What is considered a scene in a play?

A scene is usually a set interaction between one or more characters. Scenes are usually contained to one physical location or set of the play. Several scenes may be linked together to form an act. The scenes may or may not take place in the same location and may or may not be separated by blackouts.

For example: Lights up and mother and son are talking in the kitchen. Toward the end of their talk, dad's truck is heard off stage. The son exits stage left, ending the scene with mother and son. In a moment, the father comes through the kitchen door starting a new scene as the mother and father begin to discuss their son and his plans.

Example 2: Mom and dad are sitting in the living room (stage right) worrying about their daughter, whom they haven't heard from and it's late. At the end of their conversation, lights go down on them and come up on the daughter and her friend (stage left), trapped in a cave, where they are trying to find a way out.

Black outs can also be used to simulate the passage of time between scenes on the same set (e.g. the kitchen now and two weeks later) even if both interactions are between the same actors.

Not all plays are formally broken down into scenes. In some, only the acts are delineated. Others, particularly longer plays, use formal scene designations to help give additional stage directions and break the play into manageable chunks for rehearsal.

Usually it takes place in one location, and ends with a blackout.