 Drama: December 28, 2005 Issue [#789] |
  Drama
This week: Edited by: John~Ashen  
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Drama! It comes in all genres and is hard to define. It's the stuff that keeps us hooked when watching a show or reading a story. Most of us write drama in some combination with another genre. I'll be offering advice on how to isolate and flex your dramatic muscles. Enjoy  |
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60-Second Shakespeare
Most of us, when considering the drama genre, think of emotional tension and plot conflict. But there is another kind of drama that should come to mind. Remember, from high school? Drama club! Within that club, drama = theater acting.
On this site, plays are only one form of item. They get drowned out among the short stories, poems, and interactives. Fortunately for us all, I have found an exercise which combines both dramatic writing and theater.
60-Second Shakespeare is a format created by the BBC. That's a big TV channel in the United Kingdom. What you basically do is write flash fiction using a Shakespeare theme. You can write a Shakespearean scene in modern terms, or you can write a modern scene using Shakespearean language. It should be sixty seconds in length, whether read aloud or performed.
Let's break this up into its two components:
 Flash Fiction is a condensed form of writing. Usually you set limits, like 500 words for short stories or 55 words for ultra-flash stories. Because of the word limit, your plot must be terse and fast-paced. Your adjectives must be incredibly expressive. There is simply no room for wasted language. Flash fiction forces you to pay keen attention to your writing.
Shakespearean language is a high style of telling a story. Do not focus on archaic wording like "wherefor art thou" but instead resist the ease of everyday language (like "where are you"). Somewhere in between is what you're looking for - "which foul place has stolen you from my presence" perhaps. 
Write your scene, then pretend a master playwright is looking over your shoulder, pointing out places where your style can be enriched. If it's going to be acted out, the actors will appreciate the tasty lines to deliver. With simple language, they have little room to add their own dramatic inflections.
Shake-y Plots
Here are some flash-speed summaries of popular Shakespeare plays. Consider how you write these as a modern situation :
Double-suicide by teens facing an impossible romance.
Forest fairies cause whimsy among two romantic couples.
Seemingly-mad prince reveals a murder of the king.
Want an example? Here's a summary of The Taming of the Shrew : Hot-tempered older sister must marry before younger pretty sister.
In this play, the sisters' names are "Kat"herina and Bianca. Sound familiar? It should. The play was overhauled and updated for the 1999 Julia Stiles movie 10 Things I Hate About You.
If only you could do a similar update in 60 seconds! It's worth a shot... Here, I'll give you a game-plan :
1. Pick the scene you're going to do (from Shakespeare play or a modern movie or TV show).
2. Boil it down to the essential 3 things :
a. What's the beginning? (characters + problem)
b. What's the middle? (plot develops)
c. How does it end? (resolution)
3. Plan it out. Perhaps use a storyboard or outline.
4. Flesh it out. Expand the outline, translating to or from Shakespearean-sounding language.
5. Read it aloud. See how close the whole thing comes to 60 seconds.
If you come up with something, please send me a link. I have this devilish idea about using someone's script to do some skits at the 2006 Writing.Com convention. Muahahahahahah! 
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Some shorter dramas I found on the site:
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