3 legs of a show

When making a show I always look for three things. Until I have these I cannot relax and make the show. Sometimes they elude me but I never stop looking for them and until I identify them it is stressful. Once I have them making the show becomes interesting and fun. They are:

1 - a character - the protagonist - who takes us into and through the story. He is the "fish" and he should be "out of water"

2 - a situation - that the protagonist finds himself in - the "out of water" part

4 - a theatrical conceit - a scene that you want to see on stage that illuminates the main theme. The main character may or may not be in it, but everything in the show leads to and away from this scene. The plot. If there is puppetry in the show it should be in this scene.