Question about 10-page sample (binding, or lack thereof)

zooberry

Hello writers. I'm new here with a question.

I'm submitting a query letter for a stage play to a theatre company. Their guidelines ask for a query letter, synposis, resume, and 10-page sample.

My question is: How should the 10-page sample be bound, if it should be bound at all? Putting it in a binder as if it were a full-length play seems like overkill, but using a staple, paperclip, or brads seems cheesy. (I've been told that those who read stage plays, as opposed to those who read screenplays, are averse to brads.)

Thanks in advance to anyone who can provide the answer!
 

Joe Unidos

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I don't know much about writing for the theater, but it sounds like in your particular situation, they are very specific about what exactly they want. Since that's the case, why not contact them directly and ask them?

 

clockwork

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As Joe said, no harm in asking - at least then you'll know for the future. My feeling is that a simple paperclip in the top corner would keep things together nicely but gives the reader the option of freeing up the pages in case they need to be redistributed or photocopied. I think staples are a pretty generic no-no. They're fiddly, they catch on things, a b*tch to take out and if they nick you just right they can draw blood!
 

zooberry

I thought about asking, but...

a) don't want to annoy them
b) don't want to come across as being a complete neophyte
b) would like to find out if there's a standard, since there are several theatres which request the same thing

Thanks for the suggestion, though! If I don't get a definitive answer here, I'll either ask them what they prefer or just throw caution to the wind and go with a simple binder. I suppose if they like the content it won't much matter how it's bound, as long as I don't wrap it in Charmin.

I do like the paperclip idea. Simple, non-bulky, easily removable....
 

PerditaDrury

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zooberry said:
Hello writers. I'm new here with a question.

I'm submitting a query letter for a stage play to a theatre company. Their guidelines ask for a query letter, synposis, resume, and 10-page sample.

My question is: How should the 10-page sample be bound, if it should be bound at all? Putting it in a binder as if it were a full-length play seems like overkill, but using a staple, paperclip, or brads seems cheesy. (I've been told that those who read stage plays, as opposed to those who read screenplays, are averse to brads.)

Thanks in advance to anyone who can provide the answer!

First page: Query letter that introduces yourself and your play and the reason why you are contacting their theatre specifically. Include on this single page a one paragraph synopsis of your play indicating the type of drama; how many roles for how many actors and the setting (so they can determine set requirements).

Page two: your resume but written to highlight your other play productions, your work in theatre, then your writing background, your relevant education... for example, if your play is about the Civil War, indicate that your degrees are in history.

Next ten pages: your writing sample. It doesn't have to be the beginning of your play but make sure you have a paragraph (not more than 4 sentences) describing the context of the scene they will be reading. Make sure your play is formatted properly (plays don't resemble screenplays).

Then use a small (or the smallest size that will work) binder clip and clip it to the top left corner. This way your letter and resume will be extractable -- theatres tend to pass stuff around that they want to consider and so this makes it easy to make copies. Make sure your last name and the name of your play is in the right-corner header of each numbered page in case the pages get sorted out of order. I prefer 25% gray scale so that it looks like a watermark but that's just a personal preference.

Make sure what you send is error-free of typos and that your copies are clear and readable.

This is how it's done most places.

PS NEVER use brads for the theatre until the play is in production AND copies are requested in that form.
 

zooberry

Excellent, thanks very much! I'll go with a paperclip on the 10-page sample and a small binder clip holding the whole package together.

Formatting, check.
Typo-free, check.
Resume, check.
Query letter, check.
Brads in a drawer awaiting a production or screenplay, check.

Now I feel good about sending this off. Thanks again.
 

endless rewrite

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my two pence worth

I spent yesterday on a judging panel reading the first ten pages, writer CV and letters/outlines of a lot of play scripts. Introduction letters, outlines, that were clear, honest and showed something of the personality and aims of the writer without being too 'clever' came off best. The folders, fancy binding etc were a real turn off and a simple paper clip which I could remove and allowed me to have the pages loose to turn was best. Anything over bound, on thick creamy paper and which included quotes/dubious reviews etc about how talented the writer was, had them heading for the 'no' pile. Theatres are looking for writers they can develop and work well with over a sustained period of time. Out of a pile of 60 short listed writers, some with experience and lots of scripst listed, I am happy to report that the five we went with to develop and commission, included three writers without any professional theatre credits but whose sample, ideas and letters showed an original voice, scope to develop and a willingness to take on new ideas. Nobody on the panel seemed too concerned with format/font as long as the sample followed the basic rules of:

lots of white space
double spaced dialogue
one side of paper only
character names in bold
no over written stage directions

Good luck!
 

ComicBent

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I notice that 'endless rewrite' has the UK as location.

Things are different in the U.S.

Stage format has a lot of flexibility, but generally it does not use double spacing for dialogue or bold for character names/cues.

For a good example of a 'standard' U.S. stage format, see the excellent Word template done by the BBC, at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/downloads.shtml

As for the issue of how to present a ten-page writing sample, I see nothing inappropriate about putting it into a standard binder with the metal clasp that slides through the top and bottom holes. I do not think that it is overkill.