| Play Evaluation Form Instructions I. Plot – In THREE sentences, tell the story of the play: Who has what problem; what prevents resolution; how it all works out. Name names and be specific, but avoid too much detail. II. Major Theme – The plot exists so the playwright can make a point about something which applies to the reader/audience. What is his/her main message here? A correct answer will be a FULL SENTENCE which includes both the play’s topic and the playwright’s point of view about that topic. E.G.: “Love (the topic…now what about it?) conquers all” or “You can’t escape your past.” Now QUOTE a bit of the dialogue that led you to select the theme you’ve come up with. Minor Theme – There are many ideas which run through most plays. Find another one. Identify it as you did with the major theme above. III. Character Descriptions/Casting For all major character (at least 8 –including the leads--if there are many), use clear descriptive words to list the character’s vocal traits (e.g. loud, screechy, slurred, Southern dialect, etc.); physical traits (e.g. tall, husky, stoop-shouldered, etc.); and personality (e.g. vivacious, suspicious, intelligent, religious, clever, etc.). Then, give the name of someone (from home, school elsewhere, tv, movies, etc.) who fits your image of the character. You may not cast fictional people (or cartoons!), but you may refer to an actor whose name you do not know (e.g. “the guy who plays….”). Character Vocal traits Physical traits Personality Actor IV. Two Identifying Features of the Genre This question asks you to identify two aspects of the play which help make it different from other plays. It is a very open-ended question. Your answer may refer to distinctive setting, language, stage directions, types of characters, symbolism, etc. Do NOT retell the story! e.g.: “Pauses are written into the script” “Everyone talks in rhyme” “The characters don’t have names—they’re just called He and She” “There is a chorus” “All props are supposed to be pantomimed” “There are a lot of flashbacks” “It’s a comedy” “It’s a musical” V. Ground Plan of the Set at the Climax of the Play At the moment which is the emotional peak, the “point of no return” for the characters (and the plot), what does the stage set look like? DRAW a floor plan (overhead view) of all walls, doors, furniture, etc. Make clear where the audience would be (keep one side open..). Then INCLUDE the characters on stage at the moment (establish a key to ID who is who). Who are standing close together? Where are they on the stage? Be sure to check for clear sightlines (don’t hide an important character in the corner of a set wher s/he can’t be seen by audience sitting to one side). Finally, QUOTE the line(s) of the play which are the climax, as you see it. VI. Critic’s Notes Did you like the play? BRIEFLY explain why or why not (be specific). Rate it, with five stars being the BEST. NEXT |