I have about 30 unfinished plays. As I learn more about plays that “work” I have concluded that most of these moldering first attempts are probably not worth salvaging, although a few could work with major rewrites. But I’ve also realized that maybe I should just say kaddish for my characters and start from scratch.
Together with the many plays I’ve read are books on structure, plot, character, and dramaturgy. Of the ambitious compendia, Richard Toscan’s Playwriting Seminars 2.0 is very good. And Louis E. Catron’s Elements of Playwriting was also very helpful. Lenora Inez Brown’s The Art of Active Dramaturgy talks about how a dramaturg works with a playwright and a theatre company to tune a play for production. In my head I know a lot about what makes a good play, yet for all the books and writing workshops, I’ve never really known how (or been confident enough) to tackle the complex process of completing a play. Now that the light is dawning somewhat, it’s clear that if you know even something about process, you will write much more confidently.
Recently I have been listening to playwriting podcasts. The most helpful (to me) of these is by a young Australian playwright, Emily Sheehan. Her Playwright’s Process podcast is just that: full of wisdom and ideas for tackling process step by step. Another podcast I found helpful is Jonah Knight’s Theatrically Speaking, which focuses on writing plays that can actually be produced as well as suggestions for submitting plays. There are numerous podcasts from the British National Theatre which are excellent. Another, Not True, but Useful, is a British podcast that highlights the work of a couple of roving theatre producers and designers. Add to these: Hey, Playwright; Women Playwrights Podcast; Playwright’s Spotlight; Necessary Exposure; Not in Print; Pint Size Playwriting; Playwright to Playwright; Playwright’s Horizon; Playwriting Real-Life; The Cultivated Playwright; The Subtext; Women and Playwriting; and many more than I have time to listen to.
If you are in the same boat (dinghy, inflatable raft) as I am, hopefully some of these mentions are useful. The world may need major repair. But it has always relied on good theatre to remind us of our humanity.
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