What's the Difference Between Writing a Script and a Play?

Regardless of whether you’ve written a script for stage or screen, what these two mediums have in common is that they both revolve around the conversations between characters.

This makes dialogue the primary building block of narrative. Everything else should take a secondary role.

Let’s dive into writing a screenplay vs a play.

Setting

While playwrights provide the basics of time and place, most visual aspects are left to the director and designers.

This is a key difference between stage and screen, is a play script typically lacks visual descriptions, while a screenplay requires extensive visuals and even camera angles implied in the script if not mentioned explicitly.

Character

The scriptwriter's main tool for developing characters is dialogue. Unlike novelists, scriptwriters don't provide detailed physical descriptions or inner thoughts.

Instead, they create dialogue that reveals essential traits like age, gender, and ethnicity. Ultimately, we get to know characters through their words and interactions.

Christian Bale as a pensive Bruce Wayne staring into the distance with his Batman costume behind him — Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne the alter-ego of Batman, one of the most interesting film characters

Non-verbal dialogue

Film makes it easier to convey non-verbal communication than stage productions.

Screenwriters can use visual descriptions to show a character's emotions, mood, or the passage of time without dialogue. This is a significant difference in writing for the screen versus stage.

Plot

The plot of a play or film is primarily driven by the desires and interactions of the characters, which are revealed through dialogue.

As a scriptwriter, your task is to construct a story that unfolds in real-time, whether on stage or screen.

The creation process

Plays are performed and experienced in real-time, while screenplays are shot out of sequence and edited together. The final product of a play is a unique, in-the-moment experience, while a film becomes a fixed work of art once completed.

Building a skeleton

Both playwrights and screenwriters create a framework that other artists build upon. The writer is responsible for the inner structure, while the production team brings the play or film to life. The main distinction lies in the fact that plays are live performances while films are visual art.

Screenplay writers incorporate detailed physical and visual descriptions that would be out of place in a play script. While stage directions and set descriptions can help guide the director and designers, they're not as intricate as those found in screenplays. Scene changes and elaborate sets are also more feasible in films than on stage.

Camera angles and cinematography

Plays don't have cameras, so playwrights can't dictate the audience's viewpoint. Screenwriters, on the other hand, need to provide camera angles and shot types to guide the film's visuals.

Understanding cinematography is essential for screenwriters but not as crucial for playwrights.

Stage vs. screen

A play is a performance while a film is a visual art. The primary focus for both mediums is dialogue, but playwrights rely solely on character lines, while screenwriters use visuals and camera angles to enhance the story.

The main difference between writing a screenplay and a play is that you have more room to work with in a screenplay when it comes to setting and special effects. A play is usually more self-contained and uses a few sets.

If you’re writing your first screenplay or play be sure to check out Arc Studio’s blog for tips and industry advice and download our FREE screenwriting software today.