As most of you know I'm new at playwriting. I've written 2 plays, but they haven't been produced (?). So about now your probably asking yourself, with such limited experience, how does he know what's important and what's not. I have a 56 T-Bird and belong to a T-bird chat room, now that is something I know about. I've been a participating member since 2001. Without the help of other members, I never would have got my t-bird running. So I'll tell you very what’s important, participation. That's what it's all about. It seems a lot of people read the chat room, but very few participate. If the few quit answering the threads that are coming in, the chat room for playwrights will close, and people like me will lose a very valuable tool. It doesn’t take much, just a “right-on” every once in a while will do it. If people stop looking at the “play write chat room”, or it is taken away for non use, we all lose. Please don't let that happen.
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Uh, right on?
Actually, I've written one play that got a one-time performance, but I don't consider myself a playwright since I'm not working on another.
I regret to say that on this board only, my first few interactions met with silence or disagreement, so that I feel less welcome than on the other boards here. So be it.
Nevertheless, I'd hate to see it fold--there aren't many places for playwrights. Screenwriting boards will let you participate, but they're not really that similar.
Maryn
Actually, I've written one play that got a one-time performance, but I don't consider myself a playwright since I'm not working on another.
I regret to say that on this board only, my first few interactions met with silence or disagreement, so that I feel less welcome than on the other boards here. So be it.
Nevertheless, I'd hate to see it fold--there aren't many places for playwrights. Screenwriting boards will let you participate, but they're not really that similar.
Maryn
There is no secret for wanting to get into theatre. Any decent sized city has a small theatre company. Get involved in any of these companies, in any capacity. (even if only a production assistant). The ultimate place for theatre is New York City, considering moving there.
Get out, meet and network people in theatre. Contact theatre companies.
Get out, meet and network people in theatre. Contact theatre companies.
Oh, and you may need to be able to produce your own theatre plays. It all depends on your circumstances.
There are also a bunch of agencies in New York City like Fifi Oscard Agency and Peregrine Whitlesey that specialize in dealing with playwrights. you might want to deal with them.
There are also a bunch of agencies in New York City like Fifi Oscard Agency and Peregrine Whitlesey that specialize in dealing with playwrights. you might want to deal with them.
Agencies for Playwrights
Justin! Just the answer I've been looking for! And you sneaked (not snuck) it in as an afterthought. I have a full-length musical that I've produced in workshop format. We've gotten the kinks out, have a video ready--including music, have connections with our local theaters and will contact those agencies. Thank you!
Linda
Justin! Just the answer I've been looking for! And you sneaked (not snuck) it in as an afterthought. I have a full-length musical that I've produced in workshop format. We've gotten the kinks out, have a video ready--including music, have connections with our local theaters and will contact those agencies. Thank you!
Linda
I would hate to see this thread shut, it is the only one worth bothering with online for playwrights. Saying that I find it a less welcoming and supportive than other AW threads. I agree with Maryn about responses and I often feel I am being corrected or put right after I post! I also feel self conscious about making typos and spelling mistakes which I tend to do a lot but that is my hang up and not to do with the thread. I also feel (and this is not aimed at the thread) that writing for theatre does attract a certain level of snobbery and one upmanship as well as kudos.
I think that what is important for anybody writing for theatre is to keep learning and develop your 'voice' and that can only be done by participation and working with actors and directors to get your work off the page. I don’t know how well you can do this when you produce your own plays as suggested, you really need outside voices to critique and look at your work and that doesn't happen when we are participating rather than watching – IMHO. I would say, do some research and find out which theatres in your area have a new writing department or contact person, most will. Attend workshops and readings and look for opportunities for your work to be read and take a back seat (with pen and paper) and listen. It is really important to realise that a play is piece of collaborative work and you will never have full control or it or should try to. That's why each production of an existing work is different. In my own experience I have found that theatres often develop long term relationships with writers from readings and short plays eventually leading to full commissions and productions. If you send work in you may not get offered a commission but if they see promise a theatre may well ask you to come in and meet them, join a workshop, group, event etc they are running and so the process and relationship begins.
I haven't seen this mentioned yet but people might want to consider radio drama as a good way to develop work. The BBC produces lots of drama; I have had two of my stage plays commissioned and produced for their afternoon BBC Radio 4 play slot and am in the process of pitching a new idea. Again, this contact came out of my relationship with a local theatre that the BBC started working with, to look for new writers. Radio gets big audiences here and worldwide via the net and a lot of respect. Both my plays were reviewed by national newspapers which I would not have got with a regional production. A lot of new dramatists get their first break with BBC radio.
I know, as I expect most people do on this thread that I am still learning, still hoping to improve and I think we should make an effort to support each other and keep the playwrighting thread moving, it is a rare place for playwrights to meet up and share. I am painfully aware of my own flaws as a writer but hope I could be of some use too; I have had a number of professional productions (shorter pieces/monologue/full length plays/radio) and have a new play going on tour next year which is a first for me. I don't believe this makes me an expert or a better writer than anyone here but in the last few years I might have picked up information, contacts or knowledge that may be of use, in return I fully expect to suck up all your ideas and advice!
Phew - long post. Just wanted to say, I appreciate this board, this thread and the writers here and want to keep it going.
I think that what is important for anybody writing for theatre is to keep learning and develop your 'voice' and that can only be done by participation and working with actors and directors to get your work off the page. I don’t know how well you can do this when you produce your own plays as suggested, you really need outside voices to critique and look at your work and that doesn't happen when we are participating rather than watching – IMHO. I would say, do some research and find out which theatres in your area have a new writing department or contact person, most will. Attend workshops and readings and look for opportunities for your work to be read and take a back seat (with pen and paper) and listen. It is really important to realise that a play is piece of collaborative work and you will never have full control or it or should try to. That's why each production of an existing work is different. In my own experience I have found that theatres often develop long term relationships with writers from readings and short plays eventually leading to full commissions and productions. If you send work in you may not get offered a commission but if they see promise a theatre may well ask you to come in and meet them, join a workshop, group, event etc they are running and so the process and relationship begins.
I haven't seen this mentioned yet but people might want to consider radio drama as a good way to develop work. The BBC produces lots of drama; I have had two of my stage plays commissioned and produced for their afternoon BBC Radio 4 play slot and am in the process of pitching a new idea. Again, this contact came out of my relationship with a local theatre that the BBC started working with, to look for new writers. Radio gets big audiences here and worldwide via the net and a lot of respect. Both my plays were reviewed by national newspapers which I would not have got with a regional production. A lot of new dramatists get their first break with BBC radio.
I know, as I expect most people do on this thread that I am still learning, still hoping to improve and I think we should make an effort to support each other and keep the playwrighting thread moving, it is a rare place for playwrights to meet up and share. I am painfully aware of my own flaws as a writer but hope I could be of some use too; I have had a number of professional productions (shorter pieces/monologue/full length plays/radio) and have a new play going on tour next year which is a first for me. I don't believe this makes me an expert or a better writer than anyone here but in the last few years I might have picked up information, contacts or knowledge that may be of use, in return I fully expect to suck up all your ideas and advice!
Phew - long post. Just wanted to say, I appreciate this board, this thread and the writers here and want to keep it going.
I agree: This is the best board for stageplays.
People are mostly interested in screenwriting, and you just do not find any really active boards that deal with questions of writing for the stage.
The sad thing is that people who are interested in writing and have any talent at all are MUCH more likely to get a play performed and/or published than to sell a movie script.
People are mostly interested in screenwriting, and you just do not find any really active boards that deal with questions of writing for the stage.
The sad thing is that people who are interested in writing and have any talent at all are MUCH more likely to get a play performed and/or published than to sell a movie script.
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That's a good, solid point, ComicBent. The odds facing screenwriters on spec scripts are incredibly daunting, not something I'm able to face. I copied this from IMDb's Shop Talk Writers board (for screenwriting):
"About four hundred films are made a year in the US, and about four thousand scripts are optioned. However, more than a million speculative scripts are submitted a year. So if all four hundred movies that are made came out of that million spec scripts submitted, the success rate would be four one-hundredths of a percent. (400/1,000,000 = .0004, or 0.04%)"
"Just to make it that much more discouraging, only about eight percent of the movies made in a given year are from pitched ideas or spec scripts. The rest come from script assignments, novel adaptations, documentary adaptations, true stories, amusement park rides, sequels, remakes, plays, TV shows, comic book adaptations, and game adaptations. The success rate of original spec scripts shrinks to thirty-two one-thousandths of a percent. (0.0004 x 0.08 [or 8%] = 0.000032, or 0.0032%.)"
I'd love to see similar statistics for stage plays, wouldn't you?
Maryn, cowering before the screenplay numbers
"About four hundred films are made a year in the US, and about four thousand scripts are optioned. However, more than a million speculative scripts are submitted a year. So if all four hundred movies that are made came out of that million spec scripts submitted, the success rate would be four one-hundredths of a percent. (400/1,000,000 = .0004, or 0.04%)"
"Just to make it that much more discouraging, only about eight percent of the movies made in a given year are from pitched ideas or spec scripts. The rest come from script assignments, novel adaptations, documentary adaptations, true stories, amusement park rides, sequels, remakes, plays, TV shows, comic book adaptations, and game adaptations. The success rate of original spec scripts shrinks to thirty-two one-thousandths of a percent. (0.0004 x 0.08 [or 8%] = 0.000032, or 0.0032%.)"
I'd love to see similar statistics for stage plays, wouldn't you?
Maryn, cowering before the screenplay numbers
[Redacted--JDM] , writer of [Redacted--JDM] and a buncha other cool stuff, recommends watching plays (and reading them too, of course) as an excellent way to improve one's craft as a screenwriter.
The really cool thing about one act plays is that you can write them, see them performed, and learn a lot in a very short time. You can also see the audience and their immediate reaction to your work.
No surprise then, that so many of the better playwrights have been able to establish themselves as script doctors and assignment writers.
The really cool thing about one act plays is that you can write them, see them performed, and learn a lot in a very short time. You can also see the audience and their immediate reaction to your work.
No surprise then, that so many of the better playwrights have been able to establish themselves as script doctors and assignment writers.
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What I sometimes sense is that people think of stageplays as somehow inferior to screenplays. It is sort of like: Well, you can write some plays as practice and then move on to screenplays.
This is true only in the sense that stageplays demand good writing skills and a sense of the dramatic.
In that regard they are good practice for screenplays, but neither genre is superior to the other.
This is true only in the sense that stageplays demand good writing skills and a sense of the dramatic.
In that regard they are good practice for screenplays, but neither genre is superior to the other.
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I'm sure that's how a lot of people see it. I would guess that the people who hold this opinion don't have much contact with their local filmmaking, theatre, and literary communities.
Working in LA in single camera episodic, I met so many people who had started in the theatre. Actors, of course, but also writers, hair, makeup, and costume people, electrics, set painters, AD's, you name it. All these folks knew what plays were, and appreciated them for what they were.
There's some overlap between playwriting and screenwriting, at least certain types of plays, and certain types of screenplays. No denying the fact that the two media work differently. There's more room for experimentation, good and bad, in a play. TV writing, epecially sitcoms, seems to stand midway between the essential stage play and the essential screenplay.
As you say, it's the good writing skills and sense of the dramatic, especially the knowledge of how actors work with a text, that are transferrable between the different media.
I remember reading Joe Queenan's The Unkindest Cut, where he tries to make a film that satirizes all kinds of cultural trends, for under $7000, in imitation (so Queenan thought) of Robert Rodriguez. I kept thinking, a biting intellectual satire on cultural trends is not a super low budget movie, it's a play. He went sixty grand in debt trying to make a movie out of it, and it died after its festival debut.