Thursday, July 06, 2017

Why write a play? Good question

As mentioned in my previous post in which I shared the very embryonic beginnings of my new play, it's been a while since I embarked upon a completely new project. This particular subject is a departure from previous main-stream play topics and has caught my imagination so for this reason alone, there's hope that it will evolve into a full and more importantly, finished, play. Frequently - all too frequently - things will move along at a rapid pace only to slow down at the quarter or half-way point, followed by a complete lack of progress. Why? Who knows. Anyway...

Write, kvetch and complain - it's a constant.

This is all leading to some thoughts about play writing. It occurred to me while writing my newest play and digging deep in the psyche of my characters, one of which is a spider, that perhaps it's pointless to turn out new plays, when existing plays are waiting to be shared with the world.  Speculating further, perhaps:

a.   the plays aren't well written, or...
b.   the subjects don't match the interest of the general public, or...
c.   the story line is boring, or...
d.  the theatre producers are sticking to well-known and proven playwrights and/or plays that are bank-able, financially.

One would hazard a guess that d. plays a big part in the final decision.

Actually, doing a count, I've written four full two-act plays, which have been edited to death over the years in hope that each re-write will make the difference between acceptance and rejection, one one-act play that at least has had a play reading, plus a number of short plays. Even if a play is fantastic, the competition "out there" in the playwriting world is significant, hence the rationale behind the contemplation and introspection bit. As any writer, playwright and anybody who writes will attest, once a writer - always a writer. There may be periods of self-doubt in which one questions the rationale behind choosing this craft...correction: you don't choose to be a writer/playwright/whatever. You just are because you have to be.

In one of his blogs in "The Producer's Perspective" Broadway producer, Ken Davenport, a Tony winner who knows the ins-and-outs of getting produced, offers playwrights five tips on how to get a producer to read a play. You can read his suggestions here: https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2009/02/how-to-get-a-producer-to-read-your-script.html. I've picked up some great advice and tips and recommend it.

Meanwhile, it's back to spide-y and the lady, who are waiting for the word. Hey - isn't this what it's all about in the end?

https://www.theproducersperspective.com/first-time-on-the-blog-start-here




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