A scripted performance is a form of dramatic presentation where actors follow a pre-written text,

known as a script, which provides all or most of the dialogue, actions, stage directions, and plot
structure. It is the foundation for most theatrical productions, films, and television shows, providing a
structured blueprint for the entire creative team.

Key Characteristics

Predetermined Content: The core elements of the performance—storyline, character arcs, dialogue, and
actions—are planned in advance by a writer (playwright or screenwriter).

Structure: Scripts are typically organized into acts and scenes, which help manage the flow of the
narrative and physical changes in setting or time.

Consistency: A script ensures that the performance can be consistently reproduced across multiple
showings or takes, as all performers and the production team work from the same detailed instructions.

Guidance for the Team: The script serves as a roadmap for directors, actors, and designers (set,
costume, lighting, sound) to coordinate their efforts and bring the story to life as intended by the
playwright's vision.

Rehearsal-Based: Scripted performances involve a dedicated rehearsal process where actors learn their
lines, practice movements (blocking), and develop their characters within the defined framework of the
script.

Examples of Scripted Performances

Theatre: Plays by William Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, or Tennessee Williams are classic examples where
actors adhere strictly to the written dialogue and stage directions.

Film: The vast majority of movies, from blockbusters to independent dramas, are based on detailed
screenplays.

Television: Scripted television shows like The Handmaid's Tale or Peaky Blinders follow teleplays that
outline every scene and line of dialogue.

A non-scripted performance is a creative work where the performers act, speak, or interact
spontaneously without a pre-written script. This approach relies on improvisation, quick thinking, and
audience interaction to create a unique experience that feels more authentic and relatable. Examples
range from improvisational theater to reality-based skits and spontaneous interviews.

Key characteristics

Spontaneity: Dialogue and actions are created in the moment, allowing for genuine reactions and
unforeseen developments.

Improvisation: Performers rely on their instincts, creativity, and ability to respond to each other and the
audience in real-time.
Authenticity: The lack of a script often results in more genuine, raw emotional exchanges that can
resonate deeply with viewers.

Audience engagement: Audiences may provide suggestions that influence the direction of the scene,
creating a collaborative and interactive atmosphere.

Examples

Improvisational theater: Performers act out scenes based on audience suggestions, like in the show
Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

Reality-based skits: Skits that draw from real-life situations and have actors improvise the dialogue and
scenarios.

Live streams and interviews: Conversations where hosts or interviewers have a rough outline or topic
but allow the conversation to flow naturally.

Behind-the-scenes tours: Videos that show a more natural, unpolished look at a company or event
without a pre-written guide.

Common Forms and Examples

Improvisational Theatre (Improv): The most prominent form, where actors build scenes and stories
collaboratively in real-time.

Short-form improv: Consists of quick, unrelated games or sketches, often popularized by shows like
Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

Long-form improv: Involves developing extended, inter-related narratives or a full-length play from a
single suggestion.

Stand-up Comedy: While often having prepared material, comedians heavily rely on improvisation to
interact with the crowd and adapt to audience reactions.

Pantomime: A form of performance that uses body movements, gestures, and facial expressions to
communicate without spoken words or a strict script.

Role-playing: Used in educational or therapeutic settings, or for entertainment (e.g., role-playing

Reality Television and Talk Shows: These media formats often have a loose structure or an outline of
topics, but much of the dialogue and interaction is unscripted and spontaneous.
Freestyle Rap and Jazz Music: Musicians in these genres often improvise melodies, lyrics, or solos in real-
time during a performance.

Applied Improvisation: The use of improv techniques outside of entertainment, such as in corporate
training to improve communication skills or in psychotherapy.

HISTORY

Scripted and non-scripted performances have evolved from the earliest forms of theater. The history of
non-scripted performance traces back to ancient Greek religious rituals and the improvisational
traditions of commedia dell'arte, while scripted performance emerged later with the development of
written plays by playwrights. Both forms have developed alongside and influenced each other, with
modern examples including improvised comedy troupes and scripted television series.

Scripted performances

Ancient origins: The development of formal theater in Greece around the 6th century BCE led to the
creation of the first written plays. These plays, initially religious rituals, evolved into narrative dramas
written by playwrights.

Purpose: Scripted performances provide structure, consistency, and precision. The dialogue and actions
are predetermined, allowing for complex stories and detailed character development.

Modern examples:

Film and television: This is where scripted content is most visible today, through dramas, comedies, and
other genres that follow a predetermined storyline, characters, and dialogue.

Stage plays: Traditional theater continues to rely heavily on scripts to tell stories on stage.

Non-scripted performances

Ancient origins: Early theatrical performances were often improvisational, stemming from spontaneous
storytelling and ritual. The ancient Greek term for drama, "to do" or "to act," suggests an original focus
on action over written text.

Commedia dell'arte: This 16th-century Italian form of theater was a highly influential style of
improvised, comedic performance. Actors followed pre-established scenarios but improvised the
dialogue and staging, honing their skills over their lifetimes.

Purpose: Non-scripted performance allows for flexibility, spontaneity, and creativity. It requires
performers to think quickly and engage with the audience in a more conversational way.
Modern examples:

Improv comedy: Modern troupes like The Second City and The Groundlings have built on the traditions
of commedia dell'arte.

Reality television: This genre often relies on unscripted interactions to create a sense of authenticity and
spontaneity.

Performance art: A more avant-garde form of non-scripted performance, which emerged as a distinct
art form in the 20th century.

Scripted Performances History

Ancient Origins: The earliest recorded theatrical event is the ceremonial plays of Ancient Egypt around
2000 BCE, which depicted the story of the god Osiris. Western scripted theatre, however, has its
foundations in Ancient Greece, emerging around the 6th century BCE from religious rituals (dithyrambs)
honoring the god Dionysus.

Formalization: The process became more formal with playwrights like Aeschylus and Sophocles, who
introduced multiple actors and wrote structured narratives (tragedies and comedies) to be performed in
purpose-built amphitheaters. The script served as a blueprint for production, ensuring consistency and
precision in the message.

Medieval and Renaissance: In medieval Europe, religious plays (mystery and morality plays) were a
dominant form, using scripts to teach biblical stories and moral lessons to a largely illiterate population.
The Renaissance saw a resurgence of classical dramatic forms, with playwrights like Shakespeare using
detailed scripts, though even in Elizabethan theatre, ad-libbing was not unheard of.

Modern Era: Scripted performances became the norm in formal theatre, film, and most mainstream
television programming. The development of recording technology in the late 1950s further solidified
the use of pre-recorded, heavily scripted content in media.

Non-Scripted Performances History

Ancient and Traditional Roots: Improvisation has deep cross-cultural roots. The Atellan Farce, a popular
form of masked, improvised comic theatre in Ancient Rome, is one of the earliest documented examples
of unscripted performance, dating back to 391 BCE. African griots and Medieval European troubadours
used spontaneous storytelling and music to preserve history and entertain.

Commedia Dell'arte: A highly influential form emerged in 16th to 18th-century Italy. Performers in
Commedia dell'arte troupes used a series of pre-existing scenarios (loose outlines) but improvised the
dialogue and action on the spot, developing their stock characters over a lifetime.
Modern Improv: Modern improvisational theatre was heavily influenced by pioneers like Viola Spolin
and Keith Johnstone in the mid-20th century. Spolin developed "theatre games" as educational tools,
which her son Paul Sills adapted for the stage with The Compass Players and later The Second City in
Chicago, forming the basis for modern comedic improv. This movement led to the formalization of
"rules" for improv, such as the "Yes, and..." principle.

Performance Art: In the 20th century, performance art, which often involves elements of improvisation
and challenges traditional art forms, emerged from avant-garde movements like Futurism and Dadaism.