it allows them to look at someone else's work as a comparative tool. I highly recommend providing students with a list of questions to answer as they review their peers' writing. Without the questions, many students are apt to simply declare, “Yeah, its good,” without really doing an analysis.

Below is an example of a peer review worksheet to be used at this stage of the writing process.

One-Act Play Peer Review

Now that you have completed your first draft, you will exchange your play with another group's. Read that group's draft and respond thoroughly to the following questions:

1.What was your reaction to the one-act play? Describe it.

2. Does the play make use of dialogue and stage directions correctly?

3. Does the play contain 2-7 interesting characters, with one clear main character?

4. Is the setting clear and described at least minimally using italics?

5. Is the play's plot engaging and exciting? Is the conflict introduced early on and resolved by the end?

6. Did it take you between twenty and sixty minutes to read through the play?

7. Did you learn a lesson about life? Were you emotionally moved? In other words,

is there a clear theme or message in the play?

8. Was the play, overall, enjoyable with some elements of suspense?

9. What are the strengths of the play?

10. How can the play be improved?

When you have answered these questions, return this sheet and the draft back to the group you exchanged with. Read over your reviewers' comments. Discuss what needs to be done in the revision process.

Step Four: Revising

Hopefully, students will positively benefit from peer reviewing. The next step in the process is revising. Many students do not take the time to revise, or if they do, they merely change a few words. By including revising as a required and necessary step in the one-act play genre study, students will not only practice a valuable writing skill, but ensure a more entertaining play.

Students will be given about one week to revise their drafts, essentially writing their second drafts. During this time, they should fine-tune ideas and dialogue, cutting out anything that detracts from the play and adding to it where necessary.

At this point, the teacher will have a draft completed, as well. Staying true to the teacher-modeling concept, the following mini-lesson will give students a taste of what is expected (and what can be gained from) revising their first draft.

Mini-lesson #3: Teacher model of revision

On the overhead, the teacher will display a few pages of her draft. Recalling the method used in the pre-writing lesson, she will ruminate over what can be improved upon in her writing. She should feel free to take suggestions from students; by sharing their input, they will become even more involved with this genre study.

As a class, refer to the peer review questions. The teacher should ask students if she has met the requirements. What do they like about her play? What suggestions do they have for improvement? What can be cut out? What needs to be added in? While welcoming feedback from her students, the teacher should also be asking herself the same questions, making revisions wherever she sees fit.

The same excerpt from the teacher's draft will be used again in the editing stage.

Step Five: Teacher Conferencing

Conferencing with each group at this stage of the writing process may be even more valuable than peer reviewing. Because the teacher is somewhat of an “expert” on literature and writing, she will be able to assist her student writers in a way that their peers may not.

During the week allotted for revising, each group will meet with the teacher. The groups should give her copies of their one-act plays a few days ahead of time, so the teacher can be ready with comments and suggestions when the conference takes place.

In the conferences, the teacher will basically provide feedback to her students, using the questions on the peer review sheets as a guideline. Conference time also allows students to ask any questions and express any concerns they might have about their plays. By meeting with students and reviewing their drafts during the writing process, the teacher is giving her students a wonderful opportunity to improve upon their work.

Step Six: Editing

The second to last step in the writing process has finally arrived! Editing is a time to carefully review writing for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, improper punctuation, and poor word choices. It is the step that takes the least amount of time, but it is still an imperative one. A teacher should allow her students about two days to read through their second drafts to edit them to perfection. Before they do this, the teacher will want to model editing in her draft using, once again, the overhead projector.

Mini-lesson #4: Teacher modeling of editing

Because she wants to maximize learning for her students, the teacher should make sure there are some mechanical errors in the excerpt from her second draft. Instead of simply correcting them all herself, she will teach her students more by asking them to identify and fix mistakes found in her draft. Because drama is written in a unique, specific format, the teacher should have students verify that the form of her draft is correct. If errors not discovered by students, the teacher should point them out and make corrections.

After this mini-lesson, an “editing checklist” should be distributed to each group and reviewed by the teacher. When students have an understanding of the checklist, they will return to their groups to edit their plays.

One-Act Play Editing Checklist

As you edit your play as a group, use this checklist to guide you.

• There are no spelling errors.
• There are no punctuation mistakes.
• The tense used is correct and uniform.
• There are no mechanical errors.
• The word choices are appropriate for the context.
• Capitalization is correct.
• The format used follows the guidelines appropriate for a one-act play, including:

•  Characters' names are written in capital letters, followed by a period when that character speaks.

•  Stage directions are written in italics and enclosed in parentheses.

Once students have completed the editing stage, they will need to type their third and final draft. I would recommend allotting them a few days to complete this, before all of their work must be handed in.

Ideas for publication/production are stated in #10 of “How to Create and Implement a Genre Study on One-Act Plays.”

Appendix F

The following is a list of mini-lesson ideas that can be incorporated into a genre study on one-act plays.

• For a transitional activity between one-act plays and short stories, a part of a short story can be rewritten using dramatic format (dialogue and stage directions).
• To appeal to art-lovers, display a large painting or photograph of people in the classroom. Have students write character descriptions and dialogue based on the people in the artwork.
• To illustrate what dialect is, bring in several movie clips featuring characters with varying accents and ways of speaking. You may want to have your students listen to a Southern farmer, a New York City pizza shop owner, and a California hippie. Discuss differences and similarities in the characters' dialects.
• Have students practice writing dialect. Give them a list of five short pieces of dialogue. Tell them to rewrite each phrase using different dialects. This activity should first be modeled by the teacher.
• Provide students with the first few lines from a one-act play. Have them continue writing a page or so of the plot, introducing the conflict.

Appendix G

Incorporating One-Act Plays into the Regents Exam

The following is a sample Task III from the New York State Regents Exam:

For this task, you will be given excerpts from two short works, “Seventh Grade Shoes,” a poem by Gary Soto, and “Trifles,” a one-act play by Susan Glaspell. Though the texts have different topics, they both contain similar imagery that creates similar moods. For the written portion of Task III, you will be asked to write an essay identifying and comparing the similar images found in both texts and identifying and comparing the mood the images create.

It is imperative that you establish a controlling idea , or topic sentence, that will shape your essay.

Here are the passages:

Passage I

From “Seventh Grade Shoes”: (In this poem, the speaker is recalling his first day of seventh grade.)

In my muddy shoes,

I entered the classroom with a classmate breathing

On my collar, so close that we were twins,

Conspirators. I didn't dare look down

Or dare stand up first when the bell rang.

The entire class exited shoulder to shoulder

When school let out. We seventh graders herded together

But peeled slowly away, none of us

Saying words like “good-bye” or “so long.”

We parted one by one just as the sun slipped

Into the poach of winter fog.

I walked home.

When I saw a lone pigeon,

It was dead, with its claws straight in the air.

Right then, I grasped my lesson in the power of crowds,

Not like that bird, smart-aleck loner.

I nudged him with my shoe.

The wind parted its ash-colored feathers,

And, except for me, no dressed citizen really cared.

Passage II

From “Trifles”: (In this scene, two women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, are in the house of a woman suspected of murdering her husband, John Wright.)

MRS. HALE....Did you know John Wright, Mrs. Peters?

MRS. PETERS. Not to know him; I've seen him in town. They say he was a good man.

MRS. HALE. Yes- good; he didn't drink, and kept his word as well as most, I guess, and paid his debts. But he was a hard man, Mrs. Peters. Just to pass the time of day with him- ( Shivers) . Like a raw wind that gets to the bone. ( Pauses, her eye falling on the cage ). I should think she would ‘a' wanted a bird. But what do you suppose went with it?

MRS. PETERS. I don't know, unless it got sick and died. ( She reaches over and swings the broken door, swings it again, both women watch it ).

MRS. HALE. You weren't raised around here, were you? ( MRS. PETERS shakes her head ). You didn't know her?

MRS. PETERS. Not till they brought her yesterday.

MRS. HALE. She- come to think of it, she was kind of like a bird herself- real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and- fluttery. How- she- did- change....Tell you what, Mrs. Peters, why don't you take the quilt with you? It might make take up her mind.

MRS. PETERS. Why, I think that's a real nice idea, Mrs. Hale. There couldn't possibly be any objection to it, could there? Now, just what would I take her? I wonder if her patches are in here- and her things. ( They look in the sewing basket ).

MRS. HALE. (crosses to right of table ). Here's some red. I expect this has got sewing things in it. ( Brings out a fancy box ). What a pretty box. Looks like something somebody would give you. Maybe her scissors are in here. ( Opens box. Suddenly puts her hand to her nose). Why—( MRS. PETERS bends nearer, then turns her face away ). There's something wrapped up in this piece of silk.

MRS. PETERS. Why, this isn't her scissors.

MRS. HALE. ( lifting the silk ). Oh, Mrs. Peters- it's –( MRS. PETERS bends closer ).

MRS. PETERS. It's the bird.

MRS. HALE. But, Mrs. Peters- look at it! Its neck! Look at its neck! It's all- other side to .

MRS. PETERS. Somebody- wrung- its- neck. ( Their eyes meet. A look of growing comprehension, of horror ).

Your task: Using both passages, write an essay comparing the similar images found in both texts and the similar moods the imagery creates. Make sure your controlling idea is clearly stated. Provide direct quotes (properly cited) from each passage in your work.

Bibliography for the sample Regents task:

Glaspell, Susan. Plays . Dodd, Mead & Company, 1948.

Soto, Gary. A Natural Man . San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1999.

Appendix H

Writing an entire one-act play is no small accomplishment. It is essential that the teacher heartily congratulate her students on their fine work. It is also necessary to encourage students to reflect on the writing they have produced as well as the process used to complete the work.

Reflection is often a time of solitude, of internal thought. Therefore, the reflective questions should be completed individually by students. Afterwards, students will share their reflections with their groups. The one-act play genre study began with a whole-class discussion and will come full circle by ending with the class sharing reflections.

Reflection on One-Act Play Genre Study

Please answer the following questions with care. They will not only allow you to assess the achievements made while writing your play, but provide me with a critical lens to critique this unit and make improvements for future classes.

1. What is your overall feeling about the genre study approach? What do you like about it? What do you dislike?

1. Did reading one-act plays before creating your own help your writing?

1. How do you feel about working with a group? How did the group-work benefit you? How did it detract from the writing of your play?

1. Are you satisfied with your final product? Why or why not? Explain.

1. Would you like to use the genre study approach again with different genres, such as poetry or short stories?

1. What suggestions or changes would you make?

1. What was the best part about doing the one-act play genre study?