tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892344170791364530.post3912420900175811938..comments2023-10-25T05:54:40.951-04:00Comments on The Writing Life x3: What are the Playwriting Odds (and the 4 ways writers can improve their chances)Patrick Gabridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497038051641691987noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892344170791364530.post-82418407261806057122014-02-09T19:37:46.721-05:002014-02-09T19:37:46.721-05:00Well, I think that's partially true, Vicki. Bu...Well, I think that's partially true, Vicki. But of course it's complicated--there are a lot of factors that go into why a play is chosen for production, and certainly how easy it is to market to a particular audience is a big one. And the match for the audience counts, or sometimes an artistic director wants to stretch an audience in a certain direction. Or there might be a role that is great for an actor that the company wants to work with. Or there's a role that they don't think they can't cast. Or they just did a similar show. Looking at a company's past seasons on their web site tells you a ton about what kind of choices they tend to make, though it doesn't give you the complete picture.Patrick Gabridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11497038051641691987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892344170791364530.post-79880301652630198472014-02-09T10:05:09.394-05:002014-02-09T10:05:09.394-05:00I've enjoyed reading Donna Hoke's RIPP blo...I've enjoyed reading Donna Hoke's RIPP blog series, which has been helpful in my trying to figure out how plays are chosen.<br /><br />I'm a new (since last year) playwright, so I'm still feeling my way around all this stuff. But one thing stands out to me already: theaters in general choose plays based on what will bring out their audience and audiences care a lot about names and famous people. So it's much safer to produce a bland play by a mildly famous playwright than a new, interesting play by an unknown who might or might not ever have any success. (There are exceptions: I'm just speaking in general.)<br /><br />In the playwriting world, marketing matters almost more than the writing. Vicki Meagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13724971608352539399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892344170791364530.post-61036737459432049532014-02-07T11:19:42.569-05:002014-02-07T11:19:42.569-05:00Good point, Donna. Thanks for the link to your blo...Good point, Donna. Thanks for the link to your blog series! I've read some of them before, but should read all of them. You do raise an interesting question about sharing opp info--it's good to help the community, but it also clogs the system and decreases your own odds. Still, I'm one for openness and sharing of information, whenever possible or appropriate. There are folks working on big new systems that might change the way plays and playwrights are matched, hopefully coming soon.Patrick Gabridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11497038051641691987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892344170791364530.post-66278437077780474812014-02-07T11:14:13.957-05:002014-02-07T11:14:13.957-05:00Thanks, Claudia. I think you're right--there ...Thanks, Claudia. I think you're right--there is hope here. I thought the numbers would be more depressing, but there's a lot that thoughtful writers can do to help themselves.Patrick Gabridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11497038051641691987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892344170791364530.post-63443169712583544162014-02-07T11:10:59.667-05:002014-02-07T11:10:59.667-05:00This is excellent, Patrick. I would say, though, t...This is excellent, Patrick. I would say, though, that the minute a theater says they only get 100 submissions, that number will at least quadruple, so that kind of transparency isn't the answer. Widesharing of opps has already increased the competition to astronomical numbers, so there should still be some reward for due diligence. As a complement to this post, I'm also going to plug my Real Inspiration for Playwrights Project (RIPP) blog series, which is all about finding smaller piles and upping your odds. For those who have never read it, start here: http://blog.donnahoke.com/category/ripp/page/5/Donna Hokehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03201351435662258382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7892344170791364530.post-63532107379663301332014-02-07T10:46:33.603-05:002014-02-07T10:46:33.603-05:00A few things stayed with me. "Write better pl...A few things stayed with me. "Write better plays." I constantly look at ways to to work with more clarity, more nuance and ask myself constantly, "Is this worthy of an admission ticket and someone;s precious time?" I don't always succeed - but I remain cognizant that there's always room for improvement.<br /><br />And "knowing the market." It is so important to look at: guidelines and follow them to a "t," mission of theatre (which sometimes gets amusing)and production history. It limits places where you can send your play. It also is submitting smarter and ups your chances of getting the production. <br /><br />Because I mostly work for a niche market (TYA) I need to be very careful of language and content and the tender age of my audiences. So, it is also important to think of future audiences and how theatres will market the play. <br /><br />Nice entry - there's hope in this blog!Claudiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15601656778586008081noreply@blogger.com