STEP 1: Creation and adaptation of the script to the platform
To begin with, it will be necessary to choose the theme to be represented. This must be expressed in a story, which will be the basis for the digital artistic montage. You can develop your own dramaturgical text or select one that already exists, but it must be adapted to the specific digital context in which the performance will take place. In the case of venturing to write a new text, you can consider some initial leading questions such as: What would I like to tell? What themes or issues do I consider interesting? Why is it important to represent this on stage? Who is it aimed at? Do I have references to the theme (aesthetic, artistic, journalistic, etc.)?
Likewise, there are different methodologies for the creation of a new dramaturgical text or script. Possibly the most common one is the Paradigm of the dramatic structure, coined by Syd Field, composed in three acts:
First Act: Setup
Introduction to the story and introduction of the characters. It also exposes a first "incident" that will trigger the following events of the play.
Second Act: Confrontation
Confronts the protagonist or hero of the story with obstacles that will prevent him or her from resolving the conflict, but at the end of this act, something changes in the story, which helps to make the outcome visible and introduces the last act.
Third Act: Resolution
This presents the climax of the play, but also its denouement and what happens to the characters afterwards.
Other methodologies that can be used for the production of a text are closer to practical and personal experiences, such as: collective creation, improvisation, storytelling, among other techniques. On the other hand, there is the alternative of working with an existing script or dramaturgical text. In order to select the text to work with, the questions previously suggested can be used.
Whether you work with an already prepared script or a newly created text, an adaptive process is required to adjust the script to the selected digital platform. This point is crucial in the making of digitally-native theatre as it will distinguish an originally digital performance produced from an adaptation of an artistic product and performance in a digital context.
In addition to the transversal competences for this stage, mentioned above, the following competences are integrated and worked on in this step:
Research:
Relevant competence in this step, due to the ability to search for information, its organisation and more efficient use. In order to stimulate teamwork, it is recommended that this competence is worked on by involving all participants in the search for information and ideas about digital theatre and possible conceptual basis for creating or adapting the script.
Autonomy and initiative:
This skill is related to the willingness to take action and decisions without external help or support. It also refers to a proactive attitude. In this first step of creating a digital theatre play, trainers can stimulate the initiative and autonomy of the participants through brainstorming, initiative in seeking information and sharing their own experiences for the creation of the script.
Flexibility and adaptability to change:
This competence is especially necessary for this process, where new and innovative methodologies are explored. Trainers can work this competence with participants by trying out different strategies when testing the script with the chosen digital platform or by inviting participants to work on other people’s texts and ideas that have been proposed in order to confront points of view and get out of their comfort zone.
Script creation for digital platforms
For more clarity on this step, the following activity is suggested:
2 to 5 people ideally. In case the number of participants is bigger, the activity can be facilitated in small groups (of 2 to 5 people) and then debate together in a big group
- To identify a theme for the creation of a digital theatre script.
- To create and develop a basic script for use on digital platforms.
- To incorporate digital platform tools and resources into the script.
In relation to the time it takes to create the script, this will depend on how much you want to go into it. It can be created in one day or it can take weeks depending on the time available. It needs at least 2-3 hours minimum.
- Ideally computer (or at least phone or tablet)
- Internet connection
- Digital platform for video calls: Meet, Zoom, Whatsapp or other
- Digital platform for creating and writing on shared documents seen by everyone: Google Drive, Jamboard or other
The script team prepares to select an idea and develop it into a story to be adapted to a digital platform. For this activity, it is advisable to have previously done research on the use of digital platforms. It is also advisable to keep a record (such as recording the session or taking minutes) as part of the systematisation of the creative process. For better communication, the group can meet on a platform that allows video calls and screen sharing.
Brainstorming:
If it is a collective script creation, you can use Jamboard or similar tool as an interactive whiteboard, which allows you to do something more creative and dynamic. This type of platform can be used to make maps, share images, among other things.
Tip: The following questions can be asked to the group to break the ice.
What issues do you find interesting?
What issues do they want to address?
What style or genre of theatre do you like?
Tip: For this step it can help to ask to share references about their interests such as : plays, films, personal stories and experiences, news, photographs, audios, stories on social media, among others
Example: In the brainstorming session, a member proposes using a news item from a real case about a conflict between a group of neighbours. The group decides on this news item as the basis for their work.
To go further in the creative process and develop the idea, the following question can be posed:
Can the shared themes or ideas be developed on a digital platform? How do you imagine it?
Tip: In case participants have troubles in responding to this question, first try to do a round when everyone says which digital platforms they use with what kind of purpose and maybe share an anecdote related to one of them.
Example: The group discusses how to adapt the selected news to some platform, the possible ideas that are discussed are: it could be a Zoom meeting, a Facebook group of neighbours or a group of neighbours on Whatsapp.
Remark: For this stage of the activity, it is advisable to define the time, because it can be extended indefinitely if not monitored.
Define Digital Scenic Space:
At this stage you will decide where the action takes place. In the case of digital theatre, the platform becomes the stage.
You can do so by answering the question:
What is the most appropriate digital platform to develop the conflict or idea?
Tip: Taking into account what has been studied in the research on digital platforms will facilitate this decision.
Example: The group defines certain criteria for the selection of the platform, they decide that the story should take place in group format and not individual. The audience should be able to interact and the platform should be easy to access. They reach an agreement to use Whatsapp as the most adequate platform to reflect the idea of the story (group conflict, many different opinions, possibility to easily involve and engage with the audience).
In this case, they can be asked to go into more detail to better define the context:
Which whatsapp groups do you belong to and what are the common or particular conflicts that develop on the platform?
Plot Development:
This step focuses on the ways to develop the conflict, context and characters to support the plot.
The starting point is to answer the question:
What is the main conflict I want to develop in the play?
Tip: Depending on the group and participation in this process, answering this question can feature some guidelines from the facilitator or rather give open space to participants until they reach an agreement.
Define milestones and scene creation:
Selecting certain milestones of the story can be a starting point to further develop the scenes and give way to writing the dialogues incorporating the codes and resources of the selected digital platform. To keep an order in the dramaturgy, it can help to separate by situations and by scenes. If you want to give an Aristotelian order, it can be separated by act:
First act: Introduction to the theme and presentation of characters.
Second act: Development of the conflict.
Third act: Climax and denouement.
Remark: In order to create the dialogues within the scenes, participants are expected to go further in the story and give necessary information about the characters or the situation.
Example: The group identifies as the main problem that the conflict between the neighbours was due to problems of coexistence and racist attitude of one of the neighbours towards a new neighbour who recently joined the community.
Some orienting questions could be:
What happened before this event, what is the relationship between the community, where is the building located?
These elements will help to further define the context of the script and the characters.
Tip: In script writing it is recommended to:
- Include annotations detailing whether it is an audio message, a written message, or a video/photograph. Name when a sticker or emoji is used, among other resources.
- Identify elements of the platform itself that can give more tension or information to the scene, such as deleting messages, leaving the group, etc. These actions can replace subtle movements or actions in “traditional” theatre that cannot be reproduced in the same way in digital context.
Build character profiles:
Define information necessary for the creation of the characters: names, age, gender, origin, occupation, beliefs, among other relevant elements. Some helpful questions are:
What role does the character have?
What objective does the character have in this story?
Tip: The profile of the character should be built taking into account the available resources of the platform to better define the characteristics.
Example: The group identifies certain main characters in the news story. In the news story there is an interview with an administrator and neighbour of the building. The group selects this neighbour to create a character.
In this case, questions can be asked to obtain or create the missing information:
What is her role in the community? She is an administrator of the community. So in the platform she will be the administrator of the Whatsapp group of neighbours.
Tip: In case of Whatsapp context, these elements are very useful to introduce the characters:
Profile pictures: What do you imagine the character to be like? You can use the same photo as the cast or look for other photo options.
Whatsapp status of the character in the current moment
Type of communication: How the character writes, what platform codes and resources they use, what aesthetics of gifs, emoticons and stickers they use. Does he/she send audio, video, photo?
Editing:
The information is likely to change over the course of the rehearsals, especially when tested directly on the selected digital platform. This will require you to consider revisiting the script and to:
- Edit scenes that are unclear
- Delete scenes that are not clear enough or don’t bring much information
- Write scenes that are missing
Audience participation: This point is optional. You can see the various options for participation taking into account the selected digital platform. If audience participation is decided upon, it is important that it is written in the script.
During and at the end of the activity, it is important to emphasise that the script creation process will be modified to be adapted to the platform chosen (or to be chosen).Regardless of the method used for the creation of the script, in digital theatre it is essential to connect the script with the languages and resources of the selected digital platform.
As to conclude this activity, questions can be asked such as:
Is the group happy with what has been created?
Is it clear in the script what conflict(s) the group wants to develop?
Is it clear how the script will be adapted and how the tools and resources of the selected digital platform will be incorporated?
There are different methods for script creation such as improvisation or storytelling, among others. In the case of working with an already written script, it must be studied and adapted for use in the selected digital platform.
Please note that script creation times can be extended, depending on the schedule and dates of production and direction, as well as length of the performance that wants to be carried out.
Tools for simultaneous online work:
It is recommended to work on the next step in parallel to the first one, since the creation of a script or adaptation of a dramatic text will largely depend on the digital platform chosen as “stage space”, i.e. where the play will be developed. Therefore, along with the script definition and creation it is necessary to lead an investigation of digital platforms as detailed below.