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Playwrights have been creating dramatic works since the days of Ancient Greece, with some of the earliest dramatic plays historically dated around the fifth century B.C. Today's playwrights often create dramatic work to be performed onstage, while others publish it for others to read and perhaps produce on their own. If you are a writer with a flare for dramatics, and would like to learn more about how to become a playwright, the information provided on this page will set you on your way.
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Playwrights have been creating dramatic works since the days of Ancient Greece, with some of the earliest dramatic plays historically dated around the fifth century B.C. Today's playwrights often create dramatic work to be performed onstage, while others publish it for others to read and perhaps produce on their own. If you are a writer with a flare for dramatics, and would like to learn more about how to become a playwright, the information provided on this page will set you on your way.
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Introduction
- Playwrights write dramatic literature, often with performance and social commentary in mind. There are no educational requirements for becoming a playwright, but you will want to educate yourself in order to become a good playwright.
Step 1: Education
- Writing plays is similar to writing stories, in that they have a beginning, middle and end, but the format and structure is completely different than a typical story.
- Read plays to learn about their format.
- Invest in a few books on scriptwriting.
- Attend plays to see them first hand.
- Take a scriptwriting and drama studies classes.
Step 2: Write Your Own Plays
- Once you understand how to write a play, it's time to dive in and create your own work of art to be performed. Consider starting out writing shorts or ten minute plays to get a feel for wrapping up a story, and then offer them to local drama clubs to perform. As you get the hang of writing, progress to full length plays with several acts.
Step 3: Workshop
- Find and established workshop of trusted playwrights you can share your work with before you try to send it to a director for production. A good workshop will read through your play, assigning different parts to different readers. As you go through the play, they will offer feedback and advice on how to improve the script. This process is very important, as a well polished script is the first step toward seeing a major work in production.
Step 4: Submit
- After you've workshopped and polished your play, it's time to get it out there.
- Look for local playhouses that are accepting scripts.
- Search out script competitions and enter.
- Check wanted ads for producers and directors looking for fresh talent.
- Consider submitting to local college drama groups.
Conclusion
- There are no set requirements to become a playwright. You don't need an education, but one may be helpful. Spend time learning about how plays are structured and the elements required to create a strong one. Start out small, writing ten-minute plays to get the hang of script format. Spend time in a trustworthy workshop environment, and when you feel you've gotten your script polished enough to submit it, send it out. If you get rejected, send it out again. The joy of seeing your own play in performance is a worthwhile reward.
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