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IowaScribe
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Posted: Sun Jun 29th, 2008 01:16 am |
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Greetings fellow writers.
I must admit I have been a long time lurker on this board and gotten more than my share of valuable information here.
I am a 40-year old scribe from Iowa who -- after having a couple of plays produced as a young man -- left my playwriting aspirations behind some 20 years ago in favor of the more steady and reliable paycheck which awaited me in the world of journalism.
A couple of years back I found myself getting involved in my local community theatre as an actor, and it awakened those latent playwriting impulses. I stepped back up to the keyboard and once again began to create characters and dialogue. Many of you can probably imagine how exciting it was for me! Consider the image of a 40-year old jaded ex-jock newspaperman choking back tears in the middle of the night as he reads his dialogue back to himself. Pathetic and inspirational both at the same time.
Two months ago I completed a collection of one-acts related by theme, workshopped with the help of eager amateur actors and directors, rewritten, workshopped again and again until I was convinced that I have myself quite a little play -- one that theatre groups would love to perform and audience members would love to see performed.
Of course, now comes the hardest part -- marketing. My little play has now been brought to the attention of nearly 50 theatres, large and tiny, all over the US -- whatever they wanted, synospsis, dialogue samples, full plays, etc. Only about a half dozen have even responded -- a couple of those with the generic "Got it, will get back to you." Two theatres have taken the time to give me some very positive non-generic feedback and let me know they are "considering" my play for upcoming seasons. And two who recieved dialogue samples wrote back and requested hard copies of the full play for their reading pleasure. It is also entered into one statewide contest.
Other than that, the silence has been numbing and discouraging. I feel like I should be doing more to get my play noticed. Our little theatre group here will be producing it next March, and I have chosen a director who I believe I can work well with.
I guess my question to the board is, is this it? Just sit and wait and hope that some theatre decides to finally read my play and decides they like it? This business has changed dramatically in 20 years, and I'm wondering if there's something more I should be doing besides sitting and waiting and working on my next play.
Any advice, criticism or encouragement would be appreciated.
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Basso
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Posted: Sun Jun 29th, 2008 02:09 pm |
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You've shopped it out to nearly 50 theatres? Wow, that's awesome. Leave it be and get on to a new project, that's what I'd do.
Welcome.
Basso
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Edd
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Posted: Sun Jun 29th, 2008 03:15 pm |
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As Cher would say, "Give me a friggin' break!" 40 years old is a kid to me. Cher would also say, "Get over it!" I didn't really start writing till I was 40.
I've waited over a year for some theatres to get back to me. There's nothing all that uncommon about that. Oh, wait--I didn't actually wait--I moved on to other plays, developing a large body of work.
A playwright writes plays for the love of writing plays. The goal ought to be, according to me, to write the best play(s) possible--not because you think you ought to be produced or you've got something grand to say. It ought to be about the play, not the playwright. It ought to be, again according to me, about the process and not the need to fulfill some fantasy for fame. And if it is money you want from playwriting, hang it up right now and go back to whatever the hell you've been doing to make a living. For the playwright, "making a living" is reserved for a privileged few.
Sitting and waiting for something to happen is all rather pathetic, don't you think?
I guess it's an ass-kicking, reality-checking Sunday 'round these parts.
Welcome.
~Edd
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Martin H
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Posted: Sun Jun 29th, 2008 03:38 pm |
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| I'm inclined to agree. I have three plays making the rounds on email now, apart from ten minute and one act plays. The more work you have circulating, the better the odds that some of it will click. Of course there's the problem of generating the work, and inspiration has been known to come and go. (I'm not in a high creative phase right now, and I'm having a maddening time trying to finish a play that's between a half and two thirds done.) But I bet you didn't manage a successful career as a journalist by waiting for one piece to sell before you produced anything else. Best of luck on your next, and your next, and your next. Best of luck on your first too, but don't wait on that before getting to work on the others.
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Paddy
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Posted: Sun Jun 29th, 2008 03:55 pm |
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Welcome back to where the play is the thing, but theatres contacting you about your play, isn't.
Good advice....you did your job, now get onto the next thing.
Paddy
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shirleyk
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Posted: Sun Jun 29th, 2008 06:06 pm |
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I would also add that I hope you don't get discouraged. Keeping in touch with other playwrights is good. It helps to give and receive support and encouragement.
Like most other creative activities, getting your plays produced takes time and work. So if you can learn to enjoy what you do without expecting too much, especially in the beginning, you'll do well.
Writing and sending out lots of short one-acts will help you build a resume and theater companies will then be more interested in reading and producing your plays.
At least this is how it works for me.
Good luck!
Shirley
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IowaScribe
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Posted: Mon Jun 30th, 2008 12:48 am |
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Thank you all for the welcome and the kind words. I hope to participate in these discussions often, so I hope you're all relatively easy on an old newbie. I appreciate all advice and feedback, and words of warning and encouragement from other writers. This is something I am not able to get much of in small town Iowa, where I've made my home. I also hope that I may be able to occasionally help other writers in return.
It's good to know that it seems that I've done the right thing regarding my play to this point, at least according to those of you who responded. I've gotten it out there for theatres to read, now it's up to them to read it and get back to me if it turns out to be their cup of tea. I can wait a long time, I'm good like that.
I guess I'm just a little suprised that only about 10 percent of the theatres I have contacted took the time to acknowledge the fact that they even received my play, or synopsis, or dialog sample or whatever it was that they asked for after my initial inquiry or reading of their call for submissions. I understand and greatly appreciate all that theatres do, but it seems to me that it would only take about 30 seconds to drop me an e-mail with something that said "Got your play, will let you know maybe someday ... "
Anyway, I'll forge ahead with production here locally and continue my work on my next play, which is what I've already been doing. Thank you all for easing my apprehensions.
I'll also let you know that I am not into playwriting for the money or fame, because I realize that there is only a limited amount of money and fame to go around and very little of it goes to writers -- and only a tiny percentage of that goes to playwrights.
I have a deep, inner need to see my work performed, but additionally, I was taught -- and I've always believed -- that it is the responsibility of every writer to bring her or his work to an audience, whether it be a play, poem, essay, novel, etc. It is never complete until it is seen, heard, or read by the public -- and it is my responsibility to do everything I can to bring it to as large an audience as I possible can.
Maybe it's just a couple dozen friends and relatives, maybe a couple thousand, maybe a couple million. But someone has to see my play or it isn't finished.
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Edd
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Posted: Mon Jun 30th, 2008 01:12 am |
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"But someone has to see my play or it isn't finished."
That's a whole other debate. I am certain many here would agree with that. I am not one of them. When I finish a play it is finished whether you see it or not. When a novelist finishes a novel it's still a novel whether or not anybody ever reads it. I'm satisfied just to have finished the thing.
But, of course, I know what you mean. No one in their right mind would write a play without some expectation for having it performed. Keep sending it out. It'll happen. If you throw enough spaghetti against the wall some of it has got to stick.
10 percent! That's terrific. In olden days I sent an SASE and an SASP with every script mailed out. Nada! Just once in a blue moon. I decided there was some evil stamp fairy out there recycling them for their own use. 10 percent, though thoughtless of the delinquent 90 percent, are very good odds (is very good odds?).
Keep writing. Keep the faith. Throw yourself into it and post some of your smaller pieces here in the forum.
I'm about a week away from "finishing" what I feel is the most important play of my career. I started it 3 years ago and wrote many plays in between. It's probably not all that important -- I'd have to pay someone to agree, but that's the feeling I live for. The ecstasy of coming down the homestretch! There's nothing better. It is narcotic.
Enjoy the process. It's like making love. In fact, it is making love.
~Edd
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katoagogo
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Posted: Mon Jun 30th, 2008 05:13 pm |
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Get some actors together from the local theater group, borrow a space at a church, school, or library -- and produce a staged-reading of your play. Or even simpler -- a concert reading where the actors stand at music stands. Invite an audience or have it open to the public, listen to the work, and rewrite or just sit tight with it (while working on your next play.)
The reading helps build a track-record for your play, you'll learn a lot -- plus you'll probably have fun.
--Kato
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IowaScribe
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Posted: Tue Jul 1st, 2008 08:48 am |
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Thanks Edd and Kato for the encouraging words.
We're producing the play here in March, am very excited about that.
Planning on having a public reading some time before that to see if it inspires any additional rewrites on my part and to build interest in our community, both for the actors and for the public. Plan on working out all the details with my director sometime in July. She is currently in the middle of directing a childrens theatre play.
This community theatre has had a few successful decades -- short runs, 2-3 shows a year, one a musical -- but this is the first time they've decided to do a play by a local playwright, so there is both excitement and apprehension on everyone's part. They usually stick to the old standards that most theatre-goers have heard of, which is good because it brings classic theatre to small-town Iowa people who would never get the opportunity to see it otherwise, but bad because it doesn't provide opportunities for playwrights like us. Anyway, they're taking a chance and treading some new ground with my play.
They're an amateur group with a low budget, but they are surprisingly good at what they do, and my play is a low-maintenence production. It's an impressive company, actually, and I'm thrilled they're doing my play.
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ThePlanningStage
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Posted: Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 08:09 pm |
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Theater is always exclusively local.
Working within your community is a great boon for any playwright. Cultivate that kind of relationship and it will benefit everyone invloved. Plus, it saves on gas.
TPS
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Edd
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Posted: Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 08:45 pm |
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"Theater is always exclusively local."
TPS, had you written a "most" always instead of what you did write I might agree with you. Everybody has their own mind and "always exclusively" are fighting words to me. I do not do anything local. In fact, my agent is instructed not to allow my work performed in the state of Colorado, where I live. Please don't dictate to us.
Thank you,
Edd
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ThePlanningStage
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Posted: Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 08:51 pm |
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Just my opinion.
That's one of the coolest things about theater in my book.
I'm not dictating -- just trying to support local arts making.
peace.
PS -- I guess it works as a provocative statement
but I'll consider curbing it a bit next time.
;)
Last edited on Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 09:04 pm by ThePlanningStage
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Edd
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Posted: Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 09:43 pm |
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TPS,
Thank you. It worked as a provocative statement because it was an absolute.
Here in Denver there are several locally well-known playwrights who are content with the accolades and local annual awards. They seem to me to be so comfortable they seldom stretch their wings. Personally, I feel a bit sorry for them, but if they're happy so be it. For me, that would be a trap--death by mediocrity. We all have different goals and I'm bound to respect that if I'm to expect that mine be respected. However, I've always thought that a big fish in a little pond would eventually starve to death.
Peace,
Edd
Last edited on Wed Jul 2nd, 2008 10:30 pm by Edd
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ggf
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Posted: Mon Jul 14th, 2008 07:22 am |
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This is an interesting and important exchange
We need Edd to remind us not to entrap our own minds in a cage invented from absolutes, dictates, rules and other self-censoring modes.
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Basso
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Posted: Mon Jul 14th, 2008 03:30 pm |
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Theater is always exclusively local.
If something is exclusive, it is then redundant to say "always."
Personally, I found the statement neither provocative, nor an absolute. Theatre is, in a sense, exclusively local, in that it is done in a locale that is local to someone. However, any theatre that is done where I am not is not local to me, and so the statement falters as an absolute. It also lacks the bite of the provocateur, in that the statement, in and of itself, means nothing.
There are times when a writer must use devices to infer meaning; however, in statements of fact, the goal that must be striven for is clarity.
Basso
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