It was in May that I last gave a progress report on the play I have been writing (and rewriting) and that was an overly dense self-analysis of my writing process.
Even as I was allowing friends to read the 97 page draft, I began my own rereading process and immediately discovered that despite my belief that I had written a piece with a three-act structure, it actually had a five act structure, with the second and fourth acts contaning the catalysts that make the beginning, middle, and end of the story different from one another.
I also discovered a terrible number of typos: enough that I felt the need to apologize to the friends to whom I had entrusted sample copies. So, again, pen in hand, I went page by page, correcting errors and rewriting dialogue. By the time I had typed up my corrections, the 97 pages had become 103 pages, and I sent new copies to the friends who asked if they could give a look.
One friend wrote back and urged me to move on to staged readings. We agreed that any further rewrites require the involvement of actors and other theatre artists, that this listening process is what is needing to transform this text into a performable script. So that is my new mission.
I've submitted to a few local groups who are openly soliciting new plays, and have had some positive response from one (though not yet a commitment to a staged reading.) However, I am still learning to navigate the Boston theatrical world, and it isn't always clear what avenues are open to a new playwright who is unaffiliated with a university. How many doors are open to me of which I am unaware? Is it beneficial for me as an artist to attempt a staged reading beyond the Boston area? How many readings will I need before they cease to have value? Will any of this lead to a production?
Saturday, August 16, 2008
On With the Process!
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2 comments:
Hmmm...wish I had friends who were so eager to read my manuscripts....
Not being any kind of expert on the subject, I'd think the usefulness of any staged readings would depend on the response to them (as well as to who the responders happen to be).
Ultimately, it seems, there's an awful lot of serendipity in this kind of process...just happening to get what you've written into the ears of those who both will be properly receptive and attuned to it, and have the wherewithal to do something about that....
The main idea of the staged reading, of course, is for the playwright to listen to the actors. Listening, in this case, means both listening to how they read the lines, but also listening to their feedback: are they pleased or disappointed with the characters? Do they have suggestions? Actors are artists as well, and they specialize in inventing or discovering aspects of character not explicitly stated by the writer.
Obviously, the other hope, is that one has directors, producers, literary managers, et cetera, in the audience who are receptive to your ideas and willing to champion your play (while making their own suggestions and observations.)
The writer needs to have the proper balance of self-confidence and humility to listen to and consider criticism, but also know which suggestions to accept and which to ignore.
To these ends, a number of theatres produce staged reading series or festivals in order to develop and discover new plays and playwrights.
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