Stage fright does not only happen to actors. A writer, especially someone writing their first play, can be as equally terrified about what will, won’t or might happen on stage. Should the lead character shift upstage, downstage, left or right? And how will this movement affect the other characters? What is the job of the writer regarding stage directions and other interactive information? What constitutes too much information [TMI?] and how does the director, the actors, a potential publisher view TMI?
As you sit and contemplate [what you thought was] your completed script, let’s discuss how much is too much, regarding stage directions.
How Much Wood Would [Should] a Woodchuck Chuck…?
Probably the best piece of advice regarding writing stage directions into your script is to follow the KISS method – Keep It Simple Shakespeare!
First, if you want a character to move to a specific spot and you indicate this in your script, make sure there is a reason for him to move. Never have a character reach a spot and do nothing. Make it purposeful, otherwise it is distracting and the audience will be focusing on this actor [what is he going to do now?] rather than the one delivering the dialogue. Be careful that you do not offer realms of suggestions for movement. Be specific. For instance, Rosemarie crosses to pick up the telephone. That’s specific. Rosemarie crosses stage right, picks up telephone, dials and makes a surprised face when someone other than the person she was calling answers. TMI. This is too much information. The surprised face and body language is up to the director and the actor. The ensuing dialogue that you create should make this situation real to the audience – remember the old show, don’t tell, wisdom? You don’t need to offer particulars about location in your script. These details are evident in the set layout, which you have hopefully already established from the beginning.
Be aware of offering all kinds of upstage and downstage pointers. If it is essential for the director to know the actor must move stage left, then indicate so; otherwise leave movement and blocking alone. Let the director decide. Your concern as the writer is to show and tell the actor where he should be at a particular time only as it pertains to the relevancy and the flow of the story. A writer’s attempts at blocking are frequently viewed with annoyance by a director. As far as the director is concerned, the only time a writer need offer specific stage movement cues, is when they are necessary to advance the story. Too much information can be more than aggravating and may irritate the director or a potential publisher previewing a script sufficiently, to toss yours and pick up the next one in the pile.
