A play outline

Here's a play outline for a drama project I'm working on at my school. It is aimed at ESL adult learners.

TITLE: "New Ancient Times"

CHARACTERS:

• MIDDLE AGES
• MAN MIDDLE AGES WOMAN
• A KNIGHT
• A KING
• A MIDDLE AGES LADY
• A NARRATOR
• A XVII CENTURY MAN
• A XVII CENTURY WOMAN
• A NOBLEMAN
• A GENTLEMAN
• A YEOMAN
• AN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION MAN
• AN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION WOMAN
• A FACTORY MANAGER
• A LOBBYIST
• A CRAFTSMAN
• A PRESENT-DAY MAN
• A PRESENT-DAY WOMAN
• A PRESENT-DAY BANKER
• A PRESENT-DAY POLITICIAN
• A PRESENT-DAY BUSSINESS PERSON

SYNOPSIS
The play deals with a group/couple of present-day British people who come across other characters from British history (Middle Ages, Modern England, Industrial Revolution) and compare their daily lives.


Each scene focuses on a historical period. The present-day people may be played by different students in each scene to increase participation.

CHARACTER OBJECTVIES
Characters from history want to go back to their times since they do not understand present-day world and value more their original living conditions. Modern times characters want to prove their current living conditions are far better than those of their ancestors. They are proven to be wrong.

SCENE BREAKDOWN
For each scene, the stage is split into two “living rooms”, separated by a curtain. Each space is occupied by characters from the same historical period.

SCENE 1. The modern times man and women are sitting on a sofa in their living room speaking about the news and their worries and fears. They discover the medieval couple doing the same. All of them start a conversation about their living conditions, worries and life expectations. They find out there are more similarities than differences among them. Several characters (knight, lady, banker, politician, business person) are brought onstage when they are referred to by the two couples. The former group also compare their status and life expectations and find out some striking similarities.

SCENE 2. The same scene structure as 1, but this time the modern times couple meet a XVII couple. Several characters (nobleman, gentleman, yeoman, banker, politician, business person) are brought onstage when they are referred to by the couples. The former ones also compare their status and life expectations and find out some striking similarities.

 SCENE 3. The same scene structure as 1 and 2, this time with present-day people meeting an Industrial-Revolution couple. The factory manager, lobbyist and craftsman are met by the banker, the politician and the business person.