LESSON 4: WRITING A DRAMA

What is Drama?

As mentioned in the previous module, literature is quite complex and consists of a wide
array of genres, including poetry and fiction. Drama, on the other hand, is another literary
genre with various characteristics which are distinct from the other types of literary works.
In literature, drama is defined as:

 A mode of fictional representation through dialogue and performance

 A type of play which is written for theater, television, radio and film
 A composition in the forms of either verse or prose for the purpose of portraying
life or character or telling a story which often involves conflicts and emotions
through action and dialogue
 It comes from the Greek words δρᾶμα (an act, a play) and δράω (to act, to take
action)
 Its writer is known as dramatist or playwright

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 Types of Drama
Drama is classified into different categories according to mood, tone, and actions shown in
the plot. Below are some of the most famous types of drama written nowadays.

1. Comedy
This is known to be a broad genre of film, television, and literature.
Nonetheless, its ultimate goal is but simple – to make the audience laugh. In order
to achieve such goal, a playwright often uses quaint circumstances, unusual
characters, and witty remarks. What makes this category different from the other
types is that its writer uses lighter tone. Moreover, it is sometimes known to be
sarcastic in nature as it has the tendency to make fun out of serious topics.

The following are the sub-genres of comedy:

 Romantic Comedy - It focuses on lighthearted, humorous plot lines which are
often centered on romantic ideas like how true love is able to overcome many
obstacles.
 Sentimental Comedy - It began in the 18th century as a reaction to the
immoral tone of English Restoration play. This sub-genre of comedy focuses
on the middle-class protagonists who are able to successfully overcome a
couple of moral trials.
 Comedy of Manners - It is also referred to as the anti-sentimental comedy
which writes about the manners and feelings of modern society. It also
questions societal standards.
 Tragic Comedy - It portrays characters who take on tragedy with humor in
order to bring out happy endings out of serious situations.

2. Tragedy
As a type of drama, tragedy is basically rooted on its literal meaning which
connotes something that is unpleasant and unwelcome. Generally, it has darker
themes and portrays subjects which include death, disaster, and all sorts of human
suffering in a manner that is dignified and thought-provoking. This type of drama
involves two important elements: (1) its intense seriousness in dealing with
matters in which survival is at stake and (2) its involvement of the whole
community in matters of ultimate and common concern. A tragic flaw, a
characteristic which often leads to a downfall, is usually present among the story’s
protagonists.

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 Tragedies come in different types which include:

 Greek Tragedy - Typically, it involves a protagonist of high rank who commits

a mistake in judgment (flawed) and accepts his fall from grace. Typically, it
includes the elements of Gods, mythology, conflict, suffering and catharsis.
Among the great Greek tragedians were Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus.
 Roman Tragedy - These are mostly adaptations of Greek tragedies. The
Roman philosopher Seneca wrote nine plays which still exist at present and
adopted by Elizabethan and Jacobean playwrights during the late 16th and
early 17th centuries.
 Elizabethan and Jacobean Tragedy - Elizabethan tragedies, which are not all
written by Shakespeare, often involve main characters of high status (nobility,
military rank, among others) who committed an error or flawed, encounter a
reversal of fortune and die towards the end of the play. On the other hand,
Jacobean tragedies usually have the characteristic of revenge tragedies.
 Revenge Tragedy - This type of tragedy often involves one character who
seeks revenge upon another character in the story for an evil doing. The most
common examples of this are Hamlet by Shakespeare and The Duchess of
Malfi by John Webster.
 Tragicomedy - This is a single dramatic work which consists of a combination
of tragic and comic elements. One popular example of this is the play Waiting
for Godot by Samuel Beckett.
 Domestic Tragedy - Unlike the Elizabethan period tragedy, it portrays a
common man in a domestic setting as the tragic hero in the story. The best
examples for this are Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Eugene O’Neill’s The
Iceman Cometh.

3. Farce
This type of drama features exaggerated or absurd forms of comedy. It is a
nonsensical genre of drama in which the characters intentionally overact and get
themselves into a slapstick or physical humor. Webster’s Dictionary refers to it as
“a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable
plot”. Recently, it is known as something serious that has turned comical.

4. Melodrama
This is an exaggerated type of drama which shows classic one-dimensional
characters like heroes, heroines, and villains who deal with sensational, romantic,
and threatening situations. Examples of melodrama are the play The Glass

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 Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and Margaret Mitchell’s novel, Gone With the
Wind.

5. Opera
This type combines theater, dialogue, music and dance to tell grand stories of
tragedy or comedy; hence, it is known as a versatile genre of drama. This genre
requires their performers to be both actors and singers since they will be
expressing their emotions and intentions through song instead of a dialogue.

6. Docudrama
This new genre involves dramatic portrayals of historic events or non-fictional
happenings. It is more often presented in movies such as Apollo 13 and 12 Years a
Slave.

What is a One-Act Play?

During the 18th and 19th centuries, one-act plays are done for amusement of the audience
before the actual drama starts which is known as “The Curtain Raisers”, or just after the
actual drama ends which is known as “The After Pieces”. However, one-act plays do not
require elaborated setting and costumes among the actors for it only covers few minutes of
the running time.

A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several
acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. In recent years, the 20-40 minute
play has emerged as a popular subgenre of the one-act play, especially in writing
competitions.

Shaurya (2015) enumerated the examples of one-act plays by major dramatists:

 Anton Chekhov - A Marriage Proposal (1890)

 August Strindberg - Pariah (1889)
Motherly Love (1892)
The First Warning (1892)
 Thornton Wilder - The Long Christmas Dinner (1931)
 Eugene Ionesco - The Bald Soprano (1950)
 Arthur Miller - A Memory of Two Mondays (1955)
 Samuel Beckett - Krapp’s Last Tape (1958)
 Israel Horovitz - Line (1974)
 Edward Albee - The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (2002)

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 What is the Structure of a One-Act Play?
1. DIALOGUE
Unlike novel or short stories, plays are not written in paragraph form but rather in script
or lines of dialogue. The script is narrowed down to acts (major divisions of the play)
and each act is then subdivided into a scene (smaller divisions within the act). Observe
this sample script below:
Act I
Scene 2

The LIGHTS come up on ROSE hanging up clothes.

SHE hums and sings softly to herself.
It is the following morning.

ROSE. (Sings.)
Jesus, be a fence all around me every day
Jesus, I want you to protect me as I travel on my way.
Jesus, be a fence all around me every day.
(TROY enters from the house)

ROSE
Jesus, I want you to protect me
As I travel on my way.

(To TROY.) Morning. You ready for breakfast? I can fix it as soon as I finish
hanging up these clothes?

TROY. I got the coffee on. That'll be all right. I'll just drink some of that this
morning.

However, the elements characters, plot and setting are also found in a play the same with
novels and short stories. Observe these elements that were emphasized in August Wilson’s
Fences.

2. SETTING
In addition to the dialogue, a script will also include stage directions. These notes, which
are often in italics or parentheses, help the actors interpret the scene for the audience. In
this example, when Rose transitions from singing to speaking directly to Troy, the stage
directions tell her to whom she is talking. The audience will only see her turn and direct
her comment to Troy.

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 ACT I
Scene 1

The setting is the yard which fronts the only entrance to the MAXSON household,
an ancient two story brick house set back off a small alley in a big-city
neighborhood. The entrance to the house is gained by two or three steps leading
to a wooden porch badly in need of paint. A relatively recent addition to the
house and running its full width, the porch lacks congruence. It is a sturdy porch
with a flat room. One or two chairs of dubious value sit at one end where the
kitchen window opens on to the porch. An old-fashioned icebox stands silent
guard at the opposite end.

3. CHARACTERS
Before the dialogue in a script, the playwright will often include a cast of characters.
Typically, each character, both major and minor, is listed alongside a brief description of
the character's role in the story. In this example, you can see that Troy is the main
character, and each character is described in relation to him.

TROY MAXSON
JIM BONO, Troy's friend
ROSE, Troy's wife
LYONS, Troy's oldest son by previous marriage
GABRIEL, Troy's brother
CORY, Troy and Rose's son
RAYNELL, Troy's daughter

This list is usually given to audience members on a printed playbill, or program, as they
enter the theatre, so that they may identify the major characters and the actors who will
play them.

4. PLOT
The plot structure of the play doesn't really differ from that in prose. There is an
exposition, a rising action, a climax, falling action, and the resolution. In the play Fences,
the exposition explains that Troy Maxson is a garbage man who loves his family, in spite
of the fact he is cheating on his wife, Rose. The main conflict comes when Troy's son,
Cory, wants to go to college on a football scholarship, but Troy doesn't want him to go
because he's afraid he'll be discriminated against like he had been when he played
baseball. In the rising action, Troy goes to Cory's coach and tells him that Cory can't play
football anymore. Cory accuses Troy of being jealous. Troy's affair with Alberta

(Elements of Drama: Characters, Plot, Setting & Symbolism, 2013)

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5. DRAMATIC ELEMENTS
While it is important for a playwright to understand the structure of drama, it is also
necessary that he or she is fully aware of the many different techniques and devices –
dramatic elements – involved in making a play more effective, interesting and
meaningful. Here are some of them:

Action It refers to what the characters say or do to achieve their goals

Antagonist It refers to the character or situation that is in conflict with the protagonist

Arc It is the storyline of the play; something that the audience wants to find out.

Aside This is when the actor speaks directly to the audience while the other actors
on stage supposedly did not hear a word he or she says. In the Renaissance
drama, it was used to make the actor’s inner feelings known to the
audience while in the 19th century, it was used to insert comedy or
melodrama.

Backstory It refers to past events involved in the play.

Complications This is the introduction of new characters, information or other events

which often causes conflicts.

Conflict It refers to the problem which arises due to the opposing intentions of
the protagonist and the antagonist

Discovery This is when the protagonist finally realizes the reality of the situation.

Double plots It is the use of a subplot in moving towards and outside of the main plot.
This is usually observed in Elizabethan drama.

Dramatic It refers to what the audience intends to accept as true for the story’s sake.
This may include the actors acting to represent the characters of the story,
Convention the stage set up to appear realistic in time and location, and so on.

Flashback In order to clarify the situation, it uses description or enactment of what

happened in the past which usually has something to do with the present
conflict.

Foreshadowing It refers to the use of hints at the future just to create audience’s
anticipation

Inciting It refers to that occurrence which introduces the main character and gets
incident the plot going.

In Medias Res It is the opening scene in the middle of the action.

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 Monologue It refers to the speech delivery of an actor in the presence of other actors
who simply listens, but not talk.

Protagonist It is the main character in a play who often comes with a mission or has a
quest to conquer.

Reversal It occurs when the protagonist either fails or succeeds

Scenes These are portions of an act which let the audience relax briefly from the
tension of the story

Soliloquy It is an actor’s speech delivery to express thoughts at the time when he or

she is alone.

Stakes These refer to what the characters stand to either gain or lose when they
succeed or fail.

Surprise It is what happened in the story which the audience does not expect at all.

Suspense It involves happenings that cause a sense of uncertainty about the things
that will happen to the characters

How to Write a One-act Play?

The following steps in writing a one-act play is published at [Link]
(Contributor 2018):

• Choose a subject to cover in a brief one scene act play. A short story works best.
Remember to give the one act play the necessary plot, action and characters to
make it a complete story. Research other one act plays to get ideas and inspiration
for yours.

• Develop the action first, then compose the dialog before you decide anything else.
Keep the plot simple for a one act play and it should move consistently throughout
the play.

• Develop the characters. Write out a character sketch beforehand to help you flesh
out your characters and bring them to life. Give your characters a motive in life (or
lack thereof) and up the stakes by making them face a problem. This is central to
any story.

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 • Generate the setting. The setting for a one act play will be one scene, but you have
to still develop the scene so the audience sees everything about the story line.
Include as many of the five sense as you can. Lighting helps the setting. Make sure
you write in notes about how the lighting should look.

• Add in the stage directions after you write the action. Write notes about how each
character should respond and what props you'll need. For example, if the
characters should be facing another direction and talking to another character,
note it in the script.

• Find performers that fit each part. Hold auditions to find the right actors and
actresses. Be upfront with them about whether this gig is a paying gig or a
volunteer gig.

• Make copies of the play for each cast member. Save the document in case you need
extra copies. Give copies of the one act play to each member of the stage and prop
handling too.

• Practice the play. Ask for feedback from all the people involved in the play. Hire or
ask an expert to help with the production too. Hold one final practice before
opening the show. This should be a dress rehearsal. Treat this final as the real thing
and tie up any loose ends.

The script below is an excerpt of the one-act play written by Cherly Tessa Lungay, Chandy
Rafael Pelaez, and Niña Taray under the supervision of their teacher, Mr. Jefred Son U.
Aligsao of Talisayan National High School – Division of Misamis Oriental which was
performed as their culminating activity in Work Immersion.

Balikbayan Girl
An Adaptation of The New Yorker in Tondo by Marcelino Agana Jr.

Characters:
 Aling Atang - Nanay ni Kikay
 Kikay/Francesca - Anak ni Aling Atang nga gikan sa New York nga nagpuyo sa
Lipata, San Jose, Talisayan, Misamis Oriental ug fiancé ni Tony ug bestfriend
ni Nena
 Tony - Engineer nga kababata ug fiancé ni Kikay. Naay relasyon ni Nena.
 Nena - Professional nga naay relasyon ni Tony, bestfriend ni Kikay, amiga ni
Totoy
 Totoy - taong kanto, bestfriend ni Tony, hilom nga nakagusto ni Nena nga
iyang barkada

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 PROLOGUE
FRANCESCA: All right! Let’s party!
JEANETTE: Cesca! Do you really have to go?
FRANCESCA: Yes Darling, but don’t fret. I’m really going to miss you all.
JEANETTE: Don’t you ever forget me dear!
JAMAL: Where is your home again Cesca?
FRANCESCA: It’s in San Jose, Talisayan.
JAMAL: Why do you want to go back? Stay here! Stay with us!
JEANETTE: What’s the life of a party without you Francesca? Right Jamal?
JAMAL: We’re going to miss you.
FRANCESCA: I love you friends, but tonight, let’s partyyy!

SCENE 1
The parlor of Mendoza's house in San Jose
MRS. M: (Kamolo kanaog paingon sa purtahan)- bisita, permanente nalang bisita!
Puro nalang bisita tibook adlaw! Jusko naingon naman kita ini pagka Kris
Aquino!
(Iyahang gi abrihan ang purtahan. Paingod og solod si Tony nga nay dala bulak)
MRS. M: Oh, ikaw man diay kanaa Tony! Abi kobag naa ka sa siyudad?
TONY: (Nakurat)- ikaw naba kanaa aling Atang?
MRS. M: (Nikatawa)- Oo loy! Kinsa man diay imong pagtoo? Nagtoo ka na ako na si
Sharon Cuneta?
TONY: Wala naman gayud ko nakaila nimo aling Atang .
MRS. M: (Naulaw, kamoo kapot sa iyang bag- ong gupit na buhok) Nagpasalon ra
intahon ko loy, bati diay?
TONY: Nindot ‘noon te! Abi gani nako ikaw na si Kikay
MRS. M: Ikaw gayud Edgar, poros ragayud Ka binoang hangtod karon, Ali dayon.
(Kalit nay ni kanta)- “Welcome, Welcome, Welcome”
TONY: Kinsa ba kaha naa sila aling Atang?
MRS. M: Heee! ako mga silingan nga pilingon singer! Pasagdi kanaa sila. Kumusta na
diay tood imo mama?
TONY: (Naglingkod)- maayo gihapon te, gimingaw na daw siya dire sa San jose.
MRS. M: (Niabay kang Tony)- Pila na gani ka katuig nilakaw Tony?
TONY: Tulo ra ka bulan te.
MRS. M: Tulo ka bulan? Kalooy sab ni Mareng, sigurado ko wala na gayud to
makaagwanta. Mooli gayud toa.
TONY: Lage te, lahi ra biya ming mga Engineer, kung nay project kuhaon dayun mi
insigida.
MRS. M: Jesus! Dapat lang makauli na diri imohang mama, gimingaw nakog dula og
tongits uban siya.
TONY: Gimingaw na gihapon siya ana ante.
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MRS. M: Lisod gayud limtan imong kaagi. Kung taga San Jose ka mobalik gayud ka
dire. Pero ambot lang sa ako anak na si Kikay. Katong panahon nga nia pa
siya sa New York, wala man nibatig kamingaw.
TONY: (Nakulbaan)- Kanus-a diay ni-ari balik si Kikay aling Atang?
MRS. M: Kadto rang niaging Lunes loy. Tan-awa ra gani unsa iyahang gi buhat sa ako.
Gipaspasan kog pa-salon, pamanicure bisag moadtog merkado hala dapat
plakada akong nawong sa makeup. Nahimo na ‘noon ko kataw-anan sa uban.
Di najud nako mapugngan ako anak. Giignan pako og dapat Amerikano daw
dapat kog dating. Ginoo pasayloa!
TONY: (Nikatawa) – Nahimoot ko ni Kikay te oy. Asa diay si Kikay karon Aling Atang?
MRS. M: Toa sa kuwarto Loy, nikatulog pa.
TONY: (Nitan-aw sa orasan)- Nagkatulog pa?
MRS. M: Ana siya Loy (Fake American accent)- “New York people do not wake-up
before 12 o’clock noon.
TONY: Mag-alas 10 naman ante.
MRS. M: Kung nasayod kalang Loy, pag-abot niya dire hala sali inom, sige rag
lakwatsa, disco dire, disco didto. Hesusmariajosep!
TONY: Palihog nalang kog ingon niya te nga nibisita ko. Palihog nalang gihapon ko og
hatag danhing bulak sa iyaha.
MRS. M: Ngano man, molakaw na ikaw? Ayaw sa Loy malipay gayud to makita ka
hulat lang sa ako pukawon si Kikay.
TONY: Oo sige te.
MRS. M: Og Loy, hapit nako malimtan, ayaw kog tawaga nga Aling Atang molagot toa
si Kikay.
TONY: Huh? Kay ngano man ante?
MRS. M: Ah basta, perteng artiha danhing anak nako, dapat dawkog tawagon
tawagon nga Mrs. Mendoza.
TONY: Ok. Sige aling a-- este… Mrs. Mendoza.
MRS. M: Daw Tony, ayaw kalimti, tawaga na si Kikay og “FRANCESCA”
TONY: Pranceska?
MRS. M: Dili Pranceska, Fran.. ces… ca.
TONY: Ok. Segi Mrs. Mendoza.
MRS. M: Sige ako na pukawon si Franceca Loy
(Kalit nay nitoktok sa purtahan)
MRS. M: Dios Mio!
TONY: Ako na moabli Mrs. Mendoza.
(Gi ablihan ang purtahan)

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SCENE 2
TOTOY: Toonnyyy?
TONY: Totoy! (Gibangga ilang mga tiyan)
TOTOY: Tarantadong talong!
TONY: Manok na Pula! Pila naba ka tao imo naraid?
TOTOY: Wow! Ikaw pila naman ka bangko imo nakawatan? (Nikatawa).
TONY: (Gitoklod si Michale daw nakit-an ang is aka kaha nga sigarilyo)- Oh yosi
panghatag ra ged.
TOTOY: (Kamolo sigarilyo)- Abi nakog nia ka sa Cagayan.
TONY: Oo brad, niari rako dire para kang Kikay.
TOTOY:(Nisindi sa yosi)- Dawbi Brad! Permente nalang bati ang dungog akong
gakadunggan kang Kikay.
TONY: Lage brad, ako sab (Nilingkod).
TOTOY: (Nilingkod og apil) Ana gani mga silingan nga naboang na daw siya karon
TONY: Gikan man si Kikay sa New York.
TOTOY: Huh? Diay? Niunsa man siya didto?
TONY: Nagskwela siyag Hair culture daw Beauty Science. Nia pay diploma!
TOTOY: Wow! Taasag buhok ni Kikay. Lahi ra ged nis Kikay.
TONY: Ay Oh, dili na siya si Kikay, kay siya na si Francesca.
TOTOY: Fran… cis… ca?
TONY: Ang Ms. San Jose nahimo na siya og Ms. New York (nagkatawaha)
TOTOY: Si Iday? Usa ka Amerikana? Ayaw kog yaga-yagae (nagkatawaha) kaila ta
dana niya sugod pa atong namaligya siya sa puto.
TONY: (Nagkatawa) Kadumdom ka sa una katong getulod nato siya sa kanal?
TOTOY: Oo oy, kadumdom pako ato, gelakag pa ged ta niya taman pikas kanto
hahahaha.
TONY: Kusog pa ged kaayo manumbag hahaha.
TOTOY: Hayysstt… ang sa una nga Kikay layo ra kaayo sa karon.
(Kalit nay nitoktok sa purtahan, giablihan ni Michale og nisulod si Nena)
NENA: Totoy?
TOTOY: Nena, mylabss!
NENA: Tony? Unsa ni? Empoy og Bebot reunion?
TOTOY: Naa mi dire para kay Kikay.

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NENA: Pati pod ko nana siya?
TONY: Gi-pukaw pa ni aling Atang.
NENA: Gi-pukaw pa? nganu? Naghagok pa diay?
MRS. M: Mata na siya! Nag-ilis pa lang. Good morning Nena good morning Totoy.
(Nakurat si Nena og Totoy sa ba-ong hitsura ni Aling Atang)
MRS. M: Well, Totoy? Well Nena? I said good morning. Nganong inana man mo
makatotok sa akoa?
(CHUMBA: (nagkanta) Bakit kayo ganyan makatingin, super sexy naman ng ating
bituin. Si aling Atang pwede bang patikim.
MRS. M: Umalis nga kayo dito. Layas!
NENA: Ikaw na aling Atang?
TOTOY: Ginoo ko, aling Atang!
TONY: Tol, dili na siya si aling Atang, siya na si Mrs. Mendoza karon.
NENA: Ginakusi ko nimo sa una katong bata pa bitaw ko aling Atang.
MRS. M: You were a very naughty girl, always fighting with Kikay. Labi na si Totoy
nga permig pangawat sa mangga.
TOTOY: Naa pa ang manggahan?
MRS. M: Oo, naa pa sa luyo.
TOTOY: Nena! Manguha ta mangga ta!
MRS. M: Segi testingi ged ninyo kay pang bimbingon ta ged mo.
TOTOY: Joke joke ra gani.
MRS. M: Saba diha Totoy, ali ubani ko sa kusina.
TOTOY: Hala! Ngano man? Unsaon man ko nimo aling Atang?
MRS. M: Abno! Magpatabang rako sa pagdala sa mga butang.

SCENE 3
NENA: Well, Tony?
TONY: Nganu nag anhi man ka dire, Nena?
NENA: Baman pd dili?
TONY: Wala pa nako na estorya si Kikay.
NENA: Wala pa? abi ba nakog na ingon na nimo sa iyaha.
TONY: Dili na nako kaya.
NENA: Oh, Tony… Tony.
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TONY: Paghunahuna gud Nena, tuo kag sayon makipagbreak sa tao nga engaged nas
ako ah.
NENA: Onsa man ged. Ako o si Kikay?
CHUMBA: (Nagkanta) Sinong pipiliin mo? Si Kikay ba o Ako?)
NENA: Puwede ba!
TONY: Siyempre ikaw ged akong pilion, ikaw man ang akong gihigugma.
NENA: Ngano? Tony? Nganong gi hanggat paman ged ko nimog pakasal nga engaged
paman diay ka ni Kikay.
TONY: Maypag wala nalang nako gisaba sa imo. Mao ning gakakuha sa akong
pagkamatinudanon.
NENA: Honest? You call yourself honest? Samantalang gi pa fall ko nimo pero nana
diay nanagiya sa imoha.
TONY: She loved me at my worst. You have me at my best. Pero gibaliwala rako niya.
Mas gipili niya nga pasakitan ko.
NENA: Can you please stop? Undang sa imong mga drama deh, basin malaparo teka.
TONY: Sorry
NENA: Og imoha rapa ged ge sekreto ang atong engagement.
TONY: Nahibal-an man ged nako nga pauli na si Kikay.
NENA: Gikapoy nako sa mga sekreto Tony.
TONY: Pasagdi sa mi ni Kikay nga mo-istorya karon.
NENA:Well, dali ah kay dili nako kahulat og dugay.
TONY: Ang problema kung onsaon nako siya pag istorya karon.
NENA: Naay problema?
TONY: Naa man ged ka og si Totoy.
NENA: Gusto ka nga molakaw mi duha ni Totoy?
TONY: Dili, gusto lang nako nga pasagdan mi ninyo duha mag storya.
NENA: Ako na bahala ni Totoy.

SCENE 4
MRS. M: Paminaw, nana si Kikay pero ayaw ninyo siya'g tawaga nga Kikay
FRAN…CIS…CA dapat!
KIKAY:Ohhh, hello, hello, darling, you darling, Nena my dear! How cute you become
(Kisses Nena). Tony, my little pal (Shakes hands) and Totoy my friend. Come sit down!
Ohh Mumshie! Mumshie!!!
MRS. M: Onsa naman sad?

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KIKAY:How many times must I tell you mumshie dearest, to never serve juice in
water glasses.
MRS. M: Dili man ged nako makita imong gusto nga baso.
KIKAY:Ohh poor, mumshie, nevermind.
MRS. M: Sige nah, mag adto sa kog merkado.
KIKAY:Don't forget to put lipstik okaayy?
MRS. M: Hayyy ambot.
KIKAY:Poor mumshie, she is problem,
(waves her cigarette dayon gi dagkutan ni Totoy)
KIKAY:Merci.
TOTOY: Huh? Si Totoy man ko dili man Merci akong ngalan.
KIKAY:I said Merci it means thank you in french.
TOTOY: Merci.
NENA: Istoryahi pud mi kung onsay naa sa New York.
KIKAY:Aahhh, New York? Ready namo sa mga amazing, exciting romanticstories?
TONY: Pila diay ka kamonths or year didto?
KIKAY:10 months, 4 days, 7 hours and 21 minutes!
TOTOY: Grabi, topa gihapon imong utok didto?
KIKAY:Yes! Yes! Darling, nagpabilin pa gihapon akong gugma didto. Kung maglingi ko
bisag asa naa gihapon didto akong heart. Feeling nko, I am not home, even
though I am already here gina ingon nila nga nakauli nako but feel nako naa
pa gihapon ko didto! Oh! New York, my very own New York.
NENA: Siguro, mulakaw na ta.
TONY: Mao ged, murag nakadisturbo man siguro ta diri.
NENA: Pasagdan nalang nato siya nga maghandumhandum sa iyang kaagi.
TONY: Siya pa ang babae nga permi natog gakauban sa pag pangaligo sa sapa sa una?
TOTOY: (Gi awat awat si Kikay) Oohh New York, my dream place, my very own New
York, my dream place, my very own New York.
KIKAY: Oh listen, now, in New York, it's springtime. The daises are just appearing in
central park. When spring comes around each year, we New Yorkers, we
make a sort of pilgrimage to an old tree. It's been growing there ever since
New York was New York. We call it "Our Time".
NENA: Nasabtan teka Kikay! Inga ana gihapon ang akong gakafeel sa atong kahoy
diri.
KIKAY:What tree?

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NENA: Ang mangga nga kahoy nato girl! Kadomdom ka atong kahoy nga atong
gasakaan.
TOTOY: Nasapon pa ged ta dadto ni aling Atang! Hahaha ge huboan pa ged kog short
NENA: Mao gyud! Nidagan pagid ka nga hubo tanan hahahaha.
(Nagkatawaha ang tanan except kay Kikay)
KIKAY:Wait, what three ba, ang talking?
NENA: Atong mango tree.
KIKAY: Oh! That tree.
TOTOY: Ngano Eday, dili diay ta parehas tanan na feel ato nga kahoy?
KIKAY:Of course not! They're completely different! I don't feel the same emotion
you've feel for that tree.
NENA: Pero para sa amo ah importante kaayo to nga kahoy kay daghan kaayo tag
chada nga mge memories ato nga kahoy kay symbol to siya sa friendship.
TNTK? Remember?
KIKAY:Don't be silly Nena.
TONY: Og nagtubag pa ged ka!
KIKAY:Oh! You people can't understand all of this.
TONY: Dili ged namo masabtan kay wala paman mi naka adto sa New York.
KIKAY:Exactly! Wala pamo naka adto sa New York! Our special tree over there is very
different! I stands for the Manhattan skyline and for the Copacabana and for
Coney Island in summer and for Grant's Tomb on Riverside Drive and for
Tuesday nights and Eddie Condons with the crowds spilling all over the side
walk and for the nickel ferry ride to Staten island and for the St. Patrick's Day
Parade down with Fifth Avenue and for all… Oh. It's impossible to make you
see.
TONY: Sos! Mas ganahan pako sa kahoy nato.
TOTOY: I second the motion.
NENA: I move to close the nomination!
KIKAY:Oh you funny, funny children!
NENA: Mag adto ko didto sa kahoy mangamusta lang ko, gusto ka mag uban Kikay?
KIKAY:Hahaha… Of course not, do go.
NENA: Ikaw? Totoy? Uban ka nako?
TOTOY: (Excited kaayo nga ni tindog) Of course my loves! Bisan asa pata padulong.
NENA: (In Kikay manner)- No darling… just out to our dear little backyard.
TOTOY: (Gi awat awat gihapon si Kikay)- oh, the backyard of San Jose.

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 NENA: Hoy chong! Onsa man ged uban ka? O dili?
TOTOY: Ingon gani ko! Hulat lang.

Activity 13: Draft of a Drama

Directions: Recall the short story you have written in the last module. Use your previous
short story to write a draft of a one-act play on separate sheets of paper. Apply
the tips in writing a good one-act play. Attach your draft of the play here.

Activity 14: Critiquing and Revising

Directions: Now that you have successfully written a draft of a one-act play, have someone
to critique your draft. List down his/her comments on your draft. Write a
reflection on your revision.

Name (Person who critiqued):

Grade Level:

Affiliation (School/Company):

Critique:

Comments:

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 Reflection on the critique and comments:

Provide a narrative report on how you undergo the revision.

Performance Task # 4

Directions: Now you are ready to finalize your script for the one-act play. Write your
finalized script on separate sheets of paper. Attach those sheets here in the
module.

Excellent (25) Very Good (20) Fair (15) Needs

Improvement (10)
Structure Play thoughtfully Play thoughtfully Play attempts to follow Play attempts to
follows the proposed follows the structure, but sections follow structure, but
structure, and there is proposed are somewhat sections are
a clear structure, and unclear. Scene somewhat unclear.
beginning, middle, and there is a clear changes are Scene changes are
end. beginning, added added
middle, and end. unnecessarily. unnecessarily.
Dialogue Dialogue is realistic Dialogue is Dialogue is Dialogue is
and somewhat realistic hardly realistic or extremely
interesting. Lines are and interesting. interesting. Lines unrealistic.
short; characters Lines are short; may be wordy,
interrupt one another, characters and characters
answer questions, occasionally speak too
change subjects. interrupt one politely/formally.
another, etc.

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Development Audience gains Audience gains Audience gains little The scene is
sufficient insight into some insight into insight into the extremely
the characters and the the characters characters and the undeveloped. The
conflict. Scene either and the conflict. conflict, and is left with copy looks like an
pits a character with Audience gains little information on initial draft.
his/her greatest fear some insight into the characters
or new alliances the characters and/or situations.
develop. and the conflict.
Nuts and Bolts One-act script is One-act script is One-act script is typed, One-act script is
formatted perfectly, typed and clear. but for many reasons unclear and
the example provided However, there including formatting or does not follow
in class, and has no are minor errors grammar and spelling, guidelines.
issues with grammar either in it is not easy to follow.
or spelling. formatting or
clarity (grammar,
spelling, etc.)

Wrap-up!

In this module, you were able to know what a drama is. To know on how to write a script
for a drama, the elements were discussed: setting, character, plot, and conflict. The
importance of the elements helps us recognize how these can add to the story which allows
the readers to understand the structure and meaning of the drama effectively. These
highlight important concepts in a script, strengthen the narrative, and help readers to
connect to the characters and themes. Lastly, after knowing the elements in a drama, this
stimulates your creativity in problem solving. This challenges your perceptions about the
world and about yourself. Dramatic exploration can provide you with an outlet for
emotions, thoughts, and dreams that you might not otherwise have means to express. The
activities and performance task provided help you to go to different stages of writing which
can effectively enhance your writing skills. Congratulations! You completed the course,
“Creative Writing.”

References
Contributor. 2018. "How to Write a One Act Play" accessed July 13, 2020.
[Link]
"Elements of Drama: Characters, Plot, Setting & Symbolism." [Link]. July 13, 2013.
[Link]
[Link].
Hildy, Franklin J. 2018. Theatre Design. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Enclopedia Britannica

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 Website. Accessed July 13, 2020. [Link]
design/Theatre-forms
Roberts, Scott. 2019. Types of Staging in Drama. Our Pastimes Website. Accessed July 12,
2020. [Link]
Shaurya, Ria. 2015. English Literature Notes - The One-Act Play. Accessed July 14, 2020.
[Link]

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