Scripts and Sides: Understanding the Text and Your Materials

The Script as a Working Document (Not a Novel)

A theatrical script is a tool you use to rehearse, coordinate with others, and perform consistently. Unlike reading for pleasure, you read a script to answer practical questions: Where am I? What is happening right now? What do I need to do on this line? What do I need to listen for? Your goal is to turn the printed text into repeatable actions, clear listening, and reliable timing.

Two helpful mindsets

• Read for function: every line and direction affects timing, movement, and relationships.
• Read for triggers: you are constantly tracking what makes you speak, move, enter, exit, or change intention.

Parts of a Script You Must Recognize

Character list (Dramatis Personae)

This section tells you who is in the play and often gives brief descriptions (age range, relationships, status). Use it to map: who has authority, who knows whom, and who is likely to share scenes. If the list includes doubling (one actor plays multiple roles), note it because it affects quick changes and offstage traffic.

Acts and scenes

Acts are large sections; scenes are smaller units usually defined by a change of location, time, or major shift in who is present. For your work, scenes are the most useful unit because they help you track: your entrances/exits, costume/prop needs, and emotional/energy arcs.

Practical tip: write your character’s name at the top of every scene you appear in (in the margin) so you can flip quickly during rehearsal.

Stage directions

Stage directions are instructions or information that are not spoken aloud. They may include movement, tone, environment, or action. They can appear:

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• Before dialogue: setting the moment (e.g., “Night. A kitchen.”)
• Between lines: indicating action (e.g., “She crosses to the window.”)
• Within a line: sometimes as a brief action cue.

How to use them: treat them as playable tasks (what you physically do) and circumstances (what is true about the world). If a direction conflicts with what the director stages, keep the text visible but follow the staging you are given; don’t erase the printed direction—annotate your updated staging next to it.

Parentheticals

Parentheticals are short notes in parentheses under a character name, often suggesting how a line might be said (e.g., “(quietly)”, “(to Alex)”). They are clues, not handcuffs. Use them to understand intention and focus, but stay flexible: in rehearsal, the director may adjust delivery, volume, or target.

Practical check: if a parenthetical changes who you’re speaking to (“(to Jordan)”), mark it clearly—this affects eyeline and blocking.

Beats

A beat is a small shift in action or intention—like a new tactic, a new piece of information, or a change in emotional temperature. Beats can be indicated by the playwright (a pause, a new paragraph, an interruption) or discovered in rehearsal.

Beginner-friendly way to spot beats:

• A new topic appears.
• You receive new information.
• You change tactics (from teasing to pleading, from calm to threatening).
• Someone enters/exits or a prop/action changes the moment.

Mark beats with a simple slash / in the margin and a 1–3 word label (e.g., / reassure, / accuse).

Line cues

A cue is what tells you it’s time to do something: speak, move, pick up a prop, or enter. Most actor cues are line cues—a specific word or phrase in someone else’s line (or your own) that triggers your next action.

Example of a line cue you might mark:

JORDAN: If you really cared, you would have called me last night.  (CUE: “last night” → you cross downstage)  ALEX: I tried.

Good cues are specific (a word/phrase), not vague (“somewhere in Jordan’s speech”). Specific cues make you reliable even when pacing changes.

Common Rehearsal Materials (What They Are and How to Use Them)

Sides

Sides are selected pages of the script used for auditions, rehearsals, or quick review. They usually include your character’s lines plus enough surrounding dialogue to provide context and cues.

• Use sides to: practice cue pickup, memorize in chunks, and rehearse a specific scene without carrying the full script.
• Risk to avoid: relying only on sides can make you miss earlier setup or later consequences. When possible, read the full scene in the script too.

Rehearsal drafts

A rehearsal draft is a working version of the script used during the rehearsal period. It may include temporary edits, formatting changes, or placeholders. Treat it as “current truth” until a newer version replaces it.

Practical habit: keep rehearsal drafts in a single binder section labeled CURRENT, and move old drafts to an ARCHIVE section so you don’t accidentally rehearse from outdated pages.

Revisions (new pages, cut/add notices)

Revisions are changes to the script after you already started working. They may arrive as:

• Replacement pages (only certain pages change).
• A full new PDF/printout.
• A cut/add sheet listing what to remove or insert.

When you receive revisions, update immediately. Even small changes can affect cues, entrances, and timing.

Version control (dates, page marks, and staying in sync)

Version control means everyone is using the same text. Productions handle this differently, but beginners can follow a simple system:

• Write the version date on the front cover (e.g., Draft: 2026-01-23).
• Mark replacement pages with the same date in the footer or top corner (e.g., p. 12 — 2026-01-23).
• Keep old pages behind a divider labeled OLD PAGES — DO NOT USE (or discard if instructed).
• Check page numbers after inserting replacements so your script flips correctly during rehearsal.

If the production uses color-coded revisions (common in professional settings), keep the color name/date noted on the cover and on each revised page, but still write the date for clarity.

A Step-by-Step Method for Annotating Your Script

Annotation should make you faster and more consistent, not cluttered. Use pencil when possible (changes happen). Choose a small set of symbols and use them the same way every time.

Step 1: Set up a clean, repeatable marking system

• Pencil for staging and anything likely to change.
• One highlighter color (optional) for cues only.
• Symbols you will reuse: ENT, EX, X (cross), ↑/↓ (energy up/down), / (beat).

Step 2: Circle your cues (what you listen for)

Go through each of your entrances, lines, and major actions. Find the exact word(s) that trigger you and circle them in the preceding line.

• Circle the cue word in your scene partner’s line.
• If your cue is a stage direction (e.g., “Doorbell rings”), circle that direction.
• If your cue is music/sound/light, write it as a cue note (e.g., Q: thunder).

Example marking:

JORDAN: Don’t come any closer. (CUE circled: “closer”)  ALEX: I’m not here to fight.

Step 3: Mark entrances and exits clearly

At the exact line or direction where you enter, write ENT in the margin. Where you leave, write EX. If you re-enter quickly, add timing notes like ENT (fast) or ENT after knock.

Also note how you enter/exit when it matters (quietly, running, carrying something). Keep it short: ENT w/ bag, EX SL (stage left), etc., if your production uses stage directions.

Step 4: Add playable objectives and tactics (short, active language)

For each beat, write a simple objective (what you want) and, if helpful, a tactic (how you try to get it). Keep it active and specific.

Write objectives in the margin at the start of a beat, like: / get them to admit it.

Step 5: Note physical actions and prop responsibilities

Any action that affects timing should be marked: sitting, picking up a cup, opening a letter, turning on a lamp. If you are responsible for a prop, label it clearly.

• Pick up keys
• Set glass DS table
• Hand letter to Jordan

If an action must happen on a specific word, treat it like a cue: circle the trigger word and write the action next to it.

Step 6: Separate actor notes from director notes (so you don’t confuse authority)

Use a two-channel system so you can tell what came from you versus what was assigned:

• Actor notes (your work): write in pencil and put a small A: before them (e.g., A: slow down here, A: listen—don’t interrupt).
• Director notes (given staging/intent): write in boxed text or with D: (e.g., [D: cross to sofa on “fine”]).

This prevents a common beginner problem: treating your early guesses as fixed staging. If the director changes something, you can update the boxed D: notes without losing your personal reminders.

Step 7: Create a quick “run map” at the top of the scene

At the first page of each scene you’re in, write a mini checklist:

• Where you start: Preset SR behind door
• Key props: phone, envelope
• Major beats: charm → corner → apologize
• Exit: EX after “I’m done.”

This helps you re-enter a scene quickly after breaks or notes.

Reading for Performance: A Simple Pass System

When you first receive a script (or a new revision), do three passes:

• Pass 1 (Story pass): read straight through your scenes to understand what happens and what changes.
• Pass 2 (Cue pass): circle cues, mark entrances/exits, and flag any unclear references (names, places, pronouns).
• Pass 3 (Action pass): add beat labels, objectives, and any required actions/props.

Keep questions in the margin as Q? so you can ask at the right time (e.g., Q? Do I already have the coat?).

Script Care and Confidentiality

Copyrighted material: treat the script as protected

Most scripts are copyrighted. Your access is typically limited to the production’s needs. Even if you received a PDF, that does not mean you have permission to distribute it.

• Do not share PDFs or photos of pages with friends, online groups, or social media.
• Do not upload scripts to cloud folders unless the production specifically provides and approves that method.
• Do not print extra copies beyond what you are instructed to use.

Confidentiality: protect the production’s work

Rehearsal drafts and revisions can include cuts, alternate endings, or staging notes. Treat these as confidential production materials.

• Do not post excerpts, plot changes, or rehearsal pages.
• If you need to practice with a partner, use your own copy in person rather than sending files.

Physical care (so your script survives rehearsal)

• Use a binder or sturdy cover; add page protectors only if page-turn noise won’t be an issue.
• Number your pages if the draft lacks clear numbering.
• Secure loose pages immediately after receiving revisions (hole-punch and insert, or tape neatly if allowed).
• Keep it clean and legible: avoid heavy ink that bleeds through; don’t cover dialogue with notes.
• Bring it every time: even when off-book, you may need to check a revision or a cue.

Returning scripts and deleting files when required

Some productions loan scripts and require them back at the end. Follow instructions exactly:

• Return physical scripts by the deadline (including binders if they belong to the production).
• If you were given a digital script, delete it when asked (including from downloads and cloud backups, if applicable).
• If you are unsure what to keep, ask the stage manager or production contact rather than guessing.