Describe the difference between stage directions and dialogue in a script.

• A. Dialogue is spoken words by characters; stage directions indicate actions, timing, entrances, exits, and emotional cues, not spoken aloud.
• B. Dialogue is only written in italics.
• C. Stage directions are spoken aloud.
• D. Dialogue provides only blocking cues.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how we separate spoken words from the non-spoken guidance in a script. Dialogue is the actual words the characters say. Stage directions, on the other hand, describe actions, timing, entrances and exits, and emotional cues—things that actors and directors use to stage the scene but that aren’t spoken aloud. For example, a line like “I’m leaving now” is dialogue, while a note such as [She pauses, glances at her watch, exits stage left] describes what happens without being spoken.

It’s not true that dialogue is only written in italics, nor that stage directions are spoken aloud, and dialogue isn’t limited to providing blocking cues. The clear distinction is speech versus guidance for performance.