: Re: In a stage play, how should the script refer to minor characters whose names are irrelevant? Problem I'm writing a play that includes a number of minor characters who only exist for a scene

@Welton431

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+1 Cyn, however, typically you use a designation (Woman #1 , Cop #1 , Kid #1 ) and always number sequentially from 1, using '#', and don't not use random numbers like 5 or 9. If you want to be specific on the crowd size, if you think that makes a dramatic difference, then be specific. (It can, a crowd of 6 is dramatically different than a crowd of 60).

A crowd, about a dozen men and women, two uniformed police officers, the mayor and eight councilmen, all male.
Woman #1: I think this is a rip-off!
Man #1: Corrupt! That's what it is!
Woman #2: It's stealing money from the grade school!
Councilman #1 (into microphone): Calm down, everybody! It's just a loan!
Woman #1: A loan that won't ever be paid back! It's a rip-off!
Cop #1: Ma'am, please calm down.
Man #1: Or what? She's got rights!
Cop #1 looks at Cop #2, Cop #2 waves a cut-off signal at his own throat. Cop #1 rolls his eyes up and ignores Man #1.

You can add other dialogue tags to this for direction if you want (angrily, tearful, shouting, wearily, calmly).
The numbers give the director the count of exactly how many of these anonymous SPEAKING PART actors he needs, the designation a notion of costume and purpose.
If you say "Townsperson #5" it seems there are at least 5 speaking parts. The only men, women cops or councilmen that get a number are those with action or speaking parts, everybody else is just part of the crowd or one of several.
I will also say "Townsperson" is too general, pick a gender at least, that can dramatically change the weight and tone of what is said.
An action but non-speaking part is like Cop #2 above. Or "Man #2 raises both middle fingers far above his head, directed at the Mayor."
Remember the play is a story, but first it is a PLAN for the director in visualization and casting and to some extent the challenges of production and rehearsal.
Random members of an upset crowd are just extras. They don't have to be at the read-through, or at multiple rehearsals. But anybody that speaks or takes specific action needs more attention, in casting and rehearsal, even if they are only in a single scene.
If you have a character that appears in two or more scenes, name them (capitalized) and describe them, even if they have no speaking part (e.g. they could be background comic relief, like a janitor always getting himself in trouble); this tells the director it is the same character, so you aren't forced to refer to Man #1 from scene 3 or something. it is just like

In the b.g. throughout CARL, an elderly janitor, is struggling hard to open a folding ladder, with no success.

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