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High School: Drama Lecture

October 25, 2023

High school drama enthusiasts packed to the Music and Drama Center on October 23 at noon in anticipation of Professor Carlos Morton's talk on "How to Write a 10-Minute Play." Emeritus Professor Carlos Morton teaches at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has written more than 100 plays over the course of a more than 50-year career, some of which have been translated into Polish, Italian, and other languages, and have been staged by theater organizations from various nations and cultures. His works receive wide-spread acclaim, and theater companies, colleges, and even high schools all cherish them. One of his best-known plays, La Malinche, will be performed at a high school in the US state of Colorado next week. Although he is retired, Professor Morton still devotes his time to playwriting and theatrical education.

Using examples from Shakespeare’s plays, Professor Morton first enumerated the qualities of a great play, including conflict, urgency, and the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist. Then he explained the guidelines for writing a 10-minute play, noting that this is a great exercise for playwriting beginners. Last but not least, Professor Morton encouraged students to share topics they wanted to write about and provided directions as they considered how their plot and theme would develop. Under a comfortable atmosphere, drama fans demonstrated their skills while implementing the professor's advice.

(Written by 10(10) Melinda Dang Pictures by teachers and students Reviewed by Qian Zuo)