Download The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

STARTER
Read page 7 in your literature book (under your
desk) and answer the following questions:
• Since there are no long descriptions of setting or
characters’ thoughts, how is the story developed?
• How does Wilma treat Mrs. Leighton and how does
Mrs. Leighton act toward Wilma? Explain how you can
tell.
• What is Wilma’s lifelong dream?
THE MONSTERS
ARE DUE
ON
MAPLE STREET
Screenplay
by
Rod Serling
SCREENPLAY/ TELEPLAY
 Play written for television. Written to be filmed by a camera and
not acted on stage.
 Screenplays deliver ideas through dialogue and stage directions.
 Audience hears dialogue (actors speaking to each other).
STAGE DIRECTIONS
 Written for actors, directors, and crew members
 Describe characters, setting, costumes, mood & atmosphere
 Express thoughts that help cast & crew understand what they need
to know
 Tells actors, camera crew and other crew members what to do
STAGE DIRECTION TERMS
 Pan- turn the camera to follow a person or object
 Cut- switch camera from one scene to another
 Close-up – camera moves in for a “zoomed in” shot
 Long shot- camera films from long distance
ROD SERLING
(1924- 1975)
 Became serious about writing in college
 Loved radio drama and won 2nd place in a national script contest.
 Began his career writing for radio drama.
 Wrote more than 200 television scripts during his career.
 Won 6 Emmy Awards (Highest honor in the television industry.)
TWILIGHT ZONE
 Serling was creator of the Twilight Zone television series.
 Science fiction
 Twilight Zone ran from 1959 – 1964.
 One of the most popular shows in television history.
 His writing became known for surprising twist endings and
thought provoking social commentary
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
 Serling wanted to write teleplays about important social
issues.
 Television executives thought his topics were too controversial.
 In the 1950’s & 1960’s television censors banned scripts that
questioned American Society.
TWILIGHT ZONE SETTINGS
Serling used the science fiction & fantasy genres to deal
with social issues such as prejudice and intolerance.
He had more freedom because his teleplays were not
realistic.
The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street aired March 4th, 1960.
BACKGROUND
 Monsters was written during the Cold War (1946 – 1989), a period
when the U.S. & Soviet Union were engaged in a nuclear arms
race.
 Fear led to suspicion and people were often accused of being
Communist spies.
 A lot of anti-communist sentiment in the U.S.
•
1st and 3rd period stopped here
MOB MENTALITY
 People in a crowd often act differently than they do when
they are alone.
 People in a group may laugh louder, feel braver, or get angrier.
 Sometimes a crowd can even become dangerous.
 Examples- reactions of sports fans after a championship (after
Detroit Pistons’ NBA Title)
METEORS
 Streaks of light that can be seen when debris from a comet or
asteroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere
 High speed and friction with molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere
usually cause it to burn up producing the light trail.
 If large enough a piece known as a meteoroid survives to lower
altitudes and can cause a sonic boom
SETTING = 1960’S
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No cordless phones
No cell phones
“Regular” phones do not use electricity.
Phone calls often still went through an operator.
No Ipods or cd players.
“Portable” radios were battery operated.
No remote starters for cars.