Does This Make Playscripts My Boyfriend?
I'm 26. I live in Chicago. I have a dumb day job. I improvise and act and write to feed my soul, with the dream that it will also one day feed my belly. I sometimes write plays for a small, storefront theater on the North Side called The Cornservatory. They're like family.
When I write for Corn, there is always a moment when I become convinced that I've fooled the company into thinking that my play warrants a production. That my story is universal. That people give two tenths of a crap about the words I pushed together, then pulled apart, then pushed back together in round-the-clock coffee shops and diners. And I want to say, “WAIT! NO! STOP! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? I AM A FRAUD AND AN IDIOT!” This is also how I feel when I convince men to date me.
Every opening I stand at the back trying not to throw up, staring at patrons, willing them to laugh and cry when I want them to, and to please, please love me and think I'm relevant.
When I got a message that there was some interest in publishing my recent play from Playscripts, my heart jumped out of my body through my face.
I e-mailed my mom.
“Mom! A publisher from NEW YORK wants to read MY play!”
I e-mailed Steve.
“Steve! A Publisher from NEW YORK wants to read MY play!!”
I e-mailed the girl who sits next to me.
“MEGAN!!! A publisher from *****NEWYORK***** wants to read MY PLAY!”
“Who is this?”
“I sit next to you?”
“Wrong Megan. I'm in accounting”
“Oh! Sorry!”
I sent, and this is a rough estimate, 47,000 e-mails that morning. The morning I found out that an actual, legitimate publisher from the single most legitimate city on the planet wanted to read a thing I wrote.
I was floored. I spent several days looking for typos, and removing the little personal notes I'd written in for my director/best friend, Anneliese Toft. It was her brilliant direction, and the massive talent of the cast, that made my play a hit in Chicago and why this amazing opportunity skipped into my life.
I drafted my e-mail. I attached my play. I stared. I got up and went to the kitchen and heated up some taquitos. I returned to the computer. I stared more. Fingers trembling on my trackpad, I tentatively pushed the cursor toward that daunting “send” button. When did this button become so scary? Was it always like this?
I finished my taquitos. I hit the button. I said, out loud, “No turning back.” I heated up some more taquitos to deal with the instant panic/anxiety/excitement/thrill/terror/glee I felt.
Some time passed and then it happened. They liked it. They liked my play. They want to publish it, if I'm interested. If I'm interested. Something about the gift of choice when receiving an amazing, life-affirming, life-altering offer makes you feel --I don't know-- f**king awesome. I sent 47,000 more e-mails, including another apology e-mail to Megan from accounting. Then I sent the one that mattered. The one that was, “YES, OF COURSE, OH MY GOD, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, HOLY CRAP,” only, you know, worded a little differently.
You want to be cool. You want to be like, “Yes. Of course. This is appropriate because I'm a talented writer with an important message. It was only a matter of time.” But you're not like that. Maybe YOU are. But I wasn't. I couldn't be cool or nonchalant.
I couldn't believe it. How is this my life? How did I get the thing I wanted? The happiest tears streamed down my face as I realized I achieved a dream. I'm a Playwright. I'm a published playwright. I can say that I am the same thing as Caryl Churchill and Martin McDonagh and William Shakespeare. We could eat buffet food together at Playwright conventions. Do they have those? They should.
I am green as can be. I'm in no position to broadcast advice or claim to have wisdom. I can't say how you should do it, because I don't know how I did. It just sort of happened. I think art is the best thing humans are capable of creating and we should create it always and for any audience or no audience or just your parents or Megan in accounting.
When you get the opportunity to reach new audiences, it's a gift. A gift by which I am humbled and for which I am grateful.
The gratitude I feel for the Chicago theatre community, for the Chicago comedy community, for the audience, for the cast, for my parents, for Anneliese, for Corn Productions, and for Playscripts-- it's more than I can quantify or ever adequately express.
--Julia Weiss
Julia Weiss is a 2007 graduate of the Indiana University Theatre and Drama program, where she studied playwriting under the mentorship of Dennis Reardon and Paul Shoulberg. As a junior, her one-act play Mr. Postman was honored by the Indiana University Theatre Circle and was later produced by The Bloomington Playwright's Project. Ms. Weiss's written work has also been seen on McSweeney's Internet Tendency and at The Paper Machete, a weekly live magazine. Ms. Weiss studied improvisational comedy at the world-famous iO Theatre, where she currently performs. We are proud to announce that her latest play Tammy: A Coming of Age Story About a Girl Who is Part T-Rex will be published by Playscripts.
Posted by Playscripts, Inc.
Internship Opportunity
We are currently seeking an intern with a strong interest in learning about the play publishing industry. An appreciation of theater is required, and an enthusiasm for new works is a plus. This is a highly interactive internship that aims to provide actual publishing experience with a concentration in the Publications / Editorial Department and the Customer Service Department.
Duties can include copyediting and formatting manuscripts, assisting with social media postings, and working on a variety of company projects and administrative tasks. We're looking for energetic, self-motivated and responsible individuals with excellent written and verbal communication skills, exceptional attention to detail, and an ability to multi-task.
Requirements: Touch-typing proficiency (at least 60 words per minute); proficiency with standard word processing, email, and web browsing software. Preferred: InDesign experience/interest.
A stipend is provided for both full-time and part-time internships ($15/day), and the experience is eligible for course credit at most schools. Minimum length of internship is 3 months, with a start date on or before September 12.
Send application via email to hr@playscripts.com, and include the following:
1) Cover letter detailing your interest in Playscripts, Inc.
2) Resume of your artistic and administrative experience.
3) Brief literary analysis of a play you've read or seen, focusing on the script, not the production (~200 words).
4) Letter of recommendation [optional]
Please submit applications by August 31st.
Although email is strongly preferred, hard-copy correspondence may be sent to our office address:
Playscripts, Inc.
450 Seventh Ave.
Suite 809
New York, NY 10123
Posted by Playscripts, Inc.
5 Ingredients of a Perfect One-Act Play
Photo courtesy of Kristian D.
As of this writing, the one-act powerhouse Check Please is four productions shy of hitting the 2,000 mark! That's 2,000 productions, over 3,600 performances, and more than 25,000 scripts sold. Not only is it the most-produced play (of any length) in the Playscripts, Inc. catalog, but more importantly the most produced high school short play for the past six consecutive seasons in North America, according to the Educational Theatre Association’s annual play survey .
With all these productions to be had, and the economy as it is, it’s no surprise that many people try their hand at writing a one-act play – particularly teachers. Teachers can make excellent one-act playwrights, and we've found that they often write plays for their students when they can’t seem to find a play that matches their class’s casting needs. Some of them, such as Alan Haehnel, Ed Monk and Don Zolidis squeeze even more life out of their plays by submitting them for possible publication at playscripts.com/submit. Alan, Ed and Don must be doing something right, because they are some of our most-produced playwrights!
To get you on your way, here the 5 magic ingredients that we look for when we read a one-act play:
- School-appropriateness. G/PG material. Anything too racy just doesn’t fly with most schools.
- Cast size. The bigger, the better.
- Gender breakdown. It's no surprise that when auditions for the school play roll around, most of the hopeful faces are usually female. The more female roles in your play, the more attractive it will be to us and to schools (especially all-girl schools!).
- Prior productions. Not necessary, but certainly helpful.
- Quality. You might have all of the above ingredients, but it's also got to have that special something! Will actors clamor to star? Will audiences beg for more?
Side note: If you decide to submit your play and we decline, take solace in knowing that only a tiny percentage of submitted plays are selected for publication by Playscripts.
Good luck, and happy writing!
Posted by Playscripts, Inc.
Playscripts Play of the Day
Lockdown
by Douglas Craven
Short Drama
Connect With Us
