understanding the point of attack

In a play, the point of attack is the moment in the story where the dramatist chooses to begin the onstage action.

It is not the beginning of the story’s chronology.

It is the moment when the dramatic pressure becomes unavoidable.

In practical terms

The point of attack answers this question:

Why does the play start here and not earlier or later?

It determines:

• What the audience already knows

• What is happening now

• What must change before the play can end

What the point of attack does

1. Establishes urgency

The play begins after something irreversible has already happened or is about to happen.

• A decision has been made

• A secret is about to surface

• A relationship is already strained

• A system is already breaking

If nothing forces action, the point of attack is too early.

2. Shapes the entire structure

The earlier the point of attack:

• The more exposition you must dramatize

• The looser the tension

The later the point of attack:

• The denser the conflict

• The less room for digression

3. Determines what is offstage vs. onstage

Everything before the point of attack exists as:

• Backstory

• Memory

• Consequence

Everything after must be faced in real time.

A strong point of attack ensures that:

The most dangerous moments happen in front of the audience, not in narration.

Examples

• Too early: The happy marriage before the affair

• Better: The day the affair is about to be discovered

  
  

• Too early: The rise of a charismatic preacher

• Better: The moment the press, the public, or God turns on them

  
  

• Too late: After the decision has already been accepted

• Better: When the decision is still contested and costly

A playwright’s test

To find the correct point of attack, ask:

• What is the first moment the protagonist cannot escape the central conflict?

• What happens if this scene doesn’t occur?

• What pressure makes inaction impossible?

If the answer is “nothing yet,” you’re starting too soon.

In one sentence

The point of attack is where the play stops explaining life and starts demanding choices.