Criticism can help a playwright find out what in his or her play makes sense to the audience and what is interesting. Playwrights want to have their plays be very clear and interesting for their audiences. They want the audience to be entertained, to find the play exciting and funny or sad. They want the audience to like or hate their characters. They want the audience to really live the story with their characters.

It takes time to get a play so that it is exciting for an audience. The playwrights have to write and rewrite. Usually playwrights have actors read the play so they can hear what it sounds like. Then they can rewrite.
In professional theatre, theatre done by people who earn their living making theatre, a dramaturg reads and listens to the plays. A dramaturg is a person whose job it is to help playwrights rewrite their plays until the plays are just as good as they can be. The dramaturg asks the playwrights questions that help them see what else can be done in a rewrite to make it even better.

Here are questions to help you think about your play and how to rewrite it.

Questions about the Scenario
After you have written your scenario, let other people read it.
Ask them these questions:

1. Which characters are interesting?
2. Is the setting a logical place for the play to take place?
3. Is the problem something the audience wants to know more about? Does the problem fit the characters and setting?
4. Which incidents help to tell the story or make it more interesting?
5. Does the ending solve the problem? Is it what you expected? Why or why not? Do the characters and story tell the audience what you want them to know about the characters and their problem - the meaning of the play?
   Is there anything you’d like to change about your scenario? If so, do so.
   

Questions about Dialogue

1. What dialogue fits the characters?
2. What dialogue helps to tell the story?
3. What stage directions help you see what is happening in the play?
4. What else do you need to know from the dialogue or stage directions to help you understand and enjoy the play?

Questions about a Play Script
These questions combine the dialogue and scenario questions. Ask your readers:

1. Which characters are interesting? Which characters are important to telling the story?
2. When does the dialogue fit the characters?
3. How does the description of the setting help you see where the play takes place? What else do you need to know about the setting?
4. What about the story was interesting?
5. When did the dialogue help tell the story?
6. What stage directions told about the action, what the characters were doing?
7. How did the ending make you feel? What is the meaning of the play?
8. Is there anything else you need to know about the story?
   

Questions about a Screen Play
These questions are much the same as those for a play script, but you also need to think about the directions to the cameraman.

1. Which characters are interesting? Which characters are important to telling the story?
2. When does the dialogue fit the characters?
3. When do the camera directions help you see and understand the characters?
4. When do the camera directions help you see the important things in the setting? What else do you need to know about the setting?
5. What about the story was interesting?
6. When did the dialogue help tell the story?
7. What camera directions help you see the action, what the characters were doing? What camera directions helped to tell the story?
8. How did the ending make you feel? What is the meaning of the movie or TV show?
9. Is there anything else you need to know about the story?
   
   

      

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