Play Format
ACTS & SCENES
- Act & scene designations should only appear on the 1st page of each act or scene.
- Acts are usually designated with Roman numerals or spelled out: Act II, Act Two
- Numeral designations tend to be reserved for scenes: Scene 3
- Begin each act or scene at the top of a new page.
- Opening Stage Directions: Tell us when & where we are are and who is there.
PAGE MARGINS
- Top: .75 - 1.0"
- Bottom 1.0 - 1.5"
PAGE NUMBERING
- Numbering begins with the first page of Dialogue
- Numbering is always in the upper right hand corner of the page.
- Each act is number consecutively through the end of the act: i.e. I-1, I-2, etc.
- Start new page numbers with each act: i.e II-1, II-2 III-1, III-2
- Preliminary pages (front matter) should either be not numbered at all or, numbered with
lower case Roman numerals.
DIALOGUE:
Character Tags:
- Use all capital letters to identify the character speaking.
- The first letter of each character name is centered (4.25") with the rest of the name
spelled out to the right. Use your tab setting for this allignment instead of your
center justifications option in your word porcessor.
Margins:
Spacing:
- Double space after previous stage directions or dialogue, before the character tag.
- Single space between character tags and character stage directions or dialogue.
- Single space all dialogue
- Double space after dialogue before the next stage direction or character tag.
STAGE DIRECTIONS
General Stage Directions
- Stand alone never in parenthesis
- Use all capital letters when a character name appears in the stage directions.
- Margins:
- Spacing: Single spaced, but double space between paragraphs if needed.
Character Stage Directions: Appear directly under the character's name or between the
lines of dialogue of a single speech and enclose them in parenthesis.
This page was last updated 28 JUL 2001
