Q: Is it okay if my conflict uses the theme in two different ways? I'd like to have two different circumstances in my main character's life be keeping him from expressing his talent. from a Newark High School student, asked during a classroom visit A: It could be a very good thing if your conflict has a few dimensions to it. This could be an example of what we call raising the stakes. Let's say your play is about a young man who wants to be a fashion designer. Maybe his family has a long tradition of sons following their fathers into the law to become lawyers. That's a family circumstance that the character is born into. But you could increase the conflict (raise the stakes) by making society be against this young man as well. Maybe in this society, it's looked down upon for young men to enter the fashion industry. Maybe this society only thinks women should design clothes. So, then you'd also have a society circumstance (sexism) that the character is born into. That could make the situation even more difficult for the main character and lead to more drama. What you want to watch out for is having TOO much drama in your play. If, in the above circumstance, you also made the main character color blind and a drug addict, that might be too many conflicts. In a short play, if you have too many conflicts it is hard to explore any of them in depth. Your play could start to seem like an over-dramatic soap opera. |
|
Question of the Week >
Question of the Week - October 6posted Oct 3, 2008 1:08 PM by Unknown user [ updated Oct 3, 2008 1:19 PM ] |