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katoagogo
Member
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Posted: Thu Mar 6th, 2008 11:19 pm |
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There have been rumblings and articles and a lot of talk about the "workshopped to death" syndrome plaguing playwrights of late. At the O'Neill Theater Center, which boasts the most prestigious workshop experience in the United States, it is not uncommon to see a list of five or six, sometimes ten or eleven, previous workshops and development processes that the play and playwright have been thru. All of these workshops were worked thru by the playwright with the hopeful expecation that someone would see it, get connected to the play, and want to produce it.
No such luck.
Onto the next workshop.
Here's the thing...aren't playwrights complicite in this trend? If you're a playwright who's done workshopping the play, then hold out for a production and stop sending it to workshop opportunities. If that isn't working, produce the damn thing yourself.
Look back at the careers of all of the great or succesful (or both) playwrights. Everyone knows Shakespeare wrote, produced, directed, yada yada yada; but so did O'Neill; so did Gurney; so did Bullins; Vogel; Brecht; Becket; the list goes on and on.
This is one of those "push comes to shove", "will there's a way", "I'm a playmaker, dammit" kinda things.
Yeah, yeah, theaters get money for doing workshops, and the more readings, the less production money goes into the list of "here's what we did this year" that they have to hand in to get their grant money. It's a non-profit world that the theater exists in, and numbers are very, very important.
It's up to the playwright to be sure their play becomes more than grist for the non-profit mill. It's up to the playwright to push for production. If the theater won't do it, then the playwright needs to find a space and make their play a reality. Be a playmaker.Attachment: death2.jpg (Downloaded 45 times)
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Basso
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| Joined: | Fri Feb 29th, 2008 |
| Location: | Canada |
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Posted: Fri Mar 7th, 2008 12:07 am |
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I love it, katoagogo. Your energy is infectious and just what I needed to get off my complacent ass. Thank you. :D
Basso
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nic
Member
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Posted: Fri Mar 7th, 2008 01:21 am |
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My response to the would be workshoppers is always, "do you want to produce the work? If they do then of course I'll work with any would be producer. If the answer is no but we think it might be of benefit. The response is thanks I'll wait for a producer.
The best Nic
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katoagogo
Member
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Posted: Fri Mar 7th, 2008 01:24 am |
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Basso:
Some friends of mine have a term -- G O Y F A A D I Y (pronounced "goy-fa-doy).
It means, "Get off your f***ing ass and do it yourself!"
SoooOOooOOoOooo ---
Goyfaadiy!
(It beats farfanoogin)
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Edd
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| Joined: | Sat Jun 10th, 2006 |
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Posted: Fri Mar 7th, 2008 03:16 am |
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Just once . . . and I decided never again and I haven't. Arrogant? Maybe. Maybe not. When you see a play by me, it's by me.
~Edd
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scenedreamer
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Posted: Fri Mar 7th, 2008 04:00 am |
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Amen Edd! Here's a similar situation.
I wrote a play for my master's thesis. Before submitting it to the thesis committee, a preview was staged at a local theater along with several other plays. A man came forward after the preview and offered to back the play. He produced the play in several places, it was broadcast on radio, and TV. It played to packed houses and people had to be turned away at least once due to fire codes. It made money.
Then I submitted the play to my thesis committee and it was critiqued to death. What was described by critics as rich dialogue turned into drivel. The conflict which was situational was forced onstage between characters and became formulaic. The play got past the thesis committee and got me a degree, but it was destroyed. I never allowed it to be produced again. It was no longer mine.
Everyone is a critic and everyone knows exactly how to make your play theirs. I smile and listen, but most often I ignore them. Just as the perfect parts are mine, the imperfections are mine also. The play is mine and I enjoy ownership.
Never again!
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nic
Member
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Posted: Fri Mar 7th, 2008 04:46 am |
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Yeah, It's something I've always said to those who post here and invite a critique. I tell them first of all that they don't know me and so don't know whether to value my opinion at all and then I warn them against those who would rewrite your play to make it theirs.
That said I've just had the experience of being offered a professional cast and director and the services of a fellow writer as a dramaturge for a week's workshopping of a play to be followed by a staged reading to which would be producers were invited. It was really great to work with a group of professionals again who knew what they were about.
My dramaturge had done a considerable amount of work on the script before I arrived and her comment to me was, " are there any areas in the script you're not happy with?" I identified one and her response was, " good, me too I think that's a weak spot lets get the actors to work on it." A week later and a rewrite... all my own work and I have a play that a company has picked up and I have nothing but praise for the professionals I worked with. The point was I guess that they were giving their best to me, not trying to take what I'd done away.
The best nic
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katoagogo
Member
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Posted: Fri Mar 7th, 2008 04:47 pm |
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Basso wrote:
I love it, katoagogo. Your energy is infectious and just what I needed to get off my complacent ass. Thank you. :D
Basso
Thanks -- but the energy was coming from my prepping for an ancient Greek history exam -- and I was taking study breaks -- so I was posting every few hours just to work a different part of my brain for a bit.
Glad you liked it.
--Kato
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Basso
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Posted: Sat Mar 8th, 2008 02:06 am |
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Thanks -- but the energy was coming from my prepping for an ancient Greek history exam -- and I was taking study breaks -- so I was posting every few hours just to work a different part of my brain for a bit. Glad you liked it. --Kato
Are you telling me you didn't mean it? :0 :( Okay, back to the couch, I guess.
No it is no use, I am energized and you are to blame whether it was intentional, or not. :D
Basso
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katoagogo
Member
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Posted: Sat Mar 8th, 2008 02:13 am |
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Basso wrote:
Thanks -- but the energy was coming from my prepping for an ancient Greek history exam -- and I was taking study breaks -- so I was posting every few hours just to work a different part of my brain for a bit. Glad you liked it. --Kato
Are you telling me you didn't mean it? :0 :( Okay, back to the couch, I guess.
No it is no use, I am energized and you are to blame whether it was intentional, or not. :D
Basso
I meant it ALL!
But the amount was due to stress and study breaks.
GET OFF THE COUCH!
Cool.
--Kato
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scenedreamer
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Posted: Sat Mar 8th, 2008 03:39 am |
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nic wrote: That said I've just had the experience of being offered a professional cast and director and the services of a fellow writer as a dramaturge for a week's workshopping of a play to be followed by a staged reading to which would be producers were invited. It was really great to work with a group of professionals again who knew what they were about.
My dramaturge had done a considerable amount of work on the script before I arrived and her comment to me was, " are there any areas in the script you're not happy with?" I identified one and her response was, " good, me too I think that's a weak spot lets get the actors to work on it." A week later and a rewrite... all my own work and I have a play that a company has picked up and I have nothing but praise for the professionals I worked with. The point was I guess that they were giving their best to me, not trying to take what I'd done away.
The best nic
I know of only one dramaturg in this area and his style is so different from mine, I don't think he would be of help. However, I too benefit greatly from the input of actors, directors and producers. I especially respect the input of actors though I believe they should 'live' with the role a while before recommending changes. Also, what works for one actor, director or theater may not work for another. It seems I am always adapting something.
I have found no better way to diagnose problems with a piece than to see it produced and I almost always make changes when I see my work onstage. I kind of see it all as a team effort with everyone trying to make the play the best it an be and most of the time I truly appreciate input. Of course, there have been times, like with my thesis play, when I should have ignored critique.
I keep trying to make better choices as to whose input I hear.
sd
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