One-Act Play

Most plays are divided into acts, major divisions of the play's dramatic action. In turn, acts are often divided into scenes. The Deserter is a one-act play, a unique dramatic structure. In one-act plays, the action takes place in one setting, whereas multi-act plays have the capability of changing the setting between acts. The action in one-act plays tends to be continuous and does not feature the same interruptions that often introduce scenes in multi-act plays. However, while the stage directions in the play do not call for any fade-outs or other stage techniques that normally indicate the arrival of a new scene, Beim does divide the action of his play into two distinct scenes. The first scene begins when the sergeant and the soldier walk into the room and begin their conversation. The second scene begins when the priest comes to relieve the sergeant and receive...