The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

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 (like IRT). • 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 know 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.

HUAC • House Un-American Activities Committee (special committee of Congress) • Held hearings in which prominent Hollywood actors & directors (and other Americans) were interrogated about involvement with the Communist party. • Actors & directors were “blacklisted” for alleged involvement with the Communist Party

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 • 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.

The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street