When character actions occur alongside dialogue in a script, where should they be indicated?

In scripts, character actions that occur alongside dialogue are indicated in parentheses. This formatting is widely used in traditional playwriting and screenwriting to differentiate the actions from the spoken lines. The use of parentheses is effective because it allows the reader to easily identify physical actions or stage directions that are meant to complement or enhance the dialogue, without disrupting the flow of the spoken text.

Indicators like brackets, italics, or bold formatting serve different purposes in scriptwriting. Brackets could denote alternate lines or a character's thoughts, italics are often utilized for emphasis or to indicate non-spoken elements like background music, and bold might be used for actor names or specific titles. However, for character actions specifically, parentheses are the established convention, ensuring a clear and structured presentation of the script elements.