The Playwright

The life of the Playwright

A solo artist of sorts
Separated and isolated from the production.
This has exceptions of course, some playwrights serve an
integral part of the rehearsal process while others never
enter the theatre.
Sam Shepard not only writes but also is instrumental in the
directing and acting of his own work.
The life of the Playwright
 A Playwright has many choices to make and questions to
answer. When a playwright chooses a subject, develops the
structure or creates the characters, it is usually done
intuitively.
 A play usually evolves rather than put together in a technical
fashion.
 In past eras, the structure and characters used, were
traditionally accepted practices of a given period and society.
 Modern playwrights often begin without a clear plan and
only later discover the type of structure and nature of the
characters.
We All Dream
The Playwright in all of us

We dream and imagine stories as we live our daily lives.

We invent characters and situations that intrigue and
motivate our lives.

This is the foundation of a playwright, the main

difference is pulling all of these creative ideas from our
heads and putting it on paper.
What does the word Playwright mean?
Playwright
The word “playwright”
To make plays
The term wright means craftsman or builder.
A combination of not just words but both vocal and
physical relationships.
A play is designed to be performed not just read.
Example from Cohen’s text
Othello: Oh! Oh! Oh!
King Lear: Howl, howl, howl, howl!
Hamlet: No, no, the drink, the drink. O my dear
Hamlet, The Drink, the drink! I am poisoned.
These lines by themselves offer very little interest, but
when performed by a trained actor, unveil the climax of
the play.
The tools of the Playwright
Dialogue
Physical action
The play is a series of actions and events that evolve into a plot.
Remember a play is more than words. It is words that are put into actions with
objectives and goals.
These events are designed to be acted out in front of an audience.
A playwright must be able to hold the attention of the audience.
These events can be linked together in a chronological order and show a
progression of experiences in time. (This is not always true)
What Makes a Good Play?
What Makes a Good Play?
Credibility
Intrigue
Speakability, stageability, and flow
Richness
Depth of characters
Gravity and pertinence
Compression, economy and intensity
Celebration
Credibility
Credibility

The play flows logically from point a to point b.

The characters exist for a reason. They have goals and individual
interests.

The characters do not exist only to further the plot.

The audience views the characters as actual people.

Back
Intrigue
Intrigue

Making the audience want more.

Create suspense
Draws the audience into the world of the
play.

Back
Speakability, Stageability, and Flow
Speakability, Stageability,
and Flow
Speakability
Create dialogue that actually can be spoken on stage.

Create words that provide the maximum effect on stage when spoken.

The words are true to the character. They represent their own personality.

Stageability
Not only do the words need to be spoken but also performed on stage.

All elements including design, acting, staging need to be integral to the plot. necessary information.

The staging and the business must be necessary to the play. The setting, physical acting and dialogue are
undistinguishably combined.

Flow
A good combination of speakability and stageability creates good flow.

Smooth scene changes, act breaks, and intermission.

Back
Richness
Richness

A play that is not two dimensional.

Full of detail and information.
Fully developed characters.
Rich with texture.

Back
Depth of Characterization
Depth of Characterization

Every character in the play needs to have their own

individuality.

Separate intentions

Good and bad

Characters need to have life and energy and bring something to

the play.

Back
Gravity and Pertinence
Gravity and Pertinence
The play must in some way effect the audience.
The pertinence of the play is how it focuses on current
audiences concerns.
Some plays address current affairs
Other plays address timeless issues.
The gravity relates to the play’s theme and how it’s relevant to the
concerns of the audience.
current issues
historical issues

Back
Compression, Economy and Intensity
Compression, Economy and
Intensity
Compression: The playwrights ability to create a play that spans several days
or years.

Economy: The ability to adapt and understand the scenic and character
needs of a play.

Remember a play takes play in one location. (The Theatre)

Intensity: The ability of the playwright to successfully build the actions of

the play towards the climax.

Back
Celebration
Celebration

A play celebrates life.

Early Greek tragedies, although
contained very negative aspects, always
focused on the human spirit.

Back
The Process
The Process
Every Playwright begins a process differently. There are no rules
or structured outlines.

Some playwrights start with dialogue and other with characters.

Below are general introductory steps than may be taken.

Subject Matter

Dramatic Purpose

Dialogue

Conflict

Structure
Subject Matter
Subject Matter
 The subject matter of drama is always about human beings.
This is very different than abstract painting or music.
 The playwright must determine what aspect of human
existence to write about.
 Will the play be based on history such as a war or will the
play be based on a dramatization of someone’s life.
 The playwright must make these choices.
Dramatic Purpose
Dramatic Purpose
 Every theatrical event is intended to serve a purpose.
 Conscious
 Unconscious
 Deliberate
 Plays have been written to
 Entertain
 To impart information
 To explore the human condition
 To escape.
 To educate.
Dialogue
Dialogue
Remembered dialogue
Overheard conversations
Conversations with the playwright
Imagined dialogue
Adding on to remembered information.
Constructing new dialogue with old and new characters
in new situations.

Back
Conflict
Conflict

Conflict has drama and needs to be resolved.

This gives the play somewhere to go .
Without conflict nothing interesting happens to the
characters or story.

Back
Structure
 Structure
 A play needs a structure, it can’t simply be a bunch of scenes
thrown together.
 Structure creates interest and carries the story. It creates
expectations and the need to know.

 When does the action of the play begin?

How are the scenes put together?
How does the action unfold?
What is the highpoint of the action?

 Is it climatic or episodic?

Back
Summary
• There is no right or wrong way to approach a play.
• Every playwright is different.
• Once a play is finished, a playwright will have a stage reading
with actors.
• The Theatre Wing (Interview with Directors)