Standard Theater Script Format

 

Playwrights and the people who read their work have never adopted an ironclad, industry-wide format, maybe because theater, by its nature, can't bear to become establishment. 

The following guidelines are among those considered acceptable: 

  • Cast of Characters:  List the characters with names shown in CAPS and a very short description in lower case.

          EMILY – a harried, middle-aged housewife

            ROBERT – her absent-minded husband

          TOM – their ne’er-do-well son         

 

  • Setting: Description of settings should be indented, single-spaced and enclosed in parentheses. The initial setting should be “At Rise.”

 

At rise                                      (The laundry room of a New York apartment building, Friday night around nine o’clock. A row of washing machines right. Opposite them a row of dryers. Chairs in center. EMILY puts her laundry in a washing machine.)

 

  • Dialogue: The speakers name is centered and given in BOLDFACE CAPS.

 Dialogue goes from left to right margins, single-spaced.

 

ROBERT

C’mon Em, this’s the third time today you’ve snipped at me for no reason. What’s goin’ on?

 

EMILY

Nothing. Just – nothing. If you don’t like it, just get out. Go rake leaves. Go visit that girl you keep talking about. Go …

 

  • Stage directions: They should be indented and enclosed in parentheses.        

                            

(Robert storms out. Emily collapses on the couch and cries, then throws a pillow and rushes to the phone. Dials.)

 

  • Note character names included in settings and stage directions are in Mixed Case, except for their very first occurrence, when they are capitalized.

 

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