How to Convert a Screenplay to a Stage Play
If you have a screenplay that you or someone else has written, there are many reasons why you may want to convert it to a stage play. If the screenplay has been turned down by producers, if you think that your screenplay would be better adapted for the stage, or even if you’ve got a hit movie that you think would translate well into a theatrical stage production, converting a screenplay to a stage play is a matter of changing the format of the script.
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Instructions
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Center justify all character’s names in your script . The name of the character delivering lines should always be in the center of the page. Use all capital letters for character names.
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Format your scene directions by justifying your text left 3.5 inches and right 1 inch. Scene directions would be a description of the setting and the opening action.
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Format your staging directions by justifying your text left 2 inches and right 1 inch. Staging directions will include all major action in the script.
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Format your character directions by justifying your text left 3 inches and right 1 inch. Character directions are brief actions portrayed by a character or descriptions of the dialogue delivery. Left justify all dialogue.
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Set the margins for your script from the top to 1 inch, from the bottom to 1 to 1.5 inches, from the left to 1.5 inches, and from the right 1 inch.
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Make a header in the upper right hand corner with a roman numeral for the act followed by the page number of the script. Make a footer on the lower left hand corner of the page with the name of the play. You can also put your own name in the footer.
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Denote the act and scene at the beginning of each new scene and act. Denote acts with Roman numerals and scenes with Arabic numerals.
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Make a cover page with just the title of the script and your name. At the bottom right hand corner, list your contact information. Make a character page with a list of all characters. Center the word characters 2 inches from the top of the page. List characters in all capitals justified to the left with a dash and brief description of the character and their relationship to other characters.
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Tips & Warnings
Most aspects of a screenplay and a stage play are going to be very similar, but pay close attention to the format when converting one to the other.
References
Resources
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