Chapter 16
Hopefully by this point you should have some good ideas and have been inspired to start work on your ten-minute play, if you haven’t begun already. One tip: avoid procrastinating and get to it as soon as you can.
Playwrights: Some Key Points to Remember
• Go with your gut, your instincts, for that first draft of your new play. Try to keep out of your head as much as possible.
• Be sure your play has a clear conflict.
• Be certain your characters have clear intentions.
• Avoid unnecessary exposition at all costs.
• Even though it’s a ten-minute play, be certain that it has all six elements of drama: plot, character, theme, language, rhythm, and spectacle.
• Be willing to sacrifice a great line(s), a character, a scene, whatever, to keep your story moving efficiently right to the end.
• The ending of your play must be earned, not attached.
• Make sure that your protagonist changes as a result of the conflict he or she encounters in the play.
• Keep stage directions to a minimum.
• Keep your cast to a minimum. Two or three characters are best.
• Keep props and furniture to an absolute minimum.
• Listen to comments and feedback with an open mind. Use what you find useful, but in the end it’s your play.
• Make sure your play runs ten minutes.
Some Key Points for Actor/Playwrights
• In general it’s best not to be an actor in the first production of your ten-minute play, unless you absolutely feel you must. But be aware there may be limits to your objectivity if rewrites are necessary.
• If possible, don’t direct the first production of your ten-minute play. Once again, this will help establish the objectivity you’ll need for any rewrites.
• If you have a choice of directors for your play, go with your gut on who seems to understand your play best.
• When you meet with the director, ask him or her to tell you the story of your play and ask how he or she sees it in production.
• After your director has read the play, or has heard you read it aloud, be open to his or her interpretation, especially if it’s not quite the same as yours. Try to find a common ground.
• Casting your play is key. Hopefully you and your director will see eye to eye on the best actors for each role. Try not to be too rigid on how you want a role to be cast. Allow for surprises: during auditions, some actors who may not be what you initially had in mind may impress you with their ability to make a role their own. Your director’s input can very helpful as you consider the possibility that a role might be played another way.