Talk:Act (drama)/Archive 1

Cleanup
I've just added a cleanup tag to this page, because I couldn't decide which more particular cleanup tag applies. It's an inappropriate tone, it reads like an essay, it's a collection of ill-fitting statements, it's unreferenced, and some of its claims are dubious.

I may have a look at it some time, but I'm in the middle of another page 'Art' (play) right at the moment! ColinFine 22:46, 22 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I've had a go at it, but I'm not satisfied yet. ColinFine 20:57, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

article is misnamed — should be "act (theatre)"
an "act" is not just a term limited to the drama genre of theatre. comedies, musicals, opera, ballets (others?) all have acts as well. --98.113.187.11 (talk) 18:13, 1 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Comedies, musical, opera, etc. are all forms of drama.  • DP •  {huh?} 23:37, 20 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I agree with the first statement. Also, use of the term "drama" within theatre also tends towards a particular written, literary form which the "act" is not exclusive too. However, it may provide clarity to use the term theatre. --Tomnnnn (talk) 10:16, 10 February 2017 (UTC)

Dubious argument
"In film, each individual act is usually separated with a break in the action or plot development. Traditionally, this is accomplished with a change in music from whatever is standard for the film to something more light” - it's a dubious argument, as well as unclear. Since it appears to be based in nothing shall we just delete these sentences?  Or would the original writer like to make their point more clearly?  92.40.253.143 (talk) 14:34, 21 June 2013 (UTC)


 * As is common with Wikipedia two fairly discrete concepts have been jammed together, that of plays that are published with discrete dramatic sections listed as Acts, and the vague concept of dramatic structure espoused by screenwriting gurus and film theoreticians. The article here lurches between the two with no clear signposting. In fact the term is also inaccurately thrown in in the lede with another meaning that is entirely unrelated regarding "variety shows, television programs, music hall performances, and cabaret", where act actually refers to a specific performance or set piece, as in "tonight's opening act will be a juggler", etc. Verlaine76 (talk) 16:34, 22 January 2017 (UTC)


 * The tough thing is that the word is used to describe many different things. Even within this context, "act" can be both a conscious division made by the playwright or a descriptor for analysis of a work. The former and latter may line up but they also may not. I hope to have cleared up this distinction a little bit at the moment. Tomnnnn (talk) 10:16, 10 February 2017 (UTC)

Three act play section is completely misleading.
The section on the three act play is completely misplaced and misleading. The lede refers specifically to drama, but the actual examples of the three acts is drawn completely from the usual screenwriter guru nonsense. From personal experience acts in theatre and other forms of stage performance are not motivated by the plot and story development requirements of film and TV scripts but by timings and changes of setting. Any analysis of plays or other stage pieces that are broken into acts would establish this but of course would come under original research so would not be appropriate here.

Therefore I recommend removing the three act breakdown, emphasise that the meaning of act in theatrical drama is distinct from the way it is used in screenwriting, and maybe list a few examples of notable three act plays, operas, operettas or such like, An Inspector Calls comes to mind.

It is certainly telling that the only source referenced in that section is television writer Stephen J Cannell, who as far as I can find has never written a stage play that has ever been professionally produced, let alone on in three distinct acts. Even in the article itself there act three is described as "The brief period of calm at the end of a film" Verlaine76 (talk) 16:24, 22 January 2017 (UTC)


 * Agreed, this bit is fairly contentious. Particularly 'There is an age-old saying that "the second act is the best" because it was in between a starting and ending act and thus being able to delve deeper into more of the meat of the story' jumped out at me a little bit. I'm going to focus on this page for a while and try and tidy up. I think you're right that this whole section could be removed and reworked. If it's going to be here it needs to be accompanied by a similar section on five act (and maybe a brief section on one act plays). --Tomnnnn (talk) 10:16, 10 February 2017 (UTC)