Momentum had a good panel discussion the other day, this one with agents and literary managers and artistic directors....
Tracy Brigden, City Theater's Artistic Director (and someone who directs all over the East Coast)
Christie Evangelisto, Director of Musical Theater&Dramaturg at Playwrights Horizons
Beth Blickers, Literary Agent at Abrams Artists NYC
Lou Tyrrell, Artistic Director at Florida Stage
Carlyn Aquiline, City Theater's Dramaturg
Discussion Highlights (things attributed when I remember who said them)
When asked what was new and exciting to them in American Theater, Tracy said MUSICALS! They're starting to break more from form, and draw more on popular music, are showing a strong forward motion of storyline. They said that lyric writing is changing. Lou mentioned the push for new plays to get multiple productions through organizations like the National New Play Network, Christie mentioned a growing interest on the part of audiences to see the early stages of the development process, and Beth talked about the increasing number of regional theaters that are bringing in work created off-site (as in NYC's The Civilians touring a show, Rude Mechs touring a show, Steppenwolf bringing other theaters into the garage...)
How has playwriting changed?
Beth says she sees playwrights getting more political, going outside their living rooms to find windows on the world, looking at Israeli Palestine, looking at the Muslim world…finding things that are unique, unknown, resonant. She says she’s seeing fewer 20-something plays, fewer “mother plays,” fewer “coming out plays.”
Someone said there had been a “sorry trend for a while of no comedies…” It wasn’t clear whether that had begun to change…but they said the best comedies they were seeing were coming out of politics.
The three big issues around which people seem to be writing are family, war/ripped from headlines, and faith.
They said that people aren’t going to see their Iraq plays…
They were asked about the trend of new play production moving out of NYC, how it has helped, and how it’s hindered…
“It’s very smart to show new work out of NYC first. The critical climate in New York is currently awful”“It’s great to do work elsewhere and bring it in…develop out of town whenever you can.”
“The PERCEPTION has changed. Playwrights don’t need to be in NYC to make a living in theater.”
“If you’re emerging, and you have an opportunity to get good reviews outside of New York, you should.”
“Regional Theater is the new Off-Broadway.” – but the regionals “aren’t bubble-wrap.” It’s still got to be a great play.
“The scary thing happening New York is…people read the regional reviews, and if those reviews aren’t good, the play won’t even get looked at for New York.”
What are the Qualities you see in good Directors and Dramaturgs in new work…
“If you love a play out of the gate, you have to agree to nurture it and the playwright (the whole creative team does)…a new play is ‘a very fragile thing’” (side note…I don’t know whether I agree with the idea that a play is “fragile.” I know Dietz doesn’t...and I guess so far it hasn’t been my experience...but my experience is limited)
“Basically, you want a director and dramaturg who shut up and listen…a great question to ask is ‘what was the genesis of this play’ – then pay attention…and see if that genesis is showing up in the play as it stands…”
“It’s tough when emerging playwrights work with established directors, or it can be…the balance of power can go off”
“be careful of the ‘I know what’s best for you’ line of thinking”
WHAT NEEDS DOING? WHAT NEEDS WORK?
“Agents are encouraging half-baked plays. That needs to change”
“You don’t get to send a play twice…you’re already in the Excel Spreadsheet as having been rejected.”
“To rewrite during the rehearsal process, it really helps to be in the room for the rehearsal process…”
ADVICE
“Make your own work. Don’t RELY on other people. Put your plays in front of people and take them out for coffee.”
“Develop a feedback circle with people who know what they’re talking about.”
“Get to know the regional theater world. Become a human being.”
“Really hold on to your relationships from school. They’re your colleagues for life. Help each other wherever you can”
“Constantly listen to your own inner voice and heed it.”
“Don’t fuck around.”
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