How to conquer complex drama formatting

Producing plays or structuring dramatic dialog sections can be daunting due to their intricate nature and unfamiliar formatting. Don’t panic! This comprehensive guide is designed to offer clear and concise explanations, along with practical examples, to help individuals navigate a wide range of situations with ease.

1. Dramatis personae

   Typography

   Most plays have periods after each character description. Make sure to remove the ending periods of each list item, except for abbreviations. The letter case of various speakers can vary widely for stylistic purposes. Convert the speakers’ names and descriptions into sentence cases. Remove any bold, caps, or small-caps styling for personas.

   Descriptions

   Any descriptions are placed in <p> elements after the list of speakers and end with periods.

   Example

   <section id="dramatis-personae" epub:type="z3998:dramatis-personae"> <h2 epub:type="title">Dramatis Personae</h2> <ul> <li> <p>Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon</p> </li> </li> <li> <p>Don John, his bastard brother</p> </li> ... <li> <p>Messengers, watch, attendants, <abbr class="eoc">etc.</abbr></p> </li> </ul> <p>Scene: Messina.</p> </section>

2. Introductory scene descriptions

   Speakers mentioned in scene descriptions are wrapped in <b epub:type="z3998:persona"> elements.

   <h3> <span epub:type="label">Scene</span> <span epub:type="ordinal z3998:roman">I</span> </h3> <p>London. The Queen’s apartments.</p>

   <h3> <span epub:type="label">Scene</span> <span epub:type="ordinal z3998:roman">I</span> </h3> <p>London. The <b epub:type="z3998:persona">Queen’s</b> apartments.</p>

3. Personas

   Typography

   Names, titles, or other speakers are in title case and without ending periods.

   More than one

   Sometimes multiple speakers talk at the same time. The containing <tr> element has the together class. The speakers are all placed in a <td epub:type="z3998:persona"> element with <br/> elements in between the names.

   <tr class="together"> <td epub:type="z3998:persona">First Lord<br/> Second Lord</td> <td>Alcibiades banished!</td> </tr>

   Abbreviations

   Expand all abbreviated personas, whether its the speakers’ names or ordinals.

   <tr> <td epub:type="z3998:persona">1st Serv.</td> <td>...</td> </tr>

   <tr> <td epub:type="z3998:persona">First Servant</td> <td>...</td> </tr>

4. Dialog

   Multiple paragraphs

   When there is more than one paragraph of dialog will you use <p> elements.

   <tr> <td epub:type="z3998:persona">Bianca</td> <td> <p>Now let me see if I can construe it:</p> <p>“<i xml:lang="la">Hic ibat Simois</i>,” I know you not, “<i xml:lang="la">hic est Sigeia tellus</i>,” I trust you not; “<i xml:lang="la">Hic steterat Priami</i>,” take heed he hear us not, “<i xml:lang="la">regia</i>,” presume not, “<i xml:lang="la">celsa senis</i>,” despair not.</p> </td> </tr>

   Prose and verse

   In certain complex plays, you may encounter a mix of prose and verse in a character’s speech. Verse is surrounded by <div epub:type="z3998:verse">.

   <tr> <td epub:type="z3998:persona">Costard</td> <td> <div epub:type="z3998:verse"> <p> <span>My sweet ounce of man’s flesh! my incony Jew! <i epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">Exit <b epub:type="z3998:persona">Moth</b>.</i></span> </p> </div> <p class="continued">Now will I look to his remuneration. Remuneration! O, that’s the Latin word for three farthings: three farthings⁠—remuneration.⁠—“What’s the price of this inkle?”⁠—“One penny.”⁠—“No, I’ll give you a remuneration:” why, it carries it. Remuneration! why, it is a fairer name than French crown. I will never buy and sell out of this word.</p> </td> </tr>

   Stichomythia

   Stichomythia is a technique used in drama where two speakers engage in a rapid or intense exchange of alternating dialog. Here is an example found in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

   

   This highlights moments of conflict, urgency, or intense emotion and conveys dynamic interactions between characters. Unfortunately, there is no great way to format this technique with clear, predictable structuring. The text displayed has no additional indents or margins.

5. Stage directions

   Right-aligned and brackets

   Exit or exeunt stage directions are traditionally shown right-aligned and bracketed. These are formatted like other inline stage directions and placed at the end of the preceding dialog. Compare how the following page scan source is structured in HTML.

   

   <tr> <td epub:type="z3998:persona">Festus</td> <td epub:type="z3998:verse"> <p> <span>Now will I prove thee liar for that word,</span> <br/> <span>And that the very vastest out of Hell.</span> <br/> <span>With perfect condemnation I abjure</span> <br/> <span>My soul; my nature doth abhor itself;</span> <br/> <span>I have a soul to spare! <i epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">Goes.</i></span> </p> </td> </tr>

   Interrupting dialog

   Occasionally, there is a stage direction row in the middle of the dialog. For the second half of the dialog, the first child of the row is an empty <td> element. Do not use the together class for this, as the interrupting stage direction usually doesn’t pertain to the speaker.

   <tr> <td epub:type="z3998:persona">Autolycus</td> <td>I understand the business, I hear it: to have an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, is necessary for a cut-purse; a good nose is requisite also, to smell out work for the other senses. I see this is the time that the unjust man doth thrive. What an exchange had this been without boot! What a boot is here with this exchange! Sure the gods do this year connive at us, and we may do any thing extempore. The prince himself is about a piece of iniquity, stealing away from his father with his clog at his heels: if I thought it were a piece of honesty to acquaint the king withal, I would not do’t: I hold it the more knavery to conceal it; and therein am I constant to my profession.</td> </tr> <tr> <td/> <td> <i epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">Re-enter <b epub:type="z3998:persona">Clown</b> and <b epub:type="z3998:persona">Shepherd</b>.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <td/> <td>Aside, aside; here is more matter for a hot brain: every lane’s end, every shop, church, session, hanging, yields a careful man work.</td> </tr>

   Attached to personas

   Some stage directions are attached to the persona. These directions are placed in <td> elements with the dialog, but in a separate paragraph.

   

   <tr> <td epub:type="z3998:persona">Festus</td> <td> <p> <i epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">Entering.</i> </p> <div epub:type="z3998:verse"> <p> <span>It is I.</span> <br/> <span>I said we should be sure to meet thee here:</span> <br/> <span>For I have brought one who would speak with thee.</span> </p> </td> </tr>

   Songs

   Some songs are given a title or just labeled as “Song”. Treat these as stage direction rows.

   <tr> <td/> <td> <i epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">Song.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <td epub:type="z3998:persona">Amiens</td> <td> <blockquote epub:type="z3998:song"> <p> <span>Under the greenwood tree</span> <br/> <span>Who loves to lie with me,</span> <br/> <span>And turn his merry note</span> <br/> <span>Unto the sweet bird’s throat,</span> <br/> <span>Come hither, come hither, come hither:</span> <br/> <span>Here shall he see</span> <br/> <span>No enemy</span> <br/> <span>But winter and rough weather.</span> </p> </blockquote> </td> </tr>

   Parentheses

   If there are parentheses inside of stage direction, leave them as is.

   <tr> <td/> <td> <i epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">The neighbour (a woman) passes the hut, and listens to a call from within.</i> </td> </tr>

   A stage direction for a stage direction

   If there is a stage direction for a stage direction, they should not be combined. Instead, each direction should be marked individually with <i epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">.

   <tr> <td/> <td> <i epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">Choristers, singing.</i> <i epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">Music.</i> </td> </tr>