Play Submissions Helper

Hey everyone and welcome to the PSH podcast! In episode 0, we'll take you on a tour of our vision for what's to come with the rest of the series. We recommend that you start here!

How is theater different from other art forms?  What are the implications for the playwright?  What kinds of theatrical narrative will benefit the most from this series?  What are the key defining characteristics of a play that make it different from other art forms which tell a story?

Episode 2 covers the process of coming up with an idea for a play. Where do ideas come from? How can you train yourself to look out for ideas? Think critically about social, cultural, and personal experiences to draw your inspiration.

Episode 3 discusses the Seven Key Elements of Narrative: 0. How Do I Use These Seven Key Elements 1. The Protagonist 2. The Major Dramatic Question / The Goal 3 - 4. Old World Order / New World Order 5. Inciting Incident 6. Rising Action / Complications / Plot 7. Crisis / Perception Shift / Climax Then, get ready for your assignments before the next episode comes out!

Podcast Four Agenda Welcome/Start-Up’s The handout Who am I? (Your host, Andrew Black, playwright, and your sponsor, Play Submissions Helper) Teaching Examples The use of teaching examples Teaching examples used in this podcast Typical Characteristics of the Protagonist Drives action Strong want or need, has a goal Fish out of water The story begins and ends with this character. Must deal with conflicts in pursuit of the goal Problems that Occur in Developing a Protagonist No clear protagonist Protagonist does not have a clear goal It is not clear what it will look like when the protagonist achieves the goal. Protagonist is one of the least interesting characters in the play. The protagonist is never in true danger or at risk. The protagonist does not make a strong decisive choice at the end of the play. Your assignments

HAPPY NEW YEAR PLAYWRIGHTS!! Start your New Year's Resolution with PSH -- listen to "The Play's the Thing" for a step-by-step guide to playwrighting, and then find all your submission opps at playsubmissionshelper.com Podcast Five Agenda Welcome/Start-Up’s The handout Who am I? (Your host, Andrew Black, playwright, and your sponsor, Play Submissions Helper) Why Create a Major Dramatic Question? Engages the audience Provides a “shape” to the story Maps to questions the audience is probably struggling with Using the MDQ Introduce early; wrap up near the end Link to protagonist Kinds of Goals Kinds of goals and kinds of plots Positive vs. negative goals Strength of goal On-Stage Manifestation Conceptual goals and on-stage manifestations How the two kinds of goals work together Possible Outcomes of the MDQ MDQ and Plot The nature of the MDQ can help drive plotting Once the MDQ is answered, the play is effectively over.  

• Teaching Examples Used in this Podcast • Old and New World Order: What and Why? What Is Old World Order? Protagonal Point of View Old World Order as the Template for New World Order Alternative Forms: Absurdist Structure Various Plots and the New World Order • The First Ten Minutes Facts/Exposition Protagonist Point of View Storylines/Key Images Tone/Rules Pitfalls of the First Ten Minutes Getting the First Ten Pages Right • Tying Up the Story Lines at the End of the Play

Podcast Seven Agenda  Welcome/Start-Up’s  The Handout Who Am I? (Your host, Andrew Black, playwright, and your sponsor, Play Submissions Helper) Teaching Examples Used in this Podcast Inciting Incident: What and Why? What Is an Inciting Incident? Why Is It Important? Kinds of Plots/Different Kinds of Inciting Incidents Putting the Inciting Incident on Stage Supporting Characters What Are Supporting Characters/How Do They Function? Supporting Characters as Parts of the Protagonist’s Psyche Supporting Characters who Comment on Theme Supporting Characters as Archetypes Giving Every Supporting Character a Distinct Point of View

Podcast Eight Agenda Welcome/Start-Up’s The Handout Plot: What and Why? What Is a Plot? Why Is It Important? Principles of Plotting The Plot in Relationship to the Major Dramatic Question/Protagonist’s Goal Process Plots Escalation / Causality / The Clock Supporting / Disconfirming Evidence / Sub-Plots The Architecture of a Scene / Negotiations Sub-Text The Seven Basic Plots / Basic Plot Lines

Welcome/Start-Up’s The Handout Who Am I? (Your host, Andrew Black, playwright, and your sponsor, Play Submissions Helper) The Teaching Examples in this Podcast Crisis What Is Crisis and How Does It Function? Examples Climax What Is Climax and How Does It Function? Examples Resolution What Is Resolution and Why Is It Important? Examples How Do Crisis, Climax and Resolution Relate to the Other Key Elements of Narrative? Crisis, Climax, Resolution in Context Crisis, Climax, Resolution and Theme In Summary

Podcast Ten Agenda Getting Started Getting the Idea and Developing It Developing Ideas Before You Begin Writing Workshops and Classes/Writers Groups Outlines: Pro’s and Con’s/Formats for Outlines o Networks The First Draft The First Ten Pages Getting the First Draft Done Table Reads Setting Table Reads Up Debriefing the Reading Principles for Rewriting Staged Readings