Stage directions
Written instructions in dramatic texts specifying movement, action, lighting, sound, and other performance elements. Stage directions guide actors and readers in imagining scenes.
Real World
In Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman', the stage direction '(Music is heard, gay and bright)' signals Willy's retreat into fantasy — a purely textual cue that performers and readers must interpret to understand his mental state.
Exam Focus
When analysing stage directions, always link the physical action or technical cue to characterisation or theme, not just description.
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