The surest way to get a play produced is this: produce it yourself.
Yeah, that seems really obvious, but how many playwrights sit at home, pounding away on the keyboard, fruitlessly sending out play after play without ever hearing any response? Unfortunately, a lot of those playwrights don't even know their own faults because they've never heard their words performed.
I produced my first show at fifteen. It was a bit of a mess, but it was a hell of a lot of fun, my friends enjoyed it, and I walked away with money. It didn't require me to have a really complicated set up or intense amounts of knowledge. All that it really required was that I had the initiative to get a project going and see it through to its conclusion.
Before I go on giving specific advice, I can break down what might make me qualified to actually give advice like this. Like I said, I began producing and directing at age fifteen. I went on earn a B.F.A. in acting from Roosevelt University in Chicago. While there, I founded Brikenbrak Theatre Project. With Brikenbrak, I put on two shows in Indiana, then another five in two years in Chicago. I've moved out to Montana now, but I'm holding auditions for my next show next week. If you would like to know more about all that, you can check out http://www.brikenbraktheatre.org/pastshows.html
So, if you've written a play and sent it around without results, why don't you just try doing it yourself?
Here are some reasons that might scare you away from producing a show:
--You've never done it before.
--You don't know how to run lights/sound/other equipment
--There aren't theatres around where you live
--There are theatres around, but the rent is too damn high
--You don't know any actors.
--You are afraid you will fail.
So, let's break it down.
--You've never done it before.
That's a valid reason to be concerned. Getting started can be pretty intimidating. Putting on a show generally isn't free, so you're going to need to invest a little. There's no reason to break your bank, but if you haven't got a penny to spend, the barriers are going to be a little more difficult. But just think about it this way: even the most experienced directors and producers were once at a point where they'd never done anything. At one point, you were a person who'd never written a play before, and here you are. It's a challenge, but it's far from insurmountable. If it's something that really sparks your interest, don't let lack of experience stop you. Read up, get educated, ask questions from those who know a thing or two, and try your hand. If you plan it right, the worst that will happen is that you lost money you weren't using anyway.
--You don't know how to run lights/sound/equipment
If you are renting a theatre of some sort, it's probably going to come with equipment, and there probably isn't going to be a person hanging out who can show you how to run it all. There are a lot of manuals and helpful guides online, but sometimes the best way to learn about a thing is to sit down with it and figure out how it works. Hopefully, the theatre makes it easy for you and there is a general light/sound set up already in place. This will especially be true if you're not renting the theatre for a significant amount of time. But if you really are just starting with the component parts, you're going to have to A) Read up on the basics and B) make sure you have enough time to sit with it and put it together piece by piece. It may just be you, sitting in a semi-dark theatre, figuring out what wires go where. But I guarantee once you do it, you won't forget how to do it again. It's incredibly rewarding. And if all else fails, see if there's anyone in your area who has the knowledge and experience you need.
--There aren't theatres around where you live/If the rent is too damn high
There are a lot of places around the country where there just aren't traditional performance spaces (though I've found that even tiny little towns can have a community theatre). So if there really isn't a stage around, what do you do? Or what if there are a few spaces around, but there's no way you can afford them?
I spent seven years in Chicago, and stages are absolutely everywhere. Some of them are huge and prohibitively expensive, but there are plenty of affordable options everywhere you look. Now I'm in Missoula, Montana. There are just a few theatres here, and one night at one of those theatres is as much as a full weekend at a lot of places in Chicago (and as much as a month at the theatre I ran). When I found out, I was seriously bummed out. What was I going to do without a theatre? As it turns out, I am going to be holding my next show (and probably several more) in a big church in the area. The rent there is as much for a month as the other theatres are for a night. Sold.
The bottom line is that you can put on a show anywhere. Anywhere at all! Maybe a high school has a stage they don't use during the summer. Maybe there's a park with a stage used for concerts. Maybe your town has a building used for community classes. Heck, find if a local bar or restaurant has a nice room you can take over for a night. You don't really need sound and lights. All you need are your words and people to say those words. Which brings me to...
--You don't know any actors.
Here's the funny thing about actors: they're everywhere. There are people you probably interact with every week that have the heart of a performer, with no opportunities to express it. For a lot of people, all they are waiting for is someone to ask them. So ask! Craigslist, while a dubious place to find roommates and lovers, can be a valuable asset in finding performers. Put up an ad and you might be surprised how many people come your way. When you put up an audition ad, you'll also probably find that you are quickly contacted by audition websites. Utilize every outlet you have to get the word out there and see who jumps at the chance!
--You are afraid you will fail.
This...this is entirely possible. In fact, you should account for it in your planning. What if you put on a show and no one comes? It's a heartbreaking possibility, but it's definitely something that happens sometimes. I went several productions before I actually had to cancel a performance. But I've also done several performances for just one or two people. And while I would have loved to have more people in the seats, I treasured the fact that I got to express my words to those people. Make sure you are working with money that you don't need for other things, and regard any money that comes in as a lovely bonus instead of a necessity. Know that if you're able to hear your words by people who've taken them to heart, and hear those words delivered to a receptive audience, you've succeeded.
So those are my thoughts. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to let me know. If you want to put on your own show, I'd love to hear about it!
Yeah, that seems really obvious, but how many playwrights sit at home, pounding away on the keyboard, fruitlessly sending out play after play without ever hearing any response? Unfortunately, a lot of those playwrights don't even know their own faults because they've never heard their words performed.
I produced my first show at fifteen. It was a bit of a mess, but it was a hell of a lot of fun, my friends enjoyed it, and I walked away with money. It didn't require me to have a really complicated set up or intense amounts of knowledge. All that it really required was that I had the initiative to get a project going and see it through to its conclusion.
Before I go on giving specific advice, I can break down what might make me qualified to actually give advice like this. Like I said, I began producing and directing at age fifteen. I went on earn a B.F.A. in acting from Roosevelt University in Chicago. While there, I founded Brikenbrak Theatre Project. With Brikenbrak, I put on two shows in Indiana, then another five in two years in Chicago. I've moved out to Montana now, but I'm holding auditions for my next show next week. If you would like to know more about all that, you can check out http://www.brikenbraktheatre.org/pastshows.html
So, if you've written a play and sent it around without results, why don't you just try doing it yourself?
Here are some reasons that might scare you away from producing a show:
--You've never done it before.
--You don't know how to run lights/sound/other equipment
--There aren't theatres around where you live
--There are theatres around, but the rent is too damn high
--You don't know any actors.
--You are afraid you will fail.
So, let's break it down.
--You've never done it before.
That's a valid reason to be concerned. Getting started can be pretty intimidating. Putting on a show generally isn't free, so you're going to need to invest a little. There's no reason to break your bank, but if you haven't got a penny to spend, the barriers are going to be a little more difficult. But just think about it this way: even the most experienced directors and producers were once at a point where they'd never done anything. At one point, you were a person who'd never written a play before, and here you are. It's a challenge, but it's far from insurmountable. If it's something that really sparks your interest, don't let lack of experience stop you. Read up, get educated, ask questions from those who know a thing or two, and try your hand. If you plan it right, the worst that will happen is that you lost money you weren't using anyway.
--You don't know how to run lights/sound/equipment
If you are renting a theatre of some sort, it's probably going to come with equipment, and there probably isn't going to be a person hanging out who can show you how to run it all. There are a lot of manuals and helpful guides online, but sometimes the best way to learn about a thing is to sit down with it and figure out how it works. Hopefully, the theatre makes it easy for you and there is a general light/sound set up already in place. This will especially be true if you're not renting the theatre for a significant amount of time. But if you really are just starting with the component parts, you're going to have to A) Read up on the basics and B) make sure you have enough time to sit with it and put it together piece by piece. It may just be you, sitting in a semi-dark theatre, figuring out what wires go where. But I guarantee once you do it, you won't forget how to do it again. It's incredibly rewarding. And if all else fails, see if there's anyone in your area who has the knowledge and experience you need.
--There aren't theatres around where you live/If the rent is too damn high
There are a lot of places around the country where there just aren't traditional performance spaces (though I've found that even tiny little towns can have a community theatre). So if there really isn't a stage around, what do you do? Or what if there are a few spaces around, but there's no way you can afford them?
I spent seven years in Chicago, and stages are absolutely everywhere. Some of them are huge and prohibitively expensive, but there are plenty of affordable options everywhere you look. Now I'm in Missoula, Montana. There are just a few theatres here, and one night at one of those theatres is as much as a full weekend at a lot of places in Chicago (and as much as a month at the theatre I ran). When I found out, I was seriously bummed out. What was I going to do without a theatre? As it turns out, I am going to be holding my next show (and probably several more) in a big church in the area. The rent there is as much for a month as the other theatres are for a night. Sold.
The bottom line is that you can put on a show anywhere. Anywhere at all! Maybe a high school has a stage they don't use during the summer. Maybe there's a park with a stage used for concerts. Maybe your town has a building used for community classes. Heck, find if a local bar or restaurant has a nice room you can take over for a night. You don't really need sound and lights. All you need are your words and people to say those words. Which brings me to...
--You don't know any actors.
Here's the funny thing about actors: they're everywhere. There are people you probably interact with every week that have the heart of a performer, with no opportunities to express it. For a lot of people, all they are waiting for is someone to ask them. So ask! Craigslist, while a dubious place to find roommates and lovers, can be a valuable asset in finding performers. Put up an ad and you might be surprised how many people come your way. When you put up an audition ad, you'll also probably find that you are quickly contacted by audition websites. Utilize every outlet you have to get the word out there and see who jumps at the chance!
--You are afraid you will fail.
This...this is entirely possible. In fact, you should account for it in your planning. What if you put on a show and no one comes? It's a heartbreaking possibility, but it's definitely something that happens sometimes. I went several productions before I actually had to cancel a performance. But I've also done several performances for just one or two people. And while I would have loved to have more people in the seats, I treasured the fact that I got to express my words to those people. Make sure you are working with money that you don't need for other things, and regard any money that comes in as a lovely bonus instead of a necessity. Know that if you're able to hear your words by people who've taken them to heart, and hear those words delivered to a receptive audience, you've succeeded.
So those are my thoughts. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to let me know. If you want to put on your own show, I'd love to hear about it!
