Stage directions

Encoding Instructions (old P4 version)

The WWP uses the stage element to encode stage directions. The stage element may appear within or between p elements in prose drama, and within or between ls in verse drama or verse dialogues. It can also go between speeches. The only case when a stage element should be nested within an l element is when it falls in the middle of a verse line. In cases where the stage direction falls at the end of a verse line or between verse lines, it should be encoded as a child of lg rather than within l, with break(yes) or break(no) to indicate whether or not it appears on a line by itself.

The WWP does not indicate the expanded value of an abbreviated personal name inside a stage direction, neither by using key (unless said character exists outside the text, too), nor by using corresp=, nor abbr with expan=. We simply encode them as persName, as with all other names that appear in the text. We believe that the cost of such expansion outweighs the possible benefit to end users searching for names inside dramas.

In cases where a speaker identification is embedded within a stage direction, we simply encode the entire thing as a stage direction, without a separate speaker element inside. In a sense, the speaker element is a special case of a stage direction: one which simply indicates that someone is speaking. Since the person speaking is identified by the who attribute on sp, no information is lost.

Thus in Example 1, Harold’s name is not encoded with speaker, even though it is clear that he is the speaker of the lines following his entrance.

Example 1. A stage 
            direction with a nested speaker; the <speaker> element is not 
            used.
            <sp who="poeha">
            <stage type="entrance" 
            rend="align(center)">Enter 
            <persName>Harold</persName>.</stage>
            <lg type="drama.verse">
            <l><persName>Canutus</persName> &s;ends to 
            <persName>Edmund</persName> friendly 
            greeting.</l>
            </lg>
            </sp>