The Scene: June 10, 2022
In today's email: How to Begin Writing a Play, and head back to the future (or the past) with us!
Also in today’s email:
Hot Topics: The newest pop musical to sweep the UK, teaching theatre to neurodiverse students, and more
The Broadway Beat: Back to the Future buzz, Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth concert, and more
Shows You Should Know: Nostalgia is so hot right now.
First Things First: How to Begin Writing a Play
By Amanda DeLalla (she/her/hers)
When I frequent message boards and the like, and I see young people who want
to write a play or musical, a common problem of theirs is where to begin. As Maria von Trapp might sing, “Start at the very beginning- a very good place to start!”
All joking aside, I can understand that working up the motivation to put pencil to paper (or perhaps fingers to keyboard) can be difficult and a little overwhelming. Often I’ll have a fantastic idea for a story, and know how it begins and ends. The tough part is filling out what occurs between the two. Well, I’m here to help! There are a few great tactics that you can try to get your play off the ground. And, once you get over that first hurdle, you’ll find that inspiration strikes more frequently, and the words will flow out of you like water from a fountain.
Outline it: Some folks find it useful to outline or summarize the story they want to tell. This can be accomplished with bullet points, or a Wikipedia-esque plot writeup. Personally, I enjoy writing character descriptions: names, ages, personality traits, etc. This enables you to dive into the world of your play; the more you do that, the easier it will be to pinpoint what could happen in it. And remember, the outcomes are literally endless!
Look for inspiration everywhere: I’ve gotten ideas for plays from films, songs, and even video games! Many stories are served very well by the theatrical form, as it can bring a character’s journey up close and personal, or perhaps create a heightened sense of drama with sets and lighting. Although the mediums are all different, every piece of art ultimately serves the same purpose. That is, to either entertain, evoke an emotion, or teach something. The best of them will do all three.
Get some feedback: Finally, remember that there are erasers on pencils, so to speak. Once you have something on the page, get some fresh eyes on it. With a mentor or friend’s feedback, you’ll be able to make changes and strengthen the efficacy of your writing. I’m the type of person who likes to write and edit as I go along, but there are plenty of folks who’ll compose the full script and then go back for a whole new draft. Trust me…you will discover your “method” extremely fast. And with your method comes the “style” that will forever define your work.
But- before we can even talk about forever- we’ve got to focus on today. So try these tips for the next time you’re feeling creative…and good luck! You’ll be writing that Great American Play in no time.
Amanda DeLalla is a NY-based playwright and actor who is a proud member of The Dramatists Guild and the Staten Island Women's Playwright Collective. As a writer, she is the lyricist/librettist for a musical as well as five full-length dramas plus a one-act play collection. Her work has been presented in a variety of venues, including Lincoln Center, The Tank, Dixon Place, All for One Theater, Snug Harbor, and the Chain Theatre. As a rule, Amanda uses her experiences with living on the autism spectrum to craft stories about emotion and resilience.
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Back to the 80’s: A Risky, Goonie, Breakfasty Tale Of Totally Tubular Time Travel
by Dean O'Carroll
Parody, 60 - 70 minutes
15 W, 7 M, (11-116 actors possible: 5-99 W, 1-111 M)
Hold on to your hoverboards, we're taking a trip Back to the 80s! When modern teen Mary Fitzfry gets sent back in time by an eccentric professor, she finds herself in the middle of a totally tubular cavalcade of 80s pop culture. There's a lot of familiar faces, from the teens in breakfast-time detention to the guys chasing ghosts and dancing zombies, but the biggest surprise of all is Mary's own protective mom as a teen. Turns out she's actually kind of rad - but thanks to Mary's time travel, she's in trouble. Can Mary make things right? This adventure takes you from the mall where everything happens, to a suburban sitcom street, to a cave under the high school - and you can choose who to feature from a flexible throng of characters to bring your audience maximum nostalgia. A hilarious parody to make all ages cheer "I love the 80s!"
RESULTS: If your theatre could perform any play currently on Broadway, what would it be?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (29%)
Moulin Rouge (28%)
Mrs. Doubtfire (22%)
Paradise Square (21%)
The results are in… EdTA’s 10 Most-Produced High School Plays and Musicals of 2021–2022! Have you produced one of these shows?
Congratulations to Roshunda Jones-Koumba of G. W. Carver Magnet High School in Houston for receiving the 2022 Excellence in Theatre Education Award from the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University!
The latest craze from the UK: will the new pop musical &Juliet be hitting your stage soon?
Teaching Theatre to Students on the Spectrum: watch this webinar from Sally Bailey, MFA, MSW, RDT/BCT on how to give support to students on the spectrum and collaborate artistically.
Projection Design 101: Here’s some starting tips from Projectorgram.
Great Scott! Back to the Future has extended its West End run through 2023 after their exhilarating performance on Britain’s Got Talent. Watch the performance now on YouTube.
The 75th Tony Awards are this weekend! Have you submitted your ballot yet? (You could win *75* tickets to Broadway if you do!)
The 2nd Annual Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth free concert takes place this June as part of The Broadway League’s Black to Broadway initiative. Read more here.
Almost Famous is officially coming to Broadway this fall. Book and Lyrics by the 2000 film’s writer, director, and producer Cameron Crowe with music by Tom Kitt. Listen to the opening number now on YouTube.
History being made: Larissa FastHorse will be the first female Native American playwright on Broadway with The Thanksgiving Play at Second Stage in spring 2023.
Wish you could hop in a DeLorean and revisit your favorite decade? Here are nostalgic shows that pay homage to our favorite music and movies pre-2000: