How to make your script say what you mean

I let the class read my script yesterday. It's not being read out loud on this class, each one reads and then we all discuss it. My first scene was not completely understood by all. Actually, I think only 3-4 students understood the subtext. Though I was disappointed, it only meant one thing: I needed to make my point more obvious. How do you make the information in your script be clear but not too explicit? How can the subtext talk without really being "heard", but rather understood?

My scene was about two lovers, both around their 50s. He's divorced, after his wife found out about his lover. He's living in secret ever since, never feel free again. Also to his current girlfriend he treats like sshe's his lover. They meet at his place, order food, stay indoors. In this scene he decided he wanted to go out with her and act normal. Then he finds out she's actually hiding him, and she has another boyfriend. He's now the "other man".

What was important for the audience to get is:
1. They are lovers.
2. Until now they stayed indoors, secretly, and the man thought it's his wish.
3. Now the man wants to change it, to feel free.
4. The woman wants things to stay the same.
5. The woman has a boyfriend.

The fact that they are lovers and that they meet in his place (they don't live together) is quite easy to show. It's enough that she's wearing cloths that are on the floor, or that she has her small beg with her, or that she asks him where does he keeps the glasses. Basically it's better if this doesn't involve dialoge, or at least if the dialogue will not only be there for that purpose.

How will you show on your script that they meet all the time indoors? How do you create the sense of a routine based on something that's only shown once? This is screenwriting. Think about the screen. What do you see when something is a routine? Automated actions, habits. A no-surprises situation. When I write, I like to think about my own life - when did I feel like that? I remember the first weeks with my boyfriend. He worked as a waiter and we used to meet every day at 12:30AM, after he's finished. He took the subway and came to my place. We had a joint, perhaps a drink as well. He used to bring me indian food from his restaurant. We sat on the carpet, smoking and chilling, then ate the dish in the metal box. Then we used to fuck and go to sleep. A very pleasant routine, if you ask me.

There were expectations. If he didn't bring food, I would probably ask about it - 'no lunch box today?' or something of that sort. If we ran out of weed, I'd probably go and get some from a friend and tell him about it. To notice a routine, you need to show something is out of order. A small thing, that does not kill the routine, maybe even preserves it (like getting your drugs from a different source so your night smoking routine wouldn't stop). I think this is the best you can do without the use of dialogue. Of course, if you choose to use dialogue, your character can say - 'why don't we go out this time? who are we hiding from?', and then you understand that they always stay indoors. This last sentence can be used to cover both points 2+3 of information, so it might be wise this time to use dialogue. They normally stay indoors, but now the man wants to change it.

The woman wants to keep things as they are: she can take her time, express rejection to the idea with her body language, or simply say she doesn't want. She can also do something more extreme, to say she must leave. Then you also understand she doesn't really into spending time with this guy (after the sex).

That the woman has a boyfriend: Here I failed in my script, cause only few scriptwriting students understood this piece of information. I didn't want to use dialogue for this one. I felt it's too obvious. Instead I used the woman's body language: when he asked her "who are we hiding from", she looked at him serious and kept quiet. then she stick her earings in her ears. I felt it expresses what she doesn't say: that she's actually hiding from someone else, her boyfriend (I thought the earings will link to her boyfriend). But it failed. I think that for my second draft I will use dialogue. The woman will say, after being quiet: 'now, don't start with asking too many questions'. This would make it clear enough. Or maybe not? Maybe this too needs another explanation.

Here I want to introduce another scriptwriting technique that is very common and affective: split your information. If you put a hint here and another hint there, the secret reveals itself. If she will say this sentence, and then a few seconds later she will check her phone, write an sms or something, it will get clearer. Or if they will watch a film on tv that's about cheating, and she will have a certain way of looking at it - it will give that extra info we needed.

Just to sum it up, the inforation needs to reveal itself, so it wouldn't feel like there is a scriptwriter behind the scene who has the need of showing us something. Goodluck!