“Spectators come to the theatre to hear the subtext. They can read the text at home.”
How right he is. Subtext adds an extra layer of complexity to every line. It can take an ordinary conversation and lend it a magnetism that draws the audience in.
Subtext also gives the actor something to DO. They can play the subtext, while saying the lines written in the script.
The two blend together to create an interesting contradiction.
But how do you actually write subtext?
The fact that, by definition, it isn’t actually ON the page can make it rather difficult to write.
Here are a few tips that have helped me in getting a handle on subtext:
* Remove any “on the nose” lines.
Do a reading of your play with a specific eye toward lines in which you have a character saying exactly what they mean.
Here are a few simple examples of on the nose dialogue:
“I am so mad at you!”
“I’m having such a great time.”
“I don’t trust you.”
Anytime you have a character saying a line like this, recognize that you have an opportunity to weave in that feeling as subtext–without having the character come out and say it.
One tip to do that is to…
* Give them something else to talk about.
You can think of each scene as a glacier–with a small tip that you can see, and a large body that’s hidden under the surface.
That hidden part of the glacier–the underwater part–is like the subtext of your scene.
So one way to lend more subtext to a scene that’s missing it is to give your iceberg a “tip.” In other words, give your characters something else to talk about.
Let’s say you have a scene with two characters arguing about whether or not to have a baby.
To cast that argument in subtext, give them something else to disagree on–something that can act as a proxy for the “real” conversation.
Maybe the couple has a dog, and the man keeps pointing out to the woman how much work it is (with the subtext being that a baby will be much more work).
Maybe the couple is looking at a new apartment, and the woman keeps dropping hints about how this place would have enough room for a nursery.
You get the idea.
* Think about how your characters would surreptitiously pursue a goal.
Imagine a scene in which Character A keeps inquiring after the health of Character B.
On the surface, A seems to be concerned about B’s welfare…but under the surface, it seems like something else is going on.
The inquiries have almost a menacing quality.
Over time, you come to realize that the A is searching for weakness. Looking for an opportunity to take advantage of B’s weakness.
This is an example of a character pursuing a goal in a surreptitious way–and the result is a scene rich with subtext.
So think about how your characters might use deception or misdirection to get what they want in your play.
When you start to pay attention, you realize that people rarely say exactly what they mean or what they feel. Instead, their comments are filtered according to many things (social niceties, a desire to avoid conflict, etc.).
Let your characters do the same. It will help you write a more nuanced and layered work of theatre.
And if you want more playwriting advice, tips, and hacks, make sure to check out the comprehensive PSH Playwriting Course.
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<unk>Watazamaji huja jumba la maonyesho ili kusikia maneno yaliyofichwa. Wanaweza kusoma maandishi nyumbani. <unk> Jinsi alivyo sahihi. Maandishi ya chini huongeza utata zaidi kwa kila mstari. Inaweza kuchukua mazungumzo ya kawaida na kuipa nguvu ya kuvutia ambayo huvutia watazamaji. Maneno ya chini pia humpa mwigizaji kitu cha KUFANYA. Wanaweza kucheza maandishi ya chini, huku wakisema mistari iliyoandikwa katika maandishi. Mambo hayo mawili huchanganyika na kutokeza kinyume chenye kupendeza. Lakini kwa kweli unaandikaje maandishi ya chini? Ukweli kwamba, kwa ufafanuzi, si kweli juu ya ukurasa inaweza kufanya hivyo badala ngumu kuandika. Hapa ni vidokezo vichache ambavyo vimenisaidia kuelewa maana ya maneno yaliyo chini ya maandishi: * Ondoa mistari yoyote ya "juu ya pua". Soma mchezo wako kwa makini na kuangalia mistari ambayo una tabia ya kusema hasa nini maana yake. "Hii ni mfano wa ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho wa siku"" - ""mwisho""" Njia moja ya kufanya hivyo ni kuwapa kitu kingine cha kuzungumza. Unaweza kufikiria kila eneo kama barafu - na ncha ndogo ambayo unaweza kuona, na mwili mkubwa ambao umefichwa chini ya uso. Sehemu hiyo iliyofichwa ya barafu - sehemu ya chini ya maji - ni kama maandishi ya chini ya eneo lako. Kwa hiyo njia moja ya kutoa maandishi ya chini zaidi kwa eneo ambalo linakosa ni kutoa barafu yako <unk> tip. <unk> Kwa maneno mengine, wape wahusika wako kitu kingine cha kuzungumza juu. Hebu tuseme una eneo na wahusika wawili wakibishana juu ya kama au la kuwa na mtoto. Kutupa hoja hiyo katika subtext, kuwapa kitu kingine kukataa juu ya - kitu ambacho inaweza kutenda kama proxy kwa ajili ya mazungumzo "halisi". "Huenda mume na mke wana mbwa, na mume anaendelea kumwambia mwanamke ni kazi gani (kwa maana ya kwamba mtoto atakuwa kazi zaidi).""" "Huenda wanandoa hao wanatafuta nyumba mpya, na mwanamke anaendelea kutoa madokezo kwamba mahali hapa pana nafasi ya kutosha kwa ajili ya chumba cha watoto.""" Umepata wazo. Fikiria jinsi wahusika wako wanavyoweza kufuatilia lengo moja kwa siri. Hebu wazia mandhari ambayo Mhusika A anaendelea kuuliza kuhusu afya ya Mhusika B. Juu ya uso, A inaonekana kuwa na wasiwasi kuhusu ustawi wa B <unk>...lakini chini ya uso, inaonekana kama kitu kingine kinaendelea. Mafunzo hayo yana sifa ya kutisha. Baada ya muda, unaanza kutambua kwamba A anatafuta udhaifu. Kutafuta fursa ya kutumia udhaifu wa B<unk>. Hii ni mfano wa tabia ya kufuatilia lengo katika njia ya siri <unk> na matokeo ni eneo tajiri na subtext. Fikiria jinsi wahusika wako wanaweza kutumia udanganyifu au kupotosha ili kupata kile wanachotaka. Unapoanza kuzingatia, unatambua kwamba watu mara chache husema kile wanachomaanisha au kile wanachohisi. Badala yake, maoni yao huchunguzwa kulingana na mambo mengi (maadili ya kijamii, tamaa ya kuepuka mgogoro, nk). Acha wahusika wako wafanye vivyo hivyo. Itakusaidia kuandika kazi ya maonyesho yenye mambo mengi zaidi. Ikiwa unataka ushauri zaidi wa uandishi wa michezo, tafadhali hakikisha kuangalia Mafunzo ya Uandishi wa PSH. Real Reviews kutoka Real Wanachama: <unk>Play Submissions Msaidizi ni kwenda-kwa chombo rasilimali kwa ajili ya waandishi wa michezo kila mahali... na imekuwa kwa miaka. Watu hawa ni daima kusasisha & kuboresha. <unk> -Robin MacDuffie, Playwright <unk> Play Submission Msaidizi ni haraka na pamoja. "Mchezo wangu umefanywa mara 31 katika miaka 12 iliyopita, na nyingi za hizi ni kwa sababu ya msaada wa PSH. "" - Dean, Playwriting Profesa Emeritus katika Chuo Kikuu cha Baker ""Chanzo bora nimepata kwa mashindano na habari kuhusu fursa mpya za kucheza ni PlaySubmissionsHelper." "Kama wewe ni mwandishi wa michezo ya kuigiza, hii ni rasilimali unapaswa kuwa nayo. "" - Leroy Clark, Mwandishi wa Practical Playwriting na Kuandika kwa Stage - "" Huduma ambayo PSH inatoa ni ya thamani." Kuweza kupata maeneo ya michezo mipya ulimwenguni pote ni jambo zuri sana. Endelea na kazi nzuri. <unk> -Mike C., Rais wa Dunedin Showcase Theatre <unk>Nimejiunga na orodha yako mwaka huu na imekuwa njia nzuri kwangu kupata sherehe za kucheza na mashindano. Katika miezi sita iliyopita, nimefanya michezo minne ya vichekesho katika tamasha mbalimbali. - Donna Noval, Mwandishi wa michezo na Mwigizaji - Ninafanya kazi siku nzima na nimepata uchovu kutafuta fursa za kuwasilisha. Nilikuja juu ya Play Submissions Helper na ndani ya dakika ilikuwa na uwezo wa vet maduka kwamba kazi yangu walikuwa haki kwa. "Mwanamume mmoja wa zamani wa michezo ya kuigiza, Marcinho Savant, aliandika: ""Kama mtu ambaye anajua jinsi ya kuigiza, mimi ni mtu wa kwanza katika jamii ya kuigiza, na mimi ni mtu wa kwanza katika jamii ya kuigiza." "Mwanzoni mwa mwaka wa 2000, mwanamuziki na mwandishi wa michezo wa Marekani, Jack Peterson, aliandika kitabu cha ""Make Time for Playwriting"" ambacho kilikuwa kinaitwa ""Make Time for Playwriting"" na kilikuwa kinaitwa ""Make Time for Playwriting"" na kilikuwa kinaandikwa na mwanamuziki na mwandishi wa michezo wa Marekani, Roman Long Gonzalez." <unk>Nina mchezo mpya ambao nataka kutuma nje... na ninafurahi kupata tovuti yako na huduma. "Ninafundisha uandishi wa michezo ya kuigiza katika Chuo cha Flagler na ninafurahi kuwa na tovuti yako sasa ili kuwatuma wanafunzi wangu kwa michezo yao fupi. "" -Lorraine Portman, Profesa Msaidizi wa Uandishi wa michezo ya kuigiza katika Chuo cha Flagler ""Uanachama wangu umekuwa msaada mkubwa na kitu ambacho nitaendelea kutumia." "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Mafunzo ya Uandishi wa Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho ya Maonyesho."""