It’s a set of instructions, describing a series of actions to be taken or events that should happen. It’s written with specialized syntax and formatting. You want it to be efficient; you don’t want it to bog down. It doesn’t reach its full potential until you run through it, start to finish, without error. Am I talking about a play script, or a Python program? "Two Kinds of Scripting" explores the surprising and thought-provoking connections between writing code and writing plays, from the perspective of a Bay Area software engineer with a degree in drama from a liberal arts college and two decades of playwriting experience. It will discuss how structuring and plotting a play is like structuring a computer program; the way that a knowledge of Method Acting can help you figure out to name your Python methods; and how stage directions are just as controversial among theater folks as code comments are among engineers. Finally, the talk will discuss some things that playwrights could learn from the engineering world, including version control and better feedback/"debugging" techniques.
Speakers: Marissa Skudlarek