Module 3
The Self and The Script
Objectives
- Introduce the idea of the script as “text.”
- Deepen our understanding of dramaturgical practice through textual analysis.
Method
- Active reading.
- Analytical questioning.
- Note-taking.
Introduction
One of the most important things we need to remember when we consume culture—watch a movie, listen to music, read a book or script—is that what we are bringing to it is our own personal experiences, our personal histories, and what we previously consumed.
Let’s go back to the script “Dead End.” When you are asked whether or not you like it, and you are told to explain your answers, what you inevitably reveal is your own personal history and context.
For example, if you say that you like it because you haven’t seen any play that has characters this age, that reveals not so much a truth about this play, as it does the truth of your limited exposure to characters of this age taking lead roles in plays. When you say that you didn’t like it because it is so morbid to talk about death in this way, that is a judgment on the play based on your own values about when death should be talked about.
Now of course you are entitled to your own opinions about a given script. But what critical analysis forces us to take into consideration is the possibility that when we speak of a given material, what we might really be doing is revealing our own limitations as readers. In this module, you will learn about how to go beyond precisely your own limitations towards a better understanding and analysis of the scripts that you read.
Self-Reflexivity
An important component of critical reading is knowing where you come from when you speak. This means always being clear about the perspective you’re taking when you talk about a script and being critical of your own reading—just in case you might be judging the material unfairly or bringing to it questions that are unnecessary.
For example, when you read a script and it has a dominantly male cast, you can easily say (even without reading it) that there should be equal representation in all plays and as such this script is terrible. But would that analysis be fair? What of all the stories in real life that are dominated by men? Should we not make scripts about those stories because there should be women in all scripts?
Let’s go back to the previous example about “Dead End” and the morbidity of discussing death. If death cannot be discussed based solely on one’s values, then there would be no stories about people with terminal conditions, or about life-or-death situations. After all, those speak of death as well.
This is what we mean when we talk about self-reflexivity. Once you read a script, you don’t only need to formulate your opinion about it, you also need to ask yourself: is this opinion valid?
Grounding in The Script
How do you know if your opinion of a script Is valid? Very easily, you need to ground yourself in the script itself.
The words on the page are all you’ve got, and you need to see what it is creating as one complete whole that’s built by various parts (plot, character, setting, dialogue). The validity of one’s opinion about a given material, whether it’s a book, a movie, a digital series, or a play, cannot just be based on an opinion based solely on your experiences, history, or knowledge. More than anything it needs to be based on the script itself—the words on the page, the story it tells, how the narrative unfolds. This is what the playwright deserves from you as a reader, and as a part of the production.
How do you make sure to ground yourself in the script? This is where your analysis of the script goes beyond just talking about whether you liked it or not. Instead, you go into what it is the script was trying to do, what its goals were, and whether or not it succeeded, given how it used the different parts of the play to push forward its story.
Towards Script Analysis: Ask Questions
An easy way to get used to intelligently discussing a script is to start asking questions about it. Here’s a basic guide to questions you can ask of a script towards forming a critical and valid opinion on it.
On plot.
- What is this story about? In one or two sentences, capture what story this play was telling.
- How does the story unfold? What happens in the story?
- Is the play’s unfolding believable? Does its movement from one moment to another make sense?
- What are the unique features of the plot? Here you can look at the parts of it that were a surprise to you, or what you think is a rare thing to see in play.
On character.
- Were the characters in this play believable? Do not look at whether or not they were “real” or familiar to you. Look at how those characters exist within the plot itself and if that made sense.
- Did the dialogue (the voice and tone) of the characters work in creating the world of the play? The language used in a text always points to context. What context did these characters’ words create for you as your read the script?
- Did the actions of the characters make sense? Given how they exist within the world of the play, look at whether the individual actions of each character make sense in moving the story forward.
On setting.
- How relevant is the setting of the play to the story? Here you look at whether or not this play can simply be contextualized in another time or country or place, and how that would affect its telling. If the story will change because of the setting, then obviously, the setting is important.
- What are specific details about the setting that dictate the telling of the story? Look at the specific places within which certain actions and conversations happen in the script and decide whether or not those choices made sense.
Active Reading
Read Nick Joaquin’s Tatarin, A Witches’ Sabbath in Three Acts. After reading it once, read it again but this time with the questions above in mind.
Note Taking
After the second reading, go back to the questions above for plot, character, and setting and answer the questions in the same bullet format. You can have multiple bullets for each question. This is not an essay but do write in complete sentences. You can do this in English or Tagalog. Follow submission format. ***
