by Will Dunne
You may have any number of offstage characters in a dramatic story. This exercise can help you explore those who matter most.
Examples are from Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley, recipient of a 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Shanley later adapted the play to film for a 2008 release that earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay. This exercise focuses on the stage version.
The story is set in a 1964 Catholic elementary school in the Bronx and depicts the efforts of the principal to drive away a priest whom she suspects of child abuse, even though she has no factual evidence of his guilt. The offstage characters of this story are mainly the students and staff of the school. Most are mentioned only briefly to create the ambience of a busy institution, but some play a critical role in the story.
Think about the offstage characters in your story and who among them might affect story events or at least deserve to be mentioned in dialogue. You are likely to find the most important offstage characters from the lives of your principal characters.
To begin, identify your two most important onstage or onscreen characters:
• Character 1, the main character of the story—for example, Sister Aloysius, the principal of St. Nicholas Church School
• Character 2, the second most important character in the story—for example, Father Flynn, the parish priest and basketball coach at St. Nicholas
■ CHARACTER 1’S UNSEEN LIFE
Who from your Character 1’s unseen life, past and present, might influence the course of your story even though they never appear in it physically? Use the following questions to brainstorm possibilities. For each offstage character you name, describe a memorable detail. For example, one of the unseen characters in Aloysius’s life is her coworker Mrs. Carolyn, the strange woman with the goiter who plays the portable piano.
Who’s who in the unseen world
1. Original family. Think about your character’s childhood family, such as parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents. Identify and describe any unseen members of this family who are relevant to your story.
2. Current family. Identify and describe any members of your character’s current family who do not appear in the script but are relevant to the story.
3. Work associates. The character’s work life, past and present, may include many individuals whom the audience never meets, such as bosses, employees, coworkers, or customers. If any are relevant to your story, identify and describe them.
4. Friends and lovers. Among the unseen friends and lovers in your character’s life, is anyone important enough to mention in the story? If so, who are they and how would you describe them?
5. Others in the community. Think about the communities in which your character has participated, such as schools, teams, clubs, churches, neighborhoods, or other social organizations. Identify and describe any unseen members of this larger social world who are relevant to your story.
■ CHARACTER 2’S UNSEEN LIFE
Now go back and answer the same five questions under “Who’s who in the unseen world” with your Character 2 in mind.
■ FIRST UNSEEN CHARACTER
You have now identified a number of individuals who will not appear in your story but may be referenced in it for one reason or another. Some of these offstage characters matter more than others. In Doubt the most important offstage character is eighth-grader Donald Muller. In addition to being the first and only black student in a school full of warring Irish and Italians, Donald is gay, a fact that has led to beatings from his father at home and threats on his life from students at the public school he used to attend. Who is the most important unseen character in your story? Write a detailed description of him or her with a focus on what matters most.
1. Why important. In Doubt Donald Muller is not just important. He is pivotal to the story, since he is the boy whom Father Flynn may have abused. Donald is thus the catalyst for Aloysius’s campaign to bring Flynn down. How is your unseen character important to the story?
2. Why mentioned. Because he is integral to the plot, Donald is mentioned many times as Doubt unfolds. In scene 4 he is the subject of a report that Sister James, an eighth-grade teacher, makes to Aloysius, her superior. In the here and now of the scene, James has a feel bad objective: she wants to warn Aloysius that Flynn may be having an inappropriate relationship with the boy. Imagine an important example of your unseen character being mentioned in your story. Who might make this reference, and why?
3. Sample dialogue. In scene 4 James tries to communicate her concerns about Donald by describing what happened after he visited the rectory. She says, “It’s just the way the boy acted when he came back to class.” Aloysius asks, “He said something?” James replies, “No. It was his expression. He looked frightened and . . . I think there was alcohol on his breath.” Write a few lines of sample dialogue to show how and why your offstage character might be referenced during your story.
4. Why unseen. The fact that Donald remains offstage is core to our experience of Doubt: it forces us to focus on the reactions of the adults around the boy rather than on the boy himself. Donald’s absence also adds to the uncertainty of Aloysius’s allegations against Flynn, since we are never able to observe the boy’s behavior or hear his version of what happened, such as how he acquired the wine. What is the main reason for keeping your offstage character physically absent from the dramatic action?
■ SECOND UNSEEN CHARACTER
Among the offstage population of Doubt, the second most important character is Monsignor Benedict. He is the one to whom Aloysius reports school problems that she cannot resolve on her own. However, Benedict is seventy-nine years old, a fan of Father Flynn, and so senile that he probably couldn’t name the current president of the United States. At one point Aloysius describes the monsignor as “otherworldly in the extreme.” Among your unseen characters, who is the second most important? Write a detailed description of him or her with a focus on what matters most.
1. Why important. Benedict is important because of his position in the hierarchy of the church and because he is the only one to whom Aloysius can officially report problems. It is because of Benedict’s senility and alliance with Flynn that Aloysius decides not to go through regular channels to make her suspicions known. Though he never appears in the story, Benedict is thus essential to the plot, since he provides the motivation for Aloysius to take matters into her own hands. In effect, Benedict is the reason the play happens the way it does. How is your second unseen character important to the story?
2. Why mentioned. Aloysius refers to Benedict more than once in the story. In scene 4, after James has shared her concerns about Flynn, Aloysius begins to devise a plan to bring the priest down. In the here and now of the scene, she has a convince object: she wants James to understand that it would be futile to rely on Benedict for help. Imagine an important example of your unseen character being mentioned in your story. Who might make this reference, and why?
3. Sample dialogue. As Aloysius tries to figure out what to do about Flynn, James reminds her, “You’re supposed to tell the monsignor!” Aloysius replies, “That you saw a look in a boy’s eye? That perhaps you smelled something on his breath? Monsignor Benedict thinks the sun rises and sets on Father Flynn. You’d be branded an hysteric and transferred.” Write a few lines of sample dialogue to show how and why your second unseen character might be referenced during your story.
4. Why unseen. Due to his senility and alliance with Flynn, Benedict has nothing to offer Aloysius in the way of assistance and support. This absence of help is underscored by his literal absence from the play. Since his dramatic function is only to exist as an obstacle, he is not necessary as an observable character. Why does your second offstage character remain physically absent from the dramatic action?
■ THIRD UNSEEN CHARACTER
Among the offstage characters of Doubt, the third most important is William London, another stude
nt in James’s class whom Aloysius describes as a restless boy who is headed for trouble in life. William is sent by James to the principal’s office because of a nose bleed that he experienced during the Pledge of Allegiance and that, in Aloysius’s opinion, was self-induced with a ballpoint pen in order to escape school. Among your offstage characters, who is third most important? Write a detailed description of him or her with a focus on what matters most.
1. Why important. William matters in Doubt because he is the catalyst for scene 2—his nosebleed is the reason James comes to Aloysius’s office—but mainly because of an interaction that Aloysius witnessed between him and Flynn in the backstory. On the first day of school, the priest reached out to touch William’s wrist and William pulled away. It was a small incident, but it raised a question in Aloysius’s mind about Flynn’s relationship with children. William is thus the one who first sparks her mistrust of the priest. This makes him a central character in the backstory. How is your third unseen character important to the story?
2. Why mentioned. William gains his greatest importance during the showdown between Aloysius and Flynn in scene 8. Flynn has a find out objective: he wants to know why Aloysius is convinced of his guilt when she has no proof of wrongdoing. This is when she reveals what she witnessed between William and him on the first day of school. Imagine an important example of your unseen character being mentioned in your story. Who might make this reference, and why?
3. Sample dialogue. During their climactic duel in scene 8, Flynn demands to know why Aloysius refuses to trust him. She explains, “On the first day of the school year, I saw you touch William London’s wrist. And I saw him pull away.” Flynn says, “That’s all?” Aloysius says, “That was all.” Write a few lines of sample dialogue to show how and why your unseen character might be referenced during your story.
4. Why unseen. Because William is part of the circumstantial evidence against Flynn, his physical absence from the story adds to the uncertainty of Aloysius’s allegations. As with Donald, we are not able to observe William directly or hear what he has to say about the priest. William thus gains the most power dramatically by remaining offstage. Why is your third offstage character physically absent from the dramatic action?
WRAP-UP
Even though the audience never meets them, offstage characters can serve the story in a number of ways. For best results, limit the number of unseen characters who will be mentioned in dialogue. When such characters must be discussed, keep the speaker’s current objective in mind, and limit the reference to the details that matter most.
Related tools in The Dramatic Writer’s Companion. For more about the power of unseen characters, go to the “Developing Your Character” section and try “The Dramatic Triangle.” For more about exposition—the realm of the unobservable—go to the “Causing a Scene” section and try “There and Then.”
SIDE BY SIDE
THE QUICK VERSION
Compare and contrast two characters from your story
BEST TIME FOR THIS
After you have a working sense of who the characters are
CHARACTER DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES
It is a common assumption that the characters in a dramatic story each need to be distinct. Hamlet and Claudius, for example, are clearly different individuals. Each has a unique combination of traits that define his identity and fuel his need to accomplish something he views as important. It is because of such distinctions that these two men see the world in different ways, behave differently, and often find themselves in conflict. All of this makes for a good story.
The need for individuality, however, does not eliminate the importance of character similarities as well. If characters had no common ground, they could not be in the same story, just as Claudius could not have become part of Hamlet’s life if he had lived in a different country or at a different time. Indeed, he might not have played a meaningful role in Hamlet’s destiny if he had been born into a different family or class. The similarities among characters may extend into any area of their personalities or lives. It is through their common ground that they participate in the same events. In some cases, it is their similarities that force them to deal with each other in stressful situations where they would rather walk away.
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
Use this exercise to find out more about two of your characters by comparing and contrasting them. For best results, work in two columns, one for each character, so you can see your responses side by side.
Examples are from Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker. Recipient of the 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play, the story centers on interactions within an acting class at a Vermont community center.
Take these steps to begin your side-by-side character exploration:
• Choose two characters from your story to explore—for example, Schultz, age forty-eight, a carpenter, and Teresa, age thirty-five, a student of acupressure and Rolfing.
• Choose a timeframe for the exploration: beginning, middle, or end of the story. Examples focus on Schultz and Teresa at the beginning of Baker’s play.
• Define the relationship between your characters at this time. For example, Schultz and Teresa are students in an acting class who have just met.
■ HOW CHARACTERS COMPARE AND CONTRAST
In the following questions, “now” refers to the timeframe you chose.
1. Unique trait. Characters are made up of physical, psychological, and social traits that define who they are. Some of these traits are distinctive. One of Schultz’s unique traits is his creativity with furniture. A carpenter by trade, he makes artistic chairs for a hobby, such as one that displays the sun and another that displays a cloud. One of Teresa’s unique traits is her photographic memory. She can remember things from years ago in amazing detail, such as the name of the girl whom her ex-boyfriend first kissed in high school. For each of your characters, identify a distinctive trait.
2. Universal trait. Dramatic characters also have traits that are common. Such traits enable us to identify with the characters because they remind us of ourselves or people we know. One of Schultz’s universal traits is his need for companionship. One of Teresa’s universal traits is her desire to make a difference in the world. For each of your characters, identify an important trait that many others share.
3. Key strength. Schultz is a go-getter who is honest about his feelings and unafraid to pursue his desires. Teresa is a passionate person with confidence and poise, one of the best students in the class. For each of your characters, and without repeating a previous response, identify a key strength at this time in the story.
4. Key weakness. Schultz is needy. This makes him vulnerable with others and easily hurt. Teresa presents a cheerful exterior but is really a guarded person who fears emotional pain and thus tries to avoid problems. For each of your characters, and without repeating a previous response, identify a key weakness at this time in the story.
5. Key backstory fact. The past often has profound effects on the present. A key experience from Schultz’s past was his divorce from his wife of twenty-seven years. This occurred about a year ago and has left him devastated. A key experience from Teresa’s past was her decision five months ago to break up with her abusive boyfriend and move from New York City to Shirley, Vermont. The experience has made her hopeful for a better future. For each of your characters, identify a past experience that influences him or her in the present, and give an example of its impact.
6. Most important relationship. Dramatic characters have an array of relationships that affect who they are and what they do. The most important relationship in Schultz’s life is his ex-wife, Becky. The most important relationship in Teresa’s life is her father. Who is the most important person in each of your characters’ lives now?
7. Contradiction. Fascinating characters often embody contradictions that reveal different sides of who they are. Schultz wants to start over and get married again, but he can’t let go of his last marri
age. Teresa also wants to be in a relationship, but she is attracted only to men who are not available. Identify a contradiction that each of your characters embodies now.
8. Animal comparison. Metaphors and similes are figures of speech in which something unfamiliar is described by comparing it to something familiar with similar attributes. Schultz might be described as a drooling cocker spaniel. Teresa might be a floating swan about to take flight. Think about the dominant traits of your characters. Find a comparison from the animal kingdom to imply something important about each.
9. Values most. Schultz most values romance and sex, and not necessarily in that order. Teresa most values caring for other people in a meaningful way and contributing to the welfare of society. What do each of your characters most value now?
10. Values least. Schultz least values his independence. He longs for the days when he was tied down to a safe, comfortable routine with his wife. Teresa least values big-city social life. She left New York because she felt that people there do not really care about one another. What do each of your characters least value now?
11. Physical object. Truths about characters are often revealed by the objects and elements in the physical world around them. One object that says a lot about Schultz is the wedding ring that he still wears though he has been divorced for a year. He clings to a past that made him feel secure. An object that reveals a lot about Teresa is the hula hoop she masters in a room of self-conscious acting students. She is graceful and well grounded. For each of your characters, identify an important object and what it reveals about him or her.
12. Dominant emotion. Characters usually experience a variety of emotions during a story, but some feelings dominate the mix. Schultz has been shoved out of nearly three decades of married life into a singular existence that does not suit him. His dominant emotion is loneliness. Teresa is an optimist who believes she can change not only herself but also the world. Her dominate emotion is hope. What is the dominant emotion of each of your characters?