Something Bigger
"Something's coming, I don't know what it is, but it is gonna be great!" - Tony, West Side Story It's Coming! It's a new decade. 2020. We find ourselves here, in the present moment. For me, and perhaps for many of us, it looks different from what we expected....
The Place for Festivals in NPD
Should I Submit to a Festival? I’m coaching with a client this week, and we’re discussing the importance of submitting your work on a regular basis to theaters, festivals and other opportunities that are found on places such as playsubmissionshelper.com, the...
Do I Need a Star?
The Need for Stars? “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” – Steve Martin Writing a play and then staying the course to see it produced is a daunting task. It requires tremendous focus and 100% dedication to each step in the developmental process. Once...
Make Submissions Easy
‘Tis the (Submission) Season Ah, the coolness of the air, the crisp sound of the leaves rustling underfoot. It’s the time of non-profit galas galore and Christmas party networking. For playwrights and librettists, it’s also the season of submissions. I’m sorry...
5 Top Takeaways from the “How to Write a Musical” Workshop
The World & The Want Yesterday I taught my favorite workshop, the “How to Write a Musical That Works” Workshop through Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) in NYC. Along with the Executive Director Bob Ost and a stellar panel composed of Dramaturg/Producer Ken...
Pitching Your Show to Producers: The Elevator Pitch
Pitching Your Show to Producers Learning to pitch your show to potential producers is a skill set that can be developed like any other skill set. The secret is in learning to see your show from the producer’s perspective. Recently I was the pitching coach for eight...
Breaking Up With Aristotle: Alternate Plot Structures
To Aristotle With Love: We’re Done So many contemporary playwrights claim to have “broken up” with Aristotle. As in, “Ari, we love you and all, but you’re so old school. We’re done.” The energy of the “action plot,” where a protagonist has a goal...
Story vs. Plot
Where in the Story Does Your Plot Start? A discussion about the difference between plot vs. story is anything but an academic question. Instead, like most talks about structure, how a plot is designed defines how the audience experiences the story. An early...
Writing Active Dialogue
Let's Get Some Action Going Have you ever been reading a script when the action suddenly felt clunky, heavy-handed or, even worse, stopped mid-scene? Probably it was the result of poor dialogue. Like everything else on stage, dialogue must push the story...