The primary purpose of stage directions is to describe what a character is doing—plus how and where they are doing it—between lines of dialogue. Action lines can be simple, like… See more

Stage directions may also explain what a character looks like. Whether they’re wearing a half-mask like the Phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera” or have an authoritaria… See more

These elements establish the physical and aural details of a scene. This gives the director a way to visualize what’s onstage and the writer a chance to get the intended mood acro… See more

Stage directions can direct the intention of a line reading—especially if a character isn’t saying what they actually mean. These directions are usually written in parenthese… See more