You will write a short mini-play that explores or comments on some local South Florida social, political, and/or economic topic or problem. If it is a problem, do not preach or directly offer a realistic solution. It can have a leaning towards a side of the issue, but of should not feel like a one-sided argument. It can also simply not lean toward any side, but rather show the complexity of the issue that could engender a discussion of the topic after a performance.
The piece should be approximately 3 to minutes long. That tends to about three pages of dialogue, at 12 pt. font.
All the possible views and angles and solutions of your chosen problem should be discussed thoroughly before the creation of any theatre piece.
Once youve explored the issue, decide what kind of style best addresses the issue. You have to think of not only the topic/problem, but what would be the best way to present a story concerning it.
The purpose of this assignment is twofold:
Explore how theatre can be a tool of social commentary, causing dialogue among both the artists and audience on the complexities of the issues. Immediate solutions wont pop up from these. If the answer to any situation were easy, it would have been done already.
Get a taste of what its like to do theatre, at least write a play.
You will get to choose the topic/problem. It may be a problem that is very specific to South Florida, or something that is common to many U.S. metropolitan areas, but has its own flavor in SoFLA. Examples
Problems with Immigration
Traffic
Crime
Race/ethnic relations
Sexuality
Comparison/contrast to rural America
Problems due to suburban sprawl
Religious issues
Medicare fraud (a big topic for South Florida)
Language barriers
Political rivalries
The sky is the limit!!!
The scene may present a beginning middle and an ending (like the Aristotelean plotline we discussed in class), and it would probably be best if it did. However, it does NOT have to. It can present a more static or loosely written plot (think back to our lecture and readings of certain Asian styles of theatre).
It can be ANY style of theatre.
Straight up Realism
Poetic Drama
Satire
Dance/movement oriented theatre
Sky is the limit!
The scene may have a personal resolution for the characters without clearly offering a solution for the social/political/economic problem on a larger scale. In other words, the scene can show the effects of the problem on individuals, and through that the audience gets a sense of the bigger picture.
As far as format, remember its a playscript,, not a short story. You may search online for templates and examples; there are a multitude of sites.
