Reading Drama on the Page

Enjoy plays as texts by imagining staging, pacing, and subtext as you read.

Plays are written for performance, so reading one on the page requires an active imagination. You become director, designer, and every actor at once. Start with the cast list and opening stage directions, which establish setting and relationships. As you read dialogue, imagine how lines are delivered: quickly or slowly, warmly or coldly. Pay special attention to subtext, the meaning beneath the words. Consider an original exchange: 'Lovely weather. ' 'Is it? ' 'You used to like the rain. ' 'I used to like a lot of things.

' On the surface they discuss weather; underneath, a relationship is fraying. Notice silences and pauses marked in stage directions, which often carry the most tension. Reading a play aloud with friends, each taking a part, is one of the most enjoyable ways to experience drama outside a theater. Because plays are compact, you can often read one in an evening, making them a rewarding addition to any reading list.

• 1Imagine staging, pacing, and delivery as you read.
• 2Subtext is the meaning beneath the words.
• 3Pauses and silences often carry the most tension.