Part One: Write about THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST OR DEATH OF A SALESMAN – Pick any scene in the play, identify it in some way that would be clear to me, then write about the character relationships, what they want from each other and the ways they try to get what they want in both dialogue and action.
Part Two: Analyze the comedy or the drama of the scene. What is funny or dramatic about this scene? Does the comedy or drama require a certain pace or rhythm? Is it physical comedy or tragic drama? Are there operative words that would need to be heightened or deadened to be funny or dramatic? Give five examples of key or operative words or phrases in the scene you chose that should be funny or dramatic if delivered and acted correctly.
Part Three: Pick any fifteen lines in succession in the script and “cut/paste” them into a theatre script like format (if unsure, look at your copy of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST to see how a script is structured). Then, under each line type in italics the staging you would give your actors. With your staging, you must tell the story of the play “in actions” – while being true to the character relationships and adding to the drama or humor of the scene when appropriate.
