Final answer:
A play combines dialogue and stage directions to craft a narrative that focuses on heightened moments and actions that reveal deeper truths, all within the structure of acts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding a play involves recognizing it as a complex form where dialogue and stage directions intertwine to create the story.
A play ranges in length and is typically divided into acts, focusing on a central plot and often including breaks such as intermissions.
The stage directions provide essential cues about characters' actions, set details, and the flow of the performance, profoundly impacting the storytelling process.
Significant truths in plays are revealed through actions as well as words, which is why both dialogue and directions are key in conveying the essence of the narrative to the audience.
All these elements contribute to crafting the heightened moments that make theatre a riveting experience, as plays distill life by leaving out the 'boring parts' and accentuating moments of action and decision.