Script Writing and Performance
Senior 6 · Literature in English
Script Writing and Performance
Lesson 4 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
A play needs more than actors. Before the curtain rises, a drama club holds meetings, keeps records of its decisions, and on the night someone stands up to welcome the guests. This lesson teaches two practical kinds of writing that every club, cooperative and company uses: the speech and the minutes. Both examples below come from an imaginary school, Hillside Secondary School, and were written for this lesson.
Speech by the president of the drama club at the opening of the school drama festival
The Guest of Honour, the Head Teacher, members of staff, parents, fellow students, ladies and gentlemen: good evening, and welcome.
Three months ago, the Drama Club had an empty hall, a pile of borrowed scripts and a great deal of hope. Tonight we have four plays, forty actors and an audience that has filled every seat. Thank you for coming.
Why does a school need theatre? Because theatre teaches us things that no examination can test. It teaches us to listen, because a scene falls apart when one actor stops listening to another. It teaches us to work together, because a play needs a writer, a director, actors, drummers, painters and a stage manager who never sleeps. And it teaches us courage, because nothing is braver than standing in front of six hundred people and remembering your lines.
Tonight you will see a comedy from Nigeria, a tragedy from ancient Greece and two plays written by our own students. Some of you will laugh, some of you may cry, and all of you, I hope, will see your own lives a little differently when you leave.
We owe tonight to many people: to our patron, who gave up her Saturdays; to the parents who sewed costumes; and to the school cooks, who fed hungry actors at nine o'clock at night. Please join me in thanking them.
Ladies and gentlemen, the lights are about to go down. Please switch off your phones, open your hearts, and enjoy the show. I declare the Hillside Drama Festival open. Thank you.
HILLSIDE SECONDARY SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB
Minutes of the committee meeting held on Wednesday 12 March at 4.00 p.m. in Room S6BPresent: Ishimwe (president, in the chair), Nshuti (secretary), Gatete (treasurer), Uwera, Kalisa, Mutoni
Absent with apology: Habimana
In attendance: the club patronMinute 1. Opening. The president opened the meeting at 4.05 p.m. and welcomed members.
Minute 2. Previous minutes. The minutes of the meeting of 26 February were read and adopted as a true record, proposed by Kalisa and seconded by Mutoni.
Minute 3. Matters arising. The treasurer reported that the borrowed drums had been returned to the music department.
Minute 4. Choice of festival play. Members discussed three possible plays. Some members felt that a tragedy would be too long; others argued that it would show the club's range. It was agreed that the club would perform a 20-minute adaptation of a Greek tragedy and one original comedy. Action: the secretary to inform the patron by 15 March.
Minute 5. Costumes. The treasurer reported that the club had 35,000 Frw. It was resolved that no more than 20,000 Frw would be spent on costumes. Action: Uwera and the treasurer.
Minute 6. Any other business. Mutoni asked whether rehearsals could continue during the mid-term break. The patron agreed to request permission.
Minute 7. Next meeting and closing. The next meeting will be held on 26 March at 4.00 p.m. The meeting closed at 5.10 p.m.
Signed: ______________ (Chairperson) ______________ (Secretary)
Definition
| Part | Purpose | In the model |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol and greeting | Respect the audience, most senior first | "The Guest of Honour, the Head Teacher, …" |
| Introduction | Catch attention; state the occasion | Then and now: "an empty hall" against "every seat" |
| Body | Two or three clear points, with examples | Theatre teaches listening, teamwork and courage |
| Thanks | Recognise those who helped | The patron, the parents, the cooks |
| Conclusion | A memorable close; a call to action or a formal declaration | "I declare the Hillside Drama Festival open." |
Speeches are written for the ear, so they use devices from Unit 5: a rhetorical question ("Why does a school need theatre?"), anaphora ("It teaches us … It teaches us … And it teaches us"), groups of three, and short sentences. Address the audience directly ("you", "we") and keep to the time you are given.
| Language of minutes | Example |
|---|---|
| Past tense, third person | The president opened the meeting at 4.05 p.m. |
| Reported speech, not dialogue | Mutoni asked whether rehearsals could continue. |
| Impersonal passive for decisions | It was agreed that … ; It was resolved that … |
| Summary, not every word | Some members felt …; others argued … |
| Clear actions with names and dates | Action: the secretary to inform the patron by 15 March. |
Worked example: turning talk into minutes
What was said: KALISA: "I think we should sell tickets. Maybe 500 francs each?" GATETE: "That's too much for younger students. What about 300?" PATRON: "The school must approve any charges." ISHIMWE: "OK, so let's ask the head teacher. Gatete, can you write the letter by Friday?"
Minute: Minute 8. Tickets. Kalisa proposed selling tickets for the festival. Members discussed the price; it was suggested that 300 Frw would be more affordable than 500 Frw for younger students. The patron advised that any charge must be approved by the school. It was agreed to seek the head teacher's approval for a price of 300 Frw. Action: the treasurer to write to the head teacher by Friday 21 March.
Notice what changed: direct speech became reported speech, "I think we should" became "proposed", the chat was summarised, and the decision and action were made clear.
Tip
Write minutes on the same day. Take notes during the meeting under the agenda headings, mark every decision with a D and every action with an A, and write up the minutes while you still remember what was decided.
Warning
"How To Write Meeting Minutes In English" from Derek Callan, English for Professionals. Note the useful phrases for decisions and actions and compare them with the table above.
Practice
Sources and credits
