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Bee by Prince Gomolvilas, Asian Stories In America

Play Formatting/Submitting

Yes, there is a proper way to format your script. It's just that people don't quite seem to agree what that is. What follows, however, is a pretty good format that most manuscripts seem to follow these days. This was prepared for you with love and passion from Brian Thorstensen. Please thank him when you see him. You can also download a formatting instructions plus and example. (MS Word)

Formatting
ACTS & SCENES

• Act & scene designations should only appear on the 1st page of each act or scene.
• Acts are usually designated with Roman numerals or spelled out: Act II, Act Two
• Numeral designations tend to be reserved for scenes: Scene 3
• Begin each act or scene at the top of a new page.

PAGE MARGINS

• Top: .75 - 1.0"
• Bottom 1.0 - 1.5"

PAGE NUMBERING

• Numbering begins with the first page of Dialogue
• Numbering is always in the upper right hand corner of the page.
• Each act is number consecutively through the end of the act: i.e. I-1, I-2, etc.
• Start new page numbers with each act: i.e II-1, II-2 III-1, III-2
• Preliminary pages (front matter) should either be not numbered at all or, numbered with lower case Roman numerals.

DIALOGUE:
Character Tags:

• Use all capital letters to identify the character speaking.
• The first letter of each character name is centered (4.25") with the rest of the name
• spelled out to the right.
• If the characters line goes over a page break, identify the character speaking with a second character tag on the new page and follow the tag with: (contąd). e.g. TOM (cont'd)

Margins:

• Left 1.5 - 2.0"
• Right 1.0"

Spacing:

• Double space after previous stage directions or dialogue, before the character tag.
• Single space between character tags and character stage directions or dialogue.
• Single space all dialogue
• Double space after dialogue before the next stage direction or character tag.

STAGE DIRECTIONS
General Stage Directions

• Use all capital letters when a character name appears in the stage directions.
• Margins:
• Left: 3.5"
• Right 1.0"
• Spacing: Single spaced, but double space between paragraphs if needed.
• Character Stage Directions: Appear directly under the character's name or between the lines of dialogue of a single speech and enclose them in parenthesis.

These are general rules to follow. You may want to use some small variations depending on your own writing. For example if the lines of dialogue are short sometimes having a character tag centered is not useful, the tag is too far away from the line. In that situation you may want to put character tags in two or three tab stops. The big key is consistency throughout your script. You are communicating, to a reader a director or an actor HOW to read your work. It is worthwhile spending time focusing on these details.

Campus Production Links
• Theatre Department website
• Players Club
• Current Performing Arts Season
• 14 Hils
• Transfer Magazine

"And oddly enough, everything starts with a word." Pablo Neruda