Playwrighting is...freedom

Looking for a play to stage

2008-07-18T07:22:14Z

Hi guys! I am running a small hobby theatre group in Helsinki, Finland (www.myspace.com/caisatheatre) Since the group is international the language we are using is English. I am looking for a new play to stage in spring 2009. The group consists of amateurs and we meet once a week, so the preparations will start from the autumn already. If anyone of you would be interested in having your play staged in our far end of the north, please let me know by email: caisatheatre(at)gmail.com. Comedy or a farce would be perfect, but I will be happy to receive any proposals. I would love to stage something by a young, contemporary author. Best greetings! -International Theatre Group, Helsinki

My Website

2008-04-20T05:05:17Z

Hey everyone just stopped by to tell you about my website The Monologue Store basically it pulls the cheapest acting and monologue books off of amazon and ebay so you dont have to search for them. I do a little bit of SEO as a side job to fund my acting career so I need everyone's help to promote my site. In case you didn't know acting for a living is really hard when you are starting out so we the artists have to find other ways of supplementing our income :).

Also I have some really good articles that I've written about monologues and acting/writing in general at ezinearticles that you all should check out. Well I'm done shamelessly promoting if anyone has any plays or anything they want me to look over I would be more than happy to offer some professional criticism. Ciao!

Why, yes, of course...

2008-04-16T19:32:06Z

I was the first place-winning playwright in a contest this year. My play about Leo Frank is being produced in Buffalo at the big theatre, Shea's, in May.

And as a possible discussion point, since he was just mentioned, has anybody seen Mamet's new play, November playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and starring Nathan Lane?

M

Similar plays and/or playwrights?

2008-03-04T22:24:05Z

I'm a big fan of fast-paced, witty, and biting playwrights and plays - such as Howard Korder (Search and Destroy, Boys' Life), David Rabe (Hurlyburly), and David Mamet (Sow-the-Plow, Glengarry Glenn Ross).

Could anyone please recommend similar works and/or playwrights I should explore, if I'm a fan of those men and their work? :)

new play

2008-02-23T22:01:19Z

i wrote a play last year that i believe is quite good, although i am looking for some feedback on it. so if anyone is interesting in reading it, let me know. and i can email it to you and you can email be some feedback.

This writer’s dream, to be a playwright-in-residence...

2008-02-23T16:46:38Z

This NY times article says something I feel: "If we wanted to do one single thing to improve the theatrical climate in America, we’d assign one playwright to every theater that has a resident acting company."

I'm trying to circumvent the system by making a playwright reading circle but the truth is my dream is still to do the above.

Playwrights can't get grant money on their own. But are a LIST of grant opportunities available for playwrights that are working WITH a theatre. And grant money is the way us artists (in modern times) get to have a patron.

Most articles I read say that playwrights CAN'T make enough money to have that as their main career. We're supposed to get a primary job to support our art, which I think is a real shame. I'm lucky to have someone that supports me even if I make no money but it'd sure be nice if I COULD bring some money home.

Humor.

2008-02-06T17:04:41Z

Not a play, but a link:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/73641

Enjoy!

The First Amendment

2008-02-02T23:03:56Z

I have to remember to support this even when all my sensibilities are affronted to the limit.

That's all.

playwrights @ 2008-02-02T16:43:00

2008-02-02T21:44:18Z

Hi guys, I'm currently writing a musical that I'm trying to get off off Broadway. Here are some songs, can you give me your opinion? My musical is based on the viral video 2girls1cup.

Synopsis: This musical features two women defecating and vomiting into a cup on stage. They proceed to take turns consuming the excrement and vomiting into each other's mouths, sexually arousing each other from the acts. ALL IN SONG!!!

boomp3.com

I wrote a play...

2008-01-31T11:47:36Z

Hello! My name is Tess, I'm 16 and I'm just joining here.
I've written a play, which I've had reviewed by the head of drama at my school, and three acquaintences and friends, one of whom used to be an actor, and they say it should be performed.
It's a black comedy, primarily about the lives of three teenagers (two boys and a girl, all aged 17-18), who are all scared of entering the adult world. It's slightly surreal, especially as the main character goes mad, and mostly set in his bedroom. Among the plot is confused sexuality, drinking, drug-taking, BDSM and severe mental health problems.
Since the response has been so positive, and it's about a time of life I'm experiencing now, I'd like to try to get it produced over the next couple of years.
I belong to a local theatre club. I'd dearly like to do it with them, because they're my friends, but I'm worried they won't be receptive to it, since most of them are in their 40s and wouldn't be cast in a play with 3 teenagers. I'm also worried because I would like to be in it. The female part isn't the main part, but I'm worried I'd look selfish writing a play and asking to be in it. There are boys at the club who would be wonderful in the roles.
My mother is pushing to try and produce it in a professional company based in our town - somehow that doesn't feel right to me, especially since I don't know anyone there.
There is also a theatre club for teenagers in the town. My mum says to submit it to them, because they're exclusively interested in young people, but the people who have read the play said a children's company wouldn't do it justice. I'm worried about it being produced under control of teachers, rather than as a group effort, because I'd like to work with the production team to decide on lighting and music, if I was ever lucky enough to have it taken on.
Do you have any advice on any of this? Do you think I should submit everywhere I can, or make a targetted effort at one place? I'd be very grateful for any help.
Thanks :)

Bindings

2008-01-30T17:25:17Z

I am submitting a play somewhere and they ask that it be "securely bound". What does that entail? It said no "binder clips". I was thinking of punching holes in it and putting it in a three ring binder otherwise I'm at a loss.

I live in Manhattan where everything is obtainable so if someone could point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. If binding the manuscript securely is beyond my capabilities (I'm not very manually dextrous - can't sew, for example) is there a place someone will do this for me?

Thx

Playwrights Online!

2007-12-08T13:19:59Z

Playwrights Online is a reading circle/workshop using Second Life (a FREE online virtual world).

We meet monthly, read through original scripts written by our members, and then give them critique. We welcome actors to come read! We welcome writers to bring their short scripts to be read by the group! And we welcome everyone else to come listen into the reading and offer critique to the author when the reading is done!(You must have voice chat turned on and a speaker/headset connected to your computer to listen into the reading.)

Playwrights Online meets on the first Saturday of every month at 2pm PST in Long Discussion House on sLiterary (in Second Life). The goal of this group is to give playwrights and scriptwriters a place to grow and evolve as writers. To take their first, second, or umpteenth draft to that final draft that is ready for performance. The counterpart to our Second Life group is a yahoogroup.

If you have any questions, when in second life, just pop "LadyBug Furse" a message. You can also email her at eturnq@yahoo.com.

(**In the past we accepted script's from non-second life members but, for various reasons, we had to discontinue that policy. Now we only accept scripts from people that can join us in Second Life!)

HELP!

2007-11-13T02:58:36Z

if anybody has the book "the clean house" by sarah ruhl PLEASE send me the monologue with Virginia about how she always cleans her house and her sister doesnt anymore
if you send me this you will be a LIFE SAVER!

Online Reading Circle for Playwrights

2007-11-12T10:18:32Z

Join us !!!

2007-11-01T19:29:13Z

<td align="left"> It's not too late to sign up for Naplwrimo !!! </td><td>You know you want to write a play in November.
You know you want to.
Even if you never have.
Even if you don't know how.
And if you know how and want to and haven't signed up , you need to sign up at these two addresses :

Naplwrimo Homepage
and
Naplwrimo Discussion Boards

Signing up for both is the only way to participate !!!
Don't miss out and see you there !

I gotta go start my play.... or you know... write the 30 other web pages that should be up and aren't yet.

Playwrighterly Yours,

Dorothy </td>

playwrights @ 2007-10-24T16:13:00

2007-10-24T12:19:31Z

Dear people,
I am not sure about the rules of the community but I beg for understanding.
If anyone happens to have the text copies of full texts of Tennessee Williams'
- Glass Menagerie
- Streetcar named Desire
- Carousel tune (verse)
- verse about wanderers and witches,
in any format, please could you send it somehow to mefuselah@mail.ru
For over here, in Moscow, it's appeared to be totally impossible to have it without a month's delay, and I need this all right now for a quotation translation in a TV episode.
Thnx in advance.

Announcing "splattworks"

2007-10-12T04:57:03Z

I've just launched splattworks, a blog dedicated to theatre, arts, culture, politics, and snark from a practicing playwright and recovering journalist.

http://splattworks.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Steve Patterson

Weird Theatre

2007-09-25T16:06:44Z

The Portland Oregonian had a story this morning about publishers of "bizarro" fiction: fiction that so far outside the mainstream or has such a fascination with breaking the rules and pushing the envelope that it fits into a category of its own. (Portland's Eraserhead Press was cited as an example.) And I got to wondering? Who are the weirdest, strangest, just plain creatively craziest theatres out there? (Not that being weird, strange, or creatively crazy implies they're bad--it may mean just the opposite.)

As least in Portland, I guess I'd have to give props to:

defunkt theatre http://www.defunktheatre.com/ (which just finished doing all four of Mac Wellman's 'Crowtet' plays);

Liminal Theatre http://www.liminalgroup.org/ (which works into some inspired design concepts into company-produced, non-linear scripts); and

Fever Theatre http://www.fevertheater.com/ (which is just out operating past the ultraviolet).

So give it up. Who in your town can you proudly label "bizarro"?

Steve

Naplwrimo

2007-09-25T00:05:02Z

National playwriting month (naplwrimo) fashioned after national novel writing month (nanowrimo) is coming up !!! It will be our second edition this year and it promises to be good with about twice as many people as last year.
The idea is to write a play between November 1 and November 30. I you want to participate, sign up(via comment) at http://naplwrimo.org/. There isn't much detail there yet, but more info will be posted by November 1.
I am currently working on the site.
If any of you are web designers or know how to work with Joomla and want to help, i need helpers !!!
Donations are also welcome... as it helps me run the site and perhaps hire people to help down the line !!!

Note: This is not a competition. This is just writers pledging to write.
I hope to see you there.
If you are on facebook or myspace, Naplwrimo has a group presence there and it would be great if you joined there as well.
Thanks !

Theater Forum!

2007-09-18T22:07:51Z

Theater Heaven Forums: The perfect place for any theater fan, performer, director, designer, techie, or a hard core fan! Come and get news, pictures, videos, discussions, compete in contests and quizzes, and meet some pretty cool people who share the same obsession as you! Come and check us out!

See Our New Look!!
http://bwayisamazing.proboards76.com

Alex – Forum Owner

the dilemma

2007-09-13T04:34:07Z

This may seem stupid, but I am a bit flummoxed, so I am posting to ask for advice.

Recently, I was asked to submit a full-length play to a festival of young, burgeoning playwrights. I was honored to be asked and have spent six months working very hard on a script that I am quite proud of.

I submitted said script this morning. A few hours later I receive an email from the festival coordinators. They comment about how much they enjoyed my piece. But then they point out that it reminds them a bit of "that Judd Hirsch sitcom from the 80's".

Taxi?

Huh?

I am confused by this comment because my script has nary a cab (nor does it have any mention of either Tony Danza or Andy Kauffmann), so I do a scan of Judd Hirsch's page on IMDB. I discover that there was a sitcom in the eighties entitled "Dear John." I don't remember this sitcom (though this surprises me -- I adore Judd Hirsch).

According to IMDB, the sitcom was about a support group for people who are recently divorced or widowed. My stage play is about a group therapy session for people who have recently been dumped. Not the same thing, I know. But close enough to render my play, to the right viewers, as possibly being unimaginative and uninspired.

My questions are thus: Would you submit the play anyway, even knowing that you might possibly be considered a hack who steals ideas from second-rate sitcoms that no one remembers? Or would you submit something else that you have finished, but that you don't feel is as good as the script that might be perceived as a rip-off of a second-rate sitcom that no one remembers?

I am aware that this sounds like a stupid thing to worry about, but I am also quite proud of the fact that my work is usually considered to be quite unique and original. Any advice or comments on this issue are appreciated.

playwrights @ 2007-08-31T00:12:00

2007-08-31T07:05:28Z

So finally I was able to see a live performance of Samuel Beckett's "Endgame" in Santa Cruz, Calif. at the Shakespeare Theatre.

It's my favorite piece of lit. and the play was utterly fantastic to say the least. Great acting and good directing and stage design.

I'd like to see it from other directors now, to see how different people interpret it.

Also, I need to get out to the theater much more often.

~ nic

The Farnsworth Invention

2007-08-07T17:09:17Z

Hi all,

I just wanted to let you know about a new play that's coming to Broadway in the fall. It's by one of my favorite screenwriter/playwrights, Aaron Sorkin. It's called The Farnsworth Invention, and it's about the man who invented television. From what I've heard, it's a great script and should be an awesome play. If anyone is interested in more information, please check out www.FarnsworthOnBroadway.com or farnsworth_bway , where updates will be posted as soon as they are available.

Ubu Lives!

2007-07-27T02:26:17Z

Dear Colleagues:

Pavement Productions, my production company in Portland, Oregon, is putting out a call for short plays inspired by playwright Alfred Jarry's horrible creature, Ubu Roi. Details follow below.

Thanks,

Steve Patterson
Co-Artistic Director/Resident Playwright
Pavement Productions
Portland, Oregon
--------------------
UBU LIVES!

Pavement Productions, an independent theatre company in Portland, Oregon, dedicated to the development and staging of new scripts, announces a call for 10-minute plays for UBU LIVES!—an anthology production of plays inspired by Ubu Roi, the monstrous character created by surrealist/dada playwright Alfred Jarry. (For more information, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubu_Roi).

Plays should be in English, have no more than six characters, and require minimal staging. Plays will be initially presented as a staged or concert reading, with a possible full production at a later date. There will be no pay for the reading, but, if the show goes to full production, playwrights will receive a percentage of the box office. There are no reading fees. Deadline for submissions is December 1, 2007. Please send submissions as Microsoft Word or PDF files to Steve Patterson at splatterson@mindspring.com Requests for further information can be sent to the same e-mail address.

Pavement Productions has been developing and producing new, wild, and semi-dangerous works since 1990 and has presented over 30 world premieres. Pavement has especially had success with its anthology shows of short plays built around a central theme. Past anthology shows have included “Behind the Eyes” (plays about dreams), “Between the Sheets” (plays about sex), and “Life and Death on the American Road” (plays about road trips).

Pere Ubu is also the name of a strange and wonderful rock band.

playwrights @ 2007-06-24T14:13:00

2007-06-24T18:14:49Z

Does anyone here know anything about doollee.com?

A Google alert just informed me that I'm now listed on there and I don't know much about it other than what it says on the site itself.

Thanks.