Acts vs. scenes

The first thing you see in a play script is ‘ACT ONE SCENE ONE.’ Almost all plays are divided into some combination of acts and scenes. The main difference between acts and scenes is that a scene is a brief set of actions and dialogue in a specific setting. A new scene starts by introducing a new character in a new setting. However, these scenes are short enough to make an act. An act divides the performance to further develop the plot. These acts are usually divided when a character is about to make a decision that will significantly impact the plot.