Read the script DISGRACED by Ayad Akhtar. Paper will be based on this script. Following the guidelines and looking at the example provided for you in the attached files, write a brief paper that has t

HOW TO READ A PLAY

In order to understand and appreciate a play it is important not only to watch it being performed but to read it. Seeing actors' and directors' interpretations of a play can help create a more fully-formed opinion, but sometimes the nuances of stage directions on the written page can inform as well. Plays are not in and of themselves “literature” in the traditional sense, the way a novel or a poem is. A play is meant to be produced. It is more than the words on the page. Plays change with each production and interpretation of the script, so reading the written work either before or after viewing a performance can help you further enjoy theatre.

The title of a play can often provide insight about the play's tone, and can provide clues to the playwright's intention. Is there symbolism implied in the play's name? Do some research either online or in the library about the playwright and his/her other works, and the historical context of the play. You can usually learn a lot by finding out what themes might be in the play – that is, what the playwright is trying to say about humanity.

For instance, Anton Checkov's The Cherry Orchard is about a family who loses their home and its cherry orchard. But a close reading (and some knowledge of Chekhov's life) suggest the cherry trees are symbols of the playwright's dismay at the deforestation and industrialization of rural Russia. In other words, it often helps to know a bit about the play and the playwright's background.

If there are parts of the play that you don't understand, read the lines aloud. Visualize what the lines would sound like, or what an actor would look like speaking the lines. Think about what the sets and costumes might look like. Pay attention to stage directions. Some playwrights give the reader a lot of information, and other playwrights give the reader nothing or very little.

The characters in the play can tell you a lot if you're paying attention to more than just the lines they speak. What are their names? How does the playwright describe them? Are they helping the playwright convey a central theme or plot point? Samuel Beckett's 1953 play,Waiting for Godot, has a character named Lucky. He's a slave who is badly mistreated and eventually, mute. Why, then, is his name Lucky when he would seem to be just the opposite?

You can learn a lot about a play by examining where and when it is set, and how the setting affects the overall feel of the play. August Wilson's Tony Award-winning 1983 play Fences is part of his Pittsburgh Cycle of plays set in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh. There are numerous references throughout Fences to Pittsburgh landmarks, even though it's never explicitly stated that that's where the action takes place. But consider this: could this play about an African-American family struggling during the 1950s have been set elsewhere and had the same impact?

By taking a little extra time to examine a play and its context, you will gain a much better appreciation of the playwright and his or her intentions, and thus have a better understanding of the work itself.

Finally – take your time when you are reading a play, especially if it is your first time reading a script. Allow your imagination to help you understand what is happening in the play.