Overview
This lecture explains the role of exposition in the structure of plays, its purpose in introducing background information, and how its length and format have changed over time.
Order of the Play: Recap
- The order of a play includes gathering the audience, admission and seating, and the transition before the performance.
- Exposition is the third stage and the first part of the actual performance.
Exposition: Definition and Purpose
- Exposition is the early dialogue in a play that introduces the audience to the story, characters, and setting.
- It provides essential background information to make the main plot understandable.
- Exposition is comparable to the introduction in a book or speech.
Recognizing Exposition
- Exposition reveals relationships, past events, and key facts through early dialogue or scenes.
- Its purpose is to ensure the audience understands the context for what follows in the plot.
Variation in Exposition Length
- Exposition can last an entire act, a song, or even a single (often long) monologue.
- The length depends on how much background information the playwright needs to convey.
Acts in Plays and Changing Formats
- Traditionally, plays were structured in acts (2, 3, or 5), but act length does not equal play duration.
- In older plays, the first act was often entirely exposition.
- Since the 1980s, two-act plays became common due to shorter audience attention spans.
- Modern plays strive for brief exposition to maintain audience interest, sometimes just a scene or a few pages.
Influence of Media on Exposition
- Motion pictures and especially television shortened audience expectations for exposition.
- TV sitcoms typically provide exposition in the first scene, condensing the story’s setup for rapid engagement.
Structure in Modern Plays
- Two-act plays often break the first act into two scenes to efficiently deliver exposition.
- Exposition introduces the play and tells the audience what is happening.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Exposition — The introductory part of a play providing background information, setting, and character relationships.
- Act — A main division within a play, defined by its purpose rather than length.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Watch the next video for techniques used by playwrights and characters to deliver exposition.