Mastering Playwriting: Writing Characters, Dialogue and Stories for the Stage

Mastering Playwriting: Writing Characters, Dialogue and Stories for the Stage

“I want to thank you for taking this course on playwriting. And I want to encourage you to begin writing your plays. Don't be overwhelmed with all the advice. If something captures your imagination, let it sit with you. Maybe it is an idea like we discussed regarding what you are fascinated with. Perhaps it is an action you have witnessed, and now you want to put it in the hands of a character. Consider the journey that the character might take. Go back to the simple actions in the journey we take every day and allow those actions to sit with you. Writing a play is a wonderful act of creation. And when you complete your piece, delight in it, and share it on the forum. It is important to learn to let it go. So here are some final tips - 1 It is more important to put it down on paper than to seek a production. 2 A well-written play is not enough. You need to build a strong rapport with leaders in theatres if you want productions. And you want productions, so meet and greet. 3 Choose a director by going to what they have directed and compare their sensibility to yours. Not unlike playwrights, directors play to their strengths, too. Interview them for the piece. Find out their favorite plays. Judge their passion for your play. See what you have in common. If they will play with your soul, ensure you are comfortable with them. 4 Realize that particular directors have the reputation to carry your play to further productions. You may have to ignore #3 at your discretion. 5 Initially, it is easy to feel intimidated by the process, but a good director will listen to your concerns. Do not be hesitant to interrupt directors during rehearsal. They may want you to be quiet, but this is not school, and you can find a way to communicate. 6 When your play succeeds, it is worth fighting to make sure those successful elements remain in the next production. Write down what worked and keep those notes. You will forget, believe me. So, keep your notes up to date and in a folder for that play. 7 It is worth ensuring your play is going into a suitable space. It's great to get your play up, but the space could swallow it, or the opposite, it may not breathe. Pay attention to the space. Imagine your play in it. Imagine listening to an audience in the back as it hears the play. Measure the distance between the actors. Will they be lobbing lines at each other like tennis balls or spinning them back and forth like a ping pong ball? 8 If the play fails, it may be because of the production, acting, and direction, not the writing. 9. Compromise, but prioritize your battles because your play in your town will never be your play in another city. 10 After you've written your play, and before anyone reads it, write down three to five pages as to why you wrote it and what changed unexpectedly while writing it. You will need to return to this document regularly, reminding yourself of your initial intentions, because people will regularly question your initial intentions. I hope the advice I shared with you through this course will help you create your own play and, hopefully, not only one. Make sure to find your fascination and explore it. Have fun creating. Share your results with the community in the forum, and don't forget to comment on each other's work. This way, we will make our artistic playwright community around this course. It was a great pleasure to be your teacher. Thank you one more time, and see you soon! ”

Partial transcription of the video

“I would like to thank you for taking this course on playwriting, and I want to encourage you to begin writing your plays. scenes for your screenplays, scenes for your TV pilots, Don't be overwhelmed. with all the advice. If something captures your imagination. Let it sit with you. Maybe it is an idea. like we discussed regarding what you are fascinated with. Maybe this is an action you have witnessed. and now you want to put it in the hands of a character. Consider the journey that character might take. go back to the simple actions in the journey we take every day and allow those actions t...”

This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.

Course summary for: Mastering Playwriting: Writing Characters, Dialogue and Stories for the Stage

• Level: Beginner
• 100% positive reviews (4)
• 605 students
• 4 units
• 13 lessons (2h 5m)
• 5 downloads

• Category

  Writing

• Areas

  Narrative, Script, Writing