In Time Stands Still, Donald Margulies creates a satisfying foundation for the characters, but doesn't go in depth as other play writes do with their scripts. Dickinson State University's production takes Margulies's brief description and transforms it into well-developed and dynamic characters and provides a deeper understanding regarding certain lines and moments in the script using appropriate expression of emotions through the actors' reactions and tone of voice. I also judged the production and Margulies's script based off Sarah and Mandy's personal relationship and how it was depicted. Furthermore, reading the script for Time Stands Still was dull and boring and I often found myself distracted due to the incomplete sentences and laid-back …show more content…
Margulies is acutely vague with direct characterization, leaving a majority of the knowledge of Sarah's character to be based purely off interactions and behaviors. He doesn't effectively communicate how he wants the characters to be seen, and critics from the New York Times agree, discussing that Margulies's "Time Stands Still is weakened by the lack of a dramatic compelling arc." This increases difficulty for the actors and actresses to bring their character to life from script to stage, and they should consider how people who have read the play may expect their character to be. Margulies's minimal character description creates more complications than need be, his lack avoids adding an abundant amount stock characters, which are usually easier to drum up a characterization for. For example, reading Margulies's script, I expected Sarah to be cold, prideful, independent, and distant to others, and to have only one focus, her photography. Which is likely different from another person's inference about who Sarah is, since Margulies, compared to other play writes, includes fewer stage directions regarding delivery or emotional expression. Critics have stated that these characters are "somewhat predictable" due to the lack of description. Most of his script is just dialogue with a few stage directions here and there to create a slight image of the scenery and leaving expression up to the imagination of the reader. In addition to a lack of explanation of expression, Margulies fails to describe the costuming. This may seem trivial to be judgmental about, but I believe it helps to better understand the character and adds to the ambience of the story. Margulies, at the beginning of the script, states that James and Sarah are bundled up in clothing due to the cold weather outside. That's all the costuming description he