##### Here are some texts you could choose for one of the [[assignments for drama]] (or to read just for your own enjoyment). [Watch some (free!) short films to get inspired for writing your own script!](https://www.openculture.com/2021/11/watch-30-exceptional-short-films-for-free-in-the-new-yorkers-online-screening-room.html) > “For short films, finding an audience is an often uphill battle. Even major award winners struggle to reach viewers outside of the festival circuit. Thank goodness for The Screening Room, The New Yorker’s online platform for sharing short films. It’s a magnificent free buffet for those of us who’d like nothing better than to gorge ourselves on these little gems.” You may very well have heard of the story called [“The Necklace,” by Guy de Maupassant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Necklace). Several authors have made **one-act plays** based on the original story. Check out the example(s) below, and notice the different choices made by each author. Think about some of these different ways to interpret a story, so you can make some of the same kinds of decisions when you're working on your own dramatic writing! - [one-act play by Burton Bumgarner](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gS-YwF7iOdJ757qmQP4kRig4-yHnjxNO/view?usp=sharing) (what an awesome name!) - [one-act play by Ray Smith](https://docs.google.com/document/d/11gy0jqisz9wLfo15pvyqlWuKv3dwy0HZ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101162814123549454551&rtpof=true&sd=true) For a great example of a **three-act play,** check out [Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco](https://hamtramckfreeschool.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/rhinoceros-ionesco.pdf) — it’s from the 1950’s but seems uncannily relevant to our times. (here’s some [background info from wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros_(play))) [Here’s a how-to video about writing short plays](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A0UksyeHBOFTSoJyfQXeFOS54uUT-58k/view?usp=sharing). “To write a one-act play, read or see some one acts, compress a lot of ideas into an intense story, write character sketches, and have friends act out a draft. Include stage directions in a one act play with help from a writing instructor in this free video writing lesson.” ([original YouTube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFWthwofpVs)) Here’s [another how-to video](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sXXnS17_dhxINRSiNawK3Zi7meJU-alL/view?usp=sharing)! “A one-act play, like the short story, is not necessarily easier to write simply because it is brief. But it does provide less of a challenge than a traditional three-act play and has a discipline and beauty all its own. Experiencing how to write a one-act play is essential to the development of your understanding of this particular form of arts.” ([original YouTube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRTuslMz2Rw)) Finally, here are some video clips from previous live class sessions, discussing various aspects of writing a play: - [thoughts on scene changes](https://drive.google.com/file/d/122A8Uy9Q6Tzj1FXCQxhEhAod2mkGXjBV/view?usp=drive_link) - [things to think about when writing a play](https://drive.google.com/file/d/13nXkw46GdwqsZpoKzseGJ7y95wlCNthE/view?usp=drive_link) - [more thoughts on the playwriting process](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dsMcKAsA6BphA42OymbWKwo6cFUe-t7t/view?usp=drive_link) - [thoughts on music - lighting - sets - stage directions](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ipFdeSpdvX5zLHwEUncPRWHFg9wXL2JO/view?usp=drive_link) - [how to use the simplified screenplay template i made](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ty2N19Irwyk2a957E1I1jb4M00j-5WeW/view?usp=drive_link) (and [here’s the template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jifxCJiKvrTYp73yRAdr5FI4DfCLM5g3agt0qNaWL6I/edit?usp=sharing)) - [Rambling thoughts on point of view](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D0TscsfKDSIQ0FSDxOAOSQofQI7vurdR/view?usp=share_link) (a bit esoteric, this one, but could help in the character development process)