A post over in the musical theater sub got me to thinking on techniques to make sure a play can be enjoyed by someone who is blind? Perhaps giving them a headpiece and having someone read off predetermined additional narration to describe what's going on, but trying to keep that to a minimum to avoid distracting them.
Hello!! I've written a full-length play called The Last Turn and I'm looking for a few people willing to give it an honest read and share feedback.
Quick synopsis: It's a two-act historical drama that moves between 1984 New York and 1930s Berlin. An elderly gay man finally opens up to a reporter about a life he's never spoken of, his youth in Berlin's underground queer club scene, falling in love, and what happened to him and the people he loved as the Nazi party rose to power and criminalized who he was. It follows him through arrest, imprisonment, and a postwar world that offered little justice, into a second chance at life and love in America and ties into to the resurgent homophobia of the Reagan/Buchanan era. There are a couple of period songs and choreographed dance sequences woven in.
I'm looking for feedback on things like:
Happy to send the script (PDF) to anyone interested, just comment or DM me. I'd really appreciate any time people are willing to give it. Thank you!
Every year my school hosts a drama competition and this year I am directing one of the shows. I need to adapt a pre-existing play/story/film into a comedic script that's less than 20 mins long, I will need to cast around 10-20 people (all boys though a few are allowed to cross-dress ). Does anyone have any good ideas? From memory past groups have done Teachers, Ratatouille, Macbeth (completely butchered it but that's why it did well), snow white, peter pan, Christmas Carol gone wrong, Harry Potter and Frozen (with a passionate rendition of Let it Go included). There's a lot of variety which is why I'm stuck, once I chose an idea it'll be fine. Often the comedy comes from something being so bad that its good (within reason). Usually very little effort is put into preparing the plays from limited costumes, lighting, sound and rehearsals. I appreciate that my description is probably very unhelpful but it's one of those things that cannot really be described, you need to be there to really understand the vibe.
One idea I've had is an adaptation of Madagascar, completely butchering the story (don't know how as I haven't thought that far). I want to try and include a song for comedic effect and for Madagascar it could be Alex singing a bit from Memory while in exile (preferably in a falsetto). I don't know how the story could be condensed but the script quality doesn't need to be amazing, as long as its funny. I will be adapting/writing a script myself which again gives me too much choice if anything. Is this idea any good?
Please help me!!!
Hi there! It’s me again.
As I’ve mentioned in my previous post here, I’m thinking of writing a full length play set in Heian Japan. I will most likely be using Fade In software. I have a question about stage directions. How detailed should they be?
Can I describe staging details such as what the set should look like?
How should I describe the setting?
How should I introduce a character and their appearance?
Do I have to end each scene with „CURTAIN” or „BLACKOUT”
I’m still fresh to playwriting. I’d appreciate some tips and tricks.
Have these ideas for preferably musicals (and plays)ever been done before? (All rights reserved) And if so what do you think of them? They will be changed and constructed more if I plan on going through with them so these are hugely rough drafts, basically outlines atm.
© The Great American Beverly Hill -
About an older woman named Beverly Hill who was a star in the 1960s but went on hiatus for 23 years due to her feeling like fame was taking a toll on her life and it takes place in 1983. Beverly comes back, out of her hiatus and wants to get back into Hollywood and it follows her journey doing just that. But what she didn't expect was that Hollywood has no roles or place for an older woman like Beverly. (Its about an old woman reclaiming her right to shine)
© The 1955 -
The 1955 is told by an older black man in an old people's home in 2006. He had just turned 79. It starts out with him sitting on bench. Eventually (after some dialogue somewhere I hope) another older, but white man is escorted to that same bench by a nurse and that man has a cane. Eventually the two men get to taking and this is where I see the most comedy being in the show. And then the older black man starts talking about his life in 1955 Tennessee. And he talks about moving into an all white neighborhood, his wife getting pregnant, but having a baby with mixed genetics making her white, and how his wife is shot and afterwards his daughter is taken away because she doesn't look anything like him.
I write all my scripts in Fountain (plain-text script markup, if it hasn't crossed your path; fountain.io) and got tired of manually reformatting scripts every time a theatre or competition wanted a specific submission layout. So I built a small tool and figured I'd share it here in case anyone else finds it useful.
https://github.com/timothydsmith/fountain2pdf
Right now it handles Dramatists Guild Modern Play, Samuel French, and Australian Plays Transform formats as specified in their style guides. But it's built so other styles can be added really easily.
A few other things it does:
--anonymise flag that strips contact details for blind submissionsOne caveat: it's a command-line tool, so you'll need some comfort with Python and a terminal (or a technical friend) to run it. If there's real interest I might build a simple GUI on top of it at some point.
Happy to answer questions, and if anyone wants to add support for a specific theatre's or competition's format, I'd welcome the help.
I'd like to share my opinion about Christopher Nolan's upcoming "The Odyssey"
For me, Troy (2004) remains one of the best films inspired by Greek Mythology because it tries to present the world in the way that feels closer to historical reality, even though it also takes creative liberties.
When adapting legendary stories, I believe historical and cultural accuracy is important. For example, ancient Greek characters such as Helen of Troy should reflect the historical setting in which the story take place. If filmmakers want to tell stories featuring African queens or princesses , history offer many fascinating figures, such as the Queen of Sheba, Andromeda (in some traditions connection to Ethiopia), or rulers of ancient Egypt (Nubia), Persia. Those story deserve to be told on their own merits.
This isn't about racisem- it's about respecting the historical and cultural context of story. Many young people don't read the original myths or historical source. They often learn about these stories through films, so movies can strongly shape their understanding of history and mythology.
I also believe the directors and screenwriters create their stronger work when they make films that genuinely resonate with them - stories connected to their experiences, passion, research, or even their family's influence. No filmmaker can be an expert on every culture, history or subject. Sometimes the most authentic and meaningful films come from creators who have a deep personal connection to material . The history tell us some example Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, Oliver Stone ect
Of Course, every one is free to interpret stories differently, and this is simply my personal opinion.
Hey all,
What are the best political tragedy plays you know of? I already have Coriolanus, and I'm planning on reading Julius Caesar as well as Stuff Happens.
I want to write a play about the Ten Tragic Days / the assassination of Francisco I. Madero, which was a significant turning point in the Mexican Revolution. It's a tragedy in every way. So I'm trying to learn from well written works.
P.S. If you have any tips on writing / structuring political tragedies, feel free to let me know!
Thank you for your time :)
I've been thinking recently about non-linear stories and I've realized I haven't read many plays that fit that bill yet. I'm very interested in the ways different playwrights choose to communicate those stories to the reader/eventual audience and would love to hear anybody's recommendations. Happy to hear about stuff on NPX as well!
Thanks!
I'd like to write a play with one setting and in which the entire crux is on two characters' conversation (of course not a unique idea at all), but how do I really keep this interesting for the entire length? I can see the characters personalities laid out in my head and some of what they'd talk about, but I don't feel experienced enough to really keep an audience engaged in this
I'm primarily an actor and have trained and worked as one professionally (as much as I can) for the last 6 years. I've always written plays, sketches, scenes since I was about 17, but have started to take it more seriously in the last few years. I have 2 full length play scripts, but I have moved on from them, and am currently in the research stage of my new play. I read scripts weekly, have a good knowledge of theatre, and have a good database of schemes, placements, competitions, mentoring and funding opportunities for when/if I choose to persue the development of a play. I will always write as a genuine hobby and in support of myself as an actor. However I am looking for a fulltime/ or even part time work, In a field that I can actually grow in, without neglecting my creative and intellectual needs. I don't want to participate in the whole actor working a dead end job to survive and really really want to use my skills to develop a career in writing one way or another. Of course the goal is to eventually put on my own work on a professional scale, collaborate with others, and also act in my work but I'm absolutely willing to be part of a team, and act as a smaller component into the great world of writing for stage. I do this now, unpaid, but I'm looking for a more defined job role to build my skills and experience and understanding. I know script reading is a good entry role, but it is also competitive and not easy to get into. I am building my portfolio and creating my script coverage reports etc, I also am interested in research/world building etc, so will also be creating a portfolio of Story research dossiers. I'm also interested in the area of adaptations, one of my plays that was performed as a rehearsed reading at a festival, was infact an adaptation of a story I found circulating social media at the time, I worked with the individual who's story it was for a number of months, and managed to make it into a play, which was received well, however, for future I'm not sure if collaborating in that kind of way is something I want to continue with, as it can at times, limit creative agency if there is difference in vision of the writer and the story holder. I do believe I have a good understanding of story telling, and what makes a good stage play, and with more experience believe that could extend to tv/film. I'm certaintly interested in scouting and development and this is also something I consider as a future route too. I do have my collections of articles, stories, and tonnes of research around stories I wish to adapt in future, more historical than modern. I know this is a lot of writing but if anybody has any advice, or can point out some other things that might be helpful, anything to avoid. Essentially I'm looking for a job/career in writing, that I hope in the future can tie in with acting.
I'm looking for someone willing to read my play and give me some serious feedback. I've been working on it for about a year and I'm at the point where I don't just want it to be good—I want to push it to excellence before I start submitting it. I'm especially looking for someone who enjoys actually brainstorming with a writer, not just pointing out what works or doesn't.
If you think a scene isn't landing, I'd love to hear ideas for how you might rethink it, what could happen instead, new scenes or theatrical devices that could strengthen something, etc. I'm completely open to criticism and major suggestions if they'll make the play better. Basically, I'm looking for someone who wants to dig into the play creatively with me for a bit rather than just give me a list of notes. If that sounds interesting to anyone, I'd really appreciate the help.
What challenges have you found when writing arguments? Does anyone else wonder, when having two characters argue, if you've written enough lines? Do you also tell yourself to not let the dialogue get carried away? (It so easily could.) Deciding how an argument stops - when nothing is destined to get resolved - is another challenge.
Does anyone has any recommendations on how to do so? It’s been a dream of mine since May 2024. Also I’d love to tell y’all about it if you’re curious
I’ve spent almost 4 years writing and rewriting and revising a full length play and it’s finally being produced in April! It’s just a local community theatre but they put a lot of effort into their promotion. And every step of the way, I still can’t believe this is happening.
Seeing the Facebook promotion and logos. Signing the contract. Being part of the production meetings and seeing what goes into a show before the rehearsal process even starts. Recently I introduced myself to someone in the theatre community and she said “Oh, you’re the writer of (name of my show)!”. Yesterday a friend sent me a picture of her standing by a flag with the logo on it. Apparently there’s going to be merch too.
And every time something new happens I am genuinely shocked. I wanted this and worked so hard for it but everyone told me it would likely never be produced unless I did it myself, and after 10/15/20 submissions I started to believe that too. But I kept networking and kept submitting and kept tightening the script and it happened!
Tell me your stories about the first time you were produced. What did it feel like? Do you still feel that way with subsequent productions?
(For what it’s worth, I had a ten minute play produced last year, but I directed it myself and it was cool, but it didn’t feel like THIS. Having my full-length produced is giving me a warm fuzzy feeling all over!)
I know that a play is automatically protected once it’s written, but I’m wondering if some of you spend the $45 to get your play officially registered as a Work of the Performing Arts?
I’m just beginning to send my play to a few places.
Thanks
Join Heath Sauders on August 29 at 3 pm (EST) as they present on Diversity Dramaturgy - an exploration of how writing to the bodies you intend to cast affects the writing of the show, and the positives and pitfalls of writing specifically to identity markers.
Check out Heath's website for more information about their work.
https://www.thesaunderscollective.com/heath-saunders
I'm very excited for this subject, as I think it's an important one to consider as we write new works for the stage in 2026 and beyond.
If you're interested, comment or shoot me a DM, and I'll post the group link.
I just want also add that this is a One Act Play and it's supposed to be on the shorter side. The theme is "Legends in the Making"
Five Against One tells the story Catherine Burbank as she seeks escape for her family from an abusive marriage of 15 years, but escape is never the safest plan. Inspired and powered by the music of the Grunge era, this play takes an unflinching and sobering look at domestic violence and its consequences.
One reader of an earlier draft characterized it as "This would be what we'd have got if Tennessee Williams ever wrote a musical."
As you might infer from the title, there are 6 characters - 4 women and two men. While I've been working on this play for over 20 years, this year I joined a writer's cohort within the ShowLAB Theatre Writers Studio. Since late February the play has completely transformed, and while I've conducted readings of the whole work multiple times, it is overdue for a complete end to end reading (the cohort has read individual scenes within it).
There's a discord attached to this subreddit, so I figure that would be as good a place as any to host a reading, although I'm open to suggestions to other platforms.
I do NOT want to do a cold read - the play's topic is domestic violence. While I would like an audience of those interested, the readers need to have read the play through at least once so that they know what to expect and can be prepared. I don't necessarily need the readers to have rehearsed ahead of time.
The script is 133 pages so should take just over 2 hours to read. (Act I is 70 pages, Act II is 63. It is formatted identically to the Ragtime Musical script for reference, with a 2nd act a pinch longer than Ragtime's).
I'll probably cross post this in a few spots, but this is the origin thread and will be used for the actual organization of the read. I'm thinking of a weekend date since I work a 9 to 5 job.
Catherine Burbank, age 36, a housewife (alto): A woman with a troubled past of child abuse, drug addiction, and a stint in the porn industry.
Pamela Burbank, age 14, her daughter (soprano): A high functioning autistic child coming of age in one of the worst environments possible.
Jeremy Burbank, age 16, her son (tenor): A little slow but with a good heart, he's devoted to the protection of his family but lacks the means to do so effectively.
Susan Martin, age 70, her mother (contralto): A catholic zealot who uses the scripture to justify her hatreds. She abused Catherine as a child physically, and continues to do so verbally even though she's an adult.
Lisa Allen, age 15, her neighbor (coloratura soprano): Lisa's father, now deceased, was deeply in love with Catherine and wanted her to divorce Jake. Her mother died when she was two, so Catherine has been the closest thing she has to a mother for most of her life.
Jake Burbank, age 40, her husband (bass): Pillar of the community, one of the highest ranking unelected police officers in the city. His public character is unreproachable. But privately...
EDIT: BTW, Catherine, Susan, Pamela and Jeremy are of Cajun descent and all can speak this dialect of French. There are French phrases scattered throughout the play, mostly terms of endearment. Susan has the most French lines. Preparing for this is another reason I'd rather not cold read this - I don't want to put someone on the spot to muddle through a phrase in a language they don't know.
Hey there! I was thinking of attempting to write a play. I’m 18 years old I do have some experience with writing short shorties and I even wrote a screenplay using Fade In software in may this year. As for theatre, I’m a big fan of opera.
Anyway for some time I had an hour idea for a full-length play set in the Heian Period of Japanese history where the main character would be Abe no Seimei. I wanted to ask if it would be a good setting. I’ve noticed that most plays after the 19th century are mostly in realistic settings (Example: “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen).
What do you guys think? Would it be possible to stage such a play?