Compact Stageplay Template
Our Compact Stageplay Template is designed for publication-ready stageplay manuscripts, ideal for writers looking to format their scripts for print. This template shares similarities with the Stageplay and UK Stageplay templates but adjusts the formatting for book-style presentation.
The document template's line types have been formatted to follow traditional stageplay formatting standards, offering flexibility for playwrights.
In This Article
Compact Stageplay Template Tutorial Video
Key Differences from Other Stageplay Templates
- Designed for publication, emulating older published stageplay manuscripts
- Dual Dialogue is built into the background and cannot be used manually
- Compact spacing where dialogue appears closer to the character name to fit within book-friendly dimensions
- Ideal for exporting to InDesign or other publishing software
Apply Compact Stageplay Template
This will affect the entire document and adjust all formatting.
- Select Format > Document Template > Default Templates
- Select Compact Stageplay Template
- If there is content in the document, it will ask if you want to confirm the template change.
- Select Apply Template
Core Line Types
These line types form the foundation of the Compact Stageplay format and are the most commonly used.
- New Act – The first line of the script, aligned to the left
- Scene – Marks a new scene, appearing to the right of New Act lines
- Action – Describes the setting and character movements, italicized rather than uppercase
- Character – The name of a speaking character, aligned to the left
- Dialogue – Positioned closely next to the Character line, creating a compact layout for publication
- Parenthetical (Parens) – Works similarly to standard Stageplay formatting but maintains tight spacing under character names
Additional Line Types
- End Act – Indicates the end of an act, automatically formatting a new act when pressing Enter
- Audio – Represents sound cues, centered on the page
- Transition – Used rarely in Compact Stageplays but available as an option to indicate cues like
Lights Fade to Black - Text – Unformatted lines for miscellaneous content or production notes
- Image – Allows inserting multimedia such as images, videos, or reference sketches
Outlining Line Types
- Notes – Indented comments for reference, not counted in the page count
- Outline – Provides structural guidance, hidden unless Show Outline is enabled
- Sequence – Groups scenes into story beats, with similar functionality across templates