The rules of game

A Day for a Play #1 — the rules of the game

In a spirit of curiosity, openmindness and promotion of contemporary playwriting for children and teenagers, Assitej France is launching an instant playwriting game, open to all the playwrights around the world, in cnjunction with the ASSITEJ 2014 world theatre day for children. Each script written according to the rules of the game will be published on the ASSITEJ France website, for a year.

Purpose of the game : to write a short play for children and/or teenagers on the theme of « The day I went to the theatre », in your own personal style and first language, following the rules below and including the elements given by the rolling die. The performance at the center of this story can be real or imaginary.

Duration of Game : 24 hours maximum after receiving this rules of the game, for playwriting. No later than March, 18th, for its french translation.

Address where to send your script (and its translation into french) : www.1day1play-wlpg.com

Equipment  requested :

  • A standard 6-sided die (sketch attached, if you need to create one)

  • Whatever you need to write

  • A watch, a clock, to meet the deadline.

Rules of the game :

You have 24 hours after receiving this to write your own short script, inspired by the theme and the elements you will get by rolling the die.

Your script should be built in three sections: before, during, and after the performace. The length of each section doesn’t matter, within the overall word limits below.

For each section, you’ll need to roll the die a specific number of times, which will stipulate some mandatory elements. Apart from these, you are free to write as you wish, using any style, number of characters, locations, title…

Length of the play : 70 to 700 words.

Course of the game :

First section: before the performance.

Roll the die three times and write down each result.

First result : who is your young hero

  1. A young boy

  2. A boy

  3. A male teenager

  4. A female teenager

  5. A girl

  6. A young girl

2d result : who will accompany him/her to the performance

  1. One of his/her parents

  2. One of his/her grand-parents

  3. Another child or teenager

  4. An adult (godfather, godmother, baby-sitter, neighbour…)

  5. His/her class group + teacher

  6. An imaginary creature

3st result : the kind of performance they will attend

  1. A theatre play

  2. A dance performance

  3. A circus show

  4. Un puppet play, or objects theatre

  5. A musical

  6. Something never seen before

From there, start writing the section of your script during time before the performance.

Some examples of rolls of the die :

  • 6-4-5 = a young girls and her baby-sitter will attend a musical

  • 3-2-3 = a male teenager and his grand-parents will go to the circus…

 2st section: during the performance

Roll the die twice and write down each result.

4th result : the story which forms the basis of the performance

  1. It’s a very simple story

  2. It’s an amazing story

  3. It’s a realistic story

  4. It’s a story placed in an imaginary world

  5. There is no story

  6. It’s a never ending story

5th result: the incident occurring during the performance

  1. It’s raining inside the theatre

  2. Someone is eating something

  3. A phone rings out loud

  4. Someone falls asleep

  5. One can see what happens behind the scenes

  6. A supernatural event arises

Inspired by these two new elements, continue writing your script.

3st section : after the performance

Roll the die once and write down the result.

6th result : the duration of the influence that the performance will have on your hero’s and his/her companion’s life

  1. 5 minutes

  2. A day

  3. A month

  4. A year

  5. Ten years

  6. All their life

Inspired by this new element, conclude your script.

Bonus (optional) :

You can roll the die one more time to gain a new and last element.

7th result :

  1. The young hero has already attended the performance before

  2. The performance is played in a foreign language

  3. The young hero changes physically

  4. The young hero practices theatre, dance, music… on his/her own

  5. The companion is in love

  6. Everything takes place in the future

Enjoy your playwriting !

If you don’t have a die home :

Please, click on the die-picture below in order to download our do it yourself die, cut out the shape of the paper die , fold all its edges and glue the coloured flaps inside to build it.

Die diy