Playwriting Exercise: Subtext

Subtext is a glorious medium. It adds depth to a scene. There’s the conversation that two characters are having, and there’s the conversation underneath the conversation the two characters are having — the meaning behind the words.

Have your students practice writing with subtext.

• Start with a discussion: What is subtext? What does it mean in a theatrical context? Highlight that subtext is the underlying meaning in a conversation.
• Model this concept with students by saying the same sentence in a variety of ways with different underlying meanings:
  • “Hi, how are you?” (I can’t believe you showed your face.)
  • “Hi, how are you?” (I’m so glad to see you!)
  • “Hi, how are you?” (I am so jealous.)
• Ask students: Why is subtext important in a scene? Highlight that subtext adds emotional depth to any conversation or action.
• Model this concept by having two students improv a scene between two characters (e.g., two siblings) who are doing some kind of mundane action (e.g., folding laundry). Identify an underlying emotional subtext (e.g., anger) that can’t come out in the words of the conversation.
• Have students apply this concept by writing a 1–2-page scene between two characters in which they are doing a household chore and there is an underlying emotional context to their conversation. What’s the meaning behind the lines?
• Put students together in groups and have them share their scenes. Is the subtext clear in the delivery of the scene and the choices given to them by the writer? Do the listeners understand the subtext?
• Unpack the experience. What was it like to write a scene in this way? What was easy? What was challenging? When you wrote your own scene, what techniques did you use to hint at the underlying emotion without directly stating it? What specific choices helped communicate the hidden meaning behind the dialogue?