Cast List

The front matter of this play starts with an enumeration of all dramatic characters, and a brief explanation of their respective roles in the play. This could be encoded as a basic TEI list, with each character and role set as a distinct item. However, the drama module includes a dedicated castList element. Inside castList, each named character is to be encoded as a distinct castItem element. This description of a cast item can consist of a role element, describing the name of the dramatic role; a roleDesc element, describing the role of that character; and an actor element, naming the actor performing the role:

CHARACTERS: USER a computer user COMP a DECPDP-10 computer demigods: PROG the computer programmer ENGI an engineer helpdesk narrator Encoding of a cast list with castList.

This example, however, is incorrect. A castList element doesn’t allow plain text, as illustrated by the highlighted phrase demigods:. Rather than naming or describing one single character, this functions as a kind of label for the following two character descriptions. This suggests a grouping, which can be accomplished in TEI by wrapping grouped castItem elements in a castGroup element. The label, then, can be encoded as a head for the castGroup. The rend attribute can be used to indicate any typographical indication of this grouping. If in our example, the PROG and ENGI character descriptions are grouped using a brace, this can be expressed by the value braced for the rend attribute:

CHARACTERS: USER a computer user COMP a DECPDP-10 computer demigods: PROG the computer programmer ENGI an engineer helpdesk narrator Grouping related castItm descriptions in castGroup.

If we look closely, we can see that the last two character descriptions could be considered a group as well. Yet, they are a mere enumeration of character names (without any grouping label). Minor anonymous roles in a play are often just listed together. Such groups of anonymous roles can be grouped in a single castItem element, with a type=list attribute. Notice how these character descriptions only consist of a role description:

CHARACTERS: USER a computer user COMP a DECPDP-10 computer demigods: PROG the computer programmer ENGI an engineer helpdesk narrator Grouping anonymous role descriptions in a single castItem element.

Notice how the rend attribute on this castGroup element is used to indicate that the grouping of cast items is typographically supported by using braces.

Remember how other elements in the transcription of this drama text referred to the definition of dramatic characters elsewhere in the transcription (see )? Well, this is the place! Therefore, we’ll add the identification codes to the respective role elements, using the xml:id attribute:

CHARACTERS: USER a computer user COMP a DECPDP-10 computer demigods: PROG the computer programmer ENGI an engineer helpdesk, narrator Formally identifying roles in a cast list with xml:id.

A cast list can be encoded with the castList element. It consists of a number of castItem elements, providing information on the name of the role (role), the description of the dramatic role (roleDesc), and/or actors who perform(ed) the role (actor). Enumerations of minor characters can be encoded in a single castItem element, with a type attribute whose value is list. Groups of character descriptions in castItem can be wrapped in a castGroup element.

Description of Setting

Sometimes, the front matter of a play contains a general description of the setting. This can be encoded with the specific set element. As set can’t contain plain text, its text should be wrapped in paragraphs (or lines, for that matter). For example:Caution! Whereas a general description of the settings in the front matter of a drama text is to be encoded in a set element, descriptions of the setting in the body of a drama text should be encoded as stage directions with stage (see ).

The play is situated in an anonymous computer lab room, at an undetermined time. Technical equipment looks outdated, though, while suggesting naive technological optimism.

Encoding setting descriptions in set.

If the front part of a drama text contains descriptions of the settings in which the action of the play takes place, these should be encoded in p elements inside a set element.

Prologue and Epilogue

A drama text may be preceded and/or concluded by a short speech. Such speeches can be encoded as prologue and epilogue, respectively. They can be encoded according to their genre-characteristics (most often prose or verse), or according to their rhetoric characteristics (as a speech in sp, which is particularly meaningful if the speech contains typical dramatical elements such as stage directions). Here is an example of both approaches:Notice, that the analysis of a speech as prologue or epilogue is sometimes open to interpretation. When such speeches immediately precede or follow the actual drama text, they may as well be regarded as a separate division of the text body. Notice, however, that they should then be encoded inside the existing dramatic structure, or inside a separate textual division (div). When considered as part of the actual drama text, they may not be encoded as prologue or epilogue.

front back

Prologue, spoken by USER: 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!" Encoding of an introductory speech as prologue.

Epilogue, spoken by PROG: "And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" He chortled in his joy. 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. Encoding of a concluding speech as prologue.

Speeches serving as a prologue or epilogue to a play can be encoded with prologue, or epilogue, respectively.

Performance Description

The front or back matter of a drama text may include information on how it should be, or has been, performed. Such information should be encoded as structured text in one or more paragraphs. When descriptions of past performances include information on the cast, this can be captured in an embedded castList element. The back part of our example happens to feature a performance description:

Hello World, and Goodbye.

Performed for the first time on the Festival for Computing in the Humanities, at Shakespeare's New Globe Theatre, London, on June 21, 2050.

Actors: Alfred Brown PROG Barry Crowne ENGI Douglas Everett USER Encoding of information on the performance of a dramatic text in performance.

Information relating to the performance of a drama text, be it descriptions of past performances or general directions for future ones, can be encoded in a performance element in the front or back matter of a drama text. Besides a heading and paragraphs, such performance descriptions can contain their own embedded castList elements, listing cast for cast lists relating to a particular performance.