Why “Playwright” and not “Playwrite”?
- “Wright” means “maker”
- Playwrights make plays
What do Playwrights create?
- Copies of human life by creating a “language” for characters
- Dialogue for characters to say to one another that:
> Forwards the plot
> Reveals character
> Express ideas - They must write words that are: More active, More intense… than everyday speech or a novelist words
Where do playwrights get their ideas?
Ideas can come from anywhere:
- Overheard conversation
- Current events
- News headlines
- Injustice
How long does it take to write a play?
- 7 days to 7 years, depends on the playwright
- There’s even 24 hour play festivals that happen around the country
How do playwrights work?
- Some work alone and some collaborate with theatrical colleagues
Playwrights that write the dialogue for musicals are called …
Book-writers
Those who write the words for the music are called…
Lyricists
Those who write both the dialogue and the words for the music are called…
Librettists
Where do playwrights come from?
Most work within the “theatrical world”
- perhaps they are actors now or were previously
- perhaps they write for his/ her own theater troupe,
> Moliere wrote for himself and his troupe
> Shakespeare wrote for his fellow actors based on their strengths
- Some come from outside the theater world “newcomers” and “insiders”
What are “Newcomers” known for?
Having the gift of ignorance and might not follow the traditional: Form, Style, Length, and Subject matter
What do “insiders” write about?
Social insiders write about specific topics
Ex:
- African-American playwrights that write about social issues that pertain to the Black community
- LGBTQ playwrights that write about issues within their community
- Feminist playwrights that write about women’s rights
Who is Edward Albee?
American playwright who wrote WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
Who is Charles Cordone?
- An actor, director, teacher
- Wrote NO PLACE TO BE SOMEBODY
- First Pulitzer Prize ever awarded to an African American playwright
Who is AUGUST WILSON?
- wrote THE PITTSBURGH CYCLE
- Recent Broadway production JITNEY won the Tony Award for Best Play Revival
What is The Pittsburgh Cycle written by August Wilson about?
- it is a series of ten plays, each set in a different decade, and depicts various aspects of the African-American experience in the 20th century
What are the maxims playwrights follow?
- Write what you know
- Write action, not speeches
- Write for actors, not readers
Do playwrights have rules?
No
Playwright as Screenwriters, they…
- Often write for TV Shows and films
- Similar style of storytelling between playwriting and screenwriting: Length, Dialogue
Define screenplays
Film scripts
What are other professions playwrights can thrive in?
Copywriters, Editors, and Content writers
Define copywriters
Copywriters create advertising copy and marketing material for companies
Define editors
Editing things like books, poetry, other playwright’s scripts, or articles
Define content writers
A playwright could write blogs, manage social media accounts, or write articles online.
Getting the play produced…
Often, playwrights will have workshops of their plays or simple read-throughs to hear their play out loud
