Module 5: Drama
3. Basic Structure #
3.1. Structural Divisions of the Actual Text #
As with any other TEI text, the actual contents of drama texts are encoded in <body>, possibly preceded by front matter in <front> and succeeded by back matter in <back>. Inside <body>, the actual text often has specific structures: acts and scenes. Like parts and chapters in prose works, these can be encoded using the generic TEI element <div> (division). In order to identify the nature of the text divisions, they can be characterised in a @type attribute. For text divisions in drama texts, the values "act" and "scene" can be used, although you can use your own typology if so desired. For our example text, the major structural divisions can be encoded as follows:
user, computer
In a clean room without windows, a table stands in the middle, carrying a computer screen.
The screen blinks, the computer emits random beeps.
[A big screen on the left hand side of the stage displays the word HELLO, and will be used to project the contents of the computer screen. A big screen on the right hand stage of the stage displays the word WORD, until the action starts. Then, the user's face is filmed in close up and projected onto this screen.]
(user enters room, walks towards the table, takes a seat, and reads what's on the screen)
[spotlight follows user]
COMP: Hello.
(user looks around and starts typing)
USER: What is on the table?
COMP: The table does not exist.
(user frowns)
USER: There is a table in the room.
COMP: Ok.
USER: What is on the table?
COMP: Nothing.
USER: There is a black box on the table.
COMP: Ok.
USER: What is on the table?
COMP: A black box.
USER: There is a black box on the table.
(computer beeps frantically)
COMP: I know.
USER: There is a red ball in the black box.
COMP: Ok.
USER: Where is the black box?
COMP: The black box is on the table.
USER: What is in the black box?
COMP: A red ball.
USER: Where is the black ball?
COMP: I don't know what black ball you are talking about.
USER: Where is the red ball?
COMP: In the black box.
USER: There is a black ball in the box.
COMP: Ok.
USER: The red ball is on the table.
COMP: In fact the red ball is in the box.
USER: The ball in the box is small.
COMP: I cannot understand such a sentence at the present time.
USER: The black ball is small.
COMP: I see.
USER: What is in the box?
COMP: A small black ball and a red ball.
(user smiles, stands up, takes a small green ball out of his pocket, walks away throwing and catching the ball)
[Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" accompanies the exit]</div>
Of course, this markup is far from complete, and even invalid TEI, as the TEI Guidelines stipulate that <div> text divisions cannot contain unstructured text. We’ll fill in the blanks in the next sections of this tutorial.
3.2. The Basic Building Block: Speeches #
One of the most distinctive organisational principles in drama texts is the grouping of text lines in utterances, spoken by the respective characters. Each line of speech can be encoded in a <sp> (speech) element. When present in the text source, the indications of the speaking character can be encoded in a <speaker> element. The actual text of a speech line should be further encoded as a paragraph (<p>) or verse line (<l>, possibly grouped in <lg>). If the encoder is undecided about the prose or verse qualities of the text lines, <ab> (anonymous block) may also be used.
Note
A dramatic speech line (<sp>) cannot contain unstructured text: it should be encoded further as paragraph (<p>), verse line (<l>, possibly grouped in <lg>), or genre-unspecified anonymous block (<ab>).For example, the last three speech lines in the example can be encoded as follows:
Notice how in this example, the colons after the name labels have been left out of the transcription. This is an editorial choice that can be motivated by the fact that the colons themselves are purely typographical separators between the labels and the text, that can systematically be reproduced when this transcription is rendered. Likewise, the blank line between both groups of speeches has been omitted as a purely typographic feature. Typographical line breaks can of course be encoded where they occur with empty <lb> elements.
The <sp> element provides a more formal mechanism for indicating the speaking character, by means of a @who attribute. Its value points to a definition of this character elsewhere in the transcription. The value of this definition’s @xml:id attribute is used in the @who attribute, preceded with a hash character (#), in order to indicate it as the identifier part of a formal URI reference. For example:
Notice how this example assumes that both characters are identified elsewhere in the transcription, with "comp" and "user" as respective values for their @xml:id attribute. A common place for such definitions in drama texts is in a “cast list,” introducing all characters of the play. For the encoding of cast lists, see section 4.1 in this tutorial module. When text is spoken by more than one character, the identification codes for all of them can be listed in the @who attribute, separated by white space.
Of course, the encoder is free to choose which identification mechanism will be used for the speakers in the transcription. When the markers are present in the text source, their bare transcription in <speaker> (see example 3) may suffice. It may make equal sense to use both systems (transcription of the actual speaker labels in the source text in <speaker>, and a formal identification in the @who attribute), as in example 4. If the source text has no explicit markers of the speaking characters, or if these markers are present but not deemed relevant to the transcription (and could be reconstructed systematically when rendering the transcription), only the formal identification in the @who may be used:
Note
It is important to point out the different nature of both identification mechanisms for speakers: <speaker> can only contain a literal transcription of a speaker label in the source text; @who can only contain an abstract identification code provided by the encoder.Summary
The speeches of a drama text can be encoded in the <sp> element. In order to identify the speaking character, either the @who attribute may be used on the <sp> element, or the speaker label may be transcribed from the source text in a <speaker> element (or both mechanisms may be used together). Apart from the <speaker> label, speeches must contain structured text, either in <p>, <l> (possibly grouped in <lg>), or genre-neutral <ab> elements.3.3. Stage Directions #
The encoding of all speeches in our example text would still leave some text structures uncovered: all fragments enclosed in parentheses or square brackets. These text fragments are not meant to be spoken in the performance, but rather convey directions on aspects of the performance. Such “stage directions” can be transcribed with the <stage> element. Stage directions can address aspects of the acting, technical circumstances, locations, music, and so on. In order to distinguish between these different types of stage directions, the @type attribute can be used on the <stage> element. The encoder is free to develop an own typology for the kinds of stage directions.
Stage directions can occur in the transcription wherever they appear in the source text. In our example, the stage directions (between parentheses or square brackets) can be encoded as follows:
The TEI Guidelines provide a specialised element for indicating movements of characters: the empty <move> element. It may be used either to complement implicit movement descriptions in stage directions, or to formally document movement of characters when it is absent from the stage directions. Being an empty element, all information is conveyed in specific attributes. The @type attribute can be used to categorise the movement (for example: "entrance" and "exit" for stage entrance and exit, respectively; or "onStage" for movement on stage). The moving character(s) can be indicated in the @who attribute, as a white space separated list of formal codes with which they are identified elsewhere in the transcription (see section 4.1). The @where attribute may be used to specify the direction of the movement. Any system of location information may be used (for example, "C" for “centre,” "L" for “stage left,” "R" for “stage right”), as long as it is identified in the header of the transcription.
In our example, the encoding of the entrance and exit of the user character could be formally enriched with the <move> element:
It is equally possible to distinguish technical stage directions from general stage directions, using specialised elements. Directions regarding sounds can be encoded using the <sound> element. The @type element can indicate what kind of sound is meant, while the @discrete attribute can specify whether the sound overlaps with the surrounding speeches ("false"), or not ("true"). For example:
Descriptions of the contents of a screen (usual in transcriptions of screen plays) can be encoded in a <view> element. In our example, this could apply to the description of both screens on the stage:
Specific camera directions can be encoded using the <camera> element, whose @type attribute can specify the direction:
Directions about text to be displayed on screen (usual in transcriptions of screen plays) can be encoded in a <caption> element. This could be applied to the directions on both screens on the stage:
Other technical stage directions, not meant for the actors can be encoded with the <tech> element, with a @type attribute for classifying the stage direction. The @type attribute can be used for a typology of such technical directions: "light" (a lighting instruction), "sound" (a sound instruction), "prop" (a direction for props), or "block" (a blocking cue, i.e., related to position and movement on stage).
