Do the story elements of the well-made play still have relevance today?

Abstract

When it comes to the principles of scriptwriting, many methods have been implemented, especially when combined with the dramaturgy of performance. However, during the nineteenth century, French dramatist Eugène Scribe developed a writing style he called the pièce bien faite or well-made play. It is this dissertation’s intention to evaluate all of the elements that make the well-made play formula work. The methodology used to conduct this evaluation was that of research from various sources, examinations of plays that follow the formula, and conducting a case study that looks into the performance of a play that utilises this formula. A critical eye was used to see both the strengths and the weaknesses of the well-made play, as well as making a comparison between the plays to see how they both had consistent elements of the formula, as well as its deviations from it. The case study would be made by conducting an interview or focus group with the main people behind the production of the play: the director, one of the people who helped to produce the show, and the cast. Once all of the information was put together, conclusions were made based on the information that was collected, proving whether or not the well-made play formula was still relevant today or any of the story elements that contribute to making the formula.